Pete's 1st Time eBay Experience
- Thread starter pete
- Start date
sounds like a scam
Well, there are a few annoying things about this:
1. As mentioned, it was my first auction. I really wanted a better experience for the first time. My wife has a couple things that she wants to sell.
2. I'll have to wait a total of eight days from the end of the auction until I can relist the iPhone. It's definitely possible that the 12 other folks that bid have bought elsewhere.
3. When I called eBay, I specifically told them the contents of the e-mail sent to me (through their system). I still have to wait eight days.
I also checked and I can't use the "resolution center" on eBay until tomorrow. I must be off by a couple hours.
I need to find out if there really was any way I could have prevented this. I *think* there's a way to block users with 0 feedback, but the person who bid on my iPhone HAS feedback. For whatever reason, the other three folks that had problems are listed as POSITIVE feedback.
At the very least, this thread has turned into, "Thinking of selling on eBay? Let both the buyer and seller beware!"
1. As mentioned, it was my first auction. I really wanted a better experience for the first time. My wife has a couple things that she wants to sell.
2. I'll have to wait a total of eight days from the end of the auction until I can relist the iPhone. It's definitely possible that the 12 other folks that bid have bought elsewhere.
3. When I called eBay, I specifically told them the contents of the e-mail sent to me (through their system). I still have to wait eight days.
I also checked and I can't use the "resolution center" on eBay until tomorrow. I must be off by a couple hours.
I need to find out if there really was any way I could have prevented this. I *think* there's a way to block users with 0 feedback, but the person who bid on my iPhone HAS feedback. For whatever reason, the other three folks that had problems are listed as POSITIVE feedback.
At the very least, this thread has turned into, "Thinking of selling on eBay? Let both the buyer and seller beware!"
I've sold and bought many things off of eBay without many problems.
The only thing i had to return was my latest purchase
a mint in the box gold plated harrison clarinet ligature.
too bad it was silver plated and not gold plated
the seller stuck by his guns that it was gold plated and demanded it returned, thus I obliged.
sticking it next to my alto and tenor sax gold plated harrison ligatures and comparing it to other silver plated ligatures it was definitely silver plated.
I don't understand the visual identity. Of course it could have been one of those super rare platinum plated ones too .. oh well.
The only thing i had to return was my latest purchase
a mint in the box gold plated harrison clarinet ligature.
too bad it was silver plated and not gold plated
the seller stuck by his guns that it was gold plated and demanded it returned, thus I obliged.
sticking it next to my alto and tenor sax gold plated harrison ligatures and comparing it to other silver plated ligatures it was definitely silver plated.
I don't understand the visual identity. Of course it could have been one of those super rare platinum plated ones too .. oh well.
OK, so I now have an Unpaid Item case with eBay. I also sent the "buyer" an e-mail through eBay saying that I've opened said case.
Anyhow, I mentioned above that the comments of other sellers about this user are positive. I thought that odd. Hey, I now have a button to leave feedback. Hmm. It only says "Positive" or "I'll leave feedback later." I find that odd. So I did a bit more checking and found this little tidbit:
I will probably call eBay next week to see if there's some other way of alerting other sellers about this buyer. At this point, all I can say is that eBay is making my life more difficult than it has to be. I have a legitimate complaint and other sellers have the same complaint. We should be allowed some way of making that complaint public without giving the bad buyer positive feedback.
Anyhow, I mentioned above that the comments of other sellers about this user are positive. I thought that odd. Hey, I now have a button to leave feedback. Hmm. It only says "Positive" or "I'll leave feedback later." I find that odd. So I did a bit more checking and found this little tidbit:
Mmmm. Yah. I understand their point, but eBay depends on BOTH buyers and sellers. With out both, eBay fails in a week.eBay said:
I will probably call eBay next week to see if there's some other way of alerting other sellers about this buyer. At this point, all I can say is that eBay is making my life more difficult than it has to be. I have a legitimate complaint and other sellers have the same complaint. We should be allowed some way of making that complaint public without giving the bad buyer positive feedback.
