The General eBay Rant Thread

ShadowAssassin said:
Speaking of feedbacks, one of the dumbest things ebay has ever done was remove the ability to leave buyers a negative feedback. If that wasn't a sign they were headed toward a ridiculously buyer-favored policy, then I don't know what was. That is what started it all, then the ball just got rolling from there.
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Dishonest people ruin the whole feedback system and the only thing ebay could do is be more pro active about doing what makes sense in a case by case manner which I don't see them doing as it would mean costing them more money in man power.

I still remember buying Spy vs Spy from a guy for the SMS to which he sent me the NES game. I tried to get a hold of him about sending back and having him send me the right game 2 or 3 times to which he didn't bother to reply. I left him a negative eventually knowing I was gonna get one back. After doing so he bothered fixing the problem then we both did the whole mutual agreement to withdraw feedback deal.

IIRC this guy only took money orders so paypal was not a factor. I'd guess that he didn't care about buyers and only bothered to fix problems to get rid of a negative feedback on his side.

 
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A few weeks back I tried listing an original box for my phat PS3 that I traded in over a year ago. I think it was within 6 hours that the listing was taken down and I was told not to list it again. Mind you, I listed it clearly in the title and description that it was for the "box only", yet ebay is apparently not allowing people do this anymore because of the dumbasses paying $700 for an xbox one "picture"? Or could it have been someone reporting my listing?

I'm debating whether I should try listing it again in the near future to see if I can find a home for it. It's as mint as it could be for a 5-6 year old box, so I'd hate to just throw it away when I'm sure there is someone who would actually want and use it for what it's intended for.

 
It's probably ebay being paranoid, because of that guy that didn't read the listing. It's all ebay does anymore. That said, listing a photo of an Xbox One is much different from listing an actual box. Some people like to piece together original sets of boxes, inserts, manuals, etc. A box should NOT be out of bounds if you listed it correctly. Maybe you should put it under video games>other if you originally put it under video game consoles category.

I would contact them and explain the situation. I wouldn't just relist it, because ebay can throw the ban hammer whenever the fuck they feel like it, and are total dicks about it. But fuck them, you should be able to sell a box if you want and you have it listed correctly.

What was it taken down for? There is always a reason stated.

 
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I've been selling on eBay for a while and I hope I get banned. I can't stop myself from selling there since I make a lot of money but I'm sick of them walking all over me. Between Gaypal (I absolutely abhor making crude remarks like this so you can all understand how angry I am)  and FeeBay itself, I lose over 15% of my money. They are so pro-buyer, it is ridiculous. They beat on you like no tomorrow if you don't use tracking numbers or list an item "incorrectly" or some other nonsense. I hope I get banned so that I can be forced to give up on selling there.

 
Selling isn't the only issue either. Buying is nearly impossible now too since everyone uses Buy it Now and they all want a king's ransom for their stuff.

"Yes, for this copy of Tales of the World I would like an arm and... let's see, your first-born. Thank you."

 
My math must be fuzzy...

explain to me how 9% + 2.9% = 15%

Also.. if you put a "box" in Video Games ----> Consoles then you are absolutely going to get a policy violation because you're in the WRONG f'in category.

 
Everybody complains about eBay's fees and I really don't get it most of the time.

Sure, they get excessive on some stuff, but there is a fee almost anytime you sell stuff. If you owned a physical storefront, there are several 'fee's' involved with that. Selling stuff has never really been free. Sure, things like Craigslist is free but you usually don't get the asking price on eBay + you have to factor in gas and the time you spend meeting up with a buyer.

I don't have an eBay store, so my fees are 10% plus paypal's 2.9%. I use my 50 free listings and since I mostly only sell video games and media, insertion fees after that are just 5 cents. 12.9% isn't that terrible. I make about $26 clear on something that sells for $30. I'll take that.

I do agree that sellers should be able to leave negative feedback to buyers though. It's ridiculous that eBay expects the seller to ship next day but buyers can take several days to pay and not risk getting negative feedback.

