Shady Ebay Vendor: Is This Fraud?

[*BlingBling*]

A buyer purchases an item from an Ebay vendor. Buyer pays immediately. Buyer is not satisfied with the seller''s service, so he requests for the item to be cancelled and the payment refunded. Seller agrees to cancel the item and fully refund the money. Then the seller decides to report the buyer as "non-paying bidder" to Ebay. Ebay sends a notice to the buyer that payment for the item must be received or a strike will be motioned. Seller seeks full final value credit fees to be reimbursed by Ebay.

The seller is making a false claim that the buyer failed to pay, even though the buyer payed and received a refund. Is this how all refunds are processed on Ebay or is this seller trying to commit fraud?

There are other former buyers who left a negative feedback because the seller also reported them as "non-paying bidders", even though they asked for a refund, returned the item and/or received a refund.

Your input would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[belle]

the buyer should report the issue to ebay. they will determine the proper course of action.

 

[justpar]

Bling...

I agree with Belle. The buyer should report this seller to eBay. You should ask the buyer if he/she still has all emails sent back and forth between him/her and seller. If so, just forward all documents to eBay. Normally, if seller agrees to cancel the item and fully refunds the money to buyer, seller can''t reimburse final value fees from eBay. You''re absolutely right, the seller is committing fraud. He/she is trying to cover his/her loss by making a false claim. The buyer is lucky to get money back though.

 

[AChiOAlumna]

It''s always important to keep anything related to an Ebay transaction (emails, postings, PayPal confirmations, etc) until you receive and are happy with the product you bidded on. Thanks goodness DH did this. He had "prepurchased" an item off of Ebay. The item wasn''t due for release for another 2 months after the auction, but the seller guaranteed that once he got it in stock, it would be DH''s.

We continually emailed this seller and was getting timely responses as updates. One day, all communication stopped. My DH knew the product was now being sold in retail, but we still did possess ours. DH asked me to look at the emails he collected, etc. My first red flag was that the seller hadn''t received ANY feedback since October 2004 (we were in January 2005 when this happened). My second was that the seller was now "no longer a registered user."

I encouraged DH to contact the Ebay and Paypal fraud reports, but because it was a "preordered" item, the auction had been more than 30 days old and they couldn''t help us. We contacted our CC company, and claimed a fradulent report. The CC company asked for all our emails and conversations...could you imagine if we hadn''t keep all that?! The refund was made in less than 30 days..

 

[sjz]

I had something similar happen to me once on ebay. I had won an auction, and as per my usual immediately sent in my payment via paypal. I hardly ever bid on anything unless you can use paypal as payment. Anyway, the very next day the item I won had been taken out of the system, and the seller came up as "no longer a registered user". My emails to the seller kept bouncing back to me as an invalid email address, as well. I contacted paypal first, and filled them in on the situation. They had already sent out the payment, but agreed to investigate the situation for me. I also emailed ebay, and got the same response. Within minutes of contacting ebay, I was given the seller''s contact information, which in addition to her email address I also got her phone number. I attempted to call the seller, but the party on the other end would not aknowledge that I had called the correct number. They even said they''d never heard of ebay...lol.

Anyway, long story short, within 48 hours of my contacting paypal and ebay, I finally got an email from the seller (coming from a different email than had been provided by ebay). She made up some lame excuse that she didn''t know that her auctions had been deleted, and so were the names and email addresses of the winning bidders, yada yada yada...The upshot of the conversation was that she could either ship my item out to me immediately, or refund the paypal payment ASAP. She agreed to ship out my item that same day, and agreed to a full refund if I was not pleased with the item. I ended up getting the item about a week and a half later, poorly packaged, but I decided to keep it nevertheless.

I don''t know if that seller is back on ebay under a different ID or not, but I hope that I NEVER end up bidding on one of her auctions again! Other than one other person who sold me a crappy old beat up doll that was misrepresented as a vintage mint condition collectible, I have never had any other problems with ebay sellers.

 

[marriahlyn]

The seller is being a real jerk. Unless something has changed recently, there is an option to receive the final value credit back due to refunding the buyer. They instead decided to click the option that you hadn't paid. I would get in contact with ebay and give them the transaction numbers from your paypal payment and the refund.

Good luck!