Hmm, I might be a tad late for chiming in, but here's what I recommend my friends if they're into selling stuff via online auctions:
- start small. Sell something of limited value, like a used clarinet case, your old SLR camera or your kids' old Gameboy cartridges. Those are too "cheap" to attract most scammers but leave you with the genuinely interested folks. A flashy smartphone just screams for trouble.
- once you've sold a number of that stuff, your seller score will be in a region that won't attract vultures as much as a zero-point first-timer will.
- For valuable items, post "local delivery - pickup only - cash". Inevitably, potential buyers will ask if it's possible to ship the item. Check out potential buyers' scores and history and decide then if you'd relax your rules a bit. Same with "international".
- consider local alternatives, Craigslist, or the classifieds within a forum. (I very rarely sell via eBay as the local auction site has more strict rules (positive participant ID required upon account opening, negative feedback for both seller and buyer etc)). The potential market is smaller, but the clientele is better.
Anyhow, here's crossing my fingers that this story will end well.
One of the reasons I didn't (and don't) want to go with CraigList or equivalent is because of the downside of a "wanted" ad: you have folks coming over to your house to look at said item and they could easily be just window shopping; i.e. wasting your time. I'd really hate it if, say, I was selling a $25,000 Mark VI tenor and some kid who looks like he's got 23 different diseases came over and has to play the horn before he buys. And he's just happened to forget his mouthpiece and reeds. Oh, and he doesn't like the first three reeds you let him use. Then he can't even play a scale ....
Not that that has ever happened, of course
. (Actually, I remember a very long thread on SOTW about "window shoppers" coming in to your shop and playing with things for hours and then saying something like, "Yep. I think I'll buy one of these. But not from you. I can get it $10 cheaper online. Thanks for letting me play with the shinies!")eBay is, currently, running some thing that says that you'll get "at least" $200 for your iPhone. I might look into that. In four more days
. I'm still really annoyed about the "you can only leave positive feedback" thing.
I got two e-mails from eBay, today. The first was an invoice: the phone was to sell for $336, therefore they charged 22.57 Euros. (Remember, I mentioned that my funds selection was incorrect because they had me incorrectly listed as being from the Netherlands.) The ad, itself, had one picture (free) and something else I remember wanting for about 15 cents. The rest is the profit eBay makes. Good deal for them, eh? (I've no complaint about the charges; they're quite well spelled out.)
The second e-mail was,
I wonder if this means that I can call up eBay and get a refund and then relist before the four-day waiting period.
(EDIT: I added the original e-mail from this buyer on the first page of this thread.)
The second e-mail was,
I'm happy that someone else complained and got the user banned. I mentioned that I was waiting until Monday to do that. However, note that I was supposed to have shipped out the phone by now, if I had been paid, of course.
I wonder if this means that I can call up eBay and get a refund and then relist before the four-day waiting period.
(EDIT: I added the original e-mail from this buyer on the first page of this thread.)
All righty, then.
I relisted the iPhone on eBay on Saturday. Included in my right to relist was a "coupon" to list the item under "Buy it Now" for free (I think it's a couple $ charge; don't remember). So I did. My iPhone sold almost immediately afterwards. There's a big "however," though: it's again a user with zero feedback ....
Well, provided that this isn't a made-up user, the person that lives at the address specified in eBay does live there, according to some Google-age on the person's name. Phone number is inconclusive.
So, I'm gonna cross my fingers, toes, eyes, legs, arms and hope for the best. Hey, I did put a checkmark under the "don't accept bids from people that are difficult to sell to" (seriously; that's just about how eBay words it).
I still would like to find out if there is a way to block specific users and/or feedback ratings from bidding on an item. I've seen more than one eBay ad that has had wording to that effect.
I relisted the iPhone on eBay on Saturday. Included in my right to relist was a "coupon" to list the item under "Buy it Now" for free (I think it's a couple $ charge; don't remember). So I did. My iPhone sold almost immediately afterwards. There's a big "however," though: it's again a user with zero feedback ....
Well, provided that this isn't a made-up user, the person that lives at the address specified in eBay does live there, according to some Google-age on the person's name. Phone number is inconclusive.