 
ShadowAssassin said:
It's probably ebay being paranoid, because of that guy that didn't read the listing. It's all ebay does anymore. That said, listing a photo of an Xbox One is much different from listing an actual box. Some people like to piece together original sets of boxes, inserts, manuals, etc. A box should NOT be out of bounds if you listed it correctly. Maybe you should put it under video games>other if you originally put it under video game consoles category.

I would contact them and explain the situation. I wouldn't just relist it, because ebay can throw the ban hammer whenever the fuck they feel like it, and are total dicks about it. But fuck them, you should be able to sell a box if you want and you have it listed correctly.

What was it taken down for? There is always a reason stated.
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Hello [deleted]
After reviewing your account, we've had to take the following action:
- Some or all of your listings may have been removed. A list of any removed items will be listed further down in this email.
- We have credited any associated fees to your account.



This listing was removed because it violated eBay's Brand Protection policy. For a safer trading experience, eBay prohibits the separate listing of certain items or accessories that bear a trademark but are not sold by the manufacturer without an accompanying branded product. This policy is intended to create a safer marketplace by prohibiting certain items that may be used to facilitate the sale of counterfeit items or perpetuate fraud Please see the policy for more information:

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/prohibited-accessories.html

Please do not relist this box unless it includes the actual item it came with.

Here are the listings we removed:
PS3 PLAYSTATION ORIGINAL BOX 80 GB - EMPTY BOX


We appreciate your understanding.

Thanks,

eBay

Please don't reply to this message. It was sent from an address that doesn't accept incoming email.
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GBAstar said:
Also.. if you put a "box" in Video Games ----> Consoles then you are absolutely going to get a policy violation because you're in the WRONG f'in category.
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I know better than to put it under video games > consoles, and I most definitely didn't put it there.
 
That is pathetically lame. So they basically are stopping the sale of accessories now, because one idiot didn't read the listing?

I truly loathe that site. I'll still sell accessories and just hope they aren't taken down.

 
Guy buys item, then immediately sends a message asking me to change the address I'm sending it to.

I explain I can't do that because I can only generate a label and ship to the address given to me by PayPal. I explain to him we'll have to cancel the transaction and then I'll relist the item and he can rebuy it and use the correct address.

I initiate the cancellation request and he f-ing denies it.

He also buys a different item of mine and uses the correct address there.

Edit: Oh great he just sent me an email saying he shouldn't have been so hasty when it came to the cancellation request, even though I explained in the text of the cancellation request that he should accept it then rebuy the item using the correct address.

It looks like his new address is in the same zip code as his old one. So I think the only thing I can do at this point is generate a label for both items using the second order with the correct address, then manually use that tracking number and mark as shipped on the first order. What a pain in the ass. If his two addresses weren't in the same zip code (since that's all DC shows) this whole thing would be fucked.

And the block list grows by 1.

 
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Technically, you CAN change the address. When in the label printing screen, there is a "Change" link next to the buyer's address, or just click the zip code in bulk shipping.

However, if the address is not PayPal verified, you lose Seller Protection.
 
DNukem170 said:
Technically, you CAN change the address. When in the label printing screen, there is a "Change" link next to the buyer's address, or just click the zip code in bulk shipping.

However, if the address is not PayPal verified, you lose Seller Protection.
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Ah interesting that you can change it. But like you mention, obviously the bigger point is the seller protection bit and the potential for him to decide to pull a quick one and scam me.

 
kodave said:
Ah interesting that you can change it. But like you mention, obviously the bigger point is the seller protection bit and the potential for him to decide to pull a quick one and scam me.
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If they want to scam you they will, Seller Protection is a nonexistant joke. Just had someone that bought a game in October do a chargeback stating that their son ordered it without permission using their eBay account. Paypal told me that I was all set because the transaction qualified for seller protection and I had a DC # confirming delivery to the correct Zip Code. Fast forward to today I get an email saying the Chargeback was decided in the buyer's favor.

