Whose gotten burned on e-bay?

[gardenmom]

I won a coat for my daughter 10/19, and just got it 11/17. I had e-mailed this woman twice asking her where the coat was. The first time she took awhile ansering me back, finally on 11/5 saying that paypal was messed up and she wasn't able to see my info.I thought this was strange since I had just paid for my transcripts and had no problem. So I said no problem, just get it mailed out. So after I got it I saw that she hadn't even mailed it out until 11/12. As if that wasn't bad enough the coat had little tears in the sleeves and wrists. The description said "no tears, rips, etc, excellent condition. So I e-mailed her again, telling her I was upset that it took almost a month to get, and was not as described. I told her I wanted a refund, including shipping. I gave her 48 hours to respond (since in the past she took her time), or I would leave negative feedback. Then the next day I got an e-mail from paypal saying she had refunded the shipping only! No e-mail from her, no message on pay pal.So, I left bad feedback. I hated doing that, but I think it was justified, what do you guys think? I will have to eat the cost of the coat, which was only like $12. I figure I will just donate the coat to coats for kids. I might not have minded the tears if I had gotten it at a yardsale for a couple bucks, at least I would have known what I bought. I don't normally buy on e-bay, so I could kick myself. It was a nice looking Gap coat, and my daughter needed one, so I figured what the heck.

[BirdieBoo]

Did you try complaining to paypal for "item not as described"? Sometimes that will work and get you your money back. Also file a complaint with ebay, even though they won't refund for under $25 it will still go on her record. I am a powerseller, I have over 550 positive feedbacks, and I got my first and only negative from someone whom I bought a sweater from and it was full of holes. She promised me a refund, was sweet as pie, but never gave me one although I sent the sweater back, so I forced a refund through Paypal & my CC company. She was mad about it and gave me a negative in return. Along with several nasty emails which I forwarded to ebay and they gave her a warning to quit harassing me. All over a 9.99 sweater :banghead: I think your feedback was justified. I hate it when people try to sell garbage on ebay. It just makes things so much worse for the legit sellers like myself.

[alpharee]

I too have been screwed on ebay and when I left a neg, I got one in return. I bought a pair if Nikes for my son when he was about 3. They stated NEW in the ad but when I received them they were definately USED. I wrote the guy and stated they were used and if I had known I would not have purchased them. He wrote back and told me I had perfect feedback and if I left him a neg he'd return the favor. I was soooo mad! I left him neg anyways and he did leave me one. That's another thing I hate about ebay. People are scared to leave a neg when it is deserved because some sellers will leave a neg cuz because they received one. (I understand that some buyers leave negs for really stupid reasons as well) The system is not fair. I am a buyer as well as a seller.
Most of my experiences on ebay have been great though.

[Casshew]

Hi gardenmom.. was the seller reputable with a good feedback rating?

I have been buying and selling on eBay for a long time.. my feedback rating is 270 and my husbands is 138 ~ we have never had a problem with a buyer of ours.. and we have never had a problem with a seller.

I have had nothing but great experiences on eBay. but I am selective on who I deal with.. I try to bid on ony auctions with seller has good feedback rating and no negatives and if I get a 'new' eBayer bidding on one of my expensive items ($5000.00+) - I drop them a line and have a little chat, if I am still feeling uncomfortable with them I cancel their bids.

I would think to get a full refund you would have to return the item and that is probably why they only refunded shipping.

[gardenmom]

Cass, she had good feedback, no negatives in the last 6 months, and only a few before that if I remember correctly. I did notice after I left my neg that she had a couple more within a couple weeks of mine. She must have had something going on. I thought about the shipping refund being so I could send her the coat back, but it was after I left the feedback. You'd think she would have let me know that at least. I probably would have left a neutral because of the shipping, but it was the condition of the coat that really set me off.

[Gardengirl]

I would like to add some advise for Ebay sellers on experience from me.

Allow only one payment per item. If you allow acceptance for more than one. most likely someone is comminting fraud with a credit card. Paypal will tell you this for one payment only.

When you ship or mail, get a tracking number of delivery or confirmation number to verify that the item was received or delivered.

SAVE all receipts for payment and delivery for at least one year.

I had an experience where I sold an item on Ebay. I accepted 3 payments for the item because the lady said she had problems with Paypal. 5 months down the road Paypal contacted me about the payments. They took the money she paid out of my account. Put it on hold till the credit card company was settled. I had no delivery receipt of any type which they requested to verify delivery of the merchandise . I lost along with the amount of the item I sold.....$10.00 per transaction for payment on the item. So that was another $30.00 plus the price of the item sold.

Just a little advise.

[angelnsb]

I too got taken on ebay. I purchased $30 worth of CDS from a seller. He had good feedback. But I never got my CDs after many unanswered emails I put a complaint into ebay. The seller no longer is registered there. I guess he ripped a bunch of people off and then unregistered. I filed a complaint but due to it being a small amount there was really nothing else I could do.
Sorry to hear about your experience, being ripped off is always a bummer.

[poco]

Buyer Beware!!!!

First, if you paid through PayPal, you CAN get your money back!!

Second, be cautious when purchasing off of Ebay. MOST sellers are very honest. I have been selling on EBAY for about 5 years (I'm one of the honest ones) and have a feedback rating of about 2800 or something).

Check your sellers FEEDBACK BEFORE bidding on the item. See if they are reputable and how long they have been with Ebay. If you have any doubt, don't bid on the item. If you pay with PayPal and are unhappy with the item, PAYPAL will work to get your money back for you!

[Dark Shadows]

I haven't purchased anything from ebay in a long time - but most of my past experiences were pretty good except one. Thankfully the seller insisted on taking out postal insurance for his items - when I complained - he immediately replaced the item - out of 7800 comments, he had no negatives - didn't their use to be a neutral option? Because I recall he had 3 neutral comments - :confused: having something to do with the "quality of merchandise". Hey, I figured out of 7800 pluses, with only 3 neutrals, who could go wrong, right?

The items I bid on never arrived. Like I said above, when I complained - he immediately replaced the items. I responded to him and told him I would reimburse him if the post office validated my claim/loss. 8 months later I received a check from the post office. I immediately sent this amount to the seller and then posted my rating - yes, 8 months later. :innocent:

Thing is, I maintained contact with him and after multiple emails, a few phone calls, so on and so fourth, he never returned the favor by posting a positive for me. I was disappointed and after that experience I decided to curtail my spending with Ebay. :angel: Hey, it was a tough decision but my bank account certainly hasn't moaned to much lately.
I also think after that experience, I took the "Buyer Beware" a bit more seriously. Just my 2 cents. :twocents:

[nanandjim]

I have been mainly buying on ebay for a few years now. I have had two unpleasant experiences which necessitated my leaving negative feedback. And, yes, they also left negative feedback for me, which I found astounding, since I pay immediately through Paypal. They certainly didn't have a problem with taking my money.

The first one was a wedding gift that I ordered. It was stainless wine glasses. I had them engraved by the seller. I told him to use his expertise in determining what type of engraving would look the best. Well, you couldn't even see the engraving. I tried to contact the seller for a week. He never responded. So, I left him a negative. I gave the gift anyway and was embarrassed as all getout. This seller is no longer registered with ebay.

A worse experience was for a Liz Claiborne outfit. The outfit was not as described. The top and bottom were two different sizes. Plus, it was obviously a second. There were little patches on the inside of the top. It came to me very dirty, reeked of smoke and was shoved in a shoebox with crumpled newspaper. It looked like the seller literally took it off her back after weeks of wear and mailed it to me.

I guess the seller was pissed off that I wrote to her a few times asking when the item would be shipped. I was going on a trip and wanted to take it along.

After I received the outfit, I again wrote to the seller, explaining that the outfit was not as described, it was two different sizes and obviously a second. I told her that I would be happy to mail it back to her. Heck, I had even cleaned it for her! When she didn't respond, I also offered to take it at a reduced price, even though I didn't want the outfit.

Her only response was to leave me a negative. I was shocked, as I thought that we were in the process of working things out. She wrote a complete lie, said that I was a liar and a cheat and that she had reported me, which she didn't. I can't tell you how upset I was. I have received all positive feedback, except for these two idiots.

I left her negative feedback and filed a complaint with ebay (which I hated to do). She also is no longer a registered user of ebay. This experience was so traumatic that I almost quit buying from ebay.

I recovered, though. I do check the feedback and I use paypal as often as I can. Most of my experiences have been good. I have had other sellers send me junk or send me items that were not as described. However, we were able to work it out.

[messiecake]

I love eBay *but* have gotten burned a few times .The worst was for nearly $400!!!!!!!! That seller scammed myself and 7 other buyers and we ended up getting together and pressing charges and we all eventually got our money back(the seller was charged was felony wire fraud among other counts).

Id say 99% of my expirences over the 5 years Ive been buying/selling have been positive.PayPal and eBay could and should do more to protect BUYERS (I hate seeing"power sellers" whose feedback is 75% negative!!!!!) but overall I really can't complain!

[DuckFeet]

I have nearly 300 feedbacks, both buying and selling. I have never had a problem
at all. Mostly the items I deal with are for under 50 dollars. If they are a new buyer or seller I am dealing with I try to help guide them through the process. It has always been taken positively and as a friendly gesture. I love Ebay, but I spend too much !!

[Lauren]

My son bought a pair of nike jordan retro shoes or so the guy said
we emailed alot and he had a "photo" of what shoes he was selling.
So $150.00, I get an email from paypal that he has to return my $.
Thank goodness. He just made up a new account. The shoes I got were
plastic and from china and not at all the shoes we bought. He wanted them
back. I told him send me 50 bucks for shipping. Needless to say I got my money back and he never got his plastic crappy shoes back... I was lucky.
I try not to buy stuff that is too pricey. :doh:

[Julez1054]

I've had my good and BAD experiences with Ebay. My mom is an avid buyer and seller and so far she's had good responses. On one occasion I remember she had purchased something and it came as is....Only problem was that someone had stuffed in a pair of black panties in the box! :eek: My mom and I were freaked out, and we laughed so hard we nearly busted our sides. We couldn't figure out if it was a hoax or a really stupid mistake.....

I also had ordered an autographed picture of Hillary Duff that my cousin had harassed me for. The seller had nothing but Positive feedback - and might I add, ALOT of them. So the money was sent thru pay pal but I never recieved my item. Ontop of the fact that after I left my negative feedback after not recieving my item for over a month, the jerk did the same for me.... :furious:

Right now as we speak i'm waiting on a "Live Strong" bracelet that cost me nearly EIGHT bucks - and in reality they're only worth a dollar and the money goes to a good cause for Cancer Research with the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Anyways, its been over a month and no bracelet. After about 4 emails to the seller, the other day I received a email back....the seller told me they had a huge house fire but all items were still being shipped.... :waitasec:

I'm lost on that one......you tell me!