Jaime

 

[*BlingBling*]

Hi guys, thanks for your responses. I''m sorry that you also had your share of disappointing Ebay experiences, but it helps to know that I am not alone. I was the buyer who went through this situation and the vendor (whom I won''t mention unless it''s absolutely necessary) has come up a few times in this forum''s search engine.

Here''s what happened:

1) I purchased a russian cz eternity ring through "Buy it now". I was curious to see if russian cz''s live up to its name. I pay immediately, and the payment is posted on the credit card the same day. The item on the listing is a size 6, but I was able to order my size through a special request order form with an additional fee.

2) Since the listing states that it takes 2-5 days for sizing and special requests, I wait a week to email the seller about the status. She says "sizing takes 2-5 days. we will let you know when the item ships".

3) A week later, I don''t hear from her. So I email her about the status, asking if "it''s been work on, and if I don''t receive a shipping confirmation within 3 weeks, I will have to cancel my order and and put a stop payment on the credit card". She replies, stating that "eternity rings take 3-4 weeks to create or size and that is an amazing time frame for a custom order. We can''t stop everything we''re doing to accomodate your demands. Get in line like everyone else". Real professional. I guess I expected too much from her after Bruce Boone created and shipped my fiance''s titanium wedding ring within 24 hours it was ordered, and it was received in 2 days. Instead of seeing this as an opportunity to reassure the buyer that the item is in progress, the seller sees this as a threat. She cancels my order and refunds my payment. Whew! End of story.

4) NOT! A few days later, I get a notice from Ebay (reported from seller) that I have an "unpaid item bid". W T F??? If I don''t respond, I will get a strike. She claims that I haven''t paid and she requested for a final value fee credit. Umm..isn''t that fraud? I submitted proof of payment to Ebay (emails and credit card statement) and I still get a strike.

5) I realized that this seller is a pro, she''s been in the business for a while, and she knows the tricks of the Ebay trade. She knows EXACTLY what she is doing, despite the false claims and report, and it is at Ebay''s expense. In my last email, I told her, "I no longer wish to communicate with you directly. When you do hear from me, it will be from a third party. If you do not honor my request, I will report you to Ebay for harassment. Guess what? She emails me again. She believes that she has the right to contact me because I bid on her auction, and that is hot harassment.

6) Ebay received my "unpaid item bid" appeal and removed the strike. I reported her to Ebay for "Fraud" and "Fee Credit Abuse". I also filed a fraud complaint against her business on the Better Business Bureau and the Internet Fraud Complaint Center. I don''t want this to happen to other consumers.

7) Despite all this, she leaves me a negative feedback. My feedback rating was 100% until now. On the bright side, this feedback is a reminder of what I don''t want to happen again. To protect my record, I also left a negative feeback for her, stating "Under Ebay investigation for fraud, fee credit abuse and harassment to buyers".

My experience with Ebay has been positive until this incident. But I will not let one bad seed ruin my perception of Ebay. I think Ebay is a great venue with honest vendors who want to make their customers happy. I just need to be more careful with the types of vendors I choose to deal with. I will never buy on impulse again, and I will also do my research on the item, feedback rating and seller before I thinking about buying. I will the email seller first about policies and items to confirm them and get the response in writing. Based on how fast they respond (if at all) and their tone, I should be able to determine if the seller is worth my time.
Luckily, I got my money back. We all have our eye-opening experiences, and this definitely was mine

 

[Blue824]

I always read through the feedback to find the negatives, even if there are just one or two, because you want to know upfront...Sorry about your bad experience with them, some people really are just trying to take advantage!

My HUGE issue with them is that when I pay quickly and do my end of the deal I don''t get positive feedback until I leave positive feedback for the seller...why would I post positive feedback if they havent commented on my side of the transaction and risk them posting negative things about me after keeping up my end of the agreement. I''ve just been quite disillusioned with ebay lately! Had a poor experience and I wanted to leave her negative feedback, but I knew it would just then be put on my record. If I pay and hold up my end communication wise and they don''t I shouldnt get penalized!

ALso, it is really important to keep record of everything you get and send through ebay during a transaction. I also don''t email sellers directly but I do it through ebay, for some reason I like that better.

 

[ForteKitty]

I sell things from time to time, and I don''t leave any feedback anymore until i receive it because people have tried to rip me off! One guy threatened to leave me negative feedback if I didn''t refund his payment because the BRAND NEW shirt I sold was "worn". I refused and said to go ahead but I will sue him for slander, and he just disappeared. Grr...

