Does Amazon do anything to dishonest sellers?

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KingofOldSchool

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I bought the Transformers Boxset from a seller for $60 on the Amazon Marketplace a couple of days ago. Last night the lady sent me a message to confirm my address, so I did.

Now just a bit ago, I got a message from her stating that she had to cancel the order because she realized "there were discs missing". I checked on the product page and evidently she relisted it for $30 higher than what she had it listed for when I bought it.

Of course that is majorly shady and dishonest. Since I can't leave feedback, the only other option is to contact Amazon, but I doubt it would be worth it if they don't do anything about it.
 
[quote name='KingofOldSchool']I bought the Transformers Boxset from a seller for $60 on the Amazon Marketplace a couple of days ago. Last night the lady sent me a message to confirm my address, so I did.

Now just a bit ago, I got a message from her stating that she had to cancel the order because she realized "there were discs missing". I checked on the product page and evidently she relisted it for $30 higher than what she had it listed for when I bought it.

Of course that is majorly shady and dishonest. Since I can't leave feedback, the only other option is to contact Amazon, but I doubt it would be worth it if they don't do anything about it.[/QUOTE]

Dont worry about it as amazon is very strict on seller issuing refund. If she does it more than a few times she will get ban.
 
I don't know if I would call that action shady (it is possible to have a sale in store before the sale happens on Amazon, so the business would have to cancel the order for that reason) but I would call it a poor business practice because it's an attempt to weasel out of the sacred covenant of the deal just because they suddenly think they can get more.

The simplest solution is not to buy from a seller that flakes. Maybe they'll regret not making the sale when their great expectations aren't realized.
 
[quote name='62t']Dont worry about it as amazon is very strict on seller issuing refund. If she does it more than a few times she will get ban.[/QUOTE]

Really? I've had a couple of buyers send back items out of the goodness of my heart. I said, "sure, but you have to pay shipping back and it has to stay sealed".

If i'm going to get banned because they changed their mind, i'm going to stop letting people change their minds.
 
How can you not leave her bad feedback... you can... what she did was wrong... I had a guy leave me bad feedback a long time ago when I sold a PS2 network adaptor, I realize Id sold it without the disc so I cancelled it, relisted it properly, which was slightly less than before, and he left bad feedback saying I was listing for alot more... I just didnt want to screw over a buyer, who seem to flake out and blame the seller over ANYTHING wrong... good news is Ive been at 100% for about 18 months now...
 
[quote name='Estebon']Really? I've had a couple of buyers send back items out of the goodness of my heart. I said, "sure, but you have to pay shipping back and it has to stay sealed".

If i'm going to get banned because they changed their mind, i'm going to stop letting people change their minds.[/QUOTE]

I wouldn't recommend this. Amazon will refund for you. It doesn't matter if you say no. Amazon is VERY buyer friendly and will suspend your account if you try something like this. Amazon does NOT make a person return the item for a refund.
 
They already issued me a refund, that's not a concern. My problem is that she agreed to sell it for $60, then made up an excuse to cancel my order so they can turn around and sell it for $30 higher.
 
Its pathetic, but unfortunately nothing you can do as you cant PROVE she lost the discs, and as she found them she may have recieved advice to sell for more from someone. This will 99.9% not be the case, as its most probably someone trying to get more money, but it cant be proved.
Bad luck mate, some people are just pricks.
 
Maybe she relisted it higher because she found the discs?

I bought a RE5 360 (the actual console) from an Amazon seller for $30. They canceled the order.
 
[quote name='Porksta']Maybe she relisted it higher because she found the discs?[/QUOTE]
This would make sense if she was originally selling it for $60 because it was missing discs, but she only pulled the missing discs excuse AFTER the sale.

Why can't you leave feedback? I'm not familiar with Amazon's policies but it seems a little odd that you aren't able to leave feedback.
 