So, I'm gonna cross my fingers, toes, eyes, legs, arms and hope for the best. Hey, I did put a checkmark under the "don't accept bids from people that are difficult to sell to" (seriously; that's just about how eBay words it).
I still would like to find out if there is a way to block specific users and/or feedback ratings from bidding on an item. I've seen more than one eBay ad that has had wording to that effect.
Posting Angry. The new movie shot entirely in 3D. Nicholas Cage does not star, though.
I called up eBay. That was a whole lotta fun:
* Allegedly, there is no mechanism on eBay to block bad buyers.
* There is no way to block the eBayer that is "unable to make payment."
* I'm supposed to post in my ad something to the effect of, "I will not accept bids from known scammers and/or people with zero feedback," because there's no way of doing that, otherwise.
* I'm supposed to have to wait another week to relist.
* Supervisor? There isn't one there. Heck, I challenge you to find the eBay customer service number. I'm supposed to call back "in the morning, about an hour before I called." 12:15pm isn't exactly "morning."
There are a few folks here that do post stuff on eBay all the time. What do you do to ensure that some scammer or someone that doesn't like you hits "Buy it now" and then sends an e-mail in the form of, "Sorry, dude. I can't pay"?
I called up eBay. That was a whole lotta fun:
* Allegedly, there is no mechanism on eBay to block bad buyers.
* There is no way to block the eBayer that is "unable to make payment."
* I'm supposed to post in my ad something to the effect of, "I will not accept bids from known scammers and/or people with zero feedback," because there's no way of doing that, otherwise.
* I'm supposed to have to wait another week to relist.
* Supervisor? There isn't one there. Heck, I challenge you to find the eBay customer service number. I'm supposed to call back "in the morning, about an hour before I called." 12:15pm isn't exactly "morning."
There are a few folks here that do post stuff on eBay all the time. What do you do to ensure that some scammer or someone that doesn't like you hits "Buy it now" and then sends an e-mail in the form of, "Sorry, dude. I can't pay"?
So, I called eBay yesterday. I think I've gotten a good deal of their helpdesk fired. Sorry 'bout that.
* I called up the supervisor dude, I'll call him "G." "G" said that his helpdesk agent was wrong when she told me that I could relist my iPhone immediately. It takes 10 days. Or more.
* I asked why I couldn't get an immediate refund and relist, as I had an e-mail from the "buyer" saying he wasn't going to pay. He said that he "... has to believe in the goodness of the buyers. He might change his mind or something ...." I asked for his supervisor. Not allowed. No way to escalate the case, even though it says I can on eBay's own website. He then hung up on me.
* I called back. I told the agent I wanted to speak to a supervisor immediately. She hung up on me.
* I called back again. I told the agent I needed to speak to a supervisor other than "G." She transferred me.
Supervisor #2, who I'll call "B" said that he'd escalate the case for me. He said he'd have a little chat with the first agent who, when I asked how I could prevent $lusers from bidding on my items that "... All you can do is hope and pray that that doesn't happen again," the agent who hung up on me and "G."
"B" did sow me some settings that can help prevent, but not eliminate, all bad buyers. (I'll try to share those tips at a later date.) He did confirm, however, that it's likely it will take 10 days for this to be resolved and that I can't relist my item until those days are up. I'm not enthusiastic about that time constraint, but I couldn't devote any more time to this phone call. "B" also said that he'd look into the "buyer."
I got an e-mail, today, from eBay in the same form as that last "Suspicious Buyer" e-mail as the one I posted a few days back, regarding my "buyer."
I will attempt to relist one more time with eBay, using the tips that "B" showed me. If that doesn't work, I'm going to put an ad on Craigslist, but say that I'll only ship it. It'll be a few days, though.
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The one major thing that I've learned in all of this is that eBay is trying to make life as easy as possible for the buyer, not the seller. I think this is incredibly short-sighted, but it's not like there are any other serious contenders to eBay other than Craigslist. If that ever gets half as shiny as eBay AND they start auctions, eBay will get buried pretty fast.
