Ripped off by yet another buyer! Ebay's Buyer Wins no matter what policy.

[esell-resell]

Has this happenned to anyone else?

I sold a Computer Server to a buyer on Ebay, this guy phoned me, we discussed everything about the server and shipping. Now this guy was cheap I could tell just by him whinning about how much the shipping would be and how long it would take.

So me being a nice person and I know what it is like to have to wait and wait for my package, I told him to send me $90 and I would express ship it out to him and he would have it in 3 - 4 days. He agreed and sent me the extra $90 plus I gave him a deal on the server $169.99 , when I could have easily got $200. The server weighs 70lbs and is 26"longX19"highX9"wide and has to be shipped in it's proper sitting place so I had to label it with THIS SIDE UP stickers and also HEAVY stickers (70lbs) and alot of FRAGILE AND HANDLE WITH CARE stickers. It cost me $280.00 to ship it to him (no lie I have the receipt from UPS on my account) and only charged him $90. When I packaged the server I did it at the UPS office that I go to all the time and the UPS agent helped me actually. I wrapped it in packing cardboard and used a bubble packing envelope for extra cushion on the back of the tower server so that none of the conections would be broken. It was then triple wrapped with cardboard boxes customly made top fit tight around the server and several layers of red Tuck Tape were used to seal it all up.

The buyer received it I believe 6 days later because some of the paperwork for the border ( Canada to USA) were not proper so it took a few more days. When his even NORMAL shipping, like the cheapest from Winnipeg Manitoba Canada to New York USA would have been $133.00 and would have taken 2 - 3 weeks to get there. Remember he only paid $90?

Anyway 3 days after he received the server he sends me a message that it was damaged during shipping because it was not packaged properly and he wants all his money back and also the shipping money. In my listing I had listed no returns or exchanges. I want all of you to know that I have sold many of these units and I always, ALWAYS run a system check on them before shipping them out and I have never had a problem. So I replied to him that I most certainly did package it properly and I asked him to send me pictures please and I also asked him why he would accept a package that was damaged. He would not respond or nor did he send any pictures.

Yesterday I received a buyer complaint thing from Ebay and Paypal puts a $179.99 hold on my account. I responded to the complaint and explained everything in detail and informed the buyer that I would be contacting Ebay and UPS this morning.

This morning I woke up a little later than usual 11am and noticed that the buyer had already escalated the complaint with Ebay at 6am. I immediately phoned Ebay and spoke to someone in the Ebay Buyer Protection department and I explained everything to the rep and also that I packed it in front of the UPS agent who helped me and that the buyer would not send me any pictures, and I expressed to the rep that I think what the buyer did was buy a different server locally because I noticed on his account that a few days after he bought my server, he was buying Tape drives for a completely different server, and after speaking with him on the phone he had said that he was in need of a server badly because they did not have one.

So here is what the Ebay rep did during the phone call I had with him. He ruled in the buyers favor and now the buyer can take 7 - 14 days to ship it to me and he can send it anyway he wants, so I will be waiting for 4- 6 weeks at the very least to get back a BROKEN server that has now cost me 280.00$ in shipping and is probably now worth nothing because here is what I believe happenned the buyer found a server locally and then read the buyer protection policy and then damaged the server ON PURPOSE then filed the claim. I know I cannot prove it 100% but I know that is what happenned.

So now I am out over $550.00 and apparently there is nothing I can do about it. I am sooo tired of getting ripped off on Ebay by buyers that LIE and Ebay rules in there favor all the time. I have 2 kids and this is christmas time and this extra money is for gifts for them, I am so UPSET right now with Ebay that I am about ready to quit selling on here completely.

I go out of my way to ENSURE that items are packed EXTRA well so that damage does not happen, and now I get ripped off by some goon that uses the policy to get away with it.

BEWARE SELLERS this can happen to you.

I think Ebay needs to wake up and change some of this NON-SENSE policy loop holes that these scammers use to scam you out of money. Oh and get this that buyer can now leave me NEGATIVE feedback but I cannot do the same to him, I can either leave positive or no feedback!

UNBELIEVABLE!!!!

Has anyone else had this happen to them?

[dr.fp]

What if the item is still in transit when the buyer opens an item not received case?
If tracking shows that the item was sent within the seller's handling time, but hasn't arrived yet, we may ask the buyer to wait. We may also extend the amount of time buyers should wait depending on circumstances like the use of a slower shipping service, or sending an item internationally.