Can't leave feedback if the order was canceled.

and shit happens. Can't say I care all that much. The percentage of buyers that actually pay for items on Ebay now is ridiculous. I used to have 1 or 2 buyers a year back out. Now in every batch of things I sell, someone backs out. I also just had some guy buy a game on Amazon who wanted to take all the valuable stuff out of a Collector's Edition game, then return everything else. I always have people cancel on me long after the game has shipped on amazon. Number 1 reason is because they didn't read ANYTHING before hitting the buy button-- they are shocked and appalled for getting a used item in rougher shape without instructions, but apparently did not realize they were buying the cheapest used copy of a game and that the description described exactly what they were getting. Don't even get me started on APO/FPO guys who buy from you even when the first line in your description is "NO APO/FPO." The best is when they complain to you like they're entitled because they do army paperwork on some base in Canada.

point is, online buying and selling is always going to be spotty.
 
[quote name='schuerm26']I wouldn't recommend this. Amazon will refund for you. It doesn't matter if you say no. Amazon is VERY buyer friendly and will suspend your account if you try something like this. Amazon does NOT make a person return the item for a refund.[/QUOTE]

Pretty sure Amazon requires the buyer to return items if they want a refund.. They are buyer friendly, so they do pretty much require you accept returns - but the buyer can't just keep it.

They are buyer friendly to a fault. I sold a new $8 xbox game - and the person complained saying the game didn't work. If they stopped there, I would have believed them and just processed the return. But no, they went on to blackmail me and say they would leave negative feedback if i didn't refund them - and then they would buy everything item I ever listed and not pay, just so they could leave negative feedback on that. Wasn't the best blackmail strategy since they left the negative already.
When i sent that over to Amazon seller support, I was told that it was not appropriate behavior. But that was it. They didn't remove the feedback and they even said to ignore the threat and try to work with the buyer for a return.
I replied to the email politely and said i would process the refund if they sent back the product and it was truly defective. I also told them i reported them to Amazon.
My theory was that this was some punk kid...i hope it was a punk kid. The address and name belonged to a doctor in LA, so i doubt the $8 would be a big deal to them so it was hopefully their kid. Never did hear back from them after that and didn't refund anything.



The seller also has the ability to charge a restocking fee - would only do that in buyer remorse cases.


[quote name='ninja dog']Can't leave feedback if the order was canceled.
Don't even get me started on APO/FPO guys who buy from you even when the first line in your description is "NO APO/FPO."[/QUOTE]

I've had the chance to leave feedback for canceled items. You can do it. The other day I got an email from Amazon saying "Please leave feedback for your transaction" and it was for something that was a slickdeal that a 3rd party had and they just canceled everyone's order.

I wish there was an option to block APO/FPO orders. I don't mind filling out the forms, but it usually winds up that my high dollar items are purchased by these guys. And with no tracking or ability to use FedEx/UPS, i just don't want to risk it. So when its a $15 game, i'll ship it. But when its a $150 guide, I won't. (Not to mention, why would they want a collector's item shipped overseas to a base...)
I've also gotten bad feedback from an APO shipment too which turned me off to it. I shipped the game the next day, and they left 3 star feedback saying it took too long to get there...
 
[quote name='Chronicle79']Can't you just call amazon and explain what is going on?[/QUOTE]

Ha! 'Call' Scamazon? They will do everything in their powers to keep you from doing that, much less even let you know what their phone number is. I'm afraid you really don't have much recourse, unfortunately, like others said.

They are right though...Amazon tracks your cancellations, refunds, etc...so if they are a smaller-time seller, then they will eventually get into some type of trouble for doing that kind of stuff too many times (probably have their account suspended, and their money illegally frozen for 90 days).

If you bought it from one of the big, huge Marketplace sellers like Hitgaming, etc...you're probably screwed, as well. Those larger sellers are in cahoots with Scamazon, and basically the same company, under a different name. Scamazon is not going to touch them.
 
[quote name='ninja dog']Can't leave feedback if the order was canceled.
.[/QUOTE]

Actually you can still leave feedback on a canceled order as I've done it before. I don't remember the actual process but I've done it a few times the latest was about a month ago.
 
[quote name='sgaldis']Those larger sellers are in cahoots with Scamazon, and basically the same company, under a different name. Scamazon is not going to touch them.[/QUOTE]
Hardly. They pay extra to have Amazon handle all their inventory, but the crappy prices, ridiculous shipping, and terrible item quality is all their fault. Amazon handles disputes the same as they would with any other seller, which is pretty sharply slanted towards the buyer.
 