[Lauren]

hmmm, last time I heard rubber melts.... I too bought those bracelets, I got 2 for $8.00. All you can be is honest and hope that others are too... :hand:

[Camper]

Within the last six weeks or so, a NEW company has opened not too far from where I live.

YOU personally take your items you wish to sell to them, and they photograph it put it on line and handle the entire transaction. They charge 30% for items under $500.00 and 20% for items over $500.00. Sounds like a pretty good deal to me. I went over and visited with them, and checked the quality of the photographs for items in their inventory now.

I have not taken anything over to them yet. I have a garage full of stuff that needs sorting. I also have items that I made, I am a heavy crafter of things. I have a boatload of denim earrings that I made, bead bedangled shiny patterned scarves (probably give some of those to my daughter in laws who have never seen them, and other STUFF. So will probably test the NEW company out and see how it goes.

I donut know how to do PayPal, is it a secure thing, it sounds sorta iffy to me.



.

[Lauren]

It works great for me. The money comes right out of my checking account. Or you can have it off your visa/mastercard. I have not had any problems as of yet. Alot of the folks off ebay won't do business with checks or m.o. So this is a great thing!!! You have to remember to deduct out of your checking. I almost forgot!!! :cool:

[gardenmom]

Well, I checked with paypal about getting a refund for my coat. A measley $12, but still... Turns out you have to file a claim within 30 of closing of the auction. So, even if you don't get the item after 30 days, or it never comes at all, you cannot file a claim with them. They said "no exceptions". Phooey!
The seller hasn't left me feedback yet, but I'm expecting bad, since that seems to be the norm. It seems that good sellers leave feedback as soon as they receive payment, and the bad ones wait to see what you say about them. That is so unfair, but I have had it happen before. Anyway, some kid will get a coat with holes, unfortunately.

[smoothladyhellfire]

i would never buy off ebay, thats such a scam waiting to happen.next to your name, put 'please dont burn me'

[BirdieBoo]

Well, I checked with paypal about getting a refund for my coat. A measley $12, but still... Turns out you have to file a claim within 30 of closing of the auction. So, even if you don't get the item after 30 days, or it never comes at all, you cannot file a claim with them. They said "no exceptions". Phooey!
The seller hasn't left me feedback yet, but I'm expecting bad, since that seems to be the norm. It seems that good sellers leave feedback as soon as they receive payment, and the bad ones wait to see what you say about them. That is so unfair, but I have had it happen before. Anyway, some kid will get a coat with holes, unfortunately.
That's a lesson to learn, when buying from ebay, always pay with a credit card, through paypal. If you pay with a credit card, you can always dispute through your CC company.

[alpharee]

BirdieBoo,
I thought that exact same thing but when I tried to dispute something with my credit card company that I bought with paypal I was told I can not do it because paypal was the 3rd party involved. The credit card company would not do anything. They stated paypal had handle it. They would not get involved because paypal was a 3rd party just collecting the $$$.

[BirdieBoo]

BirdieBoo,
I thought that exact same thing but when I tried to dispute something with my credit card company that I bought with paypal I was told I can not do it because paypal was the 3rd party involved. The credit card company would not do anything. They stated paypal had handle it. They would not get involved because paypal was a 3rd party just collecting the $$$.I guess you need to have a credit card with "purchase protection"...I have done this with my credit card and they said the same thing, that paypal was the 3rd party but they did it anyway and paypal paid up and took the money back from the seller. I had to file written documents with them as well.

[Kaly]

I bought a used computer monitor that was all blurry! When I tried to send it back, the guy had disappeared.

[Capt.]

I would never buy off ebay something that I can get locally. Never been burned. I am picky about what type of stuff I would buy off ebay. Many people I know of bought their close to new BMWs cars off ebay. I am tempted to get another car off ebay.(I don't need anymore cars!)

[inquiringmindz]

I won a coat for my daughter 10/19, and just got it 11/17. I had e-mailed this woman twice asking her where the coat was. The first time she took awhile ansering me back, finally on 11/5 saying that paypal was messed up and she wasn't able to see my info.I thought this was strange since I had just paid for my transcripts and had no problem. So I said no problem, just get it mailed out. So after I got it I saw that she hadn't even mailed it out until 11/12. As if that wasn't bad enough the coat had little tears in the sleeves and wrists. The description said "no tears, rips, etc, excellent condition. So I e-mailed her again, telling her I was upset that it took almost a month to get, and was not as described. I told her I wanted a refund, including shipping. I gave her 48 hours to respond (since in the past she took her time), or I would leave negative feedback. Then the next day I got an e-mail from paypal saying she had refunded the shipping only! No e-mail from her, no message on pay pal.So, I left bad feedback. I hated doing that, but I think it was justified, what do you guys think? I will have to eat the cost of the coat, which was only like $12. I figure I will just donate the coat to coats for kids. I might not have minded the tears if I had gotten it at a yardsale for a couple bucks, at least I would have known what I bought. I don't normally buy on e-bay, so I could kick myself. It was a nice looking Gap coat, and my daughter needed one, so I figured what the heck.
Hi Gardenmom! I'm an ebay seller and have been for five years. I've also done quite a bit of buying ;), gotta love those Longaberger baskets! The majority of the experiences I have had are great! Just like anything else though, I've had a bad one here and there. Don't let this one get you down! As a seller, I do what I can to make the buyer happy...I've refunded payments in full plus shipping and told the buyer to keep the item. As a buyer, I expect my item to be as described and arrive in a timely fashion. I do check others feedback before bidding. Did you check into getting a complete refund through PayPal? If the item wasn't as described, you should be able to. I hate leaving negatives too but have done so! If you ever need any ebay help, just pm me!

[JimPence]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to WS, but couldn't resist replying to this Ebay thread.

I've bought things on Ebay for several years and have been generally happy with what I purchased, but I was surprised about a year ago when I got an email from an unhappy customer who wanted to know why I hadn't shipped the cappuccino maker he bought (for $300+ dollars) from me.

One problem.

I don't sell things on Ebay. I only use it for purchases.

Someone had somehow hacked my Ebay username and used it to sell a product fraudulently. When he (or she) didn't deliver, the angry customer came looking for me. I had the unhappy task of writing this unfortunate guy and telling him that we both had been ripped off. Someone had stolen my good name and then used it to steal his money.

Fortunately, he believed me and was very gracious. I don't know if he ever got his money back. Probably not, as he apparently paid with a money order. I changed my UN and PW and do not take online security for granted anymore.

I've never figured out how they managed to get into my account.

Anyway, that's my Ebay story.

JimPence

[BirdieBoo]

Hi JimPence. The main way they do this is through spoof emails. They (The criminal) send an email that looks as if it is officially from ebay, asking you to click on a link to log in. When you click that link, you are taken to a site that looks like the ebay login site. But it's really not, its a page where they are getting your Username & password. So if you EVER get an email from ebay, do not log in through the link in the email. Real ebay emails do not ask you to log in through a link. You should send that email to spoof@ebay.com if you should get one, and never click on any links because it can do much worse than just your ebay info, it can install a trojan that will log your keystrokes and get ALL your passwords, including bank info, etc.

[JimPence]

Thanks, BirdieBoo.

I don't remember doing that, but these old gray cells are getting grayer all the time. ;)

I know that a phony email from PayPal almost snagged me one time. I was merrily filling out the form to "update" my information when the form asked me for my ATM card number and PIN. Hey, I may be dull, but I'm not THAT dull. I immediately stopped filling out the form and closed the window.

I'd be tempted to think that perhaps this was the way they got my Ebay info, but there's a problem with that. My Ebay and PayPal logins are different, and so are the passwords. However, it's possible that they put a trojan on my computer through that site. The problem with that is that none of my other numbers appear to have been compromised, and this was more than a year ago that it happened.

Tis a mystery. I'm just thankful that the damage wasn't any worse.

JimPence

[Seeker]

Hi JimPence. The main way they do this is through spoof emails. They (The criminal) send an email that looks as if it is officially from ebay, asking you to click on a link to log in. When you click that link, you are taken to a site that looks like the ebay login site. But it's really not, its a page where they are getting your Username & password. So if you EVER get an email from ebay, do not log in through the link in the email. Real ebay emails do not ask you to log in through a link. You should send that email to spoof@ebay.com if you should get one, and never click on any links because it can do much worse than just your ebay info, it can install a trojan that will log your keystrokes and get ALL your passwords, including bank info, etc.

Actually I think you meant that e-bay will not send out an e-mail to ask you to verify your account, right?

I just purchased a Tepco gravy boat (my newest obsession, white ironstone) and e-bay sent me a very real e-mail letting me know I had been outbid with links so I could up my bid if I still wanted it. They also sent me a confirmation e-mail with links so I could either offer more, or whatever.

This is the bottom of an e-mail I just got from e-bay. I hope this helps clear this up.

Trading guidelines

Your bid is a binding contract with the seller. Click here for more information.

If you are contacted about buying a similar item outside of eBay, please do not respond. Off-eBay transactions are against eBay policy; they are not covered by eBay services such as feedback, $200 buyer protection program, and dispute resolution.


eBay will not request personal data (password, credit card/bank numbers, and so on) in an email. Learn how to protect your account.

Thank you for using eBay!
http://www.ebay.com/

[Ghostwheel]

My advice: NEVER click a link on an email purporting to be from Ebay. It's just good sense. Go to Ebay and log in the regular way. Takes a little longer, but much safer. Yes, Ebay sends very real emails, but spoofers send very real looking emails, and if you log in from a link that is from a spoofer, you're hosed.

I have gotten spoof emails with the exact same wording that Ebay uses on the bottom, but they go to bogus sites (and the URL looks real-ish, if you don't know what to look for)

[sinisterurge]

I won a coat for my daughter 10/19, and just got it 11/17. I had e-mailed this woman twice asking her where the coat was. The first time she took awhile ansering me back, finally on 11/5 saying that paypal was messed up and she wasn't able to see my info.I thought this was strange since I had just paid for my transcripts and had no problem. So I said no problem, just get it mailed out. So after I got it I saw that she hadn't even mailed it out until 11/12. As if that wasn't bad enough the coat had little tears in the sleeves and wrists. The description said "no tears, rips, etc, excellent condition. So I e-mailed her again, telling her I was upset that it took almost a month to get, and was not as described. I told her I wanted a refund, including shipping. I gave her 48 hours to respond (since in the past she took her time), or I would leave negative feedback. Then the next day I got an e-mail from paypal saying she had refunded the shipping only! No e-mail from her, no message on pay pal.So, I left bad feedback. I hated doing that, but I think it was justified, what do you guys think? I will have to eat the cost of the coat, which was only like $12. I figure I will just donate the coat to coats for kids. I might not have minded the tears if I had gotten it at a yardsale for a couple bucks, at least I would have known what I bought. I don't normally buy on e-bay, so I could kick myself. It was a nice looking Gap coat, and my daughter needed one, so I figured what the heck.

