eBay

cataliner · ‎07-22-2017

First: Why can't I phone Ebay anymore? This is a complex issue and I don't know what to do about it! It needs immediate attention.

I sold a pair of vintage prescription designer glasses last week to Joe. When I ship an item, I always put a Thank you note inside that includes my phone number. Last night I got a phone call from Fred saying that the glasses were described as NONprescription.

It turned out that the buyer (Fred) had purchased them on Grailed, but phoned my number because of the note. MY buyer (Joe) had tripled the price, lied in his description, and listed them on Grailed, providing Ebay with his buyer's address, not his own.

Apparently Fred has opened a Paypal case against Joe, and Joe has contacted me saying the glasses are NAD.

I really don't know what to do! WHY CAN'T I PHONE EBAY?!

NOW what do I do?

ersatz_sobriquet · ‎07-23-2017

One of the strangest (to me anyway) threads I've ever read here. This Joe is a complete disaster. Hope it bites him.

cataliner · ‎07-23-2017

ersatz_sobriquet, I agree. Did you see the part where the glasses got relisted on Grailed? And then removed? The strangest part is trying to figure out how the refunds would go. If Fred sends the glasses back to me, he would only get about a 1/3 of what he paid for them because I'm not the person he bought them from.

Anyway...!!

ersatz_sobriquet · ‎07-23-2017

You don't refund Fred one cent. That is Joe's job. Paypal will take care of Fred, refunding him from Joe's account, assuming Fred sends the glasses back to the correct address and doesn't mess that up.

Your case is only with Joe. Either Joe provides tracking of the return back to you before it times out, or he doesn't.

a_c_green · ‎07-23-2017

@ersatz_sobriquet wrote:
Your case is only with Joe. Either Joe provides tracking of the return back to you before it times out, or he doesn't.

Hear, hear. This does get more bizarre by the moment, but it remains that your only business is between you and Joe, and Joe doesn't get his refund until you get your glasses back, and that's all there is to it.

Anonymous · ‎07-24-2017

@cataliner wrote:

First: Why can't I phone Ebay anymore? This is a complex issue and I don't know what to do about it! It needs immediate attention.

I sold a pair of vintage prescription designer glasses last week to Joe. When I ship an item, I always put a Thank you note inside that includes my phone number. Last night I got a phone call from Fred saying that the glasses were described as NONprescription.

It turned out that the buyer (Fred) had purchased them on Grailed, but phoned my number because of the note. MY buyer (Joe) had tripled the price, lied in his description, and listed them on Grailed, providing Ebay with his buyer's address, not his own.

Apparently Fred has opened a Paypal case against Joe, and Joe has contacted me saying the glasses are NAD.

I really don't know what to do! WHY CAN'T I PHONE EBAY?!

NOW what do I do?

Hey @cataliner, I am happy to give you some next steps in this situation. First off, you can contact customer service by phone by visiting: https://ocsnext.ebay.com/ocs/cusr?query=2971&levelHierarchy=4a2a1 and selecting the call option at the bottom of the page. Whenever you need to contact eBay, you just have to go to the Help & Contact option at the top of any eBay page, select the appropriate topics and then you will receive contact information.

Now in regards to your sale - while I can understand how this transaction has gotten more complex than you would have expected, it does sound as if your buyer simply drop shipped the product to a customer of theirs. Since the person contacting you has opened a PayPal case for this item that is not connected to you, I recommend that you direct them to contact the person they purchased this from to resolve concerns. You can also reach out to your buyer to let them know that their buyer is contacting you. You aren't required to take any further steps at this time based on the information you have provided, but definitely let us know if you have any other questions.

Anonymous · ‎07-24-2017

@Anonymous wrote:

VERY INTERESTING.

I'm actually wondering if this wouldn't fall into the FORWARDING of an eBay purchase and the buyer losing their MBG. I'm not saying that it actually does, but I think the argument could be made for that. The OP has no idea what the buyer's buyer is actually going to return, plus the buyer misrepresented it to his/her buyer.

@Anonymous

Could you please weigh in on this?

Great question! This would not be considered forwarded as it was sent directly to the OP's customer. This would be the same as if you bought an item for a friend or family member and had it shipped directly to them. If a concern arose, the purchase would need to work out a resolution with their seller, but the item being shipped to and potentially returned from a third party would not be an issue. While in this situation it was not a friend of the buyer but a customer that received the product, this would not change anything about how this situation is handled. The OP mentioned that there is only a PayPal case open that is unrelated to them, so at this time we would only recommend communication be pursued.

jesusrocks3339 · ‎07-24-2017

@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
VERY INTERESTING.

