What's the best way of handling this?

[artbyleclerc]

Hi all, so I've been selling for about 8 years, Here's my story, few years back bought some 3D plastic gears for my car seat, they didn't fit, the teeth on gears were not meshing right, contacted the seller in Hungary and he refunded my money, we became online friends, he wanted to make it right and sent me more gears for testing fitment, no charge, after a while he made the gear perfect and worked like a charm. I told him I have a youtube channel with lots of subs and will make a install video on the gears, left a ebay link in video description.

Recently I contacted him again ,told him I need more gears but this time for the headrests on my car, he said he does have them on eBay but he's in the process of making stronger plastic injection molding and he will send them to me for testing fitment at no cost, and yes will make another youtube video and leave a link to them.

Now neither one of us want to get in trouble with ebay, I'm not sure if he still has my address, we only used ebay to message each other last time, no email addresses were used, how should I handle getting these free gears for testing this time?

I was thinking if he can list them, I buy them, then he refunds my money, does this sound like the only way?

PS: (last time I gave him the link to my youtube channel in messages to watch my install video not sure if that's a nono now)

[inhawaii]

After a legit transaction you are allowed to exchange contact  information via ebay's messaging system ... but i'm not sure if "a few years back" it will still remember you as former trading partners.

[dhbookds]

Have him list them at a big price with best offer and then accept a nominal amount from you.  He can always refund if stuff doesn't work out........

[slippinjimmy]

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@inhawaii wrote:

After a legit transaction you are allowed to exchange contact  information via ebay's messaging system ... but i'm not sure if "a few years back" it will still remember you as former trading partners.

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I don't know what the time frame is but 60 or 90 days would definitely be the max.

[artbyleclerc]

Hey thanks, what would contact info mean, email?

Maybe I should call customer service and ask?

last time I tried to call few days ago could not talk to live human lol, just AI **bleep**.

[slippinjimmy]

Contact info that you are not allowed to communicate:

Address

Phone number

eMail

Links to off eBay sites of any kind

The complete list can be found here:

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/member-behavior-policies/contact-information-sharing-policy?id=43...

[artbyleclerc]

Ok thanks , I could probably just spell my youtube channel, no direct URL link.

[mam98031]

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@inhawaii wrote:

After a legit transaction you are allowed to exchange contact  information via ebay's messaging system ... but i'm not sure if "a few years back" it will still remember you as former trading partners.

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You are correct, but only for a period of time.  I'm not sure of what that timing is, but I think it is like 30 days AFTER delivery.  But I'm not sure.  Delivery is in the equation, but it could be 60 days.

[mam98031]

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@artbyleclerc wrote:

Hey thanks, what would contact info mean, email?

Maybe I should call customer service and ask?

last time I tried to call few days ago could not talk to live human lol, just AI **bleep**.

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NO NO, do not call customer service.  Don't draw attention to this issue.  You could create a problem that doesn't need to be there.  If they don't quite understand what you are trying to do, they may label it as taking a transaction off Ebay and that is a serious infraction.  So I strongly suggest not doing this.

[mam98031]

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@slippinjimmy wrote:

Contact info that you are not allowed to communicate:

Address

Phone number

eMail

Links to off eBay sites of any kind

The complete list can be found here:

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/member-behavior-policies/contact-information-sharing-policy?id=43...

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All that is true EXCEPT if you have a current transaction with someone.  You are allowed to exchange contact info with someone you currently have a transaction with.  Which is likely the best way for the OP to get the info they need.

[mam98031]

@artbyleclerc 

Just go and buy something from their Ebay listings and then you can share contact info.  Buy one of the gears you need from them or something else.

Good Luck with your little venture !!!

[artbyleclerc]

Glad I asked, thanks everybuddy!

Seller just wants to send me the gears to see if they fit correctly , on my last interaction with him years back, he sent at least 3 versions of the gears, I would tell him things like they almost fit but you need to change the pitch on the teeth just a little ,finally he got it right and they still work 3 years later, these gears are for older Mercedes 500SL , dealer no longer sells these gears, so aftermarket is the only way.

This time I'll tell him when your new style is ready just list them , let me know when, I'll purchase, if they don't fit I'll let you know, this way its all legal, I don't want any of us to get banned.