Folks - I'm looking for a sanity check here.
Back story - bought a electric train set from the seller. It arrived broken. The seller also described it as brand new. You could tell from the packaging that components were used, original wrapping was not present, indentations in the styrofoam packaging from cords and components not being in the proper place, dirt on the track and other components, etc. He also shipped it in the store display packaging which may have contributed to it being broken. I submitted a return request. I provided pictures of the broken components, a description of why it is not brand new as described, and the ebay buyer protection rules. He accused me of replacing the set with a broken one on multiple occasions. Finally, on the day before I would be able to ask ebay for help, he sends me a shipping label and accepts the return. Some how, I only received a partial refund. It looks like he somehow was able to deduct the return shipping from the refund. After 7 calls to ebay customer service over the span of weeks, all promising me that I would receive the remaining portion, I gave up on ebay actually helping me. I used my credit card company to obtain the remaining portion the refund.
I remained professional throughout the messaging process and left out my emotions. Facts only. I left negative feedback. "Dishonest. Item not as described. Broken. Tried to avoid refund." I do consider this seller to be dishonest. The item was clearly not brand new as described. He fought me throughout the return process, let alone the hassle with not getting a complete refund through ebay. I suspect he bought this thing at a flea market or salvation army store and tried to dump it on some unsuspecting buyer without testing it first. Frankly, in my mind he's lucky ebay limits feedback to 80 characters.
He's now messaging me requesting the negative feedback be removed/changed. He says I got my refund, i should be happy. In the same request, he's still accusing me of replacing his item with a broken one. I can assure you I do not keep a stash of these things laying around. He's also sent me 5 messages telling me he's "going to call ebay on you!" I've archived all his messages from the beginning. To me, they do not present the picture of a professional seller.
The bizarre thing to me is that he has no other negative feedback. Most of his other sales are of electronics and never trains. Did he sell something he knows nothing about and got caught?
Am I crazy to not want to change the negative feedback and ignore him? I'm sure that I'm spending more mental capital on this than I probably should.
The whole incident has turned me off to ebay. I will never buy anything of value on here again.
