TC1013's Ebay Experience. Caution: If All Is Not Read, U May Post Stupidly.

I've been holding off on buying Zone of the Enders (the first one) for a while now because I was hoping to find a sealed copy at a cheaper price then what its going for. After giving up hope, I finally bought one on ebay for $30 from seller aranwhit. They have 100% feedback w/ 33 positive feedbacks. I figured that this was a pretty safe decision. I get the game in the mail today and notice that its sealed with the crap plastic that anyone can reseal a game with. I also notice through the crap plastic that the PS2 security sticker on the top of the case is missing. Giving the seller the benefit of the doubt, I open the game up to give the real test...does the disc show signs of use? Yes, it does. So I write them an angry email and maybe I should've handled it differently...but i was pissed. Here's the rest of the story.

I sent this to them:

Dear aranwhit,

If I wanted this game Used & ReSealed, I would've bought it from any local video game store for $9.99. Actually cheaper when they have their "buy 2 get 1 free on used video game" sales. This game is not sealed and it is not new. I would've never bid at all if you would'nt have falsely advertised this auction, let alone as high as I bid. Nice try, but I am not a fool. I will give you a few choices to settle this. If this isn't settled, I will contact ebay, paypal, and you can expect to be contacted by my lawyer.
1.) Send me my money back via paypal plus a little extra to cover the paypal fee that will be charged to me and $3 for shipping and handling so I can send this game back to you.
2.) Or send me back $20 via paypal to cover the difference between this game being used and this game being new.

They sent me this:

Dear bfh82ff,

As you can see from our feedback we are not used to having such problems. We purchase and resell items as we bought them. The item was purchased by us new and that is what we thought it was. Did you open the packaging? If the package is not open we are willing to negotiate with you to make sure both parties are happy. We are truly sorry if the game was not knew. That is what we were told when purchasing from a third party. We want to make sure that this misunderstood issue does not ruin your eBay experience. If the package is unopened we will be glad to send you 3.00 for the shipping and PayPal fee. We would have to receive the item before issuing a refund for obvious reasons. If the package is opened we are not certain as to what we can do next as technology is growing more efficient every day and people are able to illegally copy games and DVD's. We would not be able to find out if you have pirated the game and are sending it back so you get the game for free. We hope this is not the case. We understand why you are upset. We would be upset as well if what you are saying is true and it happened to us. But you need to understand that it was an honest mistake and we assumed it was new since it was packaged. Please rest assure we are not the type of people you may think we are. We thrive on giving our fellow eBay members nothing but the best service and the highest quality items. Please get back to us at your earliest convenience so we may resolve this issue in a peaceful manor. Thank you for your patience and we hope you will understand our side as well as yours.

So I sent this:

Yes, I opened the game up. I saw that the game was repackaged and that the sticker wasn't on the top of the case, which I'm sure you saw too....afterall, anyone can see through clear plastic. Do not try to play this innocent role. I gave you the benefit of the doubt by opening it up to see if the disc was scratched up...that would be the deciding factor on if the disc was used or not. Yes, the disc is scratched up. You can't do anything if the game is opened? I could easily reseal it...it would be in the same shape as it was when I got it. So that just doesn't make any sense. You are the type of people that I think you are. You are not willing to settle this because it is opened. That is complete bullshit. If we were to settle this by me being refunded the money, I would need to send first for obvious reasons? Bullshit. If that were the case, in the past between you and I, I have done my part of the deal...paid in full at a fast pace. You on the other hand have not. You have sent me something that is not what we agreed on. This is false advertisement and you seem to think that just because this is an online auction, that it isn't to be tooken seriously. So with the fact that I have done nothing wrong and you have, you will send the money first and then I will send you your game. You can see that I can be trusted. I can't see that you can. Settle this or I will take it up with ebay, paypal, and my lawyer. I will also make sure that noone purchases from you ever again...you are a fraud until you make yourself shown otherwise. You say that you are so for customer satisfaction, prove it. I have seen nothing to show any customer satisfaction.

Yes, I'm pissed off when I'm wronged...and when I'm wronged, I'm an asshole. Now what? I know that I'm bullshitting about the whole lawyer thing...but seriously, what can I do to get my money back?

