eBay - really disappointed with seller and seeking advice

[dianabarbara]

I have an eBay seller issue that I need some advice on...

Recently I have contacted an eBay seller on an antique item. The item was listed as a bidding auction (lowest bid say 8k) with a buy-it-now price (say 5k). As it's holiday period for me and did not want to be worrying about bidding during this time, I asked him whether there was some flexibility on the buy-it-now price, and he offered the item to me with a $500 discount on that (so, price would be 7.5k), all via e-mail. I say I'd think about it, and went on asking whether we could make an appointment for me to see the jewel in person.

We met up one day prior to the end of the auction, and I loved the item. So I said I'd go home and make my bid at the bidding price point (5k). The seller stopped me and said - since we are both here, we could seal the deal in person in a couple of days. He told me he liked the idea of selling the item to someone who evidently could appreciate it and understand it. Then he added that he had not received any offer on eBay, so he wanted to wait another few hours and - if no one bid in the meantime - he'd close the eBay auction and give it to me.

I went home, logged in on eBay and saw he had immediately closed the auction. He then sent me an email asking me to prepare the 'amount of money we have agreed via e-mail' (which in his mind was $7.5k) for our next meeting.

I wrote back that there might have been a misunderstanding, and that I had never agreed on that price, but was ready to make an offer on eBay at a lower price point (5k). Rather, he closed me in a situation in which he did set his own price, and I was not willing to pay that sum for the item. I apologized for the unpleasant situation and asked him to contact me back to solve the situation in a way that would be comfortable for both.

In all response, he sent me back a letter full of hatred and accusations of me being dishonest and bad intentioned (which I totally wasn't), saying that he'd relist the item and exclude me from bidding. He opened a new list with a higher minimum bid (6k) and a $500 lower 'buy it now' price.

I am so disappointed with all of this. I still *want want want* to purchase the item, but know he won't sell to me, even though there was no malicious intent from my side. Uff...

How would you settle this? I really do not want to involve family (it was a gift for a family member) and would prefer to avoid involving friends in such frivolous issue.

 

[arkieb1]

Re: eBay - really disappointed with seller and seeking advic

I have an eBay seller issue that I need some advice on...

Recently I have contacted an eBay seller on an antique item. The item was listed as a bidding auction (lowest bid say 8k) with a buy-it-now price (say 5k). As it's holiday period for me and did not want to be worrying about bidding during this time, I asked him whether there was some flexibility on the buy-it-now price, and he offered the item to me with a $500 discount on that (so, price would be 7.5k), all via e-mail. I say I'd think about it, and went on asking whether we could make an appointment for me to see the jewel in person.


How would you settle this? I really do not want to involve family (it was a gift for a family member) and would prefer to avoid involving friends in such frivolous issue.

The problem that I have with this (and I have sold a lot of stuff on ebay) is that items are never with a lowest start bid of $8000.00 and a buy it now price of $5000.00 unless the lister is an idiot because standard ways to list items is the other way around, it would have probably had or should have had a start price of $5000.00 and a buy it now of $8000.00. Just because the start price IS $5000.00 doesn't mean the vendor has any intent of selling you the item for that amount. His buy it now was (and I am guessing here) $8000.00. When you went to the shop in person he offered you $500.00 off the buy it now price. Thats a pretty standard thing to do. At that point you should have said, I won't pay $7500.00 but I will pay say $6000.00 or I make you an offer of $5000.00 at which point he says I will take $7000.00 and you pay him the money and buy the item. Or you keep haggling until you reach an agreed amount.

If you left the shop giving him the impression that you were going to pay the $7500.00, you have to see it from the vendors pow. Anyway the point now is you should either get someone else to make a genuine offer on the item and no I seriously doubt it was ever for sale at $5000.00. Or alternatively write a polite email saying you are genuinely sorry for the misunderstanding what is the lowest price he will take, or go back to the shop and ask the same question. Ebay fees are pretty high by the way so if you want it cheaper I would go back and make a cash offer. Otherwise you will have to pay the full $7500.00 and apologise.

 

[CharmyPoo]

Re: eBay - really disappointed with seller and seeking advic

First thing for me for any online purchase that goes in person is to discuss price before meeting. It's important that everyone is clear on the parameters before investing in the time. I think it should have been two ways - seller should have confirmed the price and you should have clarified what you were comfortable paying. At this point, if you really want it - just get someone to buy it. Small hassle.

 

[dianabarbara]

Re: eBay - really disappointed with seller and seeking advic

I have an eBay seller issue that I need some advice on...