I was upset but not that bad as it was a cheap game, but then I check my Paypal account and noticed it had significantly gone down. I start checking through things and notice even though on the home screen it shows the chargeback as subtracting $10.99 from my account once I clicked it it had hidden at the bottom an additional EIGHTY DOLLAR chargeback mediation fee. Paypal will be getting a very fun phone call tomorrow morning.
 
GBAstar said:
It's against policy and sellers have gotten violations which have led to their accounts being banned. A buyer must report you for doing that though.

There are all kinds of threads in the eBay forums that discuss this further but they are purging seller accounts to the tune of about 10,000 per month. There have been sellers with 100% positive feedback and 4.9's or better as DSR scores that are getting their accounts banned because of 1 or 2 buyers that accuse them of selling fakes or because they have been getting reported for leaving false positives (Granted these sellers were calling buyers names like "idiot" and what not).
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That doesn't quite add up to me if eBay wants to ban seller accounts based on just a couple of false positive reviews. That's a big overreaction where a simple violation mark or even temporary suspension would correct. I'm sure the bans have occured but like how most forum discussions go when it comes to bans, I doubt the members are totally forthcoming with everything that they've done in retaliating to problematic buyers.

I understand the whole pro-buyer mindset. It's in their best interest to keep and uphold the integrity of the eBay community by holding sellers to a high standard. If the average Joe looked at eBay as a big scam site, eBay would be utterly ruined. Speaking as a member that sells more on eBay than buys, I'm irked at their rules but I get it.
 
They can do a much better job at finding a balance. This isn't just ebay, but I hate anyone or anything in life that is ran or governed through fear. It seems like all ebay's policies are done with fear in mind. Fear of getting sued by ripped off buyers, afraid people are going to sell stolen merchandise on there, afraid of this, afraid of that.

I read online one time that someone had ebay up on their computer at home and they left their computer on before they went to work. Then they logged onto ebay again at work, and when they got home their account was banned for "suspicious activity" because they were logged on twice at two different locations. They said to get it back they needed to fax in all this private personal information to ebay. Birth certificates, proof it was them on that other computer, for them to "make a decision" on reactivating the account. Talk about security, holy moly.

It's all over the top in so many walks of life. Airports being another. Letting a select few minorities ruin things for everyone. Totally against my philosophical thinking, but tough for me. I don't make the rules.

Is it worth it to make things miserable experiences in life, because you might prevent something bad from happening? Whatever that me be. Interesting debate, and you can make a case either way.

 
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STEVE05 said:
Everybody complains about eBay's fees and I really don't get it most of the time.

Sure, they get excessive on some stuff, but there is a fee almost anytime you sell stuff. If you owned a physical storefront, there are several 'fee's' involved with that. Selling stuff has never really been free. Sure, things like Craigslist is free but you usually don't get the asking price on eBay + you have to factor in gas and the time you spend meeting up with a buyer.

I don't have an eBay store, so my fees are 10% plus paypal's 2.9%. I use my 50 free listings and since I mostly only sell video games and media, insertion fees after that are just 5 cents. 12.9% isn't that terrible. I make about $26 clear on something that sells for $30. I'll take that.

I do agree that sellers should be able to leave negative feedback to buyers though. It's ridiculous that eBay expects the seller to ship next day but buyers can take several days to pay and not risk getting negative feedback.
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Wrong. 13% is a lot. eBay can still be rich taking 5% or something, but no, the fat bastard CEO of eBay needs his solid gold tub and his solid gold toilet we pay 13%. Add in shipping fees and we lose out on quite a bit that we shouldn't lose out on.

 
AzureFlame said:
Wrong. 13% is a lot. eBay can still be rich taking 5% or something, but no, the fat bastard CEO of eBay needs his solid gold tub and his solid gold toilet we pay 13%. Add in shipping fees and we lose out on quite a bit that we shouldn't lose out on.
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Part of the reason why fees are so high is because there is a certain segment of the population, with the attitude of, I'll take a gamble on this item and if it isn't what is advertised I'll just open a case through PayPal/eBay.

