eBay

quanguy.1ojj6t · ‎09-13-2018

I'm a certain this has been discussed many times here but I'd be interested to hear what other sellers would recommend in my particular circumstance.

I sold BRAND NEW Imac 5k 2015 2tb fusion with Apple warranty with "NO RETURN". And this is my first time selling on Ebay.

In my case: I described the item correctly, provided photos. A buyer bought it. Before I ship it, I take all pictures include serial number, record the video as the item is brand new in the box. I shipped it via USPS priority mail with insurance cover for the item. I ended up pay $82 for shipping. It arrived to the buyer in two days, and 12 hours after the package was delivered the buyer opened a “doesn’t work or defective” return request.

From buyer:

After powring computer on a boot screen appears showing a progress bar. The progress bar gets to about half way and then the screen goes black and displays a white circle with a line through it (the international prohibited symbol). I called Apple customer service and the issue was escalated to the Apple customer service head (Nadeen). She walked me through several steps where it was discovered that either there is no hard drive or the hard drive cannot be recognized. The case number at Apple customer service is #100640587884. I unpacked the item very carefully and saved all packing material. I have repacked the item but if need be I can unpack it and take photos of whatever you like (the prohibited symbol on the screen or any other screen you need) or the item itself to show no tampering. This computer was factory sealed upon arrival. Both the eBay ad and the package and docs all indicate a 2 TB fusion hard drive which, as previously stated, doesn t appear to be in the computer at all. If it is in there, it s no able to be recognized by the software and Nadeen went through everything to try to get it to recognize the hard drive but at some point she had me go to a screen that shows the hardware and no hard drive is there.

How can brand new item is missing the hard drive? It doesn’t make sense to me. I haven’t accept the return yet. What should i do in this case?

My listing indicated "no returns accepted" but I called eBay for advice on how to deal with the return request. They said that if the seller returns it as he said he's going to that they will end up forcing a refund. Based on my discussion with eBay I feel like they are basically saying that the buyer has the right to return the unit and I'll be forced to refund the money. What worries me more is that the unit will be returned damaged or return different item. I just hope I don't end up having to refund the buyer and getting back my Imac 5k damaged in some way. That would be a disaster. I'm really not sure what to do at this point. I just don't know what to do and eBay really wasn't very helpful. If anyone could share some advice I'd be grateful.

nocoolnamejane · ‎09-14-2018

@clu3 wrote:
If you personally never tested the computer, how would you know if it worked?

All iMac computers ship with the OS already installed, which cannot be done without a hard drive. A computer without one would never have made it out of the factory.

The prohibited symbol showing up at start up is a symptom of hard drives issues but I do feel like the buyer is setting up to return the computer either with the original HD replaced by their failing one or without it at all.

She ❤︎ Her ❤︎ Hers

slati_2013 · ‎09-14-2018

As someone who has sold computers, there is another possibility. The hard drive has somehow become dislodged. It could have happened during shipping. Has the buyer attempted to check to see if there is a hard drive and if it is not properly seated?

getitright1234 · ‎09-14-2018

@nocoolnamejane wrote:
@clu3 wrote:
If you personally never tested the computer, how would you know if it worked?
All iMac computers ship with the OS already installed, which cannot be done without a hard drive. A computer without one would never have made it out of the factory.

The prohibited symbol showing up at start up is a symptom of hard drives issues but I do feel like the buyer is setting up to return the computer either with the original HD replaced by their failing one or without it at all.

If the buyer has replaced the HD with an old non-working HD, I would recommend the OP contact Apple and seek out the nearest Apple repair store and have them to open the computer and identify just what is going on. Apple techs will know after looking at the HD serial number if is the original one to the computer and better yet, they will know just what old computer the other came from and possibly the previous owner.

If the computer is still under warranty, I would take it to an Apple store for further investigation/diagnostic testing.

clu3 · ‎09-15-2018

@nocoolnamejane wrote:
@clu3 wrote:
If you personally never tested the computer, how would you know if it worked?
All iMac computers ship with the OS already installed, which cannot be done without a hard drive. A computer without one would never have made it out of the factory.

The prohibited symbol showing up at start up is a symptom of hard drives issues but I do feel like the buyer is setting up to return the computer either with the original HD replaced by their failing one or without it at all.

I'm not suggesting it doesn't have a hard drive. If you personally never booted this computer, how would you know it was in good working order? Clearly it wasn't a system you bought for yourself or you would have booted it. I guess the question falls to - where did you acquire it and is it possible someone sold you a non-functioning computer? It wasn't tested, I'm not sure you can blame the buyer for suspicious activity when you really don't know it's operating condition when you shipped it.

nocoolnamejane · ‎09-15-2018

@clu3 wrote:
@nocoolnamejane wrote:
@clu3 wrote:
If you personally never tested the computer, how would you know if it worked?
All iMac computers ship with the OS already installed, which cannot be done without a hard drive. A computer without one would never have made it out of the factory.

