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

esell-resell
Thrill-Seeker

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?

Message 1 of 613
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612 REPLIES 612

Re: Ripped off by buyer...Update!

Same boat I'm doing the same thing!
Message 346 of 613
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Re: Ripped off by buyer...Update!

well said brother.
Message 347 of 613
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Re: Ripped off by buyer...Update!

The only way for any action to take place is to get EBay/PayPal where it'll hurt most, their wallet. If 100's or 1,000's of sellers like ourselves were to stop selling things on here for a few weeks they'd surely pay attention then! As individuals we hardly have any power, but together we'd make them listen! I can remember a time when EBay cared about both the seller and buyer, but that time is over. Now buyers can and do easily get the item they ordered, plus their money back. Since EBay doesn't even require the buyer to send back your item before you refund the money, oh and did I mention they freeze your PayPal account in the process.. I for one will not sell another item on EBay until something is done about this one sided buyer "free for all"
Message 348 of 613
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Re: Ripped off by buyer...Update!

... Tried to rip me off but luckily eBay went in my favor as far as allowing him to return the item or get a refund. But, with the policy that sellers cant leave negative feedback it results in you getting a negative if you dont play by their game.  

Message 349 of 613
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Re: Ripped off by buyer...Update!

A fellow ebay seller bought a music equipment item that did not work with his system he did not research if this would work on his system he did not contact us at all just started a defect item with ebay he would not contact us because my husband was wanting to ask him if it was compatiable with his system which it stated all that information in our ad finally he had to answer us through all the emails it was determined it did not work with his system. Defect item case went through anyways. I assumed he did not want to pay to ship back item to us in other words not pay for his mistake in anyway. We disputed the defect charge against us with all the emails showing that the person ordered something that did not work with his system he won his defect item award anyways . We would had let him return the item and him pay the shipping (WHICH HE SHOULD HAD DONE THE RIGHT THING IN THE FIRST PLACE) he sent item back not packed good at all package was busted open when it got to us and my husband checked the item and it was working great. He knew exactly what he was doing not caring that it bumped our rating down. I am just a small seller people like this are trying to put us out of business I guess.    Well I believe what goes around comes around.  Sure takes the fun out of selling on ebay.  

Message 350 of 613
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Re: Ripped off by buyer...Update!

Yup, EBay wouldn't understand the complexity of the situation, and never does because they source out work to people in third-world countries. Meaning that representatives working their call center and (I'm sure), the resolution dept. are people that an barely speak English, so anything with complexity won't be understood. Only once you take hours of your time to contact eBay, will you get an American to respond to you. (But it'll take huge amounts of effort, time, & work). I've found that it simply takes a person to put in any kind of a claim, and buyer gets rewarded. Dis-honest people have figured this out, and now ruin it for sellers on eBay. I've stopped selling on eBay for now, & have found other sites that are much more fun & rewarding to sell on (luckily, I was mostly selling women's fashion), and there's loads of those apps out there. (Mercari, Poshmark, Tradesy). There's some seller fees on Posh, but Merc is free for now. eBay is a buyers market & I'm shocked that there aren't more lawsuits regarding unfair practices. Bottom line-eBay needs to make a change in that area. Sellers need to dispute these erroneous claims that buyers make.
Message 351 of 613
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Re: Ripped off by buyer...Update!

I agree. I'd like to see all sellers (honest ones that get shafted - like ourselves) completely stop selling for a week! eBay does not give sellers any rights. It's all for the buyers..not a decent way to do business, is it?
Message 352 of 613
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Re: Ripped off by buyer...Update!

eBay's approach to purchase resolution is highly flawed and clearly opens up a large window of opportunity for a new auction site. If there's one thing we've all learned in the Internet age is nothing is permanent. Remember MySpace? There are many more. For some reason eBay has a hubris that is unexplainable. As the saying goes, "Pride comes before the fall."

 

As more and more sellers get ripped off, the selection of really cool items starts to dwindle and as we all know then eBay just becomes another retail outlet based on price.

 

Only time will tell.

Message 353 of 613
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Re: Ripped off by buyer...Update!

Organize it. Get confirmation. I'm in!!
Message 354 of 613
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Re: Ripped off by buyer...Update!

So sad lose only . Syste  should verify   since put bid  !!!

Message 355 of 613
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Re: Ripped off by buyer...Update!

Totally flawed. I do want protection as a buyer, but also want unscrupulous "buyers" held accoountable
Message 356 of 613
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Re: Ripped off by buyer...Update!

Amen, brother. same experience here, only "buyer's" poor return packaging dameged our item

Message 357 of 613
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Re: Ripped off by buyer...Update!

Ebay is digging its own grave. They can't keep this up and survive. All of the small sellers who offer cool, vintage and unique items will be gone. All that will be left is the huge retailers who have nothing but imported junk that anyone can get at Walmart. Its almost there now. An online Dollar Store is what ebay has become. They rob the small, honest seller and stand behind dishonest buyers. I quit today after 15 years. I'm tired of getting shafted. I encourage all of you to do the same. There are alternatives available. Google them! Try them! Anything is better than being ripped off by ebay again and again. Ebay will eventually go under and I can't wait for that day. What goes around comes around and ebay has got a big dose coming.

Message 358 of 613
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Re: Ripped off by buyer...Update!

I have had a growing problem with people buying my vintage, damaging it by wearing it and returning it in horrible packing.  On the other hand, I buy, too.  There are lots and lots of dishonest sellers who send shoddy merchandise and pretend they didn't see glaring defects....  So in those cases I am grateful for buyer protection.  Scammers are not the majority of my customers as a seller....  Knock on wood....

Message 359 of 613
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Re: Ripped off by buyer...Update!

I am just a young college student trying to get some change. They charged me two dollars for two separate Michael Kors items I didn't even sell. I DIDN'T EVEN SELL! I am am observant person and I see that hardly anybody sells or buys anymore. My feedback has been frozen at 95 for months now and I used to buy almost once a week. My husband is still trying and buyers see only concerned about getting a deal. It's tough on there. Luckily I went on eBay Facebook page and publically have them a piece of my mind on their page.
Message 360 of 613
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