Just look at the $30 (or whatever rediculous low price it actually was) Vita thread. Everyone knew that they weren't going to get a brand new Vita from China for $30 yet THOUSANDS bought units from that seller. When they got a coin in the mail instead what do you think all those buyer's did? They opened cases and got refunds.... even though they knew there was a 99% chance this would happen.

With the seller living in China what do you think the odds were that PayPal and eBay would be able to go after them to recoup the cost of all those refunds? And even if they legally could what do you think that would cost?

And how do you think eBay recovers that lost profit? They raise seller fees at the end of the year.

That doesn't quite add up to me if eBay wants to ban seller accounts based on just a couple of false positive reviews. That's a big overreaction where a simple violation mark or even temporary suspension would correct. I'm sure the bans have occured but like how most forum discussions go when it comes to bans, I doubt the members are totally forthcoming with everything that they've done in retaliating to problematic buyers.
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You're right. Like any forum you can't be sure the sellers are telling the WHOLE truth... however it is a little disturbing to see so many sellers with nearly perfect positive feedback (99.7% - 100%) and good looking DSR's (4.9 or better across the board) getting purged. Sure they might have done something that they're aren't sharing but when you literally have hundreds reporting back and not understanding what it was that got them banned (eBay doesn't disclose that information when they ban you... the only seller I've seen that got a straight answer was one who filed a complaint with the BBB) it causes fear and panic.

I was upset but not that bad as it was a cheap game, but then I check my Paypal account and noticed it had significantly gone down. I start checking through things and notice even though on the home screen it shows the chargeback as subtracting $10.99 from my account once I clicked it it had hidden at the bottom an additional EIGHTY DOLLAR chargeback mediation fee. Paypal will be getting a very fun phone call tomorrow morning.
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google the PayPal useragreement. Then go to either section 10.1 or 10.3. One of those covers protection for sellers against "Unauthorized Use" chargebacks. All you need to be protected against those type of chargebacks is proof of shipment to the address on the PayPal invoice.

If you shipped the item somewhere other then what was on the invoice you will lose your protection and typically if you don't have tracking (i.e. a way to show you actually shipped the item) then you will lose your protection but it doesn't technically have to show delivered.

Also the fee for fighting a chargeback used to be $20. That's bad news if it is now $80. Customer service will typically waive that fee if you call in about it. I'm a grandfathered PayPal Preferred member (I'm not sure how I signed up but I did over ten years ago---it's free) so not only do I earn 1.5% back on all purchases made with my PayPal MasterCard I also don't have to pay any fees on chargebacks.

 
AzureFlame said:
Wrong. 13% is a lot. eBay can still be rich taking 5% or something, but no, the fat bastard CEO of eBay needs his solid gold tub and his solid gold toilet we pay 13%. Add in shipping fees and we lose out on quite a bit that we shouldn't lose out on.
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To add to the points already mentioned, you can't ignore the fact that you can typically get 20-50% more revenue from a sale on eBay compared to other options (craigslist, flea markets, trade-ins at GS and Best Buy), sometimes even much more due to the wide audience of buyers.

The fees are pretty comparable to other sites such as Amazon for selling, so even if you do factor in the fees and shipping costs, it's still more take home revenue without having to arrange for local meetings.

The only place that can be more advantageous to selling on eBay is here on CAG (for trading at the least), though don't expect to get eBay prices if you are selling on here (which goes back to the above point).

 
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FOnewearl said:
I sold a Sega Genesis (Model 1) and was left a neutral feedback, why? Because it didn't include an AV cord and I should have mentioned that. It did have come with an RF adapter which was clearly noted.

This makes me wonder if anyone ever dealt with something like this but more extreme, say being left a neutral or negative feedback for something sold because didn't come with a 20 dollar bill and not mentioning it.
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I actually called ebay CS about this last night figuring they would tell me sorry and that they couldn't do anything about it then suggest that I try getting a hold of the buyer and work it out with them and see if they would mutually agree to withdraw feedback or some crap like that. I explained how my listing included everything it should have and how I never mentioned anything about an AV cord and the guy ended up erasing the neutral feedback.