[dogofwar777]

I don't undersand some buyers. It is like they are stupid. I have bought items from sellers and it has taken a while to arrive, but when I checked the tracking number and saw it was sent the day I paid I never went after the seller because I have enough common sense to know that once a seller hands over a package to the USPS or UPS it is not their fault what happens to it. I have NEVER filed a complaint against a seller who mailed me something, showed proof it was mailed and it got lost in the mail. Those sellers were always friendly and I always left them positive feedback even if the item never showed up because I realize the seller is not at fault once theyhand over the package.

[dr.fp]

They paid by the Aug 30th and it was shipped USPS Priority and is on its way, for some reason its taking longer than it should, but the tracking says its on its way still............ I would of filed a case with the USPS and help the BUYER but they filed a case today without contacting me.......................... When I called Ebay they said maybe its buyer abuse?

[johnb582]

Hi

Believe me you are not alone

I have a good one, sold a good white iphone 4 for £175, buyer starts complaining  daily, theres no sim pin you send me money, the phone is fake etc ect. I said if you not happy send phone back and I will refund you (as sellers you know we have to eat humble pie) to buyers or get negged. Next raises an INAD stating fake phone, you refund me, which I agreed to. Getting suspicious now so the day before item was due for return I did a checkmend report on the phone which gave me proof of its validity. I then setup my video camera to record the opening of the returned package and box to then switch the phone on to show its valid IMIE and Ser No, but no, no phone in the box at all only the charger plug and lead, I was dumfounded. got onto Ebay Customer support which is **bleep** no use at all just give you back a few pasted copied or their bull **bleep** pages. The above details were all mentioned in the case to which in the last 5 mins the buyer escalated the case and 20mins later Ebay closed it in favor of the Buyer as they do. So the buyer now has a £175 phone and a £175 Pypal refund. I appealed today but got nowhere at all with them, wouldn't budge, lost it.

jb

[jdr.computer.world]

I use eBay a lot of time as a seller and as a buyer my user id for eBay is jdr.computer.world OK I have a very good rating on eBay with out no negative feed back here is the problem I sold a use but working laptop on eBay the buyer buys is as a buy now item OK when the item was receive the buyer assuming did even took the time to read the listing before they bought it so when they receive the item they wasn't happy now everything that I can put on the listing I did I put on the listing that laptop work and took a picture of the system working plus I got video proof that the system is working and eBay tell the buyer to send it back to me even through it said clearly that there is no return as is and they still told the buyer to send it back plus put a hold on the payment when I call then to explain they telling me to relies the item OK I have no problem with that but they forgot that I had to pay for 1- the listing 2-shipping fee 3- and package fee( such like tape bubble rap and etc...) well they was acting like they don't care about all that cause all they wanted to do is just for me to re-list the item and issue the buyer a refund so I think I should take my business some where else but before I do that IM going to make sure or try to let people know to be careful with eBay and I would think 2 time before I can do any more business with e-bay I think they are a scam and I have proof I mean video and pictures of them screwing up

Shame shame Ebay  I was so happy until you eBay screwing up and made me take my business somewhere else I see how much you eBay care about the service you give and how easy it is for a buyer to do what ever he want even through it said as is if you don't understand you can  feel free to email me and I will show you what I mean I still have the videos and picture to show my case thank you eBay for making me a very unsatisfied seller

[azdustdevil]

I have had bad experiences with buyers but not to this extent.  I once sold a computer on ebay to a fake bidder.  It was Christmas and sales were hot.  The "buyer" who was just horsing around ebay said "just relist it".  Relist?  Christmas was over!  It was the following Christmas when I finally sold it.  After that, I cancel bids on a regular basis.  If they have been on less than a year or if they have less than  positive feedback ratings or ANY negative feedback, I cancel the bid and don't even inform the culprit.  Sorry folks, that's what happens when a few people abuse the priviledge....we all suffer. 

[tonyscomp]

This happened to me to. Buyer purchased a phone screen from me and damaged it fitting it.  Then asked for a refund said I would have refunded it but as they'd damaged it I wouldnt be able to.

