eBay horror story on antique emerald ring. Need advice!!

[Pinkmartini87]

Hi all, for those for you that may have seen some of this already on the colored stone thread:

HELP! Heavily dyed emerald, synthetic emerald, or glass???

Dear all, I spent approximately $500 on what was described as an “emerald and diamond 14k ring” on eBay earlier this week. Seller has 100% feedback, registered for many years, sells otherwise household stuff, based in US. Just got it. I noticed one “diamond” missing as well as some chipping to...

www.pricescope.com

Basically I bought a $500 emerald ring ($550 including CA tax), and decided to return the day after receiving it because it had an undisclosed chip on the underside of the stone and the ring size is 11.5 not 8.25 as per ebay description.

I contacted the seller and she has been nothing but rude. First she states she disclosed the chip (there’s also a chip in the corner of the stone on the table side that she mentioned as “not noticeable” in her listing, but she never mentioned the underside chip) and that she’s right about the ring size despite the fact the ring has an inner diameter of 21 mm and measures 11.5 on my standard ring sizer.

Now she’s suddenly changed her tune and is accusing me of causing the chip in order to secure a return. I’m surprised she hasn’t also accused me of enlarging her ring 3+ sizes over the weekend!

I’m so angry. Chip was obv there for a while due to abrasions/wear around the chip so it’s not a new chip. Also, wrong ring size alone is enough to warrant a return—why would I go to the trouble of chipping the stone also???? I hate liars and this seller seems to have a talent for doing so.

I’ve filed a “item not as described” claim with eBay and left her negative feedback. eBay says I have to wait till April 3 to ask them to step in.

In my almost 20 years of using eBay it’s the first time I’ve left negative feedback and I don’t care if it makes it less likely that she’ll give me my money back. I just want to warn other people since she has other items listed.

What are the chances of me getting my money back at this point? And if ebay does approve the return and I mail the ring back to her, in addition to insurance and delivery signature, should I do anything else in preventing her from trying to scam me further (by saying she never “received the ring back or that I sent her a brick or some other crazy scenario?”)

Am I being paranoid or should I pack up the ring in front of the USPS agent and have hubby video the whole thing?

Help!!!

 

[YadaYadaYada]

I went through a SNAD claim with PayPal but I had bought off DB and like you the seller was not a bit helpful even though the stone she sent me was definitely not as described!!

I think your chances of a positive outcome are pretty good considering that EBay does generally side with buyers. The more proof of your claims the better. So if you have a ring sizer to prove the ring is three sizes too big, that would be great, if you can get the pictures off the original listing to show the diamond was missing from the start, basically anything to CYA.

You won't be allowed to film the item being packed for mailing (if they approve your claim and return) in the post office since it is a federal building BUT I mailed mine from a health food store that had a USPS mailing service so I could tape the whole thing. Maybe you could find something similar where you are. Some will say that video of packing it up is overkill but not when you're dealing with an irate seller.

Most of all try not to stress, just make sure you respond to PayPal when necessary.

I just reread your post, is your claim of SNAD with EBay or PayPal? Mine was through PayPal exclusively but not sure how much differently the process with be with EBay. I do know, have read multiple places that they are very customer friendly in the event of a problem.

 

[Pinkmartini87]

@StephanieLynn Thank you for your detailed account. I filed with eBay since I didn’t know I could file with paypal. I think for me emotions are high also with COVID, so for this woman to put me down just made me feel extra awful.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

@StephanieLynn Thank you for your detailed account. I filed with eBay since I didn’t know I could file with paypal. I think for me emotions are high also with COVID, so for this woman to put me down just made me feel extra awful.

Of course, I think since this is an EBay transaction it goes through them before PayPal maybe? Not totally sure. Yes some sellers are just not nice, I tried to settle with mine and she was not having it. Don't let this get to you, just keep the faith it will all work out.

 

[Pinkmartini87]

@StephanieLynn Thank you for your kind words, they mean a lot!

 

[CaseyLouLou]

I have had mostly good luck with sellers on eBay but I had one nasty experience. The seller was sweet as pie until I asked to return a ring because it wasn’t as expected based on her answers to my questions. She became rude and obnoxious immediately. I remained professional and polite and sent it back at my expense with insurance and tracking. She didn’t refund my money right away - funniest part was she messaged me to tell me she was out of town and didn’t have a “connection”. But she had the ability to message me via eBay so....

A few days later she still hadn’t refunded me so I called eBay and they issued the refund because they could see by the tracking it had been received.

eBay also implied that it was a good thing I had used PayPal because that made it even easier for them to issue me the refund.

My recommendation in these situations is to not stir the pot and not give feedback until after you get your money back. I still haven’t given feedback but now that I have rehashed this maybe I will!

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

Sorry this happened to you. I can't get over the hubris of some people. You will get your money back either from an Ebay resolution or by taking it to PP. If you send a photo of the damage they will rule in your favor regardless of if she accuses you of causing it. Once Ebay approves your return they will usually provide you a mailing label that tracks the return.Once it arrives Ebay will take the money out of her account for the refund.

 

[Pinkmartini87]

@CaseyLouLou and @LisaRN Thank you both for taking the time to share your experience and reassuring me!

Emotions have been especially high these last few weeks; my hubby and I are both healthcare providers and so stress at work has not been easy, and it is sad to see so much loss of human lives.

I know in the big picture right now this eBay story is such a small deal, but I think the seller upset me especially because she seemed to encapsulate the selfishness of many of the people we’ve all come across in the last few weeks: people who hoard supplies and leave the elderly to fend for themselves, who cut in front of us in line, the man in NY who resold masks/medical supplies at 700% markup, people who only think of themselves and at the expense of others, I could go on and on.

But COVID has brought out the good in people too. We see our colleagues in the hospital fighting alongside us, and we feel we can make a difference. So thank you for your kindness, it always makes a difference to someone out there. Thank you.

 

[CaseyLouLou]

@CaseyLouLou and @LisaRN Thank you both for taking the time to share your experience and reassuring me!

Emotions have been especially high these last few weeks; my hubby and I are both healthcare providers and so stress at work has not been easy, and it is sad to see so much loss of human lives.

I know in the big picture right now this eBay story is such a small deal, but I think the seller upset me especially because she seemed to encapsulate the selfishness of many of the people we’ve all come across in the last few weeks: people who hoard supplies and leave the elderly to fend for themselves, who cut in front of us in line, the man in NY who resold masks/medical supplies at 700% markup, people who only think of themselves and at the expense of others, I could go on and on.

But COVID has brought out the good in people too. We see our colleagues in the hospital fighting alongside us, and we feel we can make a difference. So thank you for your kindness, it always makes a difference to someone out there. Thank you.

I am seriously pulling for you with all that you are dealing with. I can’t even imagine the stress. I’m stressed and all I have to do is stay home and work remotely and try not to get sick or let my family get sick. I don’t know how you all are working in the clinics facing all of that but I applaud you. Please take care of yourself along the way. We need you. You are literally the most important people out there working right now.

 

[Pinkmartini87]

@CaseyLouLou Thank you for your kind words, and thank you for staying home and doing the right things for you, your family, and everyone else!

But as we explain to our patients, we are no more heroic than the USPS woman who delivers mail to our house, or the men who pick up our recycling and trash every week. We need everyone to keep the world going. We are just lucky that we happen to have a profession where we can try to help when it is needed.

Not all of us can do great things, but we can all do small things with great kindness. So thank you for being kind to me today.