 
Billytwoshoes said:
To add to the points already mentioned, you can't ignore the fact that you can typically get 20-50% more revenue from a sale on eBay compared to other options (craigslist, flea markets, trade-ins at GS and Best Buy), sometimes even much more due to the wide audience of buyers.

The fees are pretty comparable to other sites such as Amazon for selling, so even if you do factor in the fees and shipping costs, it's still more take home revenue without having to arrange for local meetings.

The only place that can be more advantageous to selling on eBay is here on CAG (for trading at the least), though don't expect to get eBay prices if you are selling on here (which goes back to the above point).
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Agreed 100%

 
GBAstar said:
Part of the reason why fees are so high is because there is a certain segment of the population, with the attitude of, I'll take a gamble on this item and if it isn't what is advertised I'll just open a case through PayPal/eBay.

Just look at the $30 (or whatever rediculous low price it actually was) Vita thread. Everyone knew that they weren't going to get a brand new Vita from China for $30 yet THOUSANDS bought units from that seller. When they got a coin in the mail instead what do you think all those buyer's did? They opened cases and got refunds.... even though they knew there was a 99% chance this would happen.

With the seller living in China what do you think the odds were that PayPal and eBay would be able to go after them to recoup the cost of all those refunds? And even if they legally could what do you think that would cost?

And how do you think eBay recovers that lost profit? They raise seller fees at the end of the year.

You're right. Like any forum you can't be sure the sellers are telling the WHOLE truth... however it is a little disturbing to see so many sellers with nearly perfect positive feedback (99.7% - 100%) and good looking DSR's (4.9 or better across the board) getting purged. Sure they might have done something that they're aren't sharing but when you literally have hundreds reporting back and not understanding what it was that got them banned (eBay doesn't disclose that information when they ban you... the only seller I've seen that got a straight answer was one who filed a complaint with the BBB) it causes fear and panic.

google the PayPal useragreement. Then go to either section 10.1 or 10.3. One of those covers protection for sellers against "Unauthorized Use" chargebacks. All you need to be protected against those type of chargebacks is proof of shipment to the address on the PayPal invoice.

If you shipped the item somewhere other then what was on the invoice you will lose your protection and typically if you don't have tracking (i.e. a way to show you actually shipped the item) then you will lose your protection but it doesn't technically have to show delivered.

Also the fee for fighting a chargeback used to be $20. That's bad news if it is now $80. Customer service will typically waive that fee if you call in about it. I'm a grandfathered PayPal Preferred member (I'm not sure how I signed up but I did over ten years ago---it's free) so not only do I earn 1.5% back on all purchases made with my PayPal MasterCard I also don't have to pay any fees on chargebacks.
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My friend got banned and in my research trying to find out what to do, I found hundreds of horror stories from ebay. Including one site that had an ex-ebay account rep who posted there anonymously(not sure how everyone knew if he was telling the truth, but the mods and admin said he was legit so I took their word for it). He exposed what I suspected all along, because my friend had a perfect feedback and almost perfect everything and he was banned and never told why. He tried calling them and they wouldn't give him an answer and hung up on him. All his emails were replied with automated messages. You are basically excommunicated and are dead to them and no longer exist. They will not speak to you, they will not email respond to you, they just ignore ignore ignore.

Can't tell you how many people were banned for no legitimate reason at all. Some were banned, because major ebay sellers who were competing complained, because they couldn't match the lower prices, so ebay sided with the larger sellers that would bring more money to ebay. It's so incredibly rude. All people want is an answer and they just won't give it.

The flaw about Paypal's protection is buyers can file those claims waaaaaay after the fact. So 50 days after you make a sale, if you no longer have receipts to scan and upload to Paypal, then you are fucked. Because Paypal typically asks for two forms of proof. Not just a tracking number. It's happened to me before. Some scammer filed a claim with Paypal and I gave a tracking number. Then he filed one with his bank, and Paypal re-opened a case asking for additional proof. I was lucky I kept my receipts after all that time. Your average seller may not do that. Once the seller receives a positive feedback, they probably just toss everything.

 
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If you don't mind me asking, what receipt? The receipt for the shipping label or what?