That sucks. Did yo get feedback yet? If so, leave them negative if they dont resolve the issue.

tell them to send you a new copy of the same game. then, it wouldn't matter if that "technology is growing more efficient every day and people are able to illegally copy games and DVD's" because you just want the same game.

bignick - they apparantly knew better then to leave feedback first...those bastards

thatstoobad - i plan on telling them what you said after i receive their next email, if i receive one...

Leave them neg feedback, and if they do it too you, just respone with sold used game as new wouldnt fix problem.

you could just ask him to exchange the game for another copy. Therefore that copying arguement wouldnt hold up and if he can't provide you with the second copy have him send you a refund

"technology is growing more efficient every day and people are able to illegally copy games and DVD's

Click to expand...

" if you look Gameboy gams we sale, you will see we no alot about practice. "


No idea about the actual guys auction, but I see the same type on Ebay all the time.

[quote name='hutno']you could just ask him to exchange the game for another copy. Therefore that copying arguement wouldnt hold up and if he can't provide you with the second copy have him send you a refund[/quote]

if they dont exchange it, which im strongly doubting they would....then i want the refund, but they want me to send first....ive been crapped on once by them, i dont want to chance getting crapped on twice...so im definitely not sending the game back to them b4 getting my money back

their response:

Dear Valued eBayer,
If you weren't so rude maybe we would be able to resolve this issue a lot easier instead of being childish. We purchased the game sealed and that is what we sold it as. We wrote on the heading SEALED PS2 game. That is not false advertising. We wrote exactly what the item was. SEALED. We did not open the game therefor we were not able to see the items condition. We purchased it new and that it was. We are not going to send you the money not knowing if you will ever send the item. That is not how it works with any business you will see online. as well as stores. How do we know that the item will still be intact? How do we know you won't scratch it and send it back to us out of spite? These are things we have to think about as well. We will send the $3.00 for shipping if that is what you would like. But we will not give you an additional $20.00 out of our pockets so you can have the game plus the money. When you are ready to handle this like an adult and not threaten then we will be able to do something about this situation but threatening us is not going to help you any so please do not attempt to scare us. We are not in the wrong here and we are not going to take a hit for something that is clearly a misunderstanding. WE DID NOT KNOW IT WAS NOT NEW. When you understand that we can move on in this negotiation.
Sincerely,
Ara N' Whit

LOL Damn you didn't even try gradually working up to being an asshole, you just went right there from the start. If they bother replying after that good luck.

Edit: Pretty much what I figured your response from them would be.

If the seller cant tell that a game is not new, then they shouldnt be selling games on ebay. Hopefully you can get your money back.

I dont mess with ebay no more, most of its fraud and if you do find something good for a price shipping is out of control

[quote name='trustcompany1013']
So I sent this:

Yes, I opened the game up. I saw that the game was repackaged and that the sticker wasn't on the top of the case, which I'm sure you saw too....afterall, anyone can see through clear plastic.
[/quote]

That was your mistake right here. You shouldn't of admitted to opening it. You should of resealed it and told them no i didnt open it but i can tell by the packaging that it was opened allready. Being that you opened it, the best thing you can do is leave bad feeback.

You were not too harsh, they're just being retards. They're so professional they wrote, "We are truly sorry if the game was not knew," and "Please get back to us at your earliest convenience so we may resolve this issue in a peaceful manor." them, them in the ass. Hell, get a lawyer on them.

We wrote on the heading SEALED PS2 game. That is not false advertising

Click to expand...

translated:
"f**k you" (sorry, Shaq-Fu is lame, true, so is ** but hey) Sounds like they suspected it to start with, but it will be very hard to go anywhere with that unfortunatly.


The fact that you opened it pretty much voids the biggest argument for you, the seal was not there. I wish you the best, but honestly, I don't see much hope.