The prohibited symbol showing up at start up is a symptom of hard drives issues but I do feel like the buyer is setting up to return the computer either with the original HD replaced by their failing one or without it at all.
I'm not suggesting it doesn't have a hard drive. If you personally never booted this computer, how would you know it was in good working order? Clearly it wasn't a system you bought for yourself or you would have booted it. I guess the question falls to - where did you acquire it and is it possible someone sold you a non-functioning computer? It wasn't tested, I'm not sure you can blame the buyer for suspicious activity when you really don't know it's operating condition when you shipped it.

I’m not the OP so I can’t answer as to where it was acquired.

But I still get a bad feeling about this buyer. Apple have a very good FULLY TRANSFERABLE, no receipt needed warrenty. And an iMac 5k is not a beginner’s laptop but a high end desktop computer; whoever buys one knows computer and it was probably gotten for cheaper on eBay than on Apple’s website.

if I got a deal on a brand new iMac and found it to be faulty, I would absolutely take advantage of the warrenty instead of going through the trouble of sending it back and running the risk of not finding another good deal.

She ❤︎ Her ❤︎ Hers

threshold.sales.group · ‎09-15-2018

OP, unfortunately your only real option is to accept the return and see what you get back. Do it asap so you don't have it accepted for you. If you get back a different unit or one that's been parted out or a brick, come back here and let folks know. There's the *possibility* that raising a rukus can help get your case further looked at, but hopefully you will just get back your unit with a loose hard drive that the apple store can fix under warranty.

carlmarxx · ‎09-15-2018

@emerald40 wrote:
@carlmarxx wrote:
@doubledz-a2z wrote:
@carlmarxx wrote:
@castlemagicmemories wrote:
@bubbleman2010 wrote:
It will come back gutted like a fish its pretty much all over with except the crying. ebays a upgraders pairOdice and now with sellers picking up the return postage it will only continue to snowball..
Such optimism!
I agree with Bubble ! I have seen too many threads from OP sellers that sold computer laptops and drives and got back junk.
WOW WOW WOW..... if that is the case why does anyone sell here. You folks are automatically siding with the seller then rant and rave about the way ebay automatically sides with the buyer. You are doing the same thing. I have been selling since Feb 1998 and have had maybe three return requests. I list with No Returns. But I am now retired and bowing out of Ebay for my preferred way to sell....flea market style. So happy I do not buy either. And if I did I would not buy from many of you who are way to quick to assume the buyer is scamming. In the future quit complaining of low and no sales. Be glad be happy No Sales means No Returns.
I been here since 1997 with my other ID! The problem was the last Ceo J.D. and half of other people that worked under him Came in with The View "All Seller's are Crooks out scam buyers ! This view started with Ceo B. C. who J.D. Replaced as Ceo.. When seller fraud is down over all on all online sites based on the fbi reports. Where as buyer retail fraud is costing the retail industry billions of dollars . Yes there are problem sellers most just don't know what they are doing for most part.

__________________________________________

There are sites that sell accounts to those who lost their original ones because they were banned. Ebay has had a major vulnerability where accounts are being hacked on a daily basis.

I see it in my category. 6 month or a year old accounts or brand new ones - Listings I know that are copied from other sellers and other venues. Thankfully if a buyer falls for it, ebay will hold the money until the product is successfully delivered.

There are hundreds and hundreds and huundres of pages of listings in the diamond categories (searched lowest price - was up to page 250, not one real mined diamond) which are outright lies - people supposedly selling diamonds which are actually CZ. People selling created diamonds - which can cost thousands of dollars that are actually CZ. People selling natural diamonds that are enhanced.

And before someone screams China - I am talking US only.

Of course seller fraud is down, because ebay protects the buyer, not because thieves have become more honest.

And as someone who has been here since 1999, asks questions and is very realistic that you cannot get something for nothing, I was scammed 5 times before ebay instituted buyer protection.

The last diamond I bought here - I asked allthe right questions but the seller lied to my face and had photoshoppedhis pictures. Without ebay I would have lost two grand.

Now in this case I do not know who is telling the truth. There are bad sellers and bad buyers.

But I can tell you no way would I take the chance of paying thousand of dollars without ebay having my back.

You missed what I said was that over all FBI reports have Seller fraud low for all online sites ! Where as buyer fraud is buyer fraud is top of the list . The retail industry lose's do to retail buyer fraud is in the record billions of dollars .