Recently I have contacted an eBay seller on an antique item. The item was listed as a bidding auction (lowest bid say 8k) with a buy-it-now price (say 5k). As it's holiday period for me and did not want to be worrying about bidding during this time, I asked him whether there was some flexibility on the buy-it-now price, and he offered the item to me with a $500 discount on that (so, price would be 7.5k), all via e-mail. I say I'd think about it, and went on asking whether we could make an appointment for me to see the jewel in person.


How would you settle this? I really do not want to involve family (it was a gift for a family member) and would prefer to avoid involving friends in such frivolous issue.

The problem that I have with this (and I have sold a lot of stuff on ebay) is that items are never with a lowest start bid of $8000.00 and a buy it now price of $5000.00 unless the lister is an idiot because standard ways to list items is the other way around, it would have probably had or should have had a start price of $5000.00 and a buy it now of $8000.00. Just because the start price IS $5000.00 doesn't mean the vendor has any intent of selling you the item for that amount. His buy it now was (and I am guessing here) $8000.00. When you went to the shop in person he offered you $500.00 off the buy it now price. Thats a pretty standard thing to do. At that point you should have said, I won't pay $7500.00 but I will pay say $6000.00 or I make you an offer of $5000.00 at which point he says I will take $7000.00 and you pay him the money and buy the item. Or you keep haggling until you reach an agreed amount.

If you left the shop giving him the impression that you were going to pay the $7500.00, you have to see it from the vendors pow. Anyway the point now is you should either get someone else to make a genuine offer on the item and no I seriously doubt it was ever for sale at $5000.00. Or alternatively write a polite email saying you are genuinely sorry for the misunderstanding what is the lowest price he will take, or go back to the shop and ask the same question. Ebay fees are pretty high by the way so if you want it cheaper I would go back and make a cash offer. Otherwise you will have to pay the full $7500.00 and apologise.

Arkie, sorry, I mixed up the numbers above. I meant buy it now 8k and lowest bid 5k.
From your tone I understand you might have had some issues with buyers, and I read eBay has a tendency not to protect sellers, but I bought a lot of stuff on eBay and other listing websites and never had any issue.

What he did offer via e-mail (so prior to my visit) is that he would immediately sell to me for 7.5k and I never accepted this, but instead asked to see the item in person, if possible.
During my visit, I said I was ready to bid at the eBay bidding price (5k) and he responded that bidding was not necessary as he made up his mind already - he wanted to sell to a person appreciating his heirloom and close the auction. So the misunderstanding happened there. I assumed he wanted to seal the deal directly with me for 5k and he meant instead to say he wanted to close the deal with me for 7.5k. None of us - and this was a silly thing to do - mentioned any number during my visit. The conversation was really friendly and we spent most time admiring the item and talking about its history, so the misunderstanding continued until his e-mail in which he made his thoughts explicit and I realized there was an issue.

Honestly, when I realized what happened I thought he might have closed the auction for self-interest. In any case, after that, I did write two polite e-mails as you suggested. I still sent my apologies and invited him to have a conversation to settle together on a price satisfactory for both. I also told him I was ready to pay cash, and I know he did not have any reserve price and no offers in the moment he closed the auction. Yet, no answer.

Sorry for the vent, I understand there is probably not much one can do at this point. I just feel so frustrated for this.

 

[dianabarbara]

Re: eBay - really disappointed with seller and seeking advic

First thing for me for any online purchase that goes in person is to discuss price before meeting. It's important that everyone is clear on the parameters before investing in the time. I think it should have been two ways - seller should have confirmed the price and you should have clarified what you were comfortable paying. At this point, if you really want it - just get someone to buy it. Small hassle.

Charmy, I totally see your point. I did not want to set a price before seeing the item in this case (the seller posted some really low quality pictures). But we should have discussed price openly at the beginning of the meeting.

 

[TC1987]

Re: eBay - really disappointed with seller and seeking advic

You can have more than one account on ebay, all hooked to the same PayPal account. Just get a different email and open a new account and you can bid. (Lots of people have more than one, because they might buy on one account and sell on the other. Or they sell, say, car parts with one, and computer components or antiques & collectibles with yet another.)