Just send the game back to them if they said you would get a refund. I have on a few occasions - and I've always gotten the refund once they got their game back. If they do receive the game, and do not give you the refund or sell another copy, then report them. First file a standard complaint if they don't give you the refund in a reasonable amount of time, then between 30 and 60 days, file a FRAUD ALERT. I got burned once, and didn't know about the fraud alert, and got screwed.

this is a little off topic kinda, but i bought a game from the CC sale, spy hunter 2 for xbox, and its wrapped in plastic instead of being shrinkwrapped.. has it been opened or do they just do this on some games (the seal still seems to be in tact though)

[quote name='Ericnmel99'][quote name='trustcompany1013']
So I sent this:

Yes, I opened the game up. I saw that the game was repackaged and that the sticker wasn't on the top of the case, which I'm sure you saw too....afterall, anyone can see through clear plastic.
[/quote]

That was your mistake right here. You shouldn't of admitted to opening it. You should of resealed it and told them no i didnt open it but i can tell by the packaging that it was opened allready. Being that you opened it, the best thing you can do is leave bad feeback.[/quote]

I know that was a mistake, but my horrible trait of being honest takes over from time to time. I thought about lying, but then I thought about them being understanding and not needing to be lied to. Oh well, I'm doubting that this is going to end without me just being stuck with the used game and out $30. I'm already starting to get over that fact, but it still doesn't mean that I'm not going to give them hell.

My response to them:

I hope you don't call yourself a business, because thats false advertising as well. Any business would've understood my complaint and would've seen to it that I am satisfied. A business such as Best Buy would guarantee me my money back or an equal exchange for the same game. A business like Best Buy can't hide behind an ebay name and run off to never be found again. I would trust sending a game back to a business like them. You, I can not trust, that has been proven. You have called me childish and rude because of a mistake that you have made. Lets say "you" didn't personally reseal this game, then you should have checked it thorougly enough to the point of where you were certain that you weren't falsely advertising something when saying that it is "New! Sealed." You seem to have left out the "New" part when writing that last email. That is false advertising. You say you still want to resolve this if I can stop being childish, that's really customer friendly. You already told me that if its opened, you can't resolve this, so how the hell are you supposed to resolve it when you told me you can't? Never in your auction did you say "as is." You have that little rant in there about how "technology is growing more efficient every day and people are able to illegally copy games and DVD's"...well I don't do illegal things and I'm not trying to make copies of this game...all I want is an even exchange. Don't give me the money back if you don't want to, just send me the same game but "NEW & SEALED" as promised. If you can't comply to that, then you're "illegal copying" arguement is dismissed. This shouldn't be an issue since your auction also conveniently states, "we are proud to be amongst the elite of ebay and i think a review of our feedback will back up this statement. we also have extremely competitve pricing on all our items, but we offer service second to none." I have 5 times the amount of positive feedback that you have on ebay and have never had a problem...so far your service has been second to everyone....but be my guest to prove me wrong.

One time I sold a copy of Silpheed for the PS2, which I got from ebGames and decided I didn't want it. I think I sold it for $9 or so, which was maybe $2 more than I paid for it.

It was a sealed copy and I never examined it, but the guy who bought it told me it was used. So I'm assuming ebGames sold me a used game as new, and I've read that other people have had the same experience -- especially when ebGames had their return policy (not sure if they still do).

So the seller may have not been aware it was a used copy. I refunded the buyers money in full and told him to keep the game-the way I see it, I said it was a NEW and SEALED copy of the game. I didn't verify it, so my error and my problem.

[quote name='trustcompany1013'][quote name='Ericnmel99'][quote name='trustcompany1013']
So I sent this:

Yes, I opened the game up. I saw that the game was repackaged and that the sticker wasn't on the top of the case, which I'm sure you saw too....afterall, anyone can see through clear plastic.
[/quote]

That was your mistake right here. You shouldn't of admitted to opening it. You should of resealed it and told them no i didnt open it but i can tell by the packaging that it was opened allready. Being that you opened it, the best thing you can do is leave bad feeback.[/quote]

I know that was a mistake, but my horrible trait of being honest takes over from time to time. I thought about lying, but then I thought about them being understanding and not needing to be lied to. Oh well, I'm doubting that this is going to end without me just being stuck with the used game and out $30. I'm already starting to get over that fact, but it still doesn't mean that I'm not going to give them hell.