When I sell on eBay, I just keep an excel document that shows exactly what I made minus all fees, shipping costs, etc. Nothing that can really be used as proof, just a reference for me.

 
I just used the receipt I got from the post office when I shipped it out. If you have a prepaid label, you may not get one. I don't know. Not sure what you would use as "additional proof" if you don't have one. Paypal severely limits your options. I'm paraphrasing, but it's something like:

Option 1: Provide tracking number

Option 2: Provide fax or scanned copies of receipts or proof of shipping

Option 3: Give buyer their money back

 
Oh, I see.

I always use prepaid labels, but when you take those packages into the post office, they scan them and give you a receipt. That is probably what I should keep. Best chance I would have to win if something like that happened. It's a pain in the ass though.

Thanks for the info.

 
Ugh, I am really pissed with a certain eBay seller.

First I bought an item on Saturday night. Either later that night or in Sunday morning, I sent a message requesting a cancellation. The guy ships it out anyways on Monday and then says he messed up and didn't read my message in time, which I find hard to believe, and that he would refund me for the item cost if I sent it back. I receive the item later in the week and went to the post office and asked to return to sender by writing refused (which might make me ineligible for buyer protection), which is probably my biggest mistake because now I probably have no proof of this as the worker never gave me a receipt. This was back around 3 weeks ago. Now, I finally get a response from the seller who now claims he never got the item back which I believe is complete bullshit since mail from California to Tennessee definitely shouldn't take three weeks and unless he used a fake address sending it to me, there should be no reason to not have gotten it back.

 
Roxxell said:
Ugh, I am really pissed with a certain eBay seller.

First I bought an item on Saturday night. Either later that night or in Sunday morning, I sent a message requesting a cancellation. The guy ships it out anyways on Monday and then says he messed up and didn't read my message in time, which I find hard to believe, and that he would refund me for the item cost if I sent it back. I receive the item later in the week and went to the post office and asked to return to sender by writing refused (which might make me ineligible for buyer protection), which is probably my biggest mistake because now I probably have no proof of this as the worker never gave me a receipt. This was back around 3 weeks ago. Now, I finally get a response from the seller who now claims he never got the item back which I believe is complete bullshit since mail from California to Tennessee definitely shouldn't take three weeks and unless he used a fake address sending it to me, there should be no reason to not have gotten it back.
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When a package is refused or marked "return to sender" it always crawls back and goes the slowest possible route regardless if it was originally sent by an expedited service however the original tracking number will still work.

What does the tracking say?

 
The guy never gave me a tracking number.

Even if it did takes the slowest route, would it still not return by now if it was sent back on December 13?

 
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Roxxell said:
The guy never gave me a tracking number.

Even if it did takes the slowest route, would it still not return by now if it was sent back on December 13?
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Not necessarily. Packages sent Parcel Select crawl this time of year.

What was the value of the item? It is unlikely that the seller didn't originally have tracking on the package unless it was a low value item going in an envelope. You could always open an INR dispute on the original transaction; at that point the seller would have to upload tracking to win the dispute (unless he tried to outsmart you and use your eBay message conversation as proof you received the item) and once you had the original tracking you could use that to see if it was returned to him.

Also for future reference if you ever refuse a package the tracking stays the same so just jot it down on a piece of paper before actually refusing it.

 
The item was $19.99 + $2.58 shipping.

Though I would hate to do this since it's an obvious lie and would probably hurt my credibility in any related case, I'm pretty sure just through message alone I would lose an INR dispute. He's been a member since 2001, so I think he would know to do that if he actually means to keep my money. I'm going to see if I can get some information from USPS in hopes I can get proof that he has it or it's still going to him.

And yeah, I thought I had recorded it but either I never did or lost it.

 
I can speak personally about this. I've shipped items before without tracking that were delivered to an "undeliverable address" like a DLC voucher and I usually get them back a month later or just under. Sometimes they take FOREVER to get back.

 
Roxxell said:
The guy never gave me a tracking number.