(eta: If your account #2 bids, he can't tell who you are until the auction closes. Then you can send your payment, and he can still void out the sale if he refuses to sell to you. But read the ebay policies -- I think you can give him a negative feedback if he voids out the sale. I also think that he needs your cooperation to get his final value fee back from ebay, i.e., he has to send you a request to cancel the transaction. So if you refuse to agree, he'd lose at least 10% of $6000 to ebay as a final value fee and you could also give the negative feedback. You have power. So the only problem is that the new opening bid is $1000 more than you wanted to pay. Offer him $5200 cash and maybe he will sell if he doesn't get it sold on ebay. $6000+$20shipping * .85 assuming he's losing 15% to fees is $5117, so I said $5200.)

If you pursue the off-site purchase (off ebay), that guy can send you an invoice through PayPal with a very detailed description of the item, all terms you agreed to, and the shipping and handling costs.

Just for reference, by selling on ebay and accepting PayPal, that seller is losing 10%-15% of the total sale price including the shipping cost to ebay and PayPal fees, combined, 3% to PayPal and the rest to ebay. So if you are buying off of ebay, the PayPal fee he'll pay is probably in the 3% ballpark. Keep that in mind when making offers.

A seller on ebay has the ability to cancel bids and end a listing: Error in listing, Item no longer available for sale, Item lost or broken, etc. There are some sellers who don't intend to accept the best offers, ever. They want offers submitted, because it looks like lots of interest in the item and the seller is hoping that will goad someone into taking the BIN before the item is sold. Offers expire in 48 hours if the seller doesn't act on them. But the buyers can see there are offers pending.

 

[dianabarbara]

Re: eBay - really disappointed with seller and seeking advic

You can have more than one account on ebay, all hooked to the same PayPal account. Just get a different email and open a new account and you can bid. (Lots of people have more than one, because they might buy on one account and sell on the other. Or they sell, say, car parts with one, and computer components or antiques & collectibles with yet another.)

(eta: If your account #2 bids, he can't tell who you are until the auction closes. Then you can send your payment, and he can still void out the sale if he refuses to sell to you. But read the ebay policies -- I think you can give him a negative feedback if he voids out the sale. I also think that he needs your cooperation to get his final value fee back from ebay, i.e., he has to send you a request to cancel the transaction. So if you refuse to agree, he's lose at least 10% to ebay as a final value fee and you could give the negative feedback. So only problem is that the new opening bid is $1000 more than you wanted to pay. So, offer him $5200 cash and maybe he will sell if he doens't get it sold on ebay. $6000+$20shipping * .85 assuming he's losing 15% to fees is $5110, so I said $5200.)

If you pursue the off-site purchase (off ebay), that guy can send you an invoice through PayPal with a very detailed description of the item, all terms you agreed to, and the shipping and handling costs.

Just for reference, by selling on ebay and accepting PayPal, that seller is losing 10%-15% of the total sale price including the shipping cost to ebay and PayPal fees, combined, 3% to PayPal and the rest to ebay. So if you are buying off of ebay, the PayPal fee he'll pay is probably in the 3% ballpark. Keep that in mind when making offers.

A seller on ebay has the ability to cancel bids and end a listing: Error in listing, Item no longer available for sale, Item lost or broken, etc. There are some sellers who don't intend to accept the best offers, ever. They want offers submitted, because it looks like lots of interest in the item and the seller is hoping that will goad someone into taking the BIN before the item is sold. Offers expire in 48 hours if the seller doesn't act on them. But the buyers can see there are offers pending.

Hi TC1987, thanks for this wealth of info. The suggestions I'm getting here are pretty hardcore

You are making a good point on the fact that the seller should write a detailed description on the Paypal invoice.

Thank you arkieb, charmypoo, and TC for helping me sorting ideas out.

 

[bunnycat]

Re: eBay - really disappointed with seller and seeking advic

You can have more than one account on ebay, all hooked to the same PayPal account. Just get a different email and open a new account and you can bid. (Lots of people have more than one, because they might buy on one account and sell on the other. Or they sell, say, car parts with one, and computer components or antiques & collectibles with yet another.)

(eta: If your account #2 bids, he can't tell who you are until the auction closes. Then you can send your payment, and he can still void out the sale if he refuses to sell to you. But read the ebay policies -- I think you can give him a negative feedback if he voids out the sale. I also think that he needs your cooperation to get his final value fee back from ebay, i.e., he has to send you a request to cancel the transaction. So if you refuse to agree, he'd lose at least 10% of $6000 to ebay as a final value fee and you could also give the negative feedback. You have power. So the only problem is that the new opening bid is $1000 more than you wanted to pay. Offer him $5200 cash and maybe he will sell if he doesn't get it sold on ebay. $6000+$20shipping * .85 assuming he's losing 15% to fees is $5117, so I said $5200.)