I think she needs to refund you for the cost of the coat. The add was misleading. I had a friend who bought a skate board and it came all scratched up and missing the wheels.

[gardenmom]

Hi, I haven't been back to this thread in awhile, so here is my update. I tried to get the refund via paypal but they said too much time had gone by (anything over 30 from the time you win the auction, which is hokey if your item comes after that, which mine basically did within a couple days). So, I got no money back other than shipping. She finally left me feedback, all it said was "Sheesh", but it was positive. Bad experience. Good thing that came out of it was I donated to coat, like I said and got $1 off at Jamba Juice for donating it at their store, so all was not lost! :dance: I'll never order clothes anymore. I had ordered kids clothes when they were little and I was happy, but once burned is enough for me.

Happy Holidays, ya'all, or should I say MERRY CHRISTMAS! (Evidently that saying is quite the controversy these days!)

[smoothladyhellfire]

boy, do i feel dumb, here ive been telling people not to buy from ebay, disaster witing to happen, but like a dumbass, i went on ebay..i have no idea why i didnt listen to my own advice!!! doh!! i got a bracelet, looked a kid pulled out of cracker jack box.i won it for a penny +SH,it was also supposed to be 5 bracelete, ( close out 'lot') but only one showed up.i am STILL waiting on a few other braceletes ( different seller/tranaction), i just filed a complaint with ebay today.. we'll see. theone i usually goto is bidz.com but they are still owig me about 4 items too.im giving them benifit of doubt because of holidays, but none of my xmas gifts for others have shown up, and its almost xmas!! GGRRR!!!

[londonPI]

i hate when you get the item and it is NOT what was described or pictured. when you email the seller to return the item - you hear nothing. then you leave negative feedback and the seller BLASTS YOU. really pisses me off. i no longer buy from ebay.

[Timex]

I get the feeling I have been scammed. I purchased a BowFlex off of ebay on January 6th..made payment of $1600.00 the same day. I then recieved an email from the seller saying it would be shipped the following day, and they would email me tracking numbers. The next day, I received no tracking numbers. I have been emailing 3 times a day everyday, and get no response from the seller. I know they got the money, because I have checked my account and the funds were transferred.

[Lauren]

Get ahold of your paypal account and tell them the problem. Was this put on a credit card? Also get ahold of ebay... Tell us the name of the seller and I can ask lots of questions to the moron.... Check and see if he is a seller still.

[Verity]

I get the feeling I have been scammed. I purchased a BowFlex off of ebay on January 6th..made payment of $1600.00 the same day. I then recieved an email from the seller saying it would be shipped the following day, and they would email me tracking numbers. The next day, I received no tracking numbers. I have been emailing 3 times a day everyday, and get no response from the seller. I know they got the money, because I have checked my account and the funds were transferred.
Phone the seller immediately. To get the number, use the automated response system directly from eBay, it's instant. First click on the “Advanced Search” link under the “Search” button in the eBay header. Next, click on the “Find Contact Information” link in the left navigational panel. Enter your seller's ID.

If you are still not satisfied, go back to Ebay and click "help", then "contact us", then "problem with sellers", and file a complaint. Ebay will respond within 48 hours and open a case file. If you need further support, click "Live Help".

I've been trading on Ebay for 6 years, as both buyer and seller. Not everyone who doesn't deliver is dishonest, but there are definitely some. There could be a genuine reason, I can think of three. The best clue is the seller's feedback history. As a general rule, the rating ought to be 99% positive 100+ feedback with a history of trading items of similar value. If there are any negatives, go back far enough to find them and read them. On a big ticket item like this, ask the seller if you can phone them to ask a few questions BEFORE you bid. If they refuse, move on.

Good luck!

Verity

[Bobbisangel]

TIMEX.....have you heard anything from your seller? That is way to much money to lose. I hope it all works out.

I sell and buy on ebay off and on. I kind of go in streaks. I get the bug and I'll list some stuff. It is tough selling on ebay because the sellers out number the buyers or at least it seems that way.

I always include the cost of insurance in my shipping/handling price. I learned the hard way. I always do the delivery confirmation too. I sold a pair of expensive teenager jeans to a person. She didn't get insurance and I hadn't caught on to delivery confirmation at that time. She said that the jeans never came. I don't know if they did or not but I had to take her word for it so I reimbursed the cost plus shipping. Now I cover my butt.

I won't sell anything on ebay that I wouldn't buy myself. I sell clothing in excellant condition and it is in excellant condition. What is the sense in lying only to get caught in the lie when the buyer receives the item. Then there is a big mess.

I've had pretty good luck with buying. I've had one weird seller but that was my own fault because I hadn't checked her feedback. I learn the hard way!!
I've found that most sellers are honest and will work with you if you aren't real happy with your item. I'm more than willing to work with buyers if need be. I sold a skirt to a gal and when she washed it it started to unravel at some of the seams. I was horrified. She didn't ask for her money back but just wanted me to know what happened. I sent her a full refund plus shipping. That was only right. She said that she hadn't expected a refund. She was such a nice woman.

I usually end up ripping myself off when it comes to shipping costs. I have a scale but I never get the darn weight right.

[Timex]

I have emailed 3 times a day everyday...no response at all from the seller, and no bowflex. I have contacted paypal, since that is the method of payment I used, but from what I read they will only cover $1000.00 of the purchase price.

[tybee204]

Timex

Get the persons phone number and call them.

[Timex]

Timex

Get the persons phone number and call them.


Ive been calling..but the name on the anwering machine doesnt match the name on the account.

[BirdieBoo]

I have emailed 3 times a day everyday...no response at all from the seller, and no bowflex. I have contacted paypal, since that is the method of payment I used, but from what I read they will only cover $1000.00 of the purchase price.

Timex: You need to file a complaint of non-receipt to paypal. You also need to do it NOW (before Feb 6th) because paypal only allows 30 days...
(as of Jan 14th they allow 45 days but your purchase was before that)

According to paypal's rules they have 7 days to ship...if that has not happened, they are in violation and you are entitled to a refund.

If you file the claim (which may make the seller miraculously decide to contact you) DO NOT I repeat DO NOT let the seller sweet talk you into dropping the claim...unless you receive the item, then you should drop the claim once you are certain that you received the correct item and it is in good working order .

If paypal only gives you $1000 back, it's better to be out $600 than $1600...

and I sincerely hope you paid using a credit card...because you DO NOT have to pay for goods paid with a credit card if you did not receive them...and if you can prove a good faith effort to resolve the problem with the seller

[This is part of the federal trade commission's fair credit act (http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/fcb.htm)] http://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?MfcISAPICommand=ViewUserPage&userid=mioka (

HERE is a page of links (Mioka's fraud links) which may be able to help you if you have to deal with the seller's local law enforcement.

If you could supply an item number I might be able to give you more information.

[Verity]

Sorry to hear this. Did you file a fraud complaint at Ebay as well? Paypal alone is not enough. You can also file a wire fraud complaint with the FBI. They DO respond and will put the local police onto it in the area where the seller is located. Also, you might want to do your own sleuthing on who this person is. I would start by doing a google search on every part of the contact details - name, address and phone number.

Verity

[BirdieBoo]

Paypal and ebay are the same company. Paypal is owned by ebay.

[Timex]

When I tried to file with EBay, they directed me to paypal. I did file with "SquareTrade", although I dont expect much in the way of results. I did not pay via creditcard, as we dont use them at all. I paid via an e-check, so am not optimistic of getting any of the money back. I assume when PayPal tries to reverse the payment, they will find the money is long gone from the seller's account. This is the first time I have ever purchased anything on EBay, and it will be the last.

[nanandjim]

I get the feeling I have been scammed. I purchased a BowFlex off of ebay on January 6th..made payment of $1600.00 the same day. I then recieved an email from the seller saying it would be shipped the following day, and they would email me tracking numbers. The next day, I received no tracking numbers. I have been emailing 3 times a day everyday, and get no response from the seller. I know they got the money, because I have checked my account and the funds were transferred.
Yikes! I definitely would have used a credit card. However, don't despair yet. Have you checked the seller's feedback? Also, sometimes those emails are automatically generated. I have had a seller send me an email telling me that I would receive tracking numbers. However, tracking numbers did not come for days and days. Can you go to the actual auction and email the seller a question that way. I still hold out hope that you will get your bowflex. Let us know.

I have never spent over $200 on Ebay. I'm afraid of getting ripped off. I just bought a digital camera and was really worried about buying electronics through ebay. It appears to be working, though...

[BirdieBoo]

When I tried to file with EBay, they directed me to paypal. I did file with "SquareTrade", although I dont expect much in the way of results. I did not pay via creditcard, as we dont use them at all. I paid via an e-check, so am not optimistic of getting any of the money back. I assume when PayPal tries to reverse the payment, they will find the money is long gone from the seller's account. This is the first time I have ever purchased anything on EBay, and it will be the last.
Timex: Try this link (http://pages.ebay.com/help/tp/inr-snad-process.html) . Another thing to consider is that e-checks take a long time to clear through paypal sometimes...even if it has cleared through the bank. But with you not being able to get ahold of the seller, it does not look good. Try the link I suggested...it is a new thing ebay is trying...supposedly they will contact the seller for you and if the seller is unresponsive...they will start a claim. Ebay is tricky sometimes...I am surprised you made such a large purchase as your first thing you ever bought on there. IMO Square trade is completely useless. Good Luck Timex. I would like to see this work out in your favor. Perhaps you should post this on the ebay message boards (http://forums.ebay.com/db2/forum.jsp?forum=107) for Trust & Safety aka SafeHarbor . There are a lot of people there who can help you and who know all the ins and outs of ebay very well.

[tybee204]

LOL for $1600 Id be loading the Samsonite in the SUV and parking in this guys driveway.

[Britt]

I hope the following helps:

I got scammed once on ebay for $1,800. I got back every penny of the money, plus much groveling and apologizing by the scammer.

I filed a complaint with ebay of course, but it accomplished nothing.

But the FBI Internet Fraud Division can help:

http://www.ifccfbi.gov/index.asp

Also, law enforcement in the scammer's jurisdiction can help.

And, since I'd paid with a check through the mail, I also had the option of filing a fraud complaint with the US Postal Service.

When I got scammed, I met some fellow scammees who were able to recover their money by contacting and filing complaints with the FBI and local LE (in the scammer's jurisdiction).