Even if it did takes the slowest route, would it still not return by now if it was sent back on December 13?
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Never -- EVER "refuse" delivery of an eBay item. You are automatically ineligible for buyer protection once you do so.

The refused package should use the same tracking number as the original one sent to you. I know this from experience.

If the buyer isn't a total shithead, he will refund you properly. Knowing how people are in general though, he will take your money and run.

 
HydroX said:
Never -- EVER "refuse" delivery of an eBay item. You are automatically ineligible for buyer protection once you do so.

The refused package should use the same tracking number as the original one sent to you. I know this from experience.

If the buyer isn't a total shithead, he will refund you properly. Knowing how people are in general though, he will take your money and run.
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Yeah, I acknowledged that I lost buyer protection in an earlier post. Still rather new to some stuff on eBay so it's a lesson learned the hard way.

 
Roxxell said:
Yeah, I acknowledged that I lost buyer protection in an earlier post. Still rather new to some stuff on eBay so it's a lesson learned the hard way.
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I read it. Just confirming. :)

Sorry to hear that happen. I hope the seller does end up refunding you.

 
Sold a PS4 on eBay, the buyer opened an INR dispute. Uploaded the tracking, but the place I shipped it from (which I always ship from, and always requires signature confirmation on anything over $400) conveniently didn't add signature confirmation this time, so UPS left it at their garage, and I lost the claim.

Since the package was fully insured, I figured I'd just open a UPS claim that it was lost, as the buyer supposedly didn't receive it. UPS called the buyer, who told them that she did receive it. So much for that. UPS gave me a form stating that they contacted the buyer, who confirmed receipt of the package, which I uploaded to PayPal, but my appeal was still turned down.

Now, my PayPal balance is negative almost $600, and the buyer basically got a free PS4. Oh, well. At least I withdrew the money forever ago. No way am I paying to remove the negative balance.

Oddly enough, the buyer purchased the PS4 in September, and opened the claim almost 3 months later. PayPal says disputes must be opened within 45 days, so obviously they do make exceptions to their terms.

 
That sucks, but doesn't Paypal take money from your bank/credit card? Also, did you try calling Paypal or the insurance? Isn't this mail fraud and/or insurance fraud?

 
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From what I've read, they can't just take the money from your bank or card, you have to do it yourself. After someone has a negative balance for a while, they'll probably lock the account and/or send it to collections.

Yes, I called PayPal twice (once to ask why the claim was found in their favor even though the tracking said it was delivered, and again after I got the proof from UPS). When UPS called her to verify her claim that it was not received, she told them she received it, which pretty much kills any chance I have of getting my insurance money from them.

If only I could get PayPal themselves to call her and ask.

I might try calling PayPal one more time tomorrow, although I doubt it'll accomplish anything. Their claims/disputes dept. has phone reps, but appeals supposedly doesn't. They've already refunded the buyer, so it's not like they'd care about anything I have to say.

Buyer has 0 feedback too.

 
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lmz00 said:
Sold a PS4 on eBay, the buyer opened an INR dispute. Uploaded the tracking, but the place I shipped it from (which I always ship from, and always requires signature confirmation on anything over $400) conveniently didn't add signature confirmation this time, so UPS left it at their garage, and I lost the claim.

Since the package was fully insured, I figured I'd just open a UPS claim that it was lost, as the buyer supposedly didn't receive it. UPS called the buyer, who told them that she did receive it. So much for that. UPS gave me a form stating that they contacted the buyer, who confirmed receipt of the package, which I uploaded to PayPal, but my appeal was still turned down.

Now, my PayPal balance is negative almost $600, and the buyer basically got a free PS4. Oh, well. At least I withdrew the money forever ago. No way am I paying to remove the negative balance.

Oddly enough, the buyer purchased the PS4 in September, and opened the claim almost 3 months later. PayPal says disputes must be opened within 45 days, so obviously they do make exceptions to their terms.
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wow that is absolutely awful, lmz. that's the worst case scenario. I'm really sorry about that.