If you pursue the off-site purchase (off ebay), that guy can send you an invoice through PayPal with a very detailed description of the item, all terms you agreed to, and the shipping and handling costs.

Just for reference, by selling on ebay and accepting PayPal, that seller is losing 10%-15% of the total sale price including the shipping cost to ebay and PayPal fees, combined, 3% to PayPal and the rest to ebay. So if you are buying off of ebay, the PayPal fee he'll pay is probably in the 3% ballpark. Keep that in mind when making offers.

A seller on ebay has the ability to cancel bids and end a listing: Error in listing, Item no longer available for sale, Item lost or broken, etc. There are some sellers who don't intend to accept the best offers, ever. They want offers submitted, because it looks like lots of interest in the item and the seller is hoping that will goad someone into taking the BIN before the item is sold. Offers expire in 48 hours if the seller doesn't act on them. But the buyers can see there are offers pending.

I think if a person refused a seller's request to void a transaction, they are then saying they wish to complete it and then the buyer would be responsible to either purchase or cancel. As a seller myself on eBay, I would highly recommend not doing something like that. It's incredibly rude. If a buyer or seller does not wish to complete a transaction, then it has to be resolved in some way either by cancellation or return or NPB. A buyer has several days to respond to a request. If they refuse a request for a transaction, I'd think that implied they wished to complete it and if they didn't pay, if I were a seller I'd file a NPB, which the buyer then has 4 days to comply with, and then the seller get their final value fees back.

Also- once a seller refunds a person's money, it is automatically logged in as refunded on eBay. Then when the seller files to cancel the transaction, it recognizes the refund has already taken place. You can't keep a seller from getting their fees back if they've upheld their end of the transaction cancellation as far as I know. It honestly seriously upsets me that people do and consider this type of thing. I am an artist who has spent that last decade building my name and trade, and having to deal with unscrupulous activities like this this past year and half on eBay since their new policies went in to effect upsets someone like me who always tries their hardest to be ethical because I have indeed dealt with situations on eBay exactly as you describe with buyers who are uncooperative, refuse to respond to requests but expect to keep items without return and get full refunds and it's seriously depressing to have to carry on some days. I would just urge you to do the right thing.

 

[ForteKitty]

Re: eBay - really disappointed with seller and seeking advic

(eta: If your account #2 bids, he can't tell who you are until the auction closes. Then you can send your payment, and he can still void out the sale if he refuses to sell to you. But read the ebay policies -- I think you can give him a negative feedback if he voids out the sale. I also think that he needs your cooperation to get his final value fee back from ebay, i.e., he has to send you a request to cancel the transaction. So if you refuse to agree, he'd lose at least 10% of $6000 to ebay as a final value fee and you could also give the negative feedback. You have power.

That has got to be the most awful advice I've ever seen. Do you also retag and return clothing after you've worn them?

The seller will eventually get their final value fees back, even if the buyer doesn't agree to cancel the transaction.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Re: eBay - really disappointed with seller and seeking advic

Okay, you expressed there was a misunderstanding on the price. The seller is angry with you and now is refusing to sell to you even after you have written two additional emails.

Over. Done. Don't buy it from someone with that kind of attitude.

But if you are going to buy it regardless, you need to have someone else do it for you. Under no circumstances would I have your name associated with the sale or to attempt to deceive him temporarily using a second ebay account in your name.

 

[ruby59]

Re: eBay - really disappointed with seller and seeking advic

To the person above who suggested that you bid under another name, that is against ebay rules and can get you kicked off. If a seller blocks you under one name, you cannot try and bid under another. Besides, unless you use a completely different name and address on both ebay and paypal, obviously the bidder is going to know it is you.

I agree with the poster above with the absolutely gorgeous diamond that when a deal goes sour it is best to just walk away. And do you really believe he is selling to you because you are so appreciative of the ring? If another offered double but was going to smash it to pieces he would not sell it to them?

I know you girls try and get the best prices, but trying to buy and sell off ebay, brings you into dangerous territory. If a seller accepts offers, then you have 3 chances to place a bid. If not, imo as a seller, it is rude to try and negotiate. A seller is well within his rights to block you.

 

[dianabarbara]

Re: eBay - really disappointed with seller and seeking advic

bastetcat, fortekitty, diamondseeker, and ruby, thank you for your advice.

I rationalized the situation, and it looks like this.

I do want to close the deal but I want to do it in a fair way. That means I want to do it on eBay, and not threatening anyone. I do not know for sure whether the seller manipulated the situation in order to purposefully force me to pay a higher price or whether it was just a genuine misunderstanding from his side. I really don't want to put anyone in an unpleasant situation.