My response to them:

I hope you don't call yourself a business, because thats false advertising as well. Any business would've understood my complaint and would've seen to it that I am satisfied. A business such as Best Buy would guarantee me my money back or an equal exchange for the same game. A business like Best Buy can't hide behind an ebay name and run off to never be found again. I would trust sending a game back to a business like them. You, I can not trust, that has been proven. You have called me childish and rude because of a mistake that you have made. Lets say "you" didn't personally reseal this game, then you should have checked it thorougly enough to the point of where you were certain that you weren't falsely advertising something when saying that it is "New! Sealed." You seem to have left out the "New" part when writing that last email. That is false advertising. You say you still want to resolve this if I can stop being childish, that's really customer friendly. You already told me that if its opened, you can't resolve this, so how the hell are you supposed to resolve it when you told me you can't? Never in your auction did you say "as is." You have that little rant in there about how "technology is growing more efficient every day and people are able to illegally copy games and DVD's"...well I don't do illegal things and I'm not trying to make copies of this game...all I want is an even exchange. Don't give me the money back if you don't want to, just send me the same game but "NEW & SEALED" as promised. If you can't comply to that, then you're "illegal copying" arguement is dismissed. This shouldn't be an issue since your auction also conveniently states, "we are proud to be amongst the elite of ebay and i think a review of our feedback will back up this statement. we also have extremely competitve pricing on all our items, but we offer service second to none." I have 5 times the amount of positive feedback that you have on ebay and have never had a problem...so far your service has been second to everyone....but be my guest to prove me wrong.[/quote]

Now that was a kickass response. It has the perfect balance of anger and rationality.

they responded:

Turn your IMs on o we may be able to talk this out.

Trustcompany, that last one was an unbelievable email. They probably pissed their pants reading it.

I got screwed buying a brand new sealded "Brotherhood of the Wolf" dvd on ebay a while ago. When I recieved the dvd it was sealed by anyone other than the factory, plus there was a big scratch on the dvd case. I just wanted to save some money for my bro's birthday present but instead I got screwed. I only save about $2 on that dvd but it wasn't "Brand New" as it was advertised, it wasn't worth it at all. From now on I won't buy any present on ebay because of false advertising.

Ask for an exchange or refund. Else leave neg feedback. And never send your game back b4 they send you your money back. Or you can try to let them send you some money back like 20% discount or something for the used game.

I love how some people use legal and quasi-legal terms without knowing what they mean.

Anyway, it seems that rude buyers are having a much harder time than polite ones when trying to resolve prblems with sellers. Perhaps you would consider becoming a little more polite?

Of course, I wouldn't expect you to follow my advice; I certainly did not follow yours.

thanks tromack and dead of knight...as for eldad...if you plan on following me into every thread that i post in just to be an ass, have fun, cuz ill make you look like one more then you already make yourself

they responded:

Can you please turn your instant message on so we may resolve this issue now. This is ridiculous. Let's just get this over with.

Eldad, being polite has nothing to do with it. I am super nice in these situations, and it only makes it worse.

Yeah, if you're nice to assholes like these, they just walk all over you.

They're talking about sending me some money, but they're still be cheapasses about it and not wanting to cover the s&h. They also want me to write them a letter saying that I'm shipping the game out...as well as getting a DC#. I'm a very honest person, but who here would actually send the game back out?

