Ebay question

[pinkjewel]

I don't buy much on ebay, but saw something that I really wanted (for a fairly high dollar amount-over $5000.00). Under payment options it said they only took Discover and to contact them for other payment options. After contacting them, their response was they would also take Cashiers checks and wire transfers- no Paypal or any other credit card. This seems like all sorts of red flags to me- have you heard of other sellers doing this? I would think you wouldn't have ANY protection with those methods of payment.

 

[April20]

I haven't seen other sellers doing this. I wouldn't do it. Too much risk for the customer. If it was $50 maybe but not for $5000!

 

[SB621]

email me the listening. I will take a look.

 

[Circe]

I had one Etsy seller try that on me, only with the additional twist that she would only accept cashier's checks. When I wrote to tell her I was abroad at the time and actually couldn't do that, she sent a rather peeved message saying it was right there in her shop information! What it was not, however, was readily apparent from the sales page alone. Grr ... took more back-and-forthing than I really needed to get it canceled.

No, it's not the default. But I think a lot of sellers would like it to be - we see it as a safety net, they see it as a security problem. Ah, perspective in a world without trust.

 

[pinkjewel]

I haven't seen other sellers doing this. I wouldn't do it. Too much risk for the customer. If it was $50 maybe but not for $5000!

Yeah, I felt it was too much risk,too. Bummer, as I really wanted it and even my DH (who has said to curtail my bling spending) ok'd it. (sigh)

 

[pinkjewel]

email me the listening. I will take a look.

thanks, SB- The listing ended this morning- I haven't checked to see if it sold in the final hour or if it's been relisted.

 

[pinkjewel]

I had one Etsy seller try that on me, only with the additional twist that she would only accept cashier's checks. When I wrote to tell her I was abroad at the time and actually couldn't do that, she sent a rather peeved message saying it was right there in her shop information! What it was not, however, was readily apparent from the sales page alone. Grr ... took more back-and-forthing than I really needed to get it canceled.

No, it's not the default. But I think a lot of sellers would like it to be - we see it as a safety net, they see it as a security problem. Ah, perspective in a world without trust.

Well- at least I didn't buy it before finding out! I just can't see that many people are going to buy with those terms-maybe they count on people not noticing or asking until after they've made the purchase.

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

I just think sellers are tired of the high fees of ebay and paypal. If she has a return policy that would mean she will still have to pay the paypal fee if its returned. On $5,000 its pretty high. I think if the item is returned on ebay they don't have to pay the fees.

I carry Discover card. You have the same protections with Discover as any other credit card would hold. Your protection would rest in the credit card. If you use paypal you have another alternative protection. So you would several ways of getting your money back if it didn't meet your expectations.

Annette

 

[Circe]

I wonder if Google Wallet is a good compromise ... I've seen more vendors starting to use it, but I have no idea what their terms are like.

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

For all that said about high fees from paypal, I want to reiterate that if you are at all concerned with the seller, I would err on the side of caution and not buy from that seller.

I had a bad experience on the pre-loved recently. It was over a 5,000,00 transcation as well. In my opinion this woman manufactured a person who had bid just a little higher than myself. I guess this was supposed to inspire me to make another offer.
Well, of course I didn't and of course no other buyer materialized. The seller is both dishonest and rather stupid. Who would want to do business with her. So disappointing.

Annette

 

[pinkjewel]

Hi,

I just think sellers are tired of the high fees of ebay and paypal. If she has a return policy that would mean she will still have to pay the paypal fee if its returned. On $5,000 its pretty high. I think if the item is returned on ebay they don't have to pay the fees.

I carry Discover card. You have the same protections with Discover as any other credit card would hold. Your protection would rest in the credit card. If you use paypal you have another alternative protection. So you would several ways of getting your money back if it didn't meet your expectations.

Annette

But she wouldn't accept Paypal-that was the problem. And, I don't have a Discover card. So the only means that I would have been able to pay according to what she would accept is Cashiers Check or Wire Transfer- neither of which offer ebay protection-or really any protection for me at all. No way would I send money to a seller I don't know for that amount of money. I just have a hard time believing that other people do

eta- she does have 100% positive feedback with over 600 transactions and lots of fairly high dollar amounts over 2000.00, but only 12 in the past year... the item did not sell, nor did she re list it... thinking of options...

 

[makemepretty]

I thought ebay required all sellers to accept Paypal? Did that change?

 

[ruby59]

I thought ebay required all sellers to accept Paypal? Did that change?

http://www.ebay.com/gds/eBay-is-NOT-paypal-ONLY-gt-Other-PAYMENT-METHODS-ACCEPTED-/10000000015758293/g.html


This ebayer could have chosen his words better, but he is correct. There are other forms of payment accepted on ebay.

 

[pinkjewel]

OK- so this ebayer is saying that other methods are accepted besides Paypal, right? - but is it true that all ebayers have to accept Paypal as one method of payment, although they can accept other forms of payment,too? And, If I'm reading what he says correctly- the ebayer even ASKING me to pay by Cashiers Check or wiring the money puts her in violation of Ebay policy. Do you think I should report her? I kept all the correspondence which was all through Ebay.

 

[ruby59]

OK- so this ebayer is saying that other methods are accepted besides Paypal, right? - but is it true that all ebayers have to accept Paypal as one method of payment, although they can accept other forms of payment,too? And, If I'm reading what he says correctly- the ebayer even ASKING me to pay by Cashiers Check or wiring the money puts her in violation of Ebay policy. Do you think I should report her? I kept all the correspondence which was all through Ebay.

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/accepted-payments-policy.html

Not sure if you clicked on the link in that seller's email, but here it is again. No, you do not have to accept paypal as long as you do one of the other accepted options. Do read about them first because some are worst than paypal.