I want to protect myself from possible issues - a reason more to buy on eBay, with a regular profile (no double names or stuff like that).

The other issue I have is that the seller does not want to sell to me, and I don't feel comfortable by forcing him to do so.

So I have decided to send another e-mail and give it a chance.
If he then agrees to do business with me, I will make my bid, otherwise I'll pass

 

[Dreamer_D]

Re: eBay - really disappointed with seller and seeking advic

I would walk away and find another item I liked. I don't deal with sellers who are jerks when the chips are down. It never ever turns out well! There is no cause for rudeness on the seller's part, no matter what type of miscommunication occurred. PLus, for me, when a transaction goes so poorly it taints the piece I bought and I cannot enjoy it.

 

[lucyruth]

Re: eBay - really disappointed with seller and seeking advic

I totally agree, I'd walk. Do not open a other eBay account to bid - eBay will look at ISP addresses and block you completely from eBay. I know as I've had people blocked when I was a seller - I blocked one username and they came back and bid with another. Most sellers will not sell a high dollar item to someone with no or low feedback. It's a red flag. I know I won't.

With someone so unpleasant and unreasonable, I don't think I'd involve anyone else bidding for me either. There can be after auction issues that you'd hate to involve them in.

Just my two cents.

 

[ruby59]

Re: eBay - really disappointed with seller and seeking advic

(eta: If your account #2 bids, he can't tell who you are until the auction closes. Then you can send your payment, and he can still void out the sale if he refuses to sell to you. But read the ebay policies -- I think you can give him a negative feedback if he voids out the sale. I also think that he needs your cooperation to get his final value fee back from ebay, i.e., he has to send you a request to cancel the transaction. So if you refuse to agree, he'd lose at least 10% of $6000 to ebay as a final value fee and you could also give the negative feedback. You have power.

That has got to be the most awful advice I've ever seen. Do you also retag and return clothing after you've worn them?

The seller will eventually get their final value fees back, even if the buyer doesn't agree to cancel the transaction.

Sorry, but your advice is totally off the mark. If a seller blocks you on one account, you cannot bid under another. It is called auction interference. Under this circumstance, a seller can indeed refuse to sell to you. And he can report you. Ebay will compare ISP addresses. The transaction then becomes null and void. The seller will get back any fees and can relist. The buyer however may very well get kicked off ebay.

No one has the power to abuse the system. Ebay is finally starting to realize that without good sellers there would be no buyers and is finally trying to make it a more even playing field.

 

[bunnycat]

Re: eBay - really disappointed with seller and seeking advic

(eta: If your account #2 bids, he can't tell who you are until the auction closes. Then you can send your payment, and he can still void out the sale if he refuses to sell to you. But read the ebay policies -- I think you can give him a negative feedback if he voids out the sale. I also think that he needs your cooperation to get his final value fee back from ebay, i.e., he has to send you a request to cancel the transaction. So if you refuse to agree, he'd lose at least 10% of $6000 to ebay as a final value fee and you could also give the negative feedback. You have power.

That has got to be the most awful advice I've ever seen. Do you also retag and return clothing after you've worn them?

The seller will eventually get their final value fees back, even if the buyer doesn't agree to cancel the transaction.

Sorry, but your advice is totally off the mark. If a seller blocks you on one account, you cannot bid under another. It is called auction interference. Under this circumstance, a seller can indeed refuse to sell to you. And he can report you. Ebay will compare ISP addresses. The transaction then becomes null and void. The seller will get back any fees and can relist. The buyer however may very well get kicked off ebay.

No one has the power to abuse the system. Ebay is finally starting to realize that without good sellers there would be no buyers and is finally trying to make it a more even playing field.

A buyer can bid under another account if you've blocked them, unless they changed this in the last year. I had someone a couple of years ago that I hated to do it to but they just wouldn't pay and would bid and bid and bid (like a sickness). It would take me 2 months to get paid from them so I blocked them and they came back under another name and did it again. Unless ebay changed this aspect, all you can do is report them.

 

[ruby59]

Re: eBay - really disappointed with seller and seeking advic

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/unwelcome-buying.html[url][/url]

Please see ebay guidelines above. You cannot open a second account or bid on another person's account if a seller blocked you. I have been a seller on ebay since 1999 and that has always been the case.

