Ripped off by yet another buyer! Ebay's Buyer Wins no matter what policy.

[esell-resell]

Has this happenned to anyone else?

I sold a Computer Server to a buyer on Ebay, this guy phoned me, we discussed everything about the server and shipping. Now this guy was cheap I could tell just by him whinning about how much the shipping would be and how long it would take.

So me being a nice person and I know what it is like to have to wait and wait for my package, I told him to send me $90 and I would express ship it out to him and he would have it in 3 - 4 days. He agreed and sent me the extra $90 plus I gave him a deal on the server $169.99 , when I could have easily got $200. The server weighs 70lbs and is 26"longX19"highX9"wide and has to be shipped in it's proper sitting place so I had to label it with THIS SIDE UP stickers and also HEAVY stickers (70lbs) and alot of FRAGILE AND HANDLE WITH CARE stickers. It cost me $280.00 to ship it to him (no lie I have the receipt from UPS on my account) and only charged him $90. When I packaged the server I did it at the UPS office that I go to all the time and the UPS agent helped me actually. I wrapped it in packing cardboard and used a bubble packing envelope for extra cushion on the back of the tower server so that none of the conections would be broken. It was then triple wrapped with cardboard boxes customly made top fit tight around the server and several layers of red Tuck Tape were used to seal it all up.

The buyer received it I believe 6 days later because some of the paperwork for the border ( Canada to USA) were not proper so it took a few more days. When his even NORMAL shipping, like the cheapest from Winnipeg Manitoba Canada to New York USA would have been $133.00 and would have taken 2 - 3 weeks to get there. Remember he only paid $90?

Anyway 3 days after he received the server he sends me a message that it was damaged during shipping because it was not packaged properly and he wants all his money back and also the shipping money. In my listing I had listed no returns or exchanges. I want all of you to know that I have sold many of these units and I always, ALWAYS run a system check on them before shipping them out and I have never had a problem. So I replied to him that I most certainly did package it properly and I asked him to send me pictures please and I also asked him why he would accept a package that was damaged. He would not respond or nor did he send any pictures.

Yesterday I received a buyer complaint thing from Ebay and Paypal puts a $179.99 hold on my account. I responded to the complaint and explained everything in detail and informed the buyer that I would be contacting Ebay and UPS this morning.

This morning I woke up a little later than usual 11am and noticed that the buyer had already escalated the complaint with Ebay at 6am. I immediately phoned Ebay and spoke to someone in the Ebay Buyer Protection department and I explained everything to the rep and also that I packed it in front of the UPS agent who helped me and that the buyer would not send me any pictures, and I expressed to the rep that I think what the buyer did was buy a different server locally because I noticed on his account that a few days after he bought my server, he was buying Tape drives for a completely different server, and after speaking with him on the phone he had said that he was in need of a server badly because they did not have one.

So here is what the Ebay rep did during the phone call I had with him. He ruled in the buyers favor and now the buyer can take 7 - 14 days to ship it to me and he can send it anyway he wants, so I will be waiting for 4- 6 weeks at the very least to get back a BROKEN server that has now cost me 280.00$ in shipping and is probably now worth nothing because here is what I believe happenned the buyer found a server locally and then read the buyer protection policy and then damaged the server ON PURPOSE then filed the claim. I know I cannot prove it 100% but I know that is what happenned.

So now I am out over $550.00 and apparently there is nothing I can do about it. I am sooo tired of getting ripped off on Ebay by buyers that LIE and Ebay rules in there favor all the time. I have 2 kids and this is christmas time and this extra money is for gifts for them, I am so UPSET right now with Ebay that I am about ready to quit selling on here completely.

I go out of my way to ENSURE that items are packed EXTRA well so that damage does not happen, and now I get ripped off by some goon that uses the policy to get away with it.

BEWARE SELLERS this can happen to you.

I think Ebay needs to wake up and change some of this NON-SENSE policy loop holes that these scammers use to scam you out of money. Oh and get this that buyer can now leave me NEGATIVE feedback but I cannot do the same to him, I can either leave positive or no feedback!

UNBELIEVABLE!!!!

Has anyone else had this happen to them?