* I called up the supervisor dude, I'll call him "G." "G" said that his helpdesk agent was wrong when she told me that I could relist my iPhone immediately. It takes 10 days. Or more.
* I asked why I couldn't get an immediate refund and relist, as I had an e-mail from the "buyer" saying he wasn't going to pay. He said that he "... has to believe in the goodness of the buyers. He might change his mind or something ...." I asked for his supervisor. Not allowed. No way to escalate the case, even though it says I can on eBay's own website. He then hung up on me.
* I called back. I told the agent I wanted to speak to a supervisor immediately. She hung up on me.
* I called back again. I told the agent I needed to speak to a supervisor other than "G." She transferred me.
Supervisor #2, who I'll call "B" said that he'd escalate the case for me. He said he'd have a little chat with the first agent who, when I asked how I could prevent $lusers from bidding on my items that "... All you can do is hope and pray that that doesn't happen again," the agent who hung up on me and "G."
"B" did sow me some settings that can help prevent, but not eliminate, all bad buyers. (I'll try to share those tips at a later date.) He did confirm, however, that it's likely it will take 10 days for this to be resolved and that I can't relist my item until those days are up. I'm not enthusiastic about that time constraint, but I couldn't devote any more time to this phone call. "B" also said that he'd look into the "buyer."
I got an e-mail, today, from eBay in the same form as that last "Suspicious Buyer" e-mail as the one I posted a few days back, regarding my "buyer."
I will attempt to relist one more time with eBay, using the tips that "B" showed me. If that doesn't work, I'm going to put an ad on Craigslist, but say that I'll only ship it. It'll be a few days, though.
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The one major thing that I've learned in all of this is that eBay is trying to make life as easy as possible for the buyer, not the seller. I think this is incredibly short-sighted, but it's not like there are any other serious contenders to eBay other than Craigslist. If that ever gets half as shiny as eBay AND they start auctions, eBay will get buried pretty fast.
Before you do so - would you let us review your ad?
(hey, you get free advice, your phone sells for twice the value, and you can sack all the money)
It's already up.
It's not that my ad wasn't effective: the first time around I had a bunch of bidders. The problem was the "fake" buyers at the end that bid. (The second scammer did "Buy It Now.")
I've got all the eBay seller protections on as best I can make out. I even had one of their supervisors walk me through all the settings he was aware of.
In any event, the ad is here. I can always tweak it.
It's not that my ad wasn't effective: the first time around I had a bunch of bidders. The problem was the "fake" buyers at the end that bid. (The second scammer did "Buy It Now.")
I've got all the eBay seller protections on as best I can make out. I even had one of their supervisors walk me through all the settings he was aware of.
In any event, the ad is here. I can always tweak it
.
A collection of e-mails from various scammers:
I wonder how much 35ousd is in American money. Doesn't sound like a lot ....
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What happened to the days of the 419 scams that had some real thought put into them? These scam mails are artless.
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I have a few friends that enjoy scamming scam mail folks. I tend to think that they have too much time on their hands, but I suppose everyone has to have a hobby.
All this makes me really, really want to talk with quinntheeskimo -- that's the guy that Gandlafe knows and has all the nice toys for sale on eBay -- or someone else that does a lot of business on eBay to find out what their e-mail is like. I bet it's overwhelming.
The person obviously has problems with poor listening skills.
Shipping and handling fees are almost 4 times more than the item itself? Dude. Go to a WalMart and buy one. Heck, buy a plane ticket to France, go to a WalMart, buy one and fly back. You'll have money left over.
Nah. I just place eBay ads to sell things I don't have.
Man, those Nigerians really seem to like electronic goods.
I wonder how much 35ousd is in American money. Doesn't sound like a lot ....
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What happened to the days of the 419 scams that had some real thought put into them? These scam mails are artless.
========
I have a few friends that enjoy scamming scam mail folks. I tend to think that they have too much time on their hands, but I suppose everyone has to have a hobby.
All this makes me really, really want to talk with quinntheeskimo -- that's the guy that Gandlafe knows and has all the nice toys for sale on eBay -- or someone else that does a lot of business on eBay to find out what their e-mail is like. I bet it's overwhelming.