Not to say that others have not tried it. Or when reporting it, you get less then a competent representative taking your call. But it is against ebay rules, and always has been. If it happens again to you, keep reporting it or even ask to speak to a manager.

 

[TC1987]

Re: eBay - really disappointed with seller and seeking advic

(eta: If your account #2 bids, he can't tell who you are until the auction closes. Then you can send your payment, and he can still void out the sale if he refuses to sell to you. But read the ebay policies -- I think you can give him a negative feedback if he voids out the sale. I also think that he needs your cooperation to get his final value fee back from ebay, i.e., he has to send you a request to cancel the transaction. So if you refuse to agree, he'd lose at least 10% of $6000 to ebay as a final value fee and you could also give the negative feedback. You have power.

That has got to be the most awful advice I've ever seen. Do you also retag and return clothing after you've worn them?

The seller will eventually get their final value fees back, even if the buyer doesn't agree to cancel the transaction.

You are all reading that wrong. Scenario is she buys it and pays via PP but seller doesn't want to sell to HER, personally, Specifically, so HE (not she) cancels the sale and refunds payment. It's a seller cancellation, not a NPB. I will look up the policy later, but that seller has (I believe) to file a request with ebay to get his FVF refunded, and the buyer has to agree to that cancellation or else no FVF refund. I'll look it up later.

There is no ethics issue involve, except that it circumvents the blocked bidder list. If you want to be lily-white, have a friend's ID buy it. LOL

 

[TC1987]

Re: eBay - really disappointed with seller and seeking advic

(eta: If your account #2 bids, he can't tell who you are until the auction closes. Then you can send your payment, and he can still void out the sale if he refuses to sell to you. But read the ebay policies -- I think you can give him a negative feedback if he voids out the sale. I also think that he needs your cooperation to get his final value fee back from ebay, i.e., he has to send you a request to cancel the transaction. So if you refuse to agree, he'd lose at least 10% of $6000 to ebay as a final value fee and you could also give the negative feedback. You have power.

That has got to be the most awful advice I've ever seen. Do you also retag and return clothing after you've worn them?

The seller will eventually get their final value fees back, even if the buyer doesn't agree to cancel the transaction.

You are all reading my post wrong. Scenario is she buys it using ID#2, and pays via PP but seller doesn't want to sell to HER, personally, Specifically, so HE (not she) cancels the sale and refunds payment. It's a seller cancellation, not a NPB. I will look up the policy later, but that seller has (I believe) to file a request with ebay to get his FVF refunded, and the buyer has to agree to that cancellation or else no FVF refund. I'll look it up later.

There is no ethics issue involve, except that it circumvents the blocked bidder list. If you want to be lily-white, have a friend's ID buy it. LOL

 

[arkieb1]

Re: eBay - really disappointed with seller and seeking advic

Hi,

O.K I understand the situation now and sorry for the tone but seriously, I used to sell things on ebay and people would make me an offer we would agree on the price and then they turn up to collect the item making a new lower offer. This is unfair to the seller and they wonder why when I know full well I can sell the item for the agreed price I tell them to take a hike.

I think that it is incredibly rude to do something that will give the seller negative feedback and also if you open another account under a new name and the seller reports you, these days you can end up with both accounts suspended.

I think the whole thing is just a bad misunderstanding. Again, I would either urge you or someone you know to go and see the guy with cash to buy the item. Ebay takes a percentage of the cost of the sale and Paypal takes a fee as well. You will always get it cheaper for cash. Alternatively have your husband or a good friend buy it for you under their account. Opening multiple accounts and lodging negative claims against the seller without good reason is fraud legally and something you do not need to do. Or move on and find something else.

 

[TC1987]

Re: eBay - really disappointed with seller and seeking advic

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/unwelcome-buying.html[url][/url]

Please see ebay guidelines above. You cannot open a second account or bid on another person's account if a seller blocked you. I have been a seller on ebay since 1999 and that has always been the case.

Not to say that others have not tried it. Or when reporting it, you get less then a competent representative taking your call. But it is against ebay rules, and always has been. If it happens again to you, keep reporting it or even ask to speak to a manager.

Okay, by letter of the law, the policy does say that. But there is no violation to have a friend buy it from that seller, ship the item to the friend, and you reimburse the friend or pay the friend in advance or whatever deal you two work out. There's actually no way for the seller to even tell that is happening, provided the name and address to ship to is also the friend's. There's nothing to report.

In most cases, a bad buyer is put on the blocked bidder list for bad behavior, like not paying. Or filing a false Item Not Received, or false Not As Described claim. In this case, the Pricescoper hadn't done anything wrong, and the seller is just being a jerk. (Maybe he didn't actually put her on his BBL, either.)