They then contacted ebay and claimed my item was not as described, ebay awarded them a full refund. Not only that, i never actually got the original phone screen back!  I offered ebay evidence that the screen was as described and that they had damaged the screen they didnt want to know

so out of pocket, they kept the item, and I could prove they were lying

dont trust ebay, dont trust paypal!

[bytecollektr79]

probably not much new here, but when it comes to international shipping here is my rules:

Ship priority mail by weight, not flatrate. That way its trackable.

Ask buyer to pay full shipping costs.

Send them an ebay message explaining that returns and customs are their responsibility (ebay will blame you if you dont have the paper trail for it)

ALWAYS insure package

Use international sales as the last means (if it does not sell otherwise)

This way, you are relatively safe, and there is a small chance you will not get screwed. And I would call paypal and see what they can do as well

[lousbits]

I think this is a problem the World over. I especially find that Americans are now playing the 'item not received' trick after stating that they want standard airmail for an item. They get the item and their money is refunded by Ebay. It's very easy to do to someone you don't care about in another country that can't even leave you negative feedback.

[kiowagirl28]

Exact same thing happening to me! Just sold a MacBook for 500.00 dollar to a man telling me I had to hurry and ship it out for a charity. Now two days after he received it he tells me there is water damage and it won't turn on. When I know it was working because it took 6 hrs to wipe the hard drive out. Just frustrated and Ebay won't do anything about it!!!!!

[a68pad]

Yes ebay sucks I agree now my niece account was taken off and since we are in same household I can not trade my stuff I will not buy from them we should start our own business for seller favor

[varga7]

"why would you take a $20.00 LOSS ( $90.00 shipping charge plus a selling cost of $170.00 ) and than ship it to him for $280.00  SOMETHING SMELLS IN THIS TRANSACTION  AND IT DOESN'T APPEAR TO ME TO BE THE BUYER"

The original poster states......

"So me being a nice person..... I told him to send me $90 and I would express ship it to him .... It cost me $280.00 to ship it to him and I only charged him $90."

I agree that something smells very fishy. None of this makes any sense. I'm surprised more people haven't commented on it.

[clarita9999]

EBAY HATE SELLERS. You can not win and buyers get away with murder by saying ITEM not as described.
Everyday I have to add to my conditions and descriptions more and more sentences like: Packets are double checked before closing - Envelopes are never sent empty and always double checked. Items are never sent aeking, etc etc etc etc. .

[vegaslas702gifts]

First of all, I feel for you! But, your first mistake, why would you pay more for shipping, than the actual cost???? I always add extra for shipping, then when I get ripped off, I don't feel it so bad. But you set ur self up for failure. Suggestion.... Only deal with usa buyers!!!!

[lethargic1]

I have had several bad experiences with buyers but the most frustrating part isn't the buyer's but ebay's lack of help.

The past week has been nothing but frustration from sellers and ebay.

I have been trying to sell my Grand Theft Auto V game for the past week or so. I listed it the first time and the "buy it now" buyer had 4 feedbacks, that I did not read at first. After a couple of days of waiting and not getting any response I checked his feedback. It turns out his 4 "positive" feedbacks were all negative. Sellers were leaving negative feedback as "positive" because Ebay's moronic removal of negative feedback. His 4 feedbacks were...

Block this seller!!! Never payed

Never paid for the item, had to open case

Buyer never paid

buyer did not pay for item. had to open a case

This person has been on Ebay for 2 years and apparently has NEVER paid for an item.

I wrote Ebay asking to please cancel the transaction. It is obvious that this person is never going to pay, he is just wasting my time, can't I just please cancell this and move on? They wouldn't help. I had to open a cancel transaction thing that I am STILL waiting to finish.

Knowing this person wasn't going to pay, I went and ahead and relisted the game. The game sold through buy it now a second time. Once again the buyer never contacted me and never paid. I opened a non-paying bidder claim. Later that day I noticed this person's feedback went up one. I wondered hey, he did SOMETHING, so he's obviously around. I clicked on his feedback. And it turned out he went and bought the same game from somebody else for a couple of dollars cheaper and paid for it.

Once again I contacted ebay for help and got none.

So now here I am waiting on a cancel to go through AND waiting on a non-payment case to close and meanwhile ebay won't lift a finger to help somebody who has been selling and buying on their site for 10 years with perfect feedback and 5 stars across the board. It is mystifying and I am enraged at how frustrating all of this is.