ARA1616: To put this ssue to rest we are willing to sened the money under 1 condition...That we receive confirmation (a tracking number) from the post office that the game is being sent here. And a letter from you saying thjat you will not damage it.
TRUSTcompany1013: I will send a delivery confirmation # to you once the money order is received.
ARA1616: if those to requests are met we are willing to lose out on money that should rightfully be ours. read the bottom of the listing.Normally we would apply our 5 day satisfaction guarantee but in this case we cannot. For the simple reason that people have come up with advanced technology - ways to copy games and movies. We do not want to haggle over returns with items which may have been copied.
TRUSTcompany1013: I just sent you another email stating that I am a very trustworthy person and will hold no grudges once this is settled
ARA1616: we will be using paypal not money order
TRUSTcompany1013: Oh sorry, I read "money under" and through the anger and headaches that this has made me experience, I misread it.
TRUSTcompany1013: Thinking it said money order.
ARA1616: we also wqanted to note that we never said we would not handle it we said it is uncertain what we would be able to do
TRUSTcompany1013: But you did make it seem that you wouldn't be able to do anything if that were the case, otherwise it would'nt have been mentioned.
TRUSTcompany1013: It was like an "ut oh, too bad" comment...if that makes sense.
TRUSTcompany1013: The total of the game was $30.60. Shipping will be approximately $3.00 w/ a delivery confirmation #.
ARA1616: We are trying to make you undestand that this issue bothers us and hurts us as wel. You are afraid we are screwng you over and vise versa
TRUSTcompany1013: I am not sure what the paypal fees would be.
TRUSTcompany1013: Please understand that I am sorry that this happened as well and it seems that you are now eager to make up for it...which I am very thankful for.
ARA1616: If we are losing out on money becuase of a misunderstanding you should as well. WE should call the shipping even since it only costs 3 for shipping
TRUSTcompany1013: Once this is settled, their will be no more need to prove how loyal and trustworthy you are by talking...for you will have proved it by actions.
ARA1616: we charged money for handling and packaging.
TRUSTcompany1013: I am not please with that.
TRUSTcompany1013: While $3 isn't that much...it is not fair on me more so then you.
TRUSTcompany1013: I did nothing wrong and you must be able to see that there was no possible way that I could have done something wrong.
ARA1616: We are in negotiations... this is not going to end 100% on one persons side it is going to be equal
TRUSTcompany1013: You on the other hand it is questionable. While you might've very well not have done somehting wrong, you are the only one that could've out of both of us.
TRUSTcompany1013: So you are going to fight me over $3?
TRUSTcompany1013: That is ridiculous.
ARA1616: We charged 3 additional dollars for our handling fee's instead of us taking that money llike we would have if this problem didnt arrise... you can take that money and ship the item back
TRUSTcompany1013: Please don't tell me that we are in negotiations over $3.
ARA1616: Neither one of us is making anything off of this deal. it will be even if it ends that way. If we give you more then we got you will be making money off of us
TRUSTcompany1013: Look, I am agreeing to the settlement of us resolving this so it was like it never happened on my end. I did nothing wrong and you know that.
TRUSTcompany1013: I am not making money off of you.
TRUSTcompany1013: The post office is.
TRUSTcompany1013: And that is not my fault at all.
ARA1616: We did nothing wrong either, that is what you are not understanding
TRUSTcompany1013: Answer me this...is it possible for me to have done something wrong?
ARA1616: you paid 6.85 for shipping when it only costs 3 so therefor there is 3.85 that is not going towards anything. use that to shup the item
ARA1616: why did you open it if you thought it to be used? Why not keep it packaged and complain then
TRUSTcompany1013: So the extra $3 that you used for handling fees is the money that is missing here.
ARA1616: the handling fee will be your shipping money. that way we both do not lose out on anything
ARA1616: we are trying to work with you despite your rudeness before. you need to work with us as well. we could just say forget it at any time and not refund you but we choose to do this
TRUSTcompany1013: Because in the past this has happened at stores. Where the item is sold as new, but shrinkwrapped. It is opened because it was a display copy. It has never been used because their are no scratches on the disc. I thought that this was probably the case with this game. But I was wrong. I wanted to make sure that I was complaining about something that was real.
TRUSTcompany1013: Threatening at this point in the negotiation isn't helping out either of us....so please don't start that up again just when we're getting somewhere.
TRUSTcompany1013: If I paid you $30.60 to begin with.
TRUSTcompany1013: Then you pay it back.
TRUSTcompany1013: Then I pay $3.00 to ship it.
TRUSTcompany1013: I am losing out.
ARA1616: ive never seen a big name store sell a new game that no you are not. reread what i am saying
TRUSTcompany1013: You reread what you are saying.
ARA1616: if you want to be a smartass we will end this now
TRUSTcompany1013: Some of your sentences are poorly put together and don't make sense. I am not trying to be rude, but I am trying to make out some of your sentences to the best that I can
TRUSTcompany1013: I am not being a smartass.
ARA1616: i am done argueing and trying to come to a conclusion
TRUSTcompany1013: I am trying to be real and settle this like adults.
TRUSTcompany1013: Same here.
TRUSTcompany1013: Back to where we left off.
TRUSTcompany1013: I paid $30.60.
TRUSTcompany1013: You pay it back.
TRUSTcompany1013: Then I have to pay $3.00?
TRUSTcompany1013: That would leave me in the hole $3.00
TRUSTcompany1013: That is not even.
ARA1616: YOU GAVE ME 6.85 FOR SHIPPING AND HANDLING WHEN IT ONLY COSTS 3.00 THERE IS STILL 3.85 THAT WAS NOT USED IN THE SAME OF THE ITEM NR THE SHIPPING COSTS. IT WAS SOLELY FOR OUR TIME. USE THAT MONEY THAT DID NOT GO TOWARDS ANYTHING TO PAY FOR SHIPPING
ARA1616: SALE*
ARA1616: That is our final offer
ARA1616: we are going against our policys which are CLEARLY stated at the bottom of the listing
TRUSTcompany1013: So you are saying that you want to keep some of the money for your time?
ARA1616: no, the money is being used for you to ship the item back
TRUSTcompany1013: Just send the money.
ARA1616: i dont get the money the post office does
TRUSTcompany1013: You are not understanding that I am being screwed $3...but I guess you won't understand that, so I'll hvae to get what i can get.
TRUSTcompany1013: I am not trying to be rude when I say that.
TRUSTcompany1013: But I wish you would try to understand that.
ARA1616: ::sigh:: you do not understand what i am saying
TRUSTcompany1013: Ask me questions if you don't understand how I am coming to that conclusion
ARA1616: I AM NOT TRYING TO TAKE 3 DOLLARS FROM YOU
TRUSTcompany1013: Look. Bottom Line. No arguing.
TRUSTcompany1013: I came into this with $30.60
TRUSTcompany1013: I paid that to you.
TRUSTcompany1013: You are going to pay that back to me.
TRUSTcompany1013: Then we're even after I send the game back to you.
ARA1616: AS I STATED BEFORE. WHEN I RECEIVE CONFIRMATIN THAT THE ITEM IS BEING SHIPPED HERE I WILL SEND THE MONEY
TRUSTcompany1013: But sending the game back makes me pay $3.00
TRUSTcompany1013: That is putting us back to uneven.
TRUSTcompany1013: That is like you paying me $27.60
ARA1616: ok no deal goodbye
ARA1616: i tried to resolve this
TRUSTcompany1013: No you did not.
TRUSTcompany1013: and you didnt say that once you receive confirmation that the money is being sent that you will send the money
ARA1616: Winning bid: US $22.25
TRUSTcompany1013: ?
ARA1616: you did not pay 3 dolars more
TRUSTcompany1013: How old are you?
ARA1616: goodbye