 

[AChiOAlumna]

Date: 5/10/2005 5:13:20 PM
Author: Blue824

My HUGE issue with them is that when I pay quickly and do my end of the deal I don''t get positive feedback until I leave positive feedback for the seller...why would I post positive feedback if they havent commented on my side of the transaction and risk them posting negative things about me after keeping up my end of the agreement. I''ve just been quite disillusioned with ebay lately! Had a poor experience and I wanted to leave her negative feedback, but I knew it would just then be put on my record. If I pay and hold up my end communication wise and they don''t I shouldnt get penalized!

I SO agree with this!!! As a buyer, my obligation is to pay for the item in a timely manner with funds that are legitimate. As a seller, their obligation is to advertise honestly and then send the item in a professional manner (not broken, good packaging, etc.). I also agree that as soon as either obligation is fulfilled, appropriate feedback needs to be left at THAT time!! Waiting until the transaction is complete to see what feedback I''m leaving so they can respond appropriately is bunk...

 

[FireGoddess]

Bling - Sorry this happened to you. It only takes a few bad apples...too bad you encountered one.

I think you can post a retort to your negative feedback. If so, when someone reads the negative feedback, they will also be able to see your counter-response. I would do this if it is still possible.

BTW - is that the Taylor Burton in your avatar? I'd recognize that pear anywhere (even though the avatar size squishes it!)!

 

[FireGoddess]

Regarding replying to ebay feedback...

go to "feedback forum"
hit "reply to feedback received"
then you can click on a certain piece of feedback and then reply to it. explain this guy is fraudulent.

 

[*BlingBling*]

Blue and other wary Ebay members, I know exactly what you mean. I''m the type of person who pays immediately, because in my head, the sooner I pay, the sooner I get the item. But that''s not always the case. It''s not like the retail store where you see something you want, you pay for it, you take it home. I''ve had sellers who never left me positive feedback at all, even after being a good buyer and leaving them one.

I guess that''s the disadvantage of Ebay transactions. Yes, they offer huge mark-downs on their items, but the anonymity can be an invitation for poor service, product misrepresentation and fraud. Even since I found this forum, I didn''t realize how many bad experiences people had with Ebay, especially when it comes to jewelry. It''s almost scary enough for me to avoid the site.

If good, honest buyers exist, then good, honest vendors are out there too. It is the responsibility of both buyers and vendors to protect themselves from being taken advantage of. Just use good judgement and make sure you''re insured

PS: Keeping all written communication, payment confirmation, documents, receipts, etc. is great advice. They truly do come in handy when you need them for evidence.

 

[ForteKitty]

Date: 5/10/2005 5:55:43 PM
Author: AChiOAlumna

Date: 5/10/2005 5:13:20 PM
Author: Blue824

My HUGE issue with them is that when I pay quickly and do my end of the deal I don''t get positive feedback until I leave positive feedback for the seller...why would I post positive feedback if they havent commented on my side of the transaction and risk them posting negative things about me after keeping up my end of the agreement. I''ve just been quite disillusioned with ebay lately! Had a poor experience and I wanted to leave her negative feedback, but I knew it would just then be put on my record. If I pay and hold up my end communication wise and they don''t I shouldnt get penalized!

I SO agree with this!!! As a buyer, my obligation is to pay for the item in a timely manner with funds that are legitimate. As a seller, their obligation is to advertise honestly and then send the item in a professional manner (not broken, good packaging, etc.). I also agree that as soon as either obligation is fulfilled, appropriate feedback needs to be left at THAT time!! Waiting until the transaction is complete to see what feedback I''m leaving so they can respond appropriately is bunk...

You''d be surprised at how many people will "claim" that i "sent the wrong item", "item was broken", "item was torn", "item was used", and try to get a full refund AND keep their brand new item! When I ask that they return the item before I issue a refund, or ask if they can draft a letter for the insurance claim, they refuse and I never hear from them again! It''s gotten to the point where I will only leave feedback if I receive one, regardless what they leave. If it''s my fault, I''ll own up to it and apologize, and I never use it as reverse-blackmail. Don''t try to blackmail me for $10!!

 

[*BlingBling*]

Date: 5/10/2005 5:59:49 PM
Author: FireGoddess
Bling - Sorry this happened to you. It only takes a few bad apples...too bad you encountered one.