Turns out, I didn't have to follow through with any of those complaints because the threat itself was enough:

Here's what I did: I looked up the prior ebay customers of the scammer by following the links in his feedback section, and I emailed them... that proved very fruitful, since most of them had also been scammed. Through those contacts, I got all of the scammer's personal info, including cell phone number, current address and employer. The other customers had bits and pieces and together we put it all together.

Then I wrote an official complaint addressed to the FBI and the police department of the scammer's city, complete with a detective's name who had already received a complaint about the guy (I got the detective's name from one of the fellow ebay customers who'd also been scammed by the guy). I sent copies of all of it to the scammer with a deadline and threat to file the complaints. It worked. He called and wrote and begged and gave me a big sob story about being broke, so I let him pay me back in a series of installments... it took a few months, but I got back all my money. The guy was terrified that I and the other customers would file our complaints.

Law enforcement takes internet fraud very seriously these days, and this scammer knew that.

[Timex]

I dont see any feedback for the seller I purchased from..if Im doing it correctly.

this is what I got when I made the purchase:

You have committed to buy the following eBay item from amyf518 (A Fallas - Amsterdam, NY United States) using Buy It Now on Jan-06-05 06:02:11 PST:


Ultimate Bowflex XTLU - Item #7125844794

[tybee204]

Ive been calling..but the name on the anwering machine doesnt match the name on the account.
Timex did you do a reverse directory search to see who the phone number is listed under?

[Britt]

Hi Timex. Okay, I looked it up and the other feedback comment says "Honest Seller. Item was defective and refund was issued A++ Seller!" which bodes well:

http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback&userid=amyf518&iid=7125844794&frm=284

Have your messages to her through the ebay system gone through okay?

Has PayPal been helpful?

[Britt]

Timex - also, under "feedback left for others" by the seller, there are two more customers in addition to the one in the above link. The seller's feedback suggests smooth transactions, which is hopeful. Of course, the only way to know for sure is by contacting those ebay members.

http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedbackMemberLeft&memberid=amyf518&items=-1&item=-1&de=off

[Timex]

Hi Timex. Okay, I looked it up and the other feedback comment says "Honest Seller. Item was defective and refund was issued A++ Seller!" which bodes well:

http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback&userid=amyf518&iid=7125844794&frm=284

Have your messages to her through the ebay system gone through okay?

Has PayPal been helpful?

PayPal allows her 10 days to respond to my complaint. Sunday will be 10 days, she has not responded as of yet.

[Britt]

Well if worse comes to worst, I really think you'll be able to recover all of your money with the help of the police department (Amsterdam, New York, according to the listing) and the FBI Internet Fraud Division.

I believe this would be 4th degree grand larceny since it's more than a thousand bucks, which gives you a lot of leverage. Fortunately, there is recourse for you.

Regardless of what PayPal is able to do, you can use the LE agencies to help you get your money back. Maybe, like in my case, the threat is all it would take. This seller doesn't appear to be a hard-core criminal type hiding out in another country or something like in some cases. LE could handle it easily, I would think.

[Buzzm1]

Hi gardenmom.. was the seller reputable with a good feedback rating?

I have been buying and selling on eBay for a long time.. my feedback rating is 270 and my husbands is 138 ~ we have never had a problem with a buyer of ours.. and we have never had a problem with a seller.

I have had nothing but great experiences on eBay. but I am selective on who I deal with.. I try to bid on ony auctions with seller has good feedback rating and no negatives and if I get a 'new' eBayer bidding on one of my expensive items ($5000.00+) - I drop them a line and have a little chat, if I am still feeling uncomfortable with them I cancel their bids.

I would think to get a full refund you would have to return the item and that is probably why they only refunded shipping.
I have completed a significant number of transactions on eBay, and have had a few experiences where the communication, i.e. , response to emails, timely shipping of items, etc.., wasn't as good as it should have been, but all-in-all, my experiences on eBay have been very positive. When there has been a shipping problem, breakage, or whatever, sellers for the most part, are more than willing to make it right. I have no real complaints. It is important to know the answers about shipping cost, handling costs, seller feedback rating, etc. before bidding on items, otherwise you may be in for an unhappy surprise. Don't hesitate to ask the seller questions before bidding on an item.

[oceanblueeyes]

Buyer Beware!!!!

First, if you paid through PayPal, you CAN get your money back!!

Second, be cautious when purchasing off of Ebay. MOST sellers are very honest. I have been selling on EBAY for about 5 years (I'm one of the honest ones) and have a feedback rating of about 2800 or something).

Check your sellers FEEDBACK BEFORE bidding on the item. See if they are reputable and how long they have been with Ebay. If you have any doubt, don't bid on the item. If you pay with PayPal and are unhappy with the item, PAYPAL will work to get your money back for you!


I too have been both buyer and seller on Ebay since 1998....I have experienced more problems lately when selling. It seems more and more "buyers" with no purchases or feedback will come in the last 2 minutes and outbid.........only to never pay for item....after repeated emails asking them to do so. They seem to strike more when the item is very competitive with many bids attached. Sometimes I wonder if it is other sellers that are selling the same item and they are using this "new buyer" as just a ploy or it may be just kids.

I have learned to only allow a bidder to bid if they have at least 10 positive feedback purchases. In a way I hate to do this as I have had people buy and pay excellent and it would be their first purchase on Ebay. I keep thinking about when I was a newbie...sure glad someone gave me a chance to prove myself. lol But, I have made myself stick to it and it is working much better than when I made no limits. I notice they will register and then unregister.... so there is no way to leave them a negative feedback to warn other sellers.

When I first came to Ebay as a buyer........I was ripped off for purchases I paid for but never received.......I have learned to be very careful who I purchase from.

All and all though I have enjoyed Ebay and most of the time things run smoothly.

Ocean

[Candlelight]

I was on eBay way back when you had to mail a check to your seller.. everyone had access to your info.. but we trusted each other, and my bank account remained safe, I was never phoned by a crank, and most of all, we interacted through Email and snail mail.

eBay is probably BETTER now than it was 7 years ago, but it is not personable at all unless you take the time to make it so. If you pay by PayPal, chances are, you will never even know your seller's address, and if they registered with a business Paypal account, you won't even know their names.

There are some steps to successful eBay trading. If no one minds, I will share what has saved my butt a few times.

1) READ the FB for either your seller, or your bidders. If you are a seller and you don't want deadbeats, add a sentence to your auction stating: " I reserve the right to cancel bids from any bidder with less than 10 positive FB as a buyer( or however you want to word it). No buyers with (private) FB. Do not bid if you have more than 2 negative FBs in the past 12 months". You set the limits on who you want to do business with, and enforce it. I have cancelled MANY bids because of new users who didn't read my one sentence bidding terms. If what you are selling is a good product, then it will sell. You can also report people who bid on your auction against your rules, and they may be suspended. If the person who doesn't meet your criteria uses BIN or otherwise bids late and wins, you are not obligated to sell to that person.

If you are a bidder, look at the total picture of your seller. That means that you have to click on the number beside the eBay member name, and READ the FB profile. Even if the percentage is high, if they are doing a huge volume of business, they can still have 15-20 or more negs. per month. You might as well throw your money down a hole as bid on something from an iffy seller.

Also, look at the FB which the seller has left for others who have bought from them. If all they are leaving is negs or neutrals and negs, then leave them alone. You will be the next one with a red minus sign by your name.
There is NOTHING on eBay today which won't be there again. The price may be a bit higher, but like they say:"If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is". A lower price is no substitute for first quality items, even if used.

2) Join Square Trade. Put the Square Trade seal on your " About Me" page, even if that's all that is there. People are less likely to rip off a Square Trade member, and the Email sent to eBay by a ST member gets priority handling.
If you have a valid complaint which relates to eBay itself and not to a seller or buyer, then CALL them.
It's not easy, but here's how:

3) Dial 1-800-322-9266- This is a direct line to eBay.
WRITE THIS DOWN. They do not hand it out. It is hard to find, however I am not posting private information. eBay is a corporation. This number comes in extra handy if you are a seller and eBay is saying you haven't paid your seller fees when you have. It recently got a friend's eBay account restored, as they were not reading her emails.

4) Read the auction description as well as the seller's rules and regs. Sellers have stopped telling buyers what they are selling, because the emphasis is on getting paid. If you have a question about ANYTHING, the condition of the item, the fact that the photo is either not clear or is a copy out of a magazine ( a big no no), then Email the seller through the " Ask seller a question" option. If they don't answer, forget it.

There is nothing sold on eBay today which won't be there in a week or a month. If you are buying " Ray Ban sunglasses" and you think they may be fakes- ASK the seller if they are genuine Ray Bans. If the seller waffles on the answer, or says they don't know, don't bid.Selling counterfeit trademarked goods is a crime. Receiving counterfeit goods is a bad thing, also.

5) Make sure the shipping charges are clear. Again, this involves minimal work on the part of the potential buyer. Email the seller with your zip code and ASK. I hate it when sellers put some cutesy remark in the "Location" spot.. like " My attic". They should clearly state where they live.. Some people sell from Alaska and Hawaii, and had rather you not know that. Others are just being coy or trying to cuten up their listing. If they put the little calculator on their auction, use it. If it seems very high, Email your seller through the "Ask seller a question" option. Ask if they are sure they picked the right category as an item of that size and weight usually ships for X $. Have your facts in hand, and you probably will get a lower shipping cost in the end.


6) DON'T leave FB until you have received your item and used it. No matter what a seller says, or if they leave FB for you as soon as you pay ( which they should), wait until you or the person you bought the product or item for uses it, then proceed.

7) DON'T skip insurance. Buy it. Also, buy PayPal's insruance if it is offered. If no insurance option is listed on the auction, ask the seller before you buy. If you forgot, email and ask them before you pay.

8) If the item is not as described or is otherwise defective, get the person's contact info. Call them, or if it is a company, ask for Customer Service and state your case. Be nice, calm and friendly. REMEMBER- They also have your contact info plus your address. This is the INTERNET and that seller or buyer is a STANGER, folks. State what problems you are having. Don't call them sleazy or rip offs or you can forget it. Ask to return a defective item for a refund or replacement if you received something defective. If you received the wrong item, you need to have done some homework before you call. Look for the CORRECT item on another current or recently completed auction and do a screen capture. Print out the page. Refer to the auction when telling your seller what the problem with their green widget is.. You ordered a blue widget as in auction #543029923.
If they care, they will accept a return. I have had sellers who sent me the right item, didn't want their money back for the wrong one, AND refunded all my money. It's all in the art of the deal, so to speak. :)

9) Email your buyer within 24 hours of buying something. Give them all the info they could need: Item number, item name, tell them you are happy to have been their high bidder, that you will be paying on ____ using _____ method ( make sure it is one they accept) and give them your name and address so they can have your package ready.
PAY within 5 days, max. If you can't, then you can't afford what you are bidding on, so go on to something else. Another CD will come along. Sometimes, patience pays off big time after the middle of Jan. as people are getting rid of excess stock, unpaid layaways, unwanted Christmas gifts, and are selling something really nice because THEY need the money due to large Christmas expenses on the VISA.