suck it up i guess. i mean its just a game. you can get discs buffed to look like new if you really care.

Wait you turned down getting back the majority of your money over three dollars? So now you're left with a game and no refund. Or am I missing something?

Oh my god, that is crazy! What now?

I agree with you for trying to get the 3 dollars. Its the principal of the thing. You should not lose out on 3 dollars because this guy (who seems either foreign or 9) used false-advertising.

Ok, after reading that whole thing I am CONVINCED the guy is borderline retarded. Keep at it, maybe he'll get confused and let you get all your money back.

If I buy something at at an online store like BestBuy.com, and it is damaged or opened, I know I can send it back for a refund or replacement.

BUT, am I responsible for return shipping costs? I'm thinking sometimes you get postage paid stickers, but is that the norm?

I think having to pay return shipping sucks-it wasn't the buyers fault that an item was not in the condition agreed to in the sale.

Post these excerpts to his future bidders, if you can. I've never tried that.. can you contact other bidders on ebay?

So what happended? You can always sned it media mail which is like 1.20 or so, not $3. Not sure if you can get conformation on that though. I think you can on first class which may be cheap as well

Burn his house... simple as that.

Get the refund, leave them negative feedback, then open up a new ebay account.

Ha, perfect revenge, leave them negative feedback with a link to a site with the IM Conversations and emails, I think anyone that was going to consider doing buisness with them, after reading those would rethink the idea...