[cecet]

We sell computer parts. All tested and from working systems. Buyer bought network cards and sent them to their customer. The customer is now having issues with them and our buyer wants to return them as defective. So buyer never touched or tested them and WE have to take a return from a third party? Not today pal. Once it reaches a third party, ie resold/reshipped, it's out of our hands as we have no way of knowing what that third party has done to them or if we'll even be getting back the same things we shipped. Waiting to see what ebay does now that we've told them 3rd party has them and they've seen the communication between us and buyer stating so.  Not the first time this has happened to us. Just hope it doesn't go to PayPal then to credit card company like the other times. THAT is a hassle proving to them the buyer voided return policy as soon as they resold/reshipped them.

[fancydees]

Well have lost count on how many complaints I have read of sellers being jacked, being on ebay since the early days only as a buyer, I started selling this year and have been lucky to not been ripped off, but with that said, I make a couple of rules, since I buy storage containers at auctions, rule 1. I never sell anything worth over $200, hell not even 100 so far, 2 if I have to list something at high price I only do it when ebay has a discount for listing high price items and 3. I never would send a high price item over ebay, I make it for local pick up only or no sale, all those high price items, you sell them on craigslist so that you meet the buyer at the bank and its cash only. seems to me its just not worth the risk to sell anything worth of value until we sellers get some real protection. And that is really chicken shchit that if the buyer loses on ebay they can go to paypal and get the money, if ebay says no,  paypal should honor that decision. sounds like a scammers dream come true to use paypal to get there money back. 2 other options.  use a merchant account and do not accept paypal, that way the money goes into your account and the card companies battle it out with you and the buyer, at least this method you have a fair chance, they wont just yank the money right out till the buyer can really prove their case. 2  have your wife open up a personal checking and ebay account, keep just enough in there to cover shipping costs, and use that account to sell high priced items, now in the event some ebay scammer rips your for $1000 and they decide in his favor, they cant just yank the money out, its not there, make sure you tell the bank no overdraft protection, setup your account so that if funds are not available it gets rejected as NSF. also in the event  you feel the heat coming down, call the bank and tell them your suspect fraud, freeze your account, in the event paypal pulls a fast one, hell with it, go close the account, better than getting ripped off. or like I said use craigslist till another option comes along to protect sellers in a scammers market.

[selena_cat]

I agree. I sold a Brand New Item and the buyer used almost all of the product and sent it back at my expense and ebay went in the buyer's favor let alone they are taking 10 percent for shipping which I don't think is legal and the seller winds up taking it out of our pockets. Now I can't print any shipping labels on eba. I talked to 2 people that didn't have a clue and 1 told me I would have to take it to the Post Office myself. So my husband took it to the post office and was charged twice as much as it was suppose to be by the Post Office. Is there anyone that isn't screwing over the seller these days!!! I took all my items off ebay and said I would rather throw all of it in the trash. SCREW EBAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[voltage110espresso]

Ebay created this nightmare for sellers, with it's policy and now all sellers have to "live" with a much worse environmet, or find another place to sell.  

Every time ebay "updates it's user policy" it is a way for ebay to take more money from sellers while doing nothing.  In other words, ebay constantly gets worse.

[dkkrav1]

I sent out a brand new very expensive guitar had it packed very well. The buyer claims the box was empty when arrived. I showed proof that the package weighed 38 lbs through the post office I scanned the document as proof. Ebay sided with the buyer because he took a picture of the empty box and claimed it arrived that way. The item sold at half of what it was worth. I have been selling on ebay for 18 years had a power seller status and top rated seller status until this transaction. I really just want to quit ebay after this because they are showing buyers that all they have top do is remove the item take a picture of an empty box and they can keep the item and also get a refund. I am at a loss of $1200.00 dollars at this point and have lost complete fait in ebay.

[jason103074504]

I too was just ripped off by Ebay. I sold a phone to a buyer he droppd t phone and bricked the phone. Ebay gave him his money back and he gave me my one and only bad feedback. Ebay response to me all sellers must take a loss sometimes. Really I have proof that the phone was not as it was when it was sold. Still ebay does not care. 

[allzack45]

How About Selling Legit Items and Standing Behind What you Sell?

[maxgfuse13]

This just happened to me...what can I do?