As far as money orders and checks, a seller cannot ask that of a buyer in the jewelry category. However, if a buyer asks a seller, then a seller can accept it. The reason a seller cannot bring it up is that some do so to circumvent paying paypal fees.

Wiring money is not a good idea because it is never safe to do so to someone you do not know. Ebay does not allow it.

 

[Rockdiamond]

A red flag for me PJ- here's why:
When a merchant accepts credit cards, Discover is kind of an "add on"- basically it's one of the least used cards so the first thing you'd do, as a merchant, is establish MC/VISA/- then AMEX.
Once that's done, Discover is a simple add on to the account.
So, either the seller is trying to discourage card use in general- a far smaller percentage of people use Discover as compared to the "big three". Given the fees ( and PayPal als charges the merchant a healthy fee), it's understandable to try to get consumers to use a different method ....but not by methods that are in any way deceitful.

Or they somehow lost their privileges with MC/Visa/AMEX- which is a bad sign.
Something just sounds off....

 

[pinkjewel]

A red flag for me PJ- here's why:
When a merchant accepts credit cards, Discover is kind of an "add on"- basically it's one of the least used cards so the first thing you'd do, as a merchant, is establish MC/VISA/- then AMEX.
Once that's done, Discover is a simple add on to the account.
So, either the seller is trying to discourage card use in general- a far smaller percentage of people use Discover as compared to the "big three". Given the fees ( and PayPal als charges the merchant a healthy fee), it's understandable to try to get consumers to use a different method ....but not by methods that are in any way deceitful.

Or they somehow lost their privileges with MC/Visa/AMEX- which is a bad sign.
Something just sounds off....

Thanks, RD- like I said- lots of red flags to me,too!! In looking at the Ebay rules- she is not even allowed to say in her listings "Contact me for other payment options" which is what her listings say. She did re list the item yesterday and I decided to "report It"- ebay removed it within a couple of hours. But she has lots more listings up, and all the ones I checked have the same "terms" of payment.

 

[ruby59]

Just a comment, but that is true ebay.

There are now 2 sellers using DiamondsbyLauren pictures with his watermark right on there. Obviously, the buyer did not buy them from him, because 2 of them are enhanced diamonds and 1 is graded by EGL. Reported them and reported them, yet they live on.

However, if you try to circumvent ebay/paypal in not getting every cent in fees they think they are entitled to, woosh, you are gone.

 

[Rockdiamond]

UGH, eBay.....
I can say that they have improved a bit.
I'd very much appreciate if you could post the listings Ruby, and I'll get in touch with Customer Service- which they actually have nowadays- they have been better at removing stolen photos of late.

With regards to Paypal , which eBay owns- and how they have enforced their monopoly, it's pretty heinous....
Having said that, even Paypal has gotten far more responsive in my experience.

 

[ruby59]

http://www.ebay.com/sch/gp55ret/m.html?nma=true&item=221277429050&pt=Loose_Diamonds&si=ehPMEG%252BW%252FKJxXwI2P61y10WSTwc%253D&orig_cvip=true&hash=item3385299d3a&LH_Complete=1&rt=nc


The above seller is your biggest fan. If you look at the .90 and 1.00 marquise diamonds, you will see your watermark in the pictures. The auctions have currently ended, but I am sure he will be bringing them to active one again.

Look at his active auctions akso. No watermark, but the pear and especially the radiant diamonds might be your pictures as well.

One other one, but got to find it.

 

[Rockdiamond]

Thanks so much Ruby.
I found a listing with a stolen photo that was fairly easy for me to locate- I sent it to the offending seller with a warning, and reported the listing.
eBay has been better about this lately, hopefully they'll take quick action.
What bothers me most is that the person who stole my work is using it to rip people off by misrepresenting.

 

[ruby59]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-01ct-RADIANT-cut-H-color-VVS2-clarity-EGL-USA-certified-Natural-Loose-Diamond-/181209039379?pt=Loose_Diamonds&hash=item2a30e68213#ht_62wt_992

And here is another. I might be incorrect, but I thought you did not sell EGL diamonds, so this was a red flag that he is just not reselling it.

To be honest, while these are dumb enough to post photos with another seller's name on it - I have found a lot of photos on ebay that are probably yours. While they may blend on a professional website, on ebay yours do stand out for the beauty of the photo and even the way you hold the tweezers.

 

[Rockdiamond]

Taken care of.... I can't thank you enough Ruby.
the first guy basically stopped once I let him know - first denying that he'd known the photos were stolen- of course seeing as how he cropped our name, that's a tough sell.
The second one, well, looking at the guys behavior, it's actually funny.
I sent him a letter asking him to remove my photo. Here's the response

This is a very good picture, I have to add couple more certification pictures for the certified diamond and the task will be well done. Do not be angry over pictures because some of them just disappear over a period of time and have to be taken again. A good picture could be shared and without microscope it is not precise or accurate 100% anyway. Have a good day and do not be angry for common used good/picture by many people/sellers/buyers.

I found the listing he'd stolen it from and called eBay who said they will remove the offending listing- and put a watch on the seller.....we'll see......

 

[ruby59]

You are very welcome. Glad I could help. And it is encouraging to hear that ebay has become more responsive in dealing with scammers.

 

[ruby59]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-01ct-RADIANT-cut-H-color-VVS2-clarity-EGL-USA-certified-Natural-Loose-Diamond-/181227602254?pt=Loose_Diamonds&hash=item2a3201c14e#ht_61wt_992

Unfortunately, this one has not gotten the message as he is back to stealing your pictures with the watermark still on there.

 

[pinkjewel]

Ebay seems just not to care ,either. The listing I reported that they took down-well, the seller waited about 10 days and re listed the item again- without changing her wording. I didn't bother re- reporting it as I figured it wasn't going to make a difference.