eBay

sitt-just · ‎03-08-2021

Maybe it was my fault for forgetting that this isn't Amazon -- but I purchased a book from here an noticed that the delivery time frame was several months down the line. Having items take months for delivery isn't a problem on other sites however by the time it was supposed to be delivered the seller had disappeared off the site and Ebay had no documentation for when the item was to be delivered. Instead of working with me Ebay representatives told me I was out of luck because it was more than 30 days from the date of PURCHASE.

TLDR: Beware sellers who list a delivery time more than 30 days out -- Ebay won't cover the purchase if it's a scam.

eburtonlab · ‎03-08-2021

If you paid with PayPal or a credit card you may have up to 180 days from the purchase to file an Item Not Received case -- check with PayPal or the terms of your credit card for specific details. If the seller is no longer registered on eBay, be sure to mention that fact when filing.

Even if an item is coming from China, delivery should only take three or four weeks in most cases; so if a seller is quoting "several months" expected shipping times, that indicates that at best the seller does not have the item on hand. Find a seller with reasonable terms and items in stock.

In general, you can avoid a lot of headaches by choosing to purchase only from established sellers that have recent and past positive feedback as a seller for selling items in the same category that you intend to buy. If someone is selling a dozen apple watches, but has no feedback, or only has feedback as a buyer, or only has feedback for selling dress patterns or fishing lures (actual examples I have seen), perhaps wait until they have a track record of positive feedback for selling electronics before you buy from them. Sellers with an extensive history stretching back months or years are much less likely to suddenly disappear.