[quote name='Indigo_Streetlight']I don't know if I would call that action shady (it is possible to have a sale in store before the sale happens on Amazon, so the business would have to cancel the order for that reason) but I would call it a poor business practice because it's an attempt to weasel out of the sacred covenant of the deal just because they suddenly think they can get more.

The simplest solution is not to buy from a seller that flakes. Maybe they'll regret not making the sale when their great expectations aren't realized.[/QUOTE]
:lol::lol::lol:Sacred Covenant. After dealing with so many picky ass people between CL and CAG, whoever gets the money in my hands first gets the item. I don't care if we've exchanged pleasantries and you even gave me a reacharound, if someone else can get me the cash sooner than you can then they get the item(s). I may make exceptions to that though if we've dealt before and everything went smoothly.

I check everything I have to make sure it's not suddenly and unexpectedly worth more and I try to sell any more valuable items at a tidy discount(at least 20% most times)versus their online worth.

But everybody expects you to eat shipping costs or ship a certain way.:roll:
 
[quote name='blissskr']Actually you can still leave feedback on a canceled order as I've done it before. I don't remember the actual process but I've done it a few times the latest was about a month ago.[/QUOTE]



Interesting. I've had to cancel a few items in the past (for legitimate reasons), surprised I haven't received angry feedback from idiot buyers.
 
Unfortunately flakiness is a staple of the online community. Actions that wouldn't fly in real life are apparently perfectly fine online since we're all just ships passing by in the night. Don't feel like responding to an email? No problem! Want to pretend that your item is broken to see if a gullible seller will give you a refund before you return the item? No big deal... if they don't buy into your ploy you can fold up shop and move right on to the next guy! Found a better buying or selling price for an item? No need to let the buyer or seller know, just BS 'em, or even better ignore them entirely! Losing a debate or deathmatch? Jump ship!

It can really piss me off; without any accountability both sellers and buyers can just do whatever they want without any repercussion. Unfortunately, what can you do? You just gotta laugh at how ridiculous they are and move on.
 
[quote name='Estebon']Really? I've had a couple of buyers send back items out of the goodness of my heart. I said, "sure, but you have to pay shipping back and it has to stay sealed".

If i'm going to get banned because they changed their mind, i'm going to stop letting people change their minds.[/QUOTE]

They will ban you for giving refunds regardless of if it is your fault or not. When you try to explain it to them they will not care. To them a refund means the item you sent out was defective, doesn't matter if it was or not. I'm an incredibly customer-friendly eBay seller, when a customer wants to return an item, I oblige. I have never been punished there for it so I didn't think I would on Amazon (who knew good customer service was something you should get banned for?).

Anyways, in February I had three buyers request a return on items I sent because they no longer wanted them (not because of defects). In May I was notified that my "ODR" had fallen below desirable levels. By the start of June they had banned me.

You are only allowed 1 refund per 100 orders. Your "ODR" (order defect ratio) metric is only allowed to be 1%. If it falls below that you will get suspended and banned.

The great thing about when they ban you is that they hold your money for 90 days. They are sitting on $300 of mine, simply because I tried to keep customers happy. Amazon is a headache waiting to happen for smaller sellers, unless you are willing to be a jerk and decline returns.
 
[quote name='62t']Dont worry about it as amazon is very strict on seller issuing refund. If she does it more than a few times she will get ban.[/QUOTE]

Depends on how many items they sell. Amazon's policy is you have to maintain a 1% order defect rate or lower. By that, Amazon means no refunds, no cancellations and no orders being shipped out late (more than 2 days). It's pretty hard to maintain to be honest. I'm a pretty damn good eBay seller (1,500+ transactions since Feb or last year) and have always maintained a powerseller/top rated seller status, but with Amazon, I'm on the verge of getting warned.

Edit - Looks like Doom covered it before me :p.
 
You can leave negative feedback. One of my three was from me testing out a game with an add on, the add on worked for a bit then would get flaky. I canceled the order and explained the add on was glitchy over a long period of time. Dude bitched and left me negative feedback.

