eBay

shar2159 · ‎04-07-2019

So five weeks ago I sold a wig for ~$700 on eBay. The buyer who won my auction is a real gem. Right after winning, she messaged me that she only had $500, and if I could accept that (The second highest bid had been a little less than $700). I was SO annoyed; Who bids more than they can afford and then tries to haggle?

I told her in no uncertain terms absolutely not. In the end, she ended up magically finding the last $200 that she needed. I had agreed to pay the shipping costs, and when she kept complaining that she needed this wig ASAP for her wedding, I ate $45 in overnight shipping fees, because I was trying to be nice.

Now five weeks later she opened a refund request! Claiming that the wig sheds, tangles, etc., like crazy, and that the wig cap pokes through the hair and is defective. These are all false claims. The wig does shed and tangle a minimal amount, but ANY long hair will shed and tangle some, even biological hair does this. As far as the wig cap issue, it was sent to her in excellent condition (I had worn it fewer than a handful of times) and there was no issue of the cap poking through, so this is something she must have caused through her use.

I declined the return request and explained all of this to eBay during that process, as well as reported the buyer for fraud. I believe she used the wig for her wedding, has used and abused it ever since, and now wants her money back so she can get a newer wig. My main thing is that if the cap was messed up or if it tangled/shed too much, she should have asked for a refund within the first week of receiving the item. Not after five weeks of using and devaluing my product. I can't resell this wig for the same price. If it's seriously damaged, I can't resell it at all.

Will eBay force me to do this refund? I've already removed my bank account off of PayPal, and have no money in my PayPal account. Does eBay have my bank information saved? What if they do want to force the refund but I unlinked my card and they don't have the info saved? This is my 3rd wig I've sold in the past 3 years and all 3 previous customers gave me a positive review.

orangehound · ‎04-07-2019

@shar2159 wrote:
Will eBay force me to do this refund? I've already removed my bank account off of PayPal, and have no money in my PayPal account. Does eBay have my bank information saved? What if they do want to force the refund but I unlinked my card and they don't have the info saved? This is my 3rd wig I've sold in the past 3 years and all 3 previous customers gave me a positive review.

You'll need to check your dates (date the buyer received the item, and date return request was made). If the buyer requested the return more than 30 days after receiving the item, then eBay will not force the refund.

But be aware ... if the buyer then files with PayPal, then PayPal will force the refund once the item is returned. PayPal's policy is that a buyer can return a Not as Described purchase within 180 days after purchase.

shar2159 · ‎04-07-2019

The buyer received the item on March 4th, and opened the return request on April 6th. So just over a month.

Just curious, how would PayPal enforce the return? I have no PayPal credits and removed my bank account from there. Would deleting my entire PayPal account do anything? I do have a credit card with PayPal with a $2500 limit that I owe nothing on. Should I cancel the card so they can't stick the charge on there? Would they even do that?

pburn · ‎04-07-2019

PayPal will eventually turn your account over to collections.

I'm not sure anyone's going to give you advice on how to dodge a legitimate creditor.

shar2159 · ‎04-07-2019

It's not legitimate though. No store would allow you to return a product after you've been using it for a month and it shows obvious signs of use. If PayPal wants to refund the buyer out of their own pocket, more power to them. But if they want to force me to do it, then that's not legitimate.

Either way, if they did that I'd just let it fall to collections and wait a few years for the statue of limitations to wipe it out. If they wanted to take me to small claims court I'd happily go (I'm in law school). I will certainly never use eBay or PayPal moving forward. Terrible companies who favor the buyer at the expense of the seller.

kensgiftshop · ‎04-07-2019

Pay Pal gives a buyer 180 days to file a claim and if she paid using a credit card, she can go that route also.

Have a great day.

shar2159 · ‎04-07-2019

Working on closing down my PayPal account. She hasn't opened a claim with them yet. Would PayPal be able to do anything if my account with them has been closed?

pburn · ‎04-07-2019

Yes. They can send your account to collections. And they will--count on it.

You're in law school and you don't know how that works? A creditor can pursue a debt for anywhere between four and fifteen years, depending on state law. And it stays on your credit report record for seven years.

Will you be applying for any student loans? Good luck.

bluelinemetalsllc · ‎04-07-2019

@shar2159 wrote:
It's not legitimate though. No store would allow you to return a product after you've been using it for a month and it shows obvious signs of use. If PayPal wants to refund the buyer out of their own pocket, more power to them. But if they want to force me to do it, then that's not legitimate.

Either way, if they did that I'd just let it fall to collections and wait a few years for the statue of limitations to wipe it out. If they wanted to take me to small claims court I'd happily go (I'm in law school). I will certainly never use eBay or PayPal moving forward. Terrible companies who favor the buyer at the expense of the seller.

You are willing to damage your credit over a $700 wig? You do know that it takes *years* for these debts to come off your credit report and they don't exactly get "wiped out"......different states have different time frames and just because it eventually comes off your credit report doesn't mean the original creditor cannot still sue you. Ask yourself where you want to be in 7 or so years? Plan on buying a car, buying a house, getting a job? You do realize that employers check credit histories, right? Paypal is a big player in the financial scene; locking down all your finances to dodge the refund, thus forcing them to send your account to collections could have far reaching repercussions for your financial/credit future. Seems silly to risk so much over a wig....just saying.

shar2159 · ‎04-07-2019

I know how collections work, I was a paralegal at a bankruptcy law firm for 2.5 years. I can dispute the claim with the collections company. If they don't have my real SSN I would win (I changed my SSN on PayPal before I shut it down, however, I did give them my real SSN to open my PayPal credit card [Which is now also shut down] so it's a toss up whether or not the collection company would have my real SSN).

& I am graduating next months so I don't need any more student loans.

shar2159 · ‎04-07-2019

Oh I pray I am sued. I would love to get my day in court on this issue. The buyer is insane (sent me 10+ incoherent messages on how she was beat up, hospitalized, etc.), and PayPal just sides with the buyer no matter what, which wouldn't hold up in court. Courts actually look at the facts of the case, they don't just side with the plaintiff by default.

The $700 is irrelevant, it's the principle of the matter. The system is unjust, and I won't be taken advantage of. If it has a negative impact on my score then so be it. My husband and I own our house already and have no plans to move within the next decade. I will open my own practice when I graduate so I'm not concerned with potential employers pulling my report. Husband has excellent credit so he can co-sign if I ever really needed anything, but I prefer to buy in cash when I can afford things anyway.

dawwn42 · ‎04-07-2019

@shar2159 wrote:
I know how collections work, I was a paralegal at a bankruptcy law firm for 2.5 years. I can dispute the claim with the collections company. If they don't have my real SSN I would win (I changed my SSN on PayPal before I shut it down, however, I did give them my real SSN to open my PayPal credit card [Which is now also shut down] so it's a toss up whether or not the collection company would have my real SSN).

& I am graduating next months so I don't need any more student loans.

Wow...you admit to...oh good lord, you do realize that this post admitting to illegal activity can be linked to you, and entered as evidence against you?

shar2159 · ‎04-07-2019

How exactly is this thread tied to my real identity? Assume it can be tied to me, they then would have to prove it was me who actually made these posts.