What's confusing is why would the buyer admit to receiving the item? In trying to scam you, they should consistently deny ever receiving the item. You could try contacting the buyer directly yourself then and get them to call back Paypal about receiving the item after all. Seems like to me if they are willing to fess up to UPS, they should just bone up and explain to Paypal what happened. Maybe they had a change of heart and decided to be honest (after the Paypal claim but before UPS contacted them). You may be able to find their phone number through your eBay shipping label options.

If not, you can send their information this way and I'd gladly sign them up for a bunch of magazine subscriptions since I have a few I will be retailiating with over the next week for their past discretions.
 
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Usually if you prove the item was delivered, you are covered. Usually ebay bans the buyer(especially if they have a low feedback) because ebay suspects fraud on their part. It's happened before to me. A buyer opened a claim saying he didn't get the item through Paypal. I provided tracking, etc that proved it was delivered. I won the claim and his account was deleted(not just banned/suspended).

So not sure why you lost the dispute. It makes no sense if you proved it was delivered and tracking says it was delivered. ebay has no way of proving they didn't just say they didn't get it if it showed as delivered.

You can file a counter claim against the buyer, you know.

 
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lmz00 said:
From what I've read, they can't just take the money from your bank or card, you have to do it yourself. After someone has a negative balance for a while, they'll probably lock the account and/or send it to collections.

Yes, I called PayPal twice (once to ask why the claim was found in their favor even though the tracking said it was delivered, and again after I got the proof from UPS). When UPS called her to verify her claim that it was not received, she told them she received it, which pretty much kills any chance I have of getting my insurance money from them.

If only I could get PayPal themselves to call her and ask.

I might try calling PayPal one more time tomorrow, although I doubt it'll accomplish anything. Their claims/disputes dept. has phone reps, but appeals supposedly doesn't. They've already refunded the buyer, so it's not like they'd care about anything I have to say.

Buyer has 0 feedback too.
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Don't get scammed!! Fight it back, We're talking about $600 here !! You know what i can do with $600? Pay rent, buy food, or buy whole lot of drugs (games included :D/ ) !!!!!!

 
Called PayPal again today, they basically told me all I could do was ask her to pay me again, so I sent her an invoice. If she doesn't pay, I'll probably go the small claims court route. Got nothing to lose.

 
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lmz00 said:
Called PayPal again today, they basically told me all I could do was ask her to pay me again, so I sent her an invoice. If she doesn't pay, I'll probably go the small claims court route. Got nothing to lose.
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This is why I never sell big ticket items on ebay. Paypal is just horrible. If I were you I would obtain this womans phone number from ebay (pretty easy to do) and let her know personally that you have proof that she did in fact receive the item and you will file a police report and take her to small claims court if she does not repay you for it. Maybe that would put some fear in her and she'll pay up.

 
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I'd definitely file a police report. Also when notified make sure she hears the word "mail fraud." Something about the word "fraud" puts fear into people. I guess, because the next word equated to that in most people's brains is "prison"

Even if they won't actually go to prison, they don't know that. Scammers that aren't experienced think it is all fun and games until they hear the word "fraud" and "police report" thrown around.

 
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OP, are you in the same state as the scammer? If not, good luck making anything happen in small claims court. Even if you are in the same state, if it's a big state like California you might not be able to pull this off if you live at different ends of the state. If you do get a default judgment (assuming the scammer is in a different area and no shows and doesn't appear or prevail on a motion challenging jurisdiction), you're probably going to be out the cost of the PS4 in court fees and any attorney costs for trying to collect the judgment in the state where the scammer resides.

Getting the police to do something might actually be a better option if you want justice since the reality is, you're probably out the cost of your PS4 any way you look at it. But good luck getting your police department to take the claim seriously and then coordinate with another police department somewhere else to actually bust this person. I'd be surprised if a DA gave a rats ass about the scammer unless the cost of all this amounted to a felony.

 
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Buyer lives less than an hour away from Boston. If I end up doing the small claims court thing, it'll be in her district, and I'll add the court costs, travel costs, etc. on top of the cost of the PS4. Ideally, just getting the notice that they have to appear will be enough for them to pay up.

 
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