I'm actually wondering if this wouldn't fall into the FORWARDING of an eBay purchase and the buyer losing their MBG. I'm not saying that it actually does, but I think the argument could be made for that. The OP has no idea what the buyer's buyer is actually going to return, plus the buyer misrepresented it to his/her buyer.

@Anonymous
Could you please weigh in on this?
Great question! This would not be considered forwarded as it was sent directly to the OP's customer. This would be the same as if you bought an item for a friend or family member and had it shipped directly to them. If a concern arose, the purchase would need to work out a resolution with their seller, but the item being shipped to and potentially returned from a third party would not be an issue. While in this situation it was not a friend of the buyer but a customer that received the product, this would not change anything about how this situation is handled. The OP mentioned that there is only a PayPal case open that is unrelated to them, so at this time we would only recommend communication be pursued.

wow, looks like I have hundreds of millions of things to list without even knowing it...better get busy...hope my sellers do not mind if I use all of their info that I want to do so....

ooak-tammy · ‎07-24-2017

@jesusrocks3339 wrote:
@a_c_green wrote:
@jesusrocks3339 wrote:

Mail Fraud and Providing Fraudulent Contact Info. Double whammy. No No Joe Joe.
Actually, it was the OP putting their phone number in the package that started this. Joe's contact info with eBay may actually be accurate, but his buyer didn't need to go looking for it, since their package had a phone number already provided, so they dialed it.
I could be wrong, but I would think that changing contact info to someone else's without their permission could be against rules.

No, it's not. Ebay likes it when people purchase gifts for friends and family. Ebay likes it when someone uses an ebay seller as a dropshipper. They make money and the seller makes money.

Haven't you purchased a gift for someone and put their name and address in the ship to section of Paypal and Ebay?

bubbleman2010 · ‎07-24-2017

So a person can list a gold plated ring they see on ebay on another site as being solid gold sell it get the buyers address purchase the plated ring on ebay and have the ebay seller ship it to their customer and it wouldn't be considered mail fraud? I learn something new everyday....

itsjustasprain · ‎07-24-2017

@bubbleman2010 wrote:
So a person can list a gold plated ring they see on ebay on another site as being solid gold sell it get the buyers address purchase the plated ring on ebay and have the ebay seller ship it to their customer and it wouldn't be considered mail fraud?

I htink you know the answer to that already.

Its legal to buy it on Ebay and have it sent direct to your customer. Its not legal to call it solid gold if it isnt.

bubbleman2010 · ‎07-24-2017

The facts stated in the OPs statement said the item was improperly listed was being called something it wasn't which resulted in the item being triple the ebay sold value so in my world thats considered mail fraud..... In the United States, mail and wire fraud is any fraudulent scheme to intentionally deprive another of property or honest services via mail or wire communication. It has been a federal crime in the United States since 1872

bubbleman2010 · ‎07-24-2017

and in my world a buyer that shows a attempt to commit mail fraud and who knows maybe they were cornfused,but turned right around and attempts it again should instantly be shown the door.....

itsjustasprain · ‎07-24-2017

Right. Point is that having the thing sent to a 3rd party buyer is not the scam. Describing it as having more valuable features than it really has would be the scam.

rixstuff · ‎07-24-2017

The problem is that JOE doesnt have the glasses just now - FRED does. So JOE doesnt want to give his refund until he gets the refund from YOU. The time it will take to get from Fred to Joe then back to you may well run out the clock on the time to return.

I had a similar thing happen with an item I bought that the seller had dropshipped from Amazon. Naturally I got the wrong item and he wanted me to return the item to the person he bought it from. I said no. HE was the one who had my money and the other guy never sold me a thing. (Yet another reason I hate dropshipping). I did a regular dispute for SNAD and returned it to the EBAY SELLER.

ersatz_sobriquet · ‎07-24-2017

@itsjustasprain wrote:
Right. Point is that having the thing sent to a 3rd party buyer is not the scam. Describing it as having more valuable features than it really has would be the scam.

Seems friends/family is one thing, using any ebay seller as a dropshipper is quite another. I guess I can stop going out to find and store and clean and package antiques anymore, I can just sell anything I see on ebay on other sites, confiscating descriptions and pictures. I won't make the mistake though of calling something like glasses non-rx when they are, I'll make sure to get it right.