[ccoon29625]

you are 100 percent correct ........ do NOT sell on ebay, buy stuff but DO NOT SELL

[shannonsoldeshoppe]

A buyer with who had left 32 horrible negative feedbacks for sellers with 100 percent positive feedback ruined my sales. I spent hours on the phone with ebay and they couldn't care less.  The support was escalated and they were downright nasty. Samples of feedback left by this so-called buyer started with "a fake".  I was told that buyers that do this, Troll sales for designer sales and do this to quell the competition. Are they paid to do this? Hmmm!

Last week they actually lied to me about a decision they made in favor of the buyer without reading or listening to the seller.

Recommendation!  Write to EBay CEO and copy everything.

Amazon us looking attractive now.  6 of my associates and over 10 suppliers just moved over to AMAZON.

Good luck eBay, you have again and again shown your true colors.  Once, a long time ago, you were glad of my business.

God forgive you!

[antiquesnbooks]

I am an eBay seller and I have been for over 5 years. Here is what I learned: You have to be VERY CAREFUL !!!  Describe every little defect. Use invisible ink for items that buyers could possibly switch. Set up strict buyer requirements. Take good pictures. Make sure item is tracked and require a signature on anything over $100. If your item is returned, videotape the item being opened. When you sell an item ... videotape it being packed and to the extreme use Chinese wax seal that will show if box has been opened. Shipping Internationally?  Good **bleep** Luck!  USPS does not tell you that their international insurance does not apply once the item leaves the border! NICE RIGHT !!  What is the point then of paying for international insurance? Let me tell you all a little more ...eBay is CROOKED...when you list your item the first time, the "FREE GALLERY" option is there ...but if you automatically relist your item, they hit you up with fees. eBay promotes shill bidding (EPIDEMIC) ... all over eBay are Shill Bidding Auctions and Sellers with tons of fake feedback from "Feedback Generators". eBay does nothing to prevent it and actually encourages it by letting Shill Bidding thrive. It (shill bidding) is actually called wire fraud and hopefully a good team of lawyers will represent individuals in a Class-Action Lawsuit for aiding and abetting wire fraud. **bleep** EBAY !!

[ashbashbaby]

Totally agree it sucks you can’t give neg feedback and eBay just steal your money with no evidence I’m thinking of giving up to I’m also struggling to make ends meet buy things for the kids and then some tosser with help of eBay rob you I even offered a free replacement once got ignored and robbed by eBay they clearly didn’t want a replacement because they had the one they claimed not to have if they wanted item so bad they would have accepted replacement. If eBay continues to **bleep** of sellers then there wound be any buyers 

[tlovestreehousetlovestreehouse]

they rip me off all the time. Tonight a buyer said the color was not quite what they likes in the shoe, guess what they kept the shoes for free and got a full refund

[stuff4sale_70]

Yep, just happened to me.  Was being nice and followed this person's request to place an item in an envelope and send it to him.  What I did not realise was that it was a ruse to avoid my providing a tracking number to him.  Once he asked, I replied stating he asked I place the item into a regular envelope and send it snail mail.  I already stated shipping was free and yeah I was dumb for not thinking anything of it at the time.  Well, he got his 8.50 part and his precious refund since he escalated right away.  Amazing there are sh$tbags out there who would do anything to save themselves 8 dollars and 50 cents.

[willandkelly]

This happened to me years ago when I was selling more items. I had a vintage CB unit that belonged to my father. I knew it was worth a few hundred and highly sought after. I sold the unit to a guy for around $300. I took it to UPS to have it shipped. I insured the item for more than the value with UPS. I DID NOT pay to have them pack it, as it was pricely. I was not told by the store manager that this would void my insurance apparently.

I shipped the item and a week later I get an email from him saying it arrived damaged. I had plenty of appropriate packing material and even had the store manager help me unofficially with the packing job in store, so I know it was done right. I told the guy that I clearly stated no returns, etc, so he would have to deal with the insurance. This is when I found it I paid for nothing. I went back to the UPS store to contest and even escalated it up to corporate, but I lost each time. 

The buyer was given a full refund. I got my CB unit back. It had a dent in the side. On inspecting inside, I noticed that it looked like a part was missing. I couldn't prove it, but it seemed parts were taken. 

I learned my lesson on having a high value package official packed and insured. I hadn't thought much about it since, until I stumbled on this thread. 

DM