10) Saved the best for last: Treat your buyer or seller exactly how you want to be treated. They are a person. Address them by their name in Email, and when you receive your item, email them and thank them if you don't have any problems.. LEAVE NICE AND APPROPRIATE FB. If you are the seller, leave + FB for those who pay you as soon as they pay you. File a NPB alert with eBay for deadbeat bidders, and leave a negative if you have done all you can do to contact the buyer. Be prepared for a retalitatory negative. Most people will be upset and leave a negative even when they were the ones who were wrong.
You can Email the seller 30 days or so after the auction if they haven't left FB for you, and ask if maybe they were busy and overlooked leaving it, saying again that you like your item and have left FB for them, etc.. but do NOT try to make anyone leave FB for you. It is against Ebay's rules.

One more thing:
Even if you broke the thing you bought the first time you used it, it's yours. I once broke an MP3 player from an electronics store the first time I used it.. Things happen. If you think there is a quality problem, the time to complain about poor quality of an item is before you use it, so you can return it unused.

eBay has many links in the " Contact us" section to ask questions about a specific auction, seller, buyer, to report problems after an auction, etc. Find the right one before you write the complaint up, and make sure you check the square to send yourself a copy.

If you follow these steps, and do not expect the sun, moon and stars for a very small price, then you should have as much fun on eBay as we always do. :) if you snipe bid only, don't expect to be the winner. It's a hit or miss system because so many other people are doing it for popular items now.

Happy shopping.

[BirdieBoo]

I too have been both buyer and seller on Ebay since 1998....I have experienced more problems lately when selling. It seems more and more "buyers" with no purchases or feedback will come in the last 2 minutes and outbid.........only to never pay for item....after repeated emails asking them to do so. They seem to strike more when the item is very competitive with many bids attached. Sometimes I wonder if it is other sellers that are selling the same item and they are using this "new buyer" as just a ploy or it may be just kids.

I have learned to only allow a bidder to bid if they have at least 10 positive feedback purchases. In a way I hate to do this as I have had people buy and pay excellent and it would be their first purchase on Ebay. I keep thinking about when I was a newbie...sure glad someone gave me a chance to prove myself. lol But, I have made myself stick to it and it is working much better than when I made no limits. I notice they will register and then unregister.... so there is no way to leave them a negative feedback to warn other sellers.

When I first came to Ebay as a buyer........I was ripped off for purchases I paid for but never received.......I have learned to be very careful who I purchase from.

All and all though I have enjoyed Ebay and most of the time things run smoothly.

Ocean

That "unregistering" is when they get kicked out of ebay for not paying...three strikes and you're OUT. That's why its so important for sellers to file the unpaid item strike and NOT to put "mutually agreed" if they did NOT really mutually agree. It is more effective than feedback, and gets rid of some of the non-payers...You can set a setting in your seller preferences to block buyers who:

Are registered in countries to which you don't ship
Have a feedback score of -1,-2,-3 or lower
Have received 2 Unpaid Item strikes in the last 30 days

I've had a lot of problems as a seller lately as well.

Timex: How's your problem coming along?

Candlelight: I also do not allow buyers to see where I sell from. I had 3 buyers in one week who happened to live in the same town and wanted to come to my home to pick up the item. One of them was very pushy and aggressive about it. This was right around the same time Bobbie Jo Stinnett was murdered.
I don't think it's anyone's business where I live ...if they want to know how long for shipping...I always ship priority, which takes 2-5 days within the USA, even to/from AK and HI.

[Candlelight]

Oh, you think that it's OK to put yourself on the Internet, to provide contact info for buyers, as per Ebay's user agreement, but not to state what part of the country you are from? Have you heard of listing only the STATE? It gives a person a good idea of what the reasonable charges are for shipping from location to location. Some people try to make lots of money in shipping charges. I am not referring to you, because I don't know anything about you, but eBay has become a den of scheming professional selling scam artists in some cases.

Your reasoning makes no sense to me. If you are that worried about being murdered, then you should turn your PC off and never turn it back on. Certainly if a person would murder you, then they would cheat you and steal from you, wouldn't they? How do you trust your buyers?

Certainly you are at a higher risk when you post on a true crime board as there are people who know how to put imbedded code in their posts to track IP addresses. Once a person has an IP address, it is a piece of cake to trace right to their location.
I hope you already knew this.. and don't post anywhere else either.
No one has ever asked to pick up anything from us and we have sold from 2 major cities. I don't know what you are selling, or if your shipping charges are high or what, but I have never encountered anyone ever who wanted to come to my house or meet me somewhere to pick up an item if it was local.

Curious, do you use PayPal for payment? Sellers are supposed to give their complete address to PayPal when registering, same as eBay.
What about the fact that you HAVE to give a shiping address when you BUY something?


That "unregistering" is when they get kicked out of ebay for not paying...three strikes and you're OUT. That's why its so important for sellers to file the unpaid item strike and NOT to put "mutually agreed" if they did NOT really mutually agree. It is more effective than feedback, and gets rid of some of the non-payers...You can set a setting in your seller preferences to block buyers who:

Are registered in countries to which you don't ship
Have a feedback score of -1,-2,-3 or lower
Have received 2 Unpaid Item strikes in the last 30 days

I've had a lot of problems as a seller lately as well.

Timex: How's your problem coming along?

Candlelight: I also do not allow buyers to see where I sell from. I had 3 buyers in one week who happened to live in the same town and wanted to come to my home to pick up the item. One of them was very pushy and aggressive about it. This was right around the same time Bobbie Jo Stinnett was murdered.
I don't think it's anyone's business where I live ...if they want to know how long for shipping...I always ship priority, which takes 2-5 days within the USA, even to/from AK and HI.

[tybee204]

I buy and have sold on ebay. I use a PO Box. I never give my home address to anyone. Nor would I meet someone to exchange an item.

[BirdieBoo]

Oh, you think that it's OK to put yourself on the Internet, to provide contact info for buyers, as per Ebay's user agreement, but not to state what part of the country you are from? Have you heard of listing only the STATE? It gives a person a good idea of what the reasonable charges are for shipping from location to location. Some people try to make lots of money in shipping charges. I am not referring to you, because I don't know anything about you, but eBay has become a den of scheming professional selling scam artists in some cases.

Your reasoning makes no sense to me. If you are that worried about being murdered, then you should turn your PC off and never turn it back on. Certainly if a person would murder you, then they would cheat you and steal from you, wouldn't they? How do you trust your buyers?

Certainly you are at a higher risk when you post on a true crime board as there are people who know how to put imbedded code in their posts to track IP addresses. Once a person has an IP address, it is a piece of cake to trace right to their location.
I hope you already knew this.. and don't post anywhere else either.
No one has ever asked to pick up anything from us and we have sold from 2 major cities. I don't know what you are selling, or if your shipping charges are high or what, but I have never encountered anyone ever who wanted to come to my house or meet me somewhere to pick up an item if it was local.

Curious, do you use PayPal for payment? Sellers are supposed to give their complete address to PayPal when registering, same as eBay.
What about the fact that you HAVE to give a shiping address when you BUY something?

Wow. Your response seems a bit hostile...maybe even a little threatening...IMO
To answer your question...I have a PO box and cell phone as contact info. Nobody has ever asked to come to my PO box...they have asked to come to my house.

I wonder what I said to offend you? Does it seem like there is something wrong when people try to protect their privacy?

Did you know that when you pull someone's contact info on ebay...you are NOT given their home address? It's Name, City, Company (if Applicable) State, and Phone number.

[HappyMommy]

Most of my Ebay buying has been pleasant. I've had 2 bad experiences and they both involved movies. One was a VHS I bought for my kids (was said to be used in excellent condition). The seller took almost 5 weeks to ship (I had to email her twice-she had excuses both times) & once I received it, it had bad spots in the tape (it would roll). Pretty worthless, actually. I was afraid to leave negative feedback because mine is excellent & I knew what would happen. The other time I got taken was when I bid on a disney DVD set. It stated that they were Region 1 and were in English (I was hesitant since the seller was in Singapore...now I know I should have been!). I received them & they wouldn't even work. There was oriental writing inside the covers but English on the outside. After much ado, the seller did refund my # through paypal, minus the shipping (I was very relieved since he unregistered shortly after I received it!). It does irk my though how sellers never seem to leave feedback until you receive your item & leave if for them. I ALWAYS pay right away & have never had someone leave feedback first! That stinks...

[Lauren]

I have bought and sold on ebay, nothing too much of either. You can get some really good deals! But my son bought a pair of $150.00 Nike basketball shoes with his own money. Of course we asked the seller about 300 ?'s. He had good feedback. So we sent the money via Paypal. About a week goes by no shoes. So we email back and forth. He sends a fake tracking #. Then makes excuse after excuse. Then I get an email from PayPal saying that my money has been reversed because this seller was not up to code or something like it. Then I receive a pair of shoes that were plastic 'nike' on it. from CHINA, the guy we bought it from was from Florida. So I emailed and asked him all about it. He said no those were not his. Which was bs, who else would send us tennis shoes out of the air. I told him they were, then he finally fessed up and said they were. I asked did he want them back? He said sure could I mail them. I said yes, send me $50.00 for shipping. (Kmart plastic tennis shoes were worth more!) I knew he wouldn't. I reported him and warned people on their board. So my son goes back on ebay and this moron is still selling shoes, he is not even smart enough to change the photo of them. It's very specific background in the photo. We bust him and turn him in at last count 6 times. Such a crackhead. How low can a guy go to try to steal money from a kid? :furious:

[Timex]

The seller never responded to either PayPal's inquirey or SquareTrades inquirey. PayPal tried to debit their account for my $1600.00, but the money had already been taken from their account, so they could not refund all my funds. I have received part of the money, and PayPal says they will continue to attempt to debit their bank account for the remaining amount due.

[nanandjim]

The seller never responded to either PayPal's inquirey or SquareTrades inquirey. PayPal tried to debit their account for my $1600.00, but the money had already been taken from their account, so they could not refund all my funds. I have received part of the money, and PayPal says they will continue to attempt to debit their bank account for the remaining amount due.
I hope that you will follow up with the police in the seller's area. One of the posts above, I believe, has details. I know that it is a hassle; however, I wouldn't let it drop. This seller needs to be prosecuted.

[Camper]

I have been following this thread. I am also wondering just HOW MANY times the seller sold the same item, perhaps asking for overnight money order or something similar.

We had a real estate closing once, where the seller had sold the house to two different buyers, the closings were on the same day an hour or so apart with different title companies.