The Final Value Fee is charged to the seller at the time of sale, not payment. I have one auction sitting unpaid and it's Day 3, but ebay has already charged me the FVF. If a buyer paid and the seller wants to cancel, then the seller is at the mercy of the buyer to agree to the cancellation to get the FVF back, and the advice to buyers is get your refund first, THEN agree to the cancellation if you want to. http://forums.ebay.com/db1/topic/Checkout/Seller-Wants-To/5100007426 My thought on this particular case is that the man wants the money, and the FVF is already debited against his account, so why, at that point, should he say no to a sale and give back the money, plus have a hassle reporting ID#2 or cancelling the sale and trying to get his FVF back from ebay. If he was willing to sell at that price, and he got the payment (from anyone) he should just say something nasty like he already did (lol), and ship the jewelry.

Final value fee credit
http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/credits.html#agree
A seller who agreed to cancel a nonpaying bidder is at the mercy of that bidder's cooperation to get the FVF back. The advice given on the Seller Central board is do not agree to the non-payer's request to cancel, just let the auction time out and go to the NPB process, and then ebay will automatically refund the FVF. There are buyers and sellers who abuse the system. ebay isn't as risk-free, profitable, or easy as it used to be. Buyers just aren't buying. Things are increasingly slanted in favor of buyers.

 

[ruby59]

Re: eBay - really disappointed with seller and seeking advic

You need to be very careful buying items off of ebay. If it turns out the item is defective or you learn through an appraiser the item is misrepresented, then you have absolutely no recouse through ebay or paypal. You are stuck with the item.

 

[ruby59]

Re: eBay - really disappointed with seller and seeking advic

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/unwelcome-buying.html[url][/url]

Please see ebay guidelines above. You cannot open a second account or bid on another person's account if a seller blocked you. I have been a seller on ebay since 1999 and that has always been the case.

Not to say that others have not tried it. Or when reporting it, you get less then a competent representative taking your call. But it is against ebay rules, and always has been. If it happens again to you, keep reporting it or even ask to speak to a manager.

Okay, by letter of the law, the policy does say that. But there is no violation to have a friend buy it from that seller, ship the item to the friend, and you reimburse the friend or pay the friend in advance or whatever deal you two work out. There's actually no way for the seller to even tell that is happening, provided the name and address to ship to is also the friend's. There's nothing to report.

In most cases, a bad buyer is put on the blocked bidder list for bad behavior, like not paying. Or filing a false Item Not Received, or false Not As Described claim. In this case, the Pricescoper hadn't done anything wrong, and the seller is just being a jerk. (Maybe he didn't actually put her on his BBL, either.)The Final Value Fee is charged to the seller at the time of sale, not payment. I have one auction sitting unpaid and it's Day 3, but ebay has already charged me the FVF. If a buyer paid and the seller wants to cancel, then the seller is at the mercy of the buyer to agree to the cancellation to get the FVF back, and the advice to buyers is get your refund first, THEN agree to the cancellation if you want to. http://forums.ebay.com/db1/topic/Checkout/Seller-Wants-To/5100007426 My thought on this particular case is that the man wants the money, and the FVF is already debited against his account, so why, at that point, should he say no to a sale and give back the money, plus have a hassle reporting ID#2 or cancelling the sale and trying to get his FVF back from ebay. If he was willing to sell at that price, and he got the payment (from anyone) he should just say something nasty like he already did (lol), and ship the jewelry.

Final value fee credit
http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/credits.html#agree
A seller who agreed to cancel a nonpaying bidder is at the mercy of that bidder's cooperation to get the FVF back. The advice given on the Seller Central board is do not agree to the non-payer's request to cancel, just let the auction time out and go to the NPB process, and then ebay will automatically refund the FVF. There are buyers and sellers who abuse the system. ebay isn't as risk-free, profitable, or easy as it used to be. Buyers just aren't buying. Things are increasingly slanted in favor of buyers.

I disagree with what is quoted. Sellers block for a variety of reasons, one of which is during conversations feeling that the buyer may be a problem later on. I have received emails from buyers where I just know they will be impossible to please and will be a headache. So if you buy through a friend, it is still you buying the item and the future PITA that the seller tried to avoid in the first place.

 

[Circe]

Re: eBay - really disappointed with seller and seeking advic

You need to be very careful buying items off of ebay. If it turns out the item is defective or you learn through an appraiser the item is misrepresented, then you have absolutely no recouse through ebay or paypal. You are stuck with the item.