I think you can post a retort to your negative feedback. If so, when someone reads the negative feedback, they will also be able to see your counter-response. I would do this if it is still possible.

BTW - is that the Taylor Burton in your avatar? I''d recognize that pear anywhere (even though the avatar size squishes it!)!

FireGoddess, yes, this is the Taylor Burton in my Avatar

So sorry for squishing the legendary pear diamond LOL. Yours is gorgeous by the way. I might be changing my avatar soon (blingbling=temporary cheesy name). No worries, the Taylor-Burton will be squished no more!

I''ve tried to reply to the negative feedback, but to no avail. I think that option is gone now. But all suggestions are welcome.

 

[FireGoddess]

I'll take an avatar with a pear in it regardless of distortion!!! And thanks for the compliment.

Hmmm - I'd say to try the feedback reply thing one more time. Unless it's locked for some reason, I tried to do it on ebay right before I posted it here, so it appears to be functional.

I went to "my ebay", logged in, went to the "feedback forum" and clicked on "reply to my feedback"

Then a list of all my feedback popped up, and there was a "reply" button to the right of each one.

Might be worth one more shot...good luck though!

 

[*BlingBling*]

Date: 5/10/2005 6:25:54 PM
Author: FireGoddess
I''ll take an avatar with a pear in it regardless of distortion!!! And thanks for the compliment.

Hmmm - I''d say to try the feedback reply thing one more time. Unless it''s locked for some reason, I tried to do it on ebay right before I posted it here, so it appears to be functional.

I went to ''my ebay'', logged in, went to the ''feedback forum'' and clicked on ''reply to my feedback''

Then a list of all my feedback popped up, and there was a ''reply'' button to the right of each one.

Might be worth one more shot...good luck though!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! I tried it, and it works!!!

The response I wrote is the same as the feedback I left. At least other Ebay members will be able to see what happened.

Thank you so much, FireGoddess and Pricescope, for all of your help and support

 

[FireGoddess]

YAY! I''m very glad that helped you. I don''t think someone who tried to deceive you should be allowed to have the last word when it comes to judging YOUR ebay character.

 

[*BlingBling*]

Date: 5/10/2005 6

6:43 PM
Author: ForteKitty

Date: 5/10/2005 5:55:43 PM
Author: AChiOAlumna

Date: 5/10/2005 5:13:20 PM
Author: Blue824

My HUGE issue with them is that when I pay quickly and do my end of the deal I don''t get positive feedback until I leave positive feedback for the seller...why would I post positive feedback if they havent commented on my side of the transaction and risk them posting negative things about me after keeping up my end of the agreement. I''ve just been quite disillusioned with ebay lately! Had a poor experience and I wanted to leave her negative feedback, but I knew it would just then be put on my record. If I pay and hold up my end communication wise and they don''t I shouldnt get penalized!

I SO agree with this!!! As a buyer, my obligation is to pay for the item in a timely manner with funds that are legitimate. As a seller, their obligation is to advertise honestly and then send the item in a professional manner (not broken, good packaging, etc.). I also agree that as soon as either obligation is fulfilled, appropriate feedback needs to be left at THAT time!! Waiting until the transaction is complete to see what feedback I''m leaving so they can respond appropriately is bunk...

You''d be surprised at how many people will ''claim'' that i ''sent the wrong item'', ''item was broken'', ''item was torn'', ''item was used'', and try to get a full refund AND keep their brand new item! When I ask that they return the item before I issue a refund, or ask if they can draft a letter for the insurance claim, they refuse and I never hear from them again! It''s gotten to the point where I will only leave feedback if I receive one, regardless what they leave. If it''s my fault, I''ll own up to it and apologize, and I never use it as reverse-blackmail. Don''t try to blackmail me for $10!!

LOL Blackmail for $10! That''s hilarious

 

[Lord Summerisle]

As a buyer, i leave feedback as soon as i recieve the item, and its as discribed...

As a seller, i leave feedback as soon as i recieve cleared payment, as too me they have done there side of the bargin.

Currently on an item i''ve just sold... apparently it arrived broken.. so in commuication with the buyer, i will submit for compensation from Royal Mail... if compensaion is recieved then we split it in half... tho i have suggested that i would rather he return the item and i refund him, then sell him another one for hte same price through ebay.. for both our protection