[quote name='Renaissance 2K']Hardly. They pay extra to have Amazon handle all their inventory, but the crappy prices, ridiculous shipping, and terrible item quality is all their fault. Amazon handles disputes the same as they would with any other seller, which is pretty sharply slanted towards the buyer.[/QUOTE]

They won't ban them unless they become atrocious for that reason. They still favor the buyers, but the larger ones can pretty much get 30+ returns a month and Amazon won't touch them. They can sell bootlegs and reseal stuff. While to the smaller ones, a single return can mess you up. Ebay is a bit of a hassle. I can at least block buyers, and have some protection. While I'm still more or less likely to lose. It's not Amazon.
 
[quote name='Shinoto']You can leave negative feedback. One of my three was from me testing out a game with an add on, the add on worked for a bit then would get flaky. I canceled the order and explained the add on was glitchy over a long period of time. Dude bitched and left me negative feedback.

[/QUOTE]

I feel you. Out of the 30 or so items I've sold on Amazon I have had ONE buyer leave feedback. That buyer left a negative because I ran OOS of whatever he was buying =/. I canceled the order the same day too and he didn't get charged, but I still got a negative =(.
 
So I just got back a package from a buyer who never claimed it. I got 3 orders from the same buyer, but different addresses. So I put "signature confirmation" on all of them.

I got one back today. I mailed this to them priority on May 28, close to two months ago. They have no filed an A-Z claim or anything. What do I do?
 
[quote name='Estebon']So I just got back a package from a buyer who never claimed it. I got 3 orders from the same buyer, but different addresses. So I put "signature confirmation" on all of them.

I got one back today. I mailed this to them priority on May 28, close to two months ago. They have no filed an A-Z claim or anything. What do I do?[/QUOTE]

Email him and ask him why you got it back.
 
[quote name='ninja dog']Interesting. I've had to cancel a few items in the past (for legitimate reasons), surprised I haven't received angry feedback from idiot buyers.[/QUOTE]
Well personally I wouldn't leave negative feedback for a legitimate cancel where I was informed by the seller, etc. But if someone took days to cancel with no reason given, etc. Then I'm inclined to leave neutral/negative and note that under their feedback to help others avoid that in the future; I never leave negative just to be a jerk only if I have good reason will I do it.
 
[quote name='blissskr']Well personally I wouldn't leave negative feedback for a legitimate cancel where I was informed by the seller, etc. But if someone took days to cancel with no reason given, etc. Then I'm inclined to leave neutral/negative and note that under their feedback to help others avoid that in the future; I never leave negative just to be a jerk only if I have good reason will I do it.[/QUOTE]



you're one of the good ones then. plenty of crazies out there! :)
 
[quote name='blissskr']Well personally I wouldn't leave negative feedback for a legitimate cancel where I was informed by the seller, etc. But if someone took days to cancel with no reason given, etc. Then I'm inclined to leave neutral/negative and note that under their feedback to help others avoid that in the future; I never leave negative just to be a jerk only if I have good reason will I do it.[/QUOTE]
I left a negative feedback for a local seller of game guides when I found out it was one of the Best Buy employees hoarding all of the guides from both local stores and reselling them on Ebay.

I left the feedback due to 'overcharging on shipping'.;)

Up until then they had perfect positive feedback.:evil:
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']I left a negative feedback for a local seller of game guides when I found out it was one of the Best Buy employees hoarding all of the guides from both local stores and reselling them on Ebay.

I left the feedback due to 'overcharging on shipping'.;)

Up until then they had perfect positive feedback.:evil:[/QUOTE]

What makes him any less entitled to buy and sell those guides than you?
 
[quote name='Doomstink']What makes him any less entitled to buy and sell those guides than you?[/QUOTE]
Because at the time I wasn't El Hoardo on guides and I was just trying to get the 1-2 I needed. But every time I checked after a drop I found none at either BB.:bomb:

Then when searching the Ebay listings for the guides I wanted I found that the one seller was from this area and after asking them a question she confirmed she worked for BB and grabbed everything.

So I felt like being a jerk and leaving her a negative, since she did charge me like $4-5 for shipping on top of $3-4 for the guide and sent it in an unpadded clasp envelope.

Was I wrong? Probably. But it felt damn good to be so vindictive at the time. They tightened up on guides around here for six months after that and she must've been subsequently fired/left BB, since the stream of guides stopped.
 
+4 on leaving negative feedback.
You can and should under these circumstances, same thing happened to me with a book...canceled my order and relisted for higher amount...I left negative feedback accordingly...and wrote to Amazon...
 
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