Whose gotten burned on e-bay?

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tybee204 said:
Timex

Get the persons phone number and call them.
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Ive been calling..but the name on the anwering machine doesnt match the name on the account.
 
Timex said:
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.
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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://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?MfcISAPICommand=ViewUserPage&userid=mioka ]

HERE[/URL] 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.
 
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
 
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 said:
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.
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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...
 
Timex said:
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.
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Timex: Try this link . 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 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.
 
LOL for $1600 Id be loading the Samsonite in the SUV and parking in this guys driveway.
 
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.
 
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
 
Timex said:
Ive been calling..but the name on the anwering machine doesnt match the name on the account.
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Timex did you do a reverse directory search to see who the phone number is listed under?
 
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.
 
Casshew said:
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.
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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.
 
poco said:
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!
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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
 
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.
 
oceanblueeyes said:
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
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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.
 
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?


BirdieBoo said:
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.
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