I haven't had this experience at all ... Mostly if something has arrived not as described the seller has been willing to work with me on a return, but on the two or three occasions they've dug their heels in (over the course of years, I'm not a PITA buyer, swear), eBay/PayPal has actually been very receptive to concerns, so long as the dispute was lodged within the 45-day period. Can't recall a time when I didn't get my money back one way or another.

 

[Circe]

Re: eBay - really disappointed with seller and seeking advic

DB ... How much do you love the item? If it's not a once-in-a-lifetime find, and if your latest e-mail doesn't work, I vote with Dreamer and say on with the hunt. If it is ... have a friend buy it through their account. A GOOD friend, one who won't resent it if this goes south, for whatever reason ....

 

[ruby59]

Re: eBay - really disappointed with seller and seeking advic

You need to be very careful buying items off of ebay. If it turns out the item is defective or you learn through an appraiser the item is misrepresented, then you have absolutely no recouse through ebay or paypal. You are stuck with the item.

I haven't had this experience at all ... Mostly if something has arrived not as described the seller has been willing to work with me on a return, but on the two or three occasions they've dug their heels in (over the course of years, I'm not a PITA buyer, swear), eBay/PayPal has actually been very receptive to concerns, so long as the dispute was lodged within the 45-day period. Can't recall a time when I didn't get my money back one way or another.

Sorry, my reply was not clear. In this case the discussion was about handling the transaction by circumventing ebay so the seller could save on paypal fees and pass that on to the buyer by reducing the cost. By doing this you lose all ebay and paypal protection if the item is defective or it turns out not as described.

 

[Circe]

Re: eBay - really disappointed with seller and seeking advic

You need to be very careful buying items off of ebay. If it turns out the item is defective or you learn through an appraiser the item is misrepresented, then you have absolutely no recouse through ebay or paypal. You are stuck with the item.

I haven't had this experience at all ... Mostly if something has arrived not as described the seller has been willing to work with me on a return, but on the two or three occasions they've dug their heels in (over the course of years, I'm not a PITA buyer, swear), eBay/PayPal has actually been very receptive to concerns, so long as the dispute was lodged within the 45-day period. Can't recall a time when I didn't get my money back one way or another.

Sorry, my reply was not clear. In this case the discussion was about handling the transaction by circumventing ebay so the seller could save on paypal fees and pass that on to the buyer by reducing the cost. By doing this you lose all ebay and paypal protection if the item is defective or it turns out not as described.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaah, okay, my apologies for misunderstanding! Yes, in those circumstances, you are completely and utterly correct.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Re: eBay - really disappointed with seller and seeking advic

I do sometimes buy off ebay through reputable sources such as known jewelers who offer a return policy through their store. I just call them and don't do anything through ebay. Anyone with a store will pull items off ebay when they sell through their store, anyway.

(Thank you ruby for the nice comment above about my diamond. )

 

[arkieb1]

Re: eBay - really disappointed with seller and seeking advic

I don't mean to be rude here, but I think some of you are missing the point. She has seen the item. The ebay refund policy is really for when you get the item in the post having never seen it before and go "holy bleep that really is misrepresented" and then wish to send it back for a refund. If she has seen it in person and loves it, then there should be no logical cause for a refund unless you then go and get it valued and the stone was fake or something like that.

And Ruby59, I seem to remember you and I have had this argument on here once before, when you buy from ebay you either accept it's something on ebay and has SOME level or risk attached to it or you simply don't buy off ebay like Diamondseeker is rather sensibly suggesting and stick to known vendors.

It really irritates me no end that people slam ebay, yes, there are great bargains and yes there are great rip offs it's up to the buyer to perform all due diligence on such items or simply don't buy off there in the first place. If you are after a bargain then you must be willing to undergo some level of risk depending upon the price, most of the ebay hunters on here will tell you that. Having said that a sensible approach would be dealing only with ebay vendors that do have a full refund policy.

In this case I would guess she has sufficiently annoyed the vendor that no such refund would be offered and the general gist of the dealings so far also suggest there will be no refunds, so perhaps it is best to work out if you can or can't live without the item in question.

 

[Circe]

Re: eBay - really disappointed with seller and seeking advic

Well, fake ... or an M that was listed as an I ... Or any number of other possible things. Some of the minutia that sets the price is really hard to pinpoint on the spot (particularly when it's not the spot of your choosing and possibly lacking preferred lighting, tools, etc.), even for a trained appraiser.