eBay seller

**just4funsies** · 06-22-2006, 12:54 AM

Loring, I have had two problems recently on eBay auctions I won. Neither seller responded to my contacts or requests for totals including shipping. However, the one I had already paid via PayPal mailed me the next day AFTER I cancelled the yet uncliamed payment after 2 weeks. He said he had not been getting his messages through eBay recently. The other guy, who I had not paid (didn't know how much to pay) responded the day after I posted negative feedback for him. He also claimed that eBay had been losing my emails to him and my requests for shipping totals (says the've lost about half of emails to him in the last couple of weeks). So there may be something to the things you're seeing. (You sure don't see eBay 'fessing up in public on this one.)

Net result for me: 2 wins, no merchandise

**jwaterdawg** · 06-22-2006, 06:24 AM

Loring,
Being the pessimistic type, it seems to me rather convenient that the seller "never" received notification from paypal about the payment and yet within 24 hours of your dispute is in contact with you and paypal and able to correct the problem. Ok, let's think about this. How many "independent" sources of info would have to fail for the seller to not be at fault. There is the paypal record, the ebay record, email from paypal and email from ebay about the transaction. I assume you also probably sent message to the seller via ebay to see what was going on. On top of that, you would think a power seller would need to reconcile his/her books with their online accounts and would notice a discrepancy.

So, I have a hard time buying the excuse you were given. If the seller were worth a hill o' beans he/she would have shipped you the item express mail AND refunded your money as a sign of good customer service. I mean we are only talking about 9 bucks here.

I guess in this situation if you are concerned about retaliation I would give neutral feedback but write negative comments (slow ship, poor communication, poor service, etc.). You could also ask for feedback from the seller first.

J

**Knottscott** · 06-22-2006, 06:34 AM

It's possible the seller didn't "notice" that payment was received. I'd either go with neutral feedback or obstain.

**Hellrazor** · 06-22-2006, 06:42 AM

Well, lets look at this a few ways. If you are selling things on Ebay and have over 3000 in feedback, don't you think you would check your paypal manually once in a while? Its almost like throwing out your bank statement and not balancing your checkbook.

**cgallery** · 06-22-2006, 07:32 AM

I recently started seven auctions on eBay, and only days later (after auctions had been running for several days) received the "eBay Auction Started" E-Mail messages. So maybe eBay is having problems w/ notification. Not trying to make excuses for the guy, but sometimes technology doesn't work perfectly.

**mater** · 06-22-2006, 07:49 AM

Originally posted by LCHIEN

Here's my story:

Finally on June 20 I say this is too much (three weeks no item, no contact) so I file a non-delivery dispute with Paypal.

The next day I get three e-mails from him saying sorry, he didn't get a notification from Paypal of payment (I did) and he would investigate and the next stating he received payment and the third stating the item shipped.

I would think he was ignoring you. If he did you this way he probably has done it to others. Because of getting bad feedback in return they probably didn't mention it if they left feedback. He could have looked at the auction page and seen it was paid thru Paypal, he could have looked at his Paypal account or his bank account. I bet if you had not paid you would have heard from him. He didn't have any problem getting the dispute email. Also like most sellers today he won't leave you the good feedback you deserve for paying fast.

**Rounder** · 06-22-2006, 08:43 AM

Your right about retailiation. The only negative feedback I received was from a seller after I gave him negative feedback. This was a couple years ago. I had won a Stanely plane for less than 5 dollars. The total with shipping would ahve been less than $15. He never contacted me about the shipping and after numerous attempts I left a negative comment. He then stated that I had never contacted him and ignored e-mails. And at that time, that is where it ended.

I just wouldn't post a comment, or note your positive feedback with your concerns.

**Stytooner** · 06-22-2006, 09:08 AM

From the sound of it, it appears that Ebay has just been sluggish on emails. If the gy has 3000 sales, I'm sure he is a busy enough guy and possibly he balances his auctions with the auction statements sent out by Ebay.
If you do receive the item okay, I would actually post a positive feedback, giving him no reason to leave poor feedback. I would simply say something like, "Possible Ebay email snafu. Seller shipped quickly after payment stop initiated."
Thats the truth and it does show others that there was a problem. Then if the same happens to them, let them file the neutral or negative.

**LCHIEN** · 06-22-2006, 09:39 AM

I find it hard to believe "Ebay sluggish on e-mails" because for one, it's compeltely automated, and second, I got all the e-mails and copies of