Recently we had a NEW company open up for business in our area. THEY handle the entire Ebay transaction. THEY take the picture of the item, do the posting on line, I have forgotten the % they charge and handle the shipping. Seems like that might be the way to handle things in the future.

If this type of business spreads, the seller might just have to deliver the item to their local 'Ebay' handler before money changes hands. I like the sound of this type of activity. This of course leaves the sellers more time to find other GOOD stuff to sell, instead of hassling on line with a creepy transaction.

Good luck Timex!!


.

[PaulaKay]

I've been lurking on this website for many months, but just recently decided it was time to join. I thought I'd put my 2 cents in this discussion.

I've sold quite a few items on E-bay and only purchased 2. I've had only 1 buyer who never paid for my item. As a seller, I always post my feedback as soon as I get the payment and then e-mail the buyer as soon as I've shipped out the item. Thus far, I've had nothing but good luck on E-bay and I hope it stays that way.

Also, just recently, I received a question on E-bay from somebody that I've never sold an item to and wanted to know if I could do custom work for them. How did they know what I sold a month ago to ask me that question?

[BirdieBoo]

They've probably been watching your items for some time. I have certain sellers that I watch as well, because I like the items they sell, but the time might not be right for me to buy something.

I have had questions like that as well.
Sometimes people who have never bought from me ask me if I can get mass quantities of something and sell to them at wholesale LOL if i knew how to get mass quantities of something profitable to sell on ebay don't you think I'd sell it myself?? :D

In my experience, as a seller, you get all kinds of odd questions...the strangest one I've had so far was a lady who had something she would like to return and buy something else....except she hadn't even bought the item from me.

[nanandjim]

I just heard on the radio that people who have been scammed from on-line auction sites should check out the FTC website for instructions as to what can be done. I will try to find a link to its website and post.

Here's one link. It tells you how to file a complaint if working it out with the seller is unsuccessful.

http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2003/04/bidderbeware.htm

[forbidn2u2]

Another scammer caught & charged:

Woman pleads guilty to selling nonexistent beer on Ebay (http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/news/bizarre/020205_APsn_beer.html)

D'oh! A woman has pleaded guilty to selling on eBay three nonexistent cases of Duff brand beer -- the favorite of cartoon character Homer Simpson.

Buyers paid money into Woodford's bank account, but contacted police when they never received the beer. Woodford was placed on 18 months' probation, and was ordered to reimburse the money and undergo counseling.

:dance:

[racer x]

I have been buying and selling on E bay for about 4 years, and have over 200 positive feedbacks, zero negative. I get sent a lot of FAKE ebay correspondance that all looks legit, (logos, links ) The scammers tell you that they are E Bay and your account has been suspended, follow this link to reactivate your account. People fall for it, give them their username and password. Then the scammers use the account by changing the password to a new one. This allows them to use YOUR account that has YOUR good feedback and YOUR contact information to scam others. Use your head when on e-bay. If the deal is too good, its a scam. If the seller is out of the country, don't bother, chances are its a scam. There are very few things you cant find here in the states. If the feedback doesn't seem right, its a scam. I buy industrial machinery quite often. I once had a guy I contacted, selling a machine that looked new for a great price. I contacted him and he claimed to be out of the country buying machines. send the money to him via western union in germany and he would ship the machine FREE. I looked at his feedback, 100% perfect. There were a bunch of red flags. 1) out of the country seller. 2) wanted western union payment. NEVER DO THAT!!! 3) feedback was all positive, selling BEANIE BABIES!!! obviously a hijacked account. 4) offered free shipping on an expensive large item. no one does that. Point is this, use good judgement. there are millions of good sellers. if they have good feedback, selling items similar to what you are buying, you are likely to have a smooth transaction. I have purchased 2 cars (even a nearly new Corvette) and much equipment for my business and have had nothing but great success but I keep a healthy dose of skeptisisem (sic?) . let the buyer beware!

[Mrs_Norwood]

I got scammed by a seller named Cyndurela. I ordered a waller and a purse from her both by Dooney and Bourke. I paid I think 80 dollars total. I never got either items. I got one e-mail from the seller and that was it. They deleted their account after I tried to contact them them through a fake number (UPS number) they gave me and their e-mail account bounced after that too.

[Sabrina]

Timex,

You need to first call your local police department and file a complaint with them, they will alert the police in the jurisdiction where this person lives. You can get the address of the seller from their contact information-- check both Paypal and Ebay, and then do some name or property searches to verify it.

I know of someone who had a similar situation for $1900 and the city attorney in Phoenix is prosecuting the seller.

This is the only chance you have for getting your money back. I know this is hindsight, but to pay a seller woth 0 feedback by E check for that amount of money was not prudent. It's obvious that this person was set out to scam people.

Paypal's investigations differ from Ebay. You need to contact Ebay immediately and let them know not only were you ripped off but the contact information for the seller is wrong.


You should also file a report here:
http://www.ifccfbi.gov/index.asp

When you pay by paypal, always do it from the credit card and NOT your bank account with an E check for this reason. Paypal sets the E check as a default (because it costs them nothing) You have to select credit card payment.

[nicbok]

Use your head when on e-bay. If the deal is too good, its a scam. If the seller is out of the country, don't bother, chances are its a scam. There are very few things you cant find here in the states. (sic?) . let the buyer beware!
Racer X, I just wanted to note something - I am an Australian eBay seller and regularly sell all over the world every week. I have over 5000 feedbacks, 100% positive. So please don't label all of us "overseas" sellers in the same basket. I agree that you need to be wary, there are certain countries I won't buy from either, but I regularly trade almost every day with the USA and would be happy to recommend to any fellow Aussie that trading "overseas" with the USA is safe.

[AutumnBorn]

I don't understand this ebay phenom. I once ordered a dress from there, brand new 1940s reproduction for $10, but that was it.

What is the deal? I mean, are you looking for things you need or things that you collect? Can someone explain this to me?

My friend Susan bought a bedspread for her little girl's bed on ebay...she was so excited about it. When it arrived, it was not quite the color that it appeared to be on her monitor. She ended up giving it to a niece. She was about to bid on a Pottery Barn Teen comforter and I told her to wait, I thought I'd seen it on sale at PBT. Sure enough, it was and less than the current bid on ebay!

Buyer beware, indeed.

[JimPence]

I don't understand this ebay phenom. I once ordered a dress from there, brand new 1940s reproduction for $10, but that was it.

What is the deal? I mean, are you looking for things you need or things that you collect? Can someone explain this to me?
I compare it to a giant garage sale. You can find some good bargains, but there's also a lot of junk. Basically, if I'm thinking of buying something, I read the seller's feedback file very carefully. If I get the feel that this seller is not reliable, I'll pass on an item, even if the price looks good.

Also, I don't buy stuff on Ebay just to buy it. I research my purchases and, sometimes, I can find better buys without using Ebay. I mostly buy computer parts, inkjet cartridges, etc. In other words, things I need. I have bought books before, but nothing collectible.

Jim

[puppyluv]

I don't understand this ebay phenom.

What is the deal? I mean, are you looking for things you need or things that you collect? Can someone explain this to me?

For me, it's fun to try and find a bargain. Sometimes people don't know the value of what they are selling. One man's trash is another man's treasure...

Also, you can find things hard to locate anywhere else but eBay. For instance, where I work it's noisy, and I use earplugs. I dislike the free ones my employers give out. On eBay, I found a collection of 5 brand new sets of earplugs, each a different style, all in their original packaging, for .99 cents. Shipping, only a dollar.
So for 1.99 I can try out 5 different kinds and see what I like best. It was exactly what I was looking for, I was shocked to find it.

For collectors, eBay is really fun. Maybe you can find that one item to complete your collection of...whatever you collect!

[Neptune'sMom]

We first used ebay to purchase a rare book we couldn't find anywhere else. I then used it to buy certain clothing items, specifically designer clothes for cheap. That worked out well for the most part. I made about 22 purchases with just 2 flunking out. One seller refunded my paypal and the other hasn't responded to my inquiries about a paid item that was won by me about 7 weeks ago. I may get burnt on that one as I'm reading in the comments section that the 'business' has a new owner.

I'm not crazy about ebay. I'm finding it can be quite risky. Another item I won I wasn't able to process the payment through paypal. The seller didn't respond to my emails asking how I could pay. When I complained in the feedback area, the seller wrote back that I was dumb and a jerk. At least I hadn't paid yet. My concern then was this was an unfinished auction. Ebay doesn't have a quick or easy way to send complaints or have them intervene. They offer a pay service for mediating. $20 to mediate with a seller who won't help me complete my transaction of $10? In the end, the seller ended up unregistering and is long gone.

I think the biggest complaint about ebay is the risk of getting taken in by their registered sellers. I can understand that vendors will want to be paid before shipping an item, but what guarantees are their for the purchaser?

That's my :twocents:

[BirdieBoo]

We first used ebay to purchase a rare book we couldn't find anywhere else. I then used it to buy certain clothing items, specifically designer clothes for cheap. That worked out well for the most part. I made about 22 purchases with just 2 flunking out. One seller refunded my paypal and the other hasn't responded to my inquiries about a paid item that was won by me about 7 weeks ago. I may get burnt on that one as I'm reading in the comments section that the 'business' has a new owner.

I'm not crazy about ebay. I'm finding it can be quite risky. Another item I won I wasn't able to process the payment through paypal. The seller didn't respond to my emails asking how I could pay. When I complained in the feedback area, the seller wrote back that I was dumb and a jerk. At least I hadn't paid yet. My concern then was this was an unfinished auction. Ebay doesn't have a quick or easy way to send complaints or have them intervene. They offer a pay service for mediating. $20 to mediate with a seller who won't help me complete my transaction of $10? In the end, the seller ended up unregistering and is long gone.

I think the biggest complaint about ebay is the risk of getting taken in by their registered sellers. I can understand that vendors will want to be paid before shipping an item, but what guarantees are their for the purchaser?

That's my :twocents:

The best and easiest ways to protect oneself on ebay is to research the seller through feedback, and only buy items from sellers that accept paypal payments funded by credit card.

Paypal offers protection for both buyer and seller, and they are much more helpful for purchases paid by credit card.