[quote name='ngxbox2004']Burn his house... simple as that.[/quote]

As a simple rule, arson should always be the last option you consider.



It should also be the only option you consider.

In all honesty...trying to be rational and giving the seller the benefit of the doubt out of the gate can often work wonders for resolving issues. As an ebay seller myself at times, I find short tempered buyers who are unwilling to accept that at times things like this happen do nothing but piss me off. Here's an example of what I'm talking about -

A few years back I aquired a fair amount of new sealed SNES games that I decided to resell. I remember distinctly that it was a guy from Canada that purchased a new, sealed copy of Blackthorne from me. Well, first off - my auction was only open to US bidders, didn't want to mess with the whole customs thing - but I decided I'd sell to this guy anyways (giving him the benefit of the doubt) . So I go through the whole deal of sending him the game only to receive an email from him stating that when he opened the game the cart was missing, and in place of it was a square of styrofoam ?!? To be honest, I felt the guy was full of it since all the other titles I had sold had netted me nothing but great feedback, and didn't seem to have any visible signs of tampering. This guy comes out swinging in his very first email over this, threatening to report me to ebay and the full nine yards. I offered to pay for him to send it back to me, he refused to do so - after a long frustrating email battle I eventually sent him a refund and washed my hands of the whole affair even though I firmly believe he was a complete liar - I chalked it up to a learning experience.

It sounds to me like they were hesitant, but perhaps willing to iron out the issues in the original email. In response to their piracy concern...perhaps cordially stating that if you had intended to pirate the game, you would've just gone to the local Blockbuster and RENTED it. I dunno...I've been on both sides of the coin and have been screwed by a seller before too. I've always found that when trying to resolve issues like that, diplomacy is always key.

This reminds me of the old Abbott and Costello routine "Who is on first?"

Basically the seller is trying to convince you that it cost him $6.85 to ship the game to you, but it only costs you $3.00 to ship the same damn game back to him. Apparently he wants to be paid for the time it took to defraud you.

I particularly liked the part where the seller claimed that it was bought as new from his "supplier," and somehow since he did not realize it was resealed, you should have overlooked it as well. Then he was later careful to point out that the ebay listing never said "new," just "sealed."

Report it to Paypal immediately. I do wish ebay had a method to put certain sellers like this ARA1616 on a personal no-buy list so I could avoid this asshole. Sometimes negative feedback is just not enough.

[quote name='BigNick']Get the refund, leave them negative feedback, then open up a new ebay account.[/quote]

but they want me to send them the DC# before they send the money....i am almost guaranteed to get shitted on out of a game and money...i would do that only if i got paid first....right now, im thinking about getting paid and not shipping the game after all of this crap....this person is really something else....you should see the convo we're having now...

We could all contact ebay user aranwhit with emails stating we had heard of this problem and if a full refund is not supplied forthwith, we're not only going to blacklist him ourselves, but forward these same messages on to all our ebaying friends as well, and so on.

That's probably not allowed in the eBay rules, hm?

Allowed in eBay rules, probably not. But I really don't think what he/she is doing is aloud either.

[quote name='trustcompany1013'][quote name='BigNick']Get the refund, leave them negative feedback, then open up a new ebay account.[/quote]

but they want me to send them the DC# before they send the money....i am almost guaranteed to get shitted on out of a game and money...i would do that only if i got paid first....right now, im thinking about getting paid and not shipping the game after all of this crap....this person is really something else....you should see the convo we're having now...[/quote]

you could always send him an empty envelope for 37 cents with dc (55 cents) and give him that number, lol! therefore, once you receive the money in your account, you can send him the game with only a 92 cent loss, but at least you'll know they gave you the money through paypal.

EDIT: i forgot to add that i think this seller is a jackass. they cannot comprehend how you're the only one losing out if you ship it back to them with "your own money."

Your conversation should really be pretty brief:
1) You bought a game advertised as new and sealed.
2) You received a used game that was resealed. You want what you paid for, plain and simple. The seller ed up and he needs to fix his mistake.

So can you post the rest of your conversations, I thought the last batch was pretty entertaining.