Buyers are not out of luck if they haven't received pre-order merchandise after months

[umichigan]

I was dumb and bought a large preorder item with a credit card and trusted the seller to deliver. 

It was supposed to come in a couple of months after I ordered but he kept telling me there were delays so I waited and didn't do anything (my mistake). This seller was US-based and had perfect, glowing feedback. He finally stopped responding to me and wouldn't give me a refund after a YEAR. 

After 30 days, of course, eBay protection runs out. Then, the credit cards tell you 3-4 months and then you can't dispute. If I had used PayPal I would've had 6 months. 

But I recently discovered you actually have up to 540 days after the purchase if you didn't receive your item. Here's the info below and applies at minimum to Visa/Mastercard: 

"Consumers have 540 days from the date the transaction was processed to file a chargeback with the issuing bank if the reason for the chargeback is one of the following:

• Services not provided
• Merchandise not received, or received not as described, or defective merchandise"

Definitely check the fine print and apply it to your situation but I hope this helps someone who didn't get what they ordered and thought they were out of options.

[epowerbargains]

Could you please tell us where this protection is stated? Is it from a credit card company? US consumer protection or ? Very interested in the source of this protection as pre-order scams seem to be impossible for eBay to control or stop. Thanks

[umichigan]

here is the mastercard chargeback guide:

https://www.mastercard.us/content/dam/public/mastercardcom/na/global-site/documents/chargeback-guide...

here's a document from visa, page 772: 

https://usa.visa.com/dam/VCOM/download/about-visa/visa-rules-public.pdf

[simba6]

Yes paying by credit card is a must for it's added protection.  But then, buying merchandise from a seller that does not have it should also be avoided.

[epowerbargains]

Thanks - Looks like it's a good idea to be aware of what the credit card you use will cover in the event of a problem such as a seller who lists a presale item 6 months out & fails to deliver. I thought the protection was 180 days maximum but it looks like some cards have better coverage. 

Thanks again for sharing!

[umichigan]

Yep! I will definitely avoid spending too much on pre-orders moving forward but this is great for a couple I did last year and got screwed out of. 

[umichigan]

Fair. Their feedback was so good though! 😞

[lisa5768]

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@umichigan wrote:

Yep! I will definitely avoid spending too much on pre-orders moving forward but this is great for a couple I did last year and got screwed out of. 

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@umichigan  @epowerbargains 

Glad you were able to get a refund. eBay's policy for listing presale items requires the seller to guarantee shipment within 40 business days of purchase. If you see a presale item that is shipping beyond that time frame it should be reported.

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/listing-policies/presale-policy?id=4252&st=3&pos=1&query=Presale%...

[tobaccocardyahoo]

Thank you for taking the time to check out the manuals.

I remembered the period for a chargeback was longer than 3-4 months but the conventional wisdom on this forum is that is the limit.

I admit to being lazy, and not concerned due to the rarity of a chargeback on my sales.

Hopefully, the pre-order scammers will need to pay up.

I have pity on the buyers who did not use a Mastercard or Visa Credit card.

[umichigan]

Yes! I have been doing that now. 

Weird though since the guarantee expires after 30 days so it's interesting they're not aligned. 

[umichigan]

Exactly. I have been reading the forums and everyone pretty much said around 4 months for credit cards and 6 months for PayPal; otherwise no luck. 

[epowerbargains]

It is so unfortunate that you had a negative pre-order experience. eBay has restrictions regarding pre-orders, however I have found that even when the sellers are reported over and over and their listings are reported over and over .....they might have the listing removed - but wait....the seller simply re-lists it over and over ....and their account is not dinged for flagrantly violating eBay rules.  I am waiting to list a certain item until I have in in-hand in May - I will not post it for sale unless I have it to mail. I am so frustrated watching a seller list this same item countless times and send the buyers a "receipt with tracking".  This seller is selling this item for less than they purchased it for with shipping that is less than it would take to mail it. I really hope the buyers have the credit card protection you mentioned in your post. 

[lisa5768]

@umichigan 

The eBay Money Back Guarantee is 30 days after the last estimated delivery date, not from the purchase date. If the listing is set for a 40 day handling time your estimated deliver date can be a ways out.

[mudshark61369]

@umichigan,

eBay's rules about Pre-Order listings is that one cannot be posted unless the seller can ship within 30 days, of orders being placed.    Since many pre-order items end up having delays in manufacturing, one should check the Brand/Mfr.'s site to see if the release date has been pushed back, before ordering from a seller. Keep that in mind before buying any future Pre-Order items. 

While it is great to know that Card providers do have an extended time frame for being able to file a charge back, eBay frowns on credit card charge backs , and too many charge backs could affect your ability to use the Money Back Guarantee (MBG) moving forward.

You replied to @simba6 : "Their feedback was so good though!" 

But did you actually check the seller's feedback profile page to see how many of their feedback were for selling?  A newer seller could have a fair number of feedback and a 100% rating, but all or mostly for buying at least in the last year. That's just one reason why checking a feedback profile and not going by their percentage is important.

  If you find another pre-order you want to buy on ebay, and see a last estimated delivery date more than 30 days out, definitely check the seller's profile. I wouldn't trust a seller who doesn't have experience selling the type of item you want to order.  Especially, if they are pre-orders.

Wolverines TEAM 144 BABY.  15-0, Roses and CFP CHAMPS, GO BLUE!!!!!!! 

[soh.maryl]

Are you aware that the clock on the Money Back Guarantee in regard to items not received does not start running until the day after the last estimated delivery date as seen in the original listing?