Heads Up Ebay Shoppers! Here's one...I shopped for SATA cables. Saw listing for "5X SATA cords for $1.80" (it's China, they manufacture these, with high competition, it's not unreasonable, 5 for $1.80). Anyways...waited 5 weeks, finally got package, felt package, went "Oh, Oh" only one (1) SATA cable shipped (this happened to me before with other multiple purchase items). Here's what I think is going on, these Chinese sellers (usually new ones to get income and eBay sales numbers up) advertise 5X but all along only have the intention of only shipping one (1) (they succeeded, they got your money other than another seller), you complain you only received one. Now they negotiate a small partial refund, apologizing and crying that they had to pay shipping for that one sent and that a refund of 10%-40% is reasonable. You grudgingly accept because you think it's the right thing to do. Meanwhile...$1.08 for one SATA cable is a good day for "Mr. Scammer". Probably a sale they would have never seen if not for the enticing listing scam. Unfortunately, I on the other hand lost. I was building a computer for a customer and now they do not want to wait another 5 weeks while I have to re-shop for 4 more SATA cables. I ultimately lost the sale. Forgot to mention, sometime during the 5 week shipping wait the sellers goes and changes the listing to 1X SATA cable for $1.55. When I complained about my missing 4 cables they messaged me back to go look at the current description that states only one (1) cable is mentioned. But they altered the page from 5X to 1X AFTER my purchase! The Nerve!
Solution: eBay should start forcing a penalty (mandatory +10% of listing price + any buyer/seller negotiated refund + negative feedback?) for flagrantly misleading listings to . Was "5X" a typo? No matter, this penalty will force all sellers to carefully double (even triple) check for errors in the future before activating their listings and if done on purpose the scammers will have to now work the 10% penalty into their equation for every sale. Hopefully they find the new penalty unprofitable.