[shergal]

I dont see any feedback for the seller I purchased from..if Im doing it correctly.

this is what I got when I made the purchase:

You have committed to buy the following eBay item from amyf518 (A Fallas - Amsterdam, NY United States) using Buy It Now on Jan-06-05 06:02:11 PST:


Ultimate Bowflex XTLU - Item #7125844794


only with a chnge in the number behind each one - see here:
http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQMfcISAPICommandZMemberSearchResultQQfrompageZ itemsbysellerQQsofindtypeZ26QQuseridZamyf518QQcomp letedZ1QQsinceZ30QQfsopZ1QQfsooZ1QQfrppZ50QQfclZ3Q QsacatZ-1QQsofocusZbsQQcatrefZC5QQfromZR7QQpfidZ0

[BirdieBoo]

only with a chnge in the number behind each one - see here:
http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQMfcISAPICommandZMemberSearchResultQQfrompageZ itemsbysellerQQsofindtypeZ26QQuseridZamyf518QQcomp letedZ1QQsinceZ30QQfsopZ1QQfsooZ1QQfrppZ50QQfclZ3Q QsacatZ-1QQsofocusZbsQQcatrefZC5QQfromZR7QQpfidZ0

I think it's well established that she got scammed, seeing as how the seller took $1600 and did not send her anything.

Timex: Is there an update?

[Cheko]

I'm in mediation with a seller right now on ebay. Bought a Kachina doll sent a cashier's check for $78.50 jerk (seller) pansa35 has totally dogged me. Not only did I send a cashier's check he sent me a email saying it was on the way / then told me it had been damaged by the post office. Would send my money back...I agreed that was ok.

Then the jerk sent a letter to Ebay stating I never paid for the item.........
he is a total scam artist!

[BirdieBoo]

I'm in mediation with a seller right now on ebay. Bought a Kachina doll sent a cashier's check for $78.50 jerk (seller) pansa35 has totally dogged me. Not only did I send a cashier's check he sent me a email saying it was on the way / then told me it had been damaged by the post office. Would send my money back...I agreed that was ok.

Then the jerk sent a letter to Ebay stating I never paid for the item.........
he is a total scam artist!
I looked up pansa35 and there isn't such a user with that name...did he send your money back?

Best to always pay through paypal using a credit card. Then you have recourse if something goes wrong.

[Dark Shadows]

The best and easiest ways to protect oneself on ebay is to research the seller through feedback, and only buy items from sellers that accept paypal payments funded by credit card.

Paypal offers protection for both buyer and seller, and they are much more helpful for purchases paid by credit card.
This isn't always a surefire way to protect oneself either. I was scammed by a seller who had over 3000 good feedbacks and 8 negatives. The negatives were listed as - items purchased were not as expected - item recieved late, etc....
So the negative feedback gave me no alarms right out. After months and months of email, phone calls, etc....I finally recieved what I had purchased - but it wasn't as I had expected!

Indeed! Buyer Beware! :twocents:

DS

[Timex]

I think it's well established that she got scammed, seeing as how the seller took $1600 and did not send her anything.

Timex: Is there an update?


Nope...I got back some, but not all of the money, as the seller had already removed part of the funds from their account, so paypal could not refund the entire amount. Still out about $365.00

Paypal tried contacting the seller...that ebay thingie tried contacting the seller...seller never responded to anyone. PayPal says they are still trying to recover the missing funds, but Im not holding my breath.

I did try to file a police report locally, but they would not allow it, as they said I could not prove the seller had intented to commit fraud, and there has to be intent.

[BirdieBoo]

Nope...I got back some, but not all of the money, as the seller had already removed part of the funds from their account, so paypal could not refund the entire amount. Still out about $365.00

Paypal tried contacting the seller...that ebay thingie tried contacting the seller...seller never responded to anyone. PayPal says they are still trying to recover the missing funds, but Im not holding my breath.

I did try to file a police report locally, but they would not allow it, as they said I could not prove the seller had intented to commit fraud, and there has to be intent.

That's weird, I would think the fact that she took your money and quit communicating would show intent. At least you got back SOME of the money.

That is a bad seller though. You shouldn't be out ANY money.

[juditht]

I have been buying and selling on E bay for about 4 years, and have over 200 positive feedbacks, zero negative. I get sent a lot of FAKE ebay correspondance that all looks legit, (logos, links ) The scammers tell you that they are E Bay and your account has been suspended, follow this link to reactivate your account. People fall for it, give them their username and password. Then the scammers use the account by changing the password to a new one. This allows them to use YOUR account that has YOUR good feedback and YOUR contact information to scam others. Use your head when on e-bay. If the deal is too good, its a scam. If the seller is out of the country, don't bother, chances are its a scam. There are very few things you cant find here in the states. If the feedback doesn't seem right, its a scam. I buy industrial machinery quite often. I once had a guy I contacted, selling a machine that looked new for a great price. I contacted him and he claimed to be out of the country buying machines. send the money to him via western union in germany and he would ship the machine FREE. I looked at his feedback, 100% perfect. There were a bunch of red flags. 1) out of the country seller. 2) wanted western union payment. NEVER DO THAT!!! 3) feedback was all positive, selling BEANIE BABIES!!! obviously a hijacked account. 4) offered free shipping on an expensive large item. no one does that. Point is this, use good judgement. there are millions of good sellers. if they have good feedback, selling items similar to what you are buying, you are likely to have a smooth transaction. I have purchased 2 cars (even a nearly new Corvette) and much equipment for my business and have had nothing but great success but I keep a healthy dose of skeptisisem (sic?) . let the buyer beware!
i just got one of those ebay updates. i replied and someone from jerusalem just made 3 withdrawals from my bank. the bank is aware and cancelled the card but stupid me gave my social security #. anyone have any advice please email me at juditht@dmcom.net.
my bank account is now secure but i wonder about what the consequences of the ss# might be.

[LDC]

I was burned on ebay once..I was ably to get my $$$ minus about $35 for PayPal fees for getting me my $$$ Back..

[nanandjim]

i just got one of those ebay updates. i replied and someone from jerusalem just made 3 withdrawals from my bank. the bank is aware and cancelled the card but stupid me gave my social security #. anyone have any advice please email me at juditht@dmcom.net.
my bank account is now secure but i wonder about what the consequences of the ss# might be.
I think that you should call the major credit agencies and put some kind of fraud alert on your accounts, if you can. I would call each agency and explain the situation. If they have all of your personal info, I would think that someone could easily steal your identity.

[nicbok]

And don't post your e mail address in a public forum!

[Amraann]

I use my bank account on ebay (via paypal)
I do this because ANY charge that I dispute my bank refunds that day + overdraft charges) and asks questions later.


I use Bank of America. I have heard that in other states (I live in Florida)
they aren't as good but here.. I can only say nice things.
Heck they even refund my own overdraft fees.
Plus once I deposited a check and a few days later needed the cash to buy a car..
The money wasn't available yet but I went into the branch close to where I was and they released my money in like 2 minutes.

Ahhh maybe this should be new thread!!

About ebay.. only one bad experience.
Toys not recieved as described and I left negative and so did seller for me but you can leave a note in your feedback to reply to such things.

[Lynni]

I'm a long time user of e-bay too and I have gotten burned a little bit.

Before I buy, I always check the feedback rating and the pictures of the things sold in the past. My husband wanted me to buy this book off e-bay once and paid $15 for it. Not a great amount, but the "book" was a link to an online page for hints on this computer game my husband had been playing and he knew all the hints anyway. That was probably my worst experience buying.

As a seller, I've received tons of non payer bidders and it's frustrating to the point that I've quit listing on e-bay. I am saving all my stuff for a garage sale in a month or so. I decided to go with a garage sale because some of my things are really big items and the shipping would scare people off so I'm purposely not selling on e-bay now to include some little things in my sale.

Oddly enough, I started going through my house and rounding up all the things I need to get rid of, putting them in a closet and now I literally cannot fit another thing in my closet-not even a small item-it's so jammed with unwanted things. My stuff is good condition-I wouldn't sell it if it wasn't and now I"ve got 2 other people wanting to go in on the sale with me so it should be very exciting-probably more so than e-bay.

Maybe I'll get back to e-bay someday, but I get really sick of it....

I'm sorry to all those who got burned. I've never burned anyone as a seller or buyer and will readily fully refund for items due to whatever reason (buyer's remorse, wrong size etc.) It'd be a great place if ALL people were honest.

[deb_thang]

Article - E-Bay nightmares, and how to deal with them: http://msn-cnet.com.com/4520-10168_7-5834826-1.html?tag=arw There are five scenarios, so be sure to click through all the pages for all the info. :dance:

[Wolfpack Fan]

I'm glad I found this thread. I bought a few small items on Ebay back in the late 90s--things like an NC State Cheerleader Barbie and some Barbie veterinarian clothes. I may have bought one or two other things, but that's all I can remember. I have NEVER sold anything there. I haven't used Ebay since the late 90s or early 2000. Over the past few months, I have received some Ebay emails, but I wouldn't dare click on the links because I couldn't tell if they were legitimate. This morning I received this email:

"We regret to inform you that your eBay account has been suspended due
to concerns we have for the safety and integrity of the eBay community.

As we state in the User Agreement, Section 8, we may immediately issue
a warning, suspend, or terminate your membership and refuse to provide
our services to you if we believe that your actions may cause legal
liability for you, our users or us. We may also take these actions if you
have breached the User Agreement or if we are unable to verify or
authenticate any information you provide to us.

If you feel you have been suspended in error or want to appeal this decision
by providing additional information, please click here :

https://signin.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?SignIn&UsingSSL=1

Due to the suspension of this account, please note that you are
prohibited from using eBay in any way. This includes the registering of a new
account.

Please note that this suspension does not relieve you of your
obligation to pay any fees you may currently owe to eBay.

Regards,

eBay Trust and Safety"

I went to the eBay site and tried to send an email. I had forgotten my username and password. When it sent me my username, I know that is not the one that I used. Then when I tried to send the email, it wouldn't let me get on because I was suspended from using the site. My son finally found some page where I could send an email. I explained how I hadn't used Ebay in years and that I had never sold anything there. That page said that it might take 24-48 hours before I got a reply. Do you think someone has been using my name and email address to get money out of people?

[Neptune'sMom]

A couple of things about ebay:

First...as previously shared by another poster, here's the phone # for ebay:

1-800-322-9266

I called this # the other day regarding my getting ripped off by a seller....it worked!! I got a refund :)

Secondly...ebay is, I believe, a recent scam-goat. By that I mean that scammers are using ebay type emails to scam people and get information from them.

I'd call ebay.

[Cheko]

[QUOTE=BirdieBoo]I looked up pansa35 and there isn't such a user with that name...did he send your money back?

Best to always pay through paypal using a credit card. Then you have recourse if something goes wrong.


He must of dogged 3 of us about the same time from what I see. I'm going to call Ebay tomorrow since you'se posted the phone number.

No he kept my money, he said he was going to send a refund but never did. Then he told Ebay I failed to pay him. Filthy liar. Bank has the canceled check, with his name signed to it.

I've wheeled & dealed on Ebay for several years & love it. But with the times changing a person really does have to be careful. From now on I'll only buy from sellers using paypal. After I purchased it he sent me a email requesting a money order only as payment. I had a bad feeling about it at that point. I sent the cashiers check.

Then he told me he had to wait for the check to clear the bank. Then he stated it was sent / then sent me an email saying the post office had notified him the package got damaged in transit & he'd refund my money. Just been one lie after the other. He then went into hiding having private feedback. Refuses to acknowledge any emails. A total jerk.

[Cheko]

Many thanks for the email phone number.......

Seller changed his Ebay ID to: sonandnini
thats why he never showed up. He also has a private feedback. Also seen where he has a welder up for auction so the items are getting larger to embezzle more money.

Also it was very surprising my confirmed ebay address showed up as a address in Texas. Strange since I live in Wis.......Ebay is certain the seller did it! Told the guy they need to put this seller out of buisness ASAP.

Thanks again WS'ers your the best!!!

[BirdieBoo]

Please contact his local law enforcement. They will likely be able to do something about him because you have the copy of the cancelled check. He appears to have a history of this behavior.

[FULTON]

I guess I hold the record for stupidity on ebay.I saw a car I was looking for on auction from a dealer that had 73 positive feed backs.I contacted some of the feedback posters and the said they had no problems with the seller or cars the bought.I sent the money and no car,seems you can "Hijack" a legit business site on ebay. Then shut down and dissappear.$3,000 gone. :furious:

[Cheko]

Fulton did you contact ebay? Your local law enforcement? Also how about the State Attorney Generals office for internet fraud? I sure do feel bad for you. Makes a person sick, that you work hard for your money & some SOB gets away scamming you out of it. Good luck!

[londonPI]

You would think after reading this thread over the past week that I would be just a little wiser - alas, NOT. i recently purchased a LV purse on ebay - the seller had 100% for feeback and i read thru everything carefully - all purses previously were authentic, quick shipping, etc. well, the seller only accepted money orders - so off mine went for several hundred dollars and guess not - the seller is no longer a registered user on ebay and big surprise - no answer to my emails. boy, do i feel stupid.

[BirdieBoo]

OK everyone... repeat after me:

Always pay via Paypal using a credit card.

Always pay via Paypal using a credit card.

Always pay via Paypal using a credit card.

Always pay via Paypal using a credit card.

Always pay via Paypal using a credit card.

Always pay via Paypal using a credit card.

Its not a 100% guarantee but it does afford some protection. According to the fair credit act of the USA, you do not have to pay a charge while you are in the process of disputing it. If you are paying by a money order, check, or cash, you might as well kiss that money goodbye if the seller cashes it and is unscrupulous. With PayPal, there's a record of where your money went for possible legal action later.

LondonPI: Is it possible to stop payment on the money order? If you can, then DO IT ASAP.

[londonPI]

too late for stopping payment - seller emailed me that she SHIPPED the purse. i therefore waited 11 days only to find she seemed to disappear. i have ALWAYS used paypal and this is the first time i ever got a money order. i think i learned a valuable lesson and i am PO'd by it!

[nicbok]

The absolute golden rule of eBay is to never click on a link sent via e mail. eBay will never ask you to log on via a link they send you, they ALWAYS tell you to log on via the website. That e mail you got is a scam and the link does not take you to eBay. At one point I was getting about 10 of those e mails a day! Legitimate eBay mails will also always use your full name, not just "Dear eBay user". My advice is to ignore it or forward it as is to spoof@ebay.com.

I'm glad I found this thread. I bought a few small items on Ebay back in the late 90s--things like an NC State Cheerleader Barbie and some Barbie veterinarian clothes. I may have bought one or two other things, but that's all I can remember. I have NEVER sold anything there. I haven't used Ebay since the late 90s or early 2000. Over the past few months, I have received some Ebay emails, but I wouldn't dare click on the links because I couldn't tell if they were legitimate. This morning I received this email:

"We regret to inform you that your eBay account has been suspended due
to concerns we have for the safety and integrity of the eBay community.

As we state in the User Agreement, Section 8, we may immediately issue
a warning, suspend, or terminate your membership and refuse to provide
our services to you if we believe that your actions may cause legal
liability for you, our users or us. We may also take these actions if you
have breached the User Agreement or if we are unable to verify or
authenticate any information you provide to us.

If you feel you have been suspended in error or want to appeal this decision
by providing additional information, please click here :

https://signin.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?SignIn&UsingSSL=1

Due to the suspension of this account, please note that you are
prohibited from using eBay in any way. This includes the registering of a new
account.

Please note that this suspension does not relieve you of your
obligation to pay any fees you may currently owe to eBay.

Regards,

eBay Trust and Safety"

I went to the eBay site and tried to send an email. I had forgotten my username and password. When it sent me my username, I know that is not the one that I used. Then when I tried to send the email, it wouldn't let me get on because I was suspended from using the site. My son finally found some page where I could send an email. I explained how I hadn't used Ebay in years and that I had never sold anything there. That page said that it might take 24-48 hours before I got a reply. Do you think someone has been using my name and email address to get money out of people?

[teedie2]

Subject: Account Review Department-Unauthorized access
From: PayPal Staff <accountdepartment@paypal.com>


Security Measures



"Our systems detected your user ID being used in Europe."

Dear member

Our systems detected your user ID being used in Europe. At the moment we are trying to trace and resolve the provenience of this matter, so please get involved in helping us trace these bruteforcing attempts. Use the link below to access our mainframe database and confirm the information we have on file for your account.

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/...... (etc.)

If you choose to ignore our request, you leave us no choice but to temporarily suspend your account.

If you received this notice and you are not the authorized account holder, please be aware that it is in violation of PayPal policy to represent oneself as another member. PayPal is committed in assisting law enforcement with any inquires related to attempts to misappropriate personal information with the intent to commit fraud or theft. Information will be provided at the request of law enforcement agencies to ensure that impersonators are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law..

Thank you for your patience as we work together to protect your account.

Sincerely,
PayPal Account Review Department


If I recall correctly, https addys are supposed to be GOOD! I'm going to forward this to spoof@paypal.com.

Anyway, the https addy redirects to this: http://securitypaypal.us/webscr.php?cmd=LogIn

and you have to enter your username and password! Oh, sure! LOL! I get SO tired of these things. The first couple of times, it scared the daylights out of me. It's sad that there are so many dishonest people in the world.

[nicbok]

Definitely a fake, three easy ways to tell - 1.the link included in the message (Paypal, like eBay will never put in a link). 2. Spelling mistakes - the real companies won't make them - what on earth does this mean - "provenience"?? 2. As in my post above, the real company will use your NAME. This e mail is addressed to "Dear Member".

[bookbakery]

Hi, I am a longtime seller and buyer on ebay (since 1998) and I agree with everything you said except one. Leaving feedback as soon as a buyer pays isn't a good idea. Waiting until the end of the transaction when you know that everything is fine and the buyer is satisfied is the time to leave that positive. Just because the buyer paid doesn't mean that they aren't going to cause you problems down the road. I would *never* leave retalitory feedback... I have only received one negative in over 1200 transactions.

The buyer bought an Out of Print book from me and it was so old that it had the ordering info in it. He was mad that he paid a little more than the "reorder amount". LOL. He thought I had ripped him off by charging him more than the "purchase price". Kind of like if you buy an old comic book with the 10 cent price on it, and you get mad because you had to pay more than 10 cents. He thought he could order this book... anyway, that was way back in 1999. I didn't leave him a negative back. I left him a positive because he paid fast. I also explained to him that he would only be able to purchase that book on the secondary market...not new from the publisher.

But, I've heard horror stories of buyers. Best to wait until the entire transaction is complete before leaving feedback...and this goes for seller and buyer. But, everyone has their own way of doing things.

I enjoyed reading your detailed explanation of buying on Ebay. Thanks.

[bookbakery]

I was on eBay way back when you had to mail a check to your seller.. everyone had access to your info.. but we trusted each other, and my bank account remained safe, I was never phoned by a crank, and most of all, we interacted through Email and snail mail.

eBay is probably BETTER now than it was 7 years ago, but it is not personable at all unless you take the time to make it so. If you pay by PayPal, chances are, you will never even know your seller's address, and if they registered with a business Paypal account, you won't even know their names.

There are some steps to successful eBay trading. If no one minds, I will share what has saved my butt a few times.

1) READ the FB for either your seller, or your bidders. If you are a seller and you don't want deadbeats, add a sentence to your auction stating: " I reserve the right to cancel bids from any bidder with less than 10 positive FB as a buyer( or however you want to word it). No buyers with (private) FB. Do not bid if you have more than 2 negative FBs in the past 12 months". You set the limits on who you want to do business with, and enforce it. I have cancelled MANY bids because of new users who didn't read my one sentence bidding terms. If what you are selling is a good product, then it will sell. You can also report people who bid on your auction against your rules, and they may be suspended. If the person who doesn't meet your criteria uses BIN or otherwise bids late and wins, you are not obligated to sell to that person.

If you are a bidder, look at the total picture of your seller. That means that you have to click on the number beside the eBay member name, and READ the FB profile. Even if the percentage is high, if they are doing a huge volume of business, they can still have 15-20 or more negs. per month. You might as well throw your money down a hole as bid on something from an iffy seller.

Also, look at the FB which the seller has left for others who have bought from them. If all they are leaving is negs or neutrals and negs, then leave them alone. You will be the next one with a red minus sign by your name.
There is NOTHING on eBay today which won't be there again. The price may be a bit higher, but like they say:"If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is". A lower price is no substitute for first quality items, even if used.

2) Join Square Trade. Put the Square Trade seal on your " About Me" page, even if that's all that is there. People are less likely to rip off a Square Trade member, and the Email sent to eBay by a ST member gets priority handling.
If you have a valid complaint which relates to eBay itself and not to a seller or buyer, then CALL them.
It's not easy, but here's how:

3) Dial 1-800-322-9266- This is a direct line to eBay.
WRITE THIS DOWN. They do not hand it out. It is hard to find, however I am not posting private information. eBay is a corporation. This number comes in extra handy if you are a seller and eBay is saying you haven't paid your seller fees when you have. It recently got a friend's eBay account restored, as they were not reading her emails.

4) Read the auction description as well as the seller's rules and regs. Sellers have stopped telling buyers what they are selling, because the emphasis is on getting paid. If you have a question about ANYTHING, the condition of the item, the fact that the photo is either not clear or is a copy out of a magazine ( a big no no), then Email the seller through the " Ask seller a question" option. If they don't answer, forget it.

There is nothing sold on eBay today which won't be there in a week or a month. If you are buying " Ray Ban sunglasses" and you think they may be fakes- ASK the seller if they are genuine Ray Bans. If the seller waffles on the answer, or says they don't know, don't bid.Selling counterfeit trademarked goods is a crime. Receiving counterfeit goods is a bad thing, also.

5) Make sure the shipping charges are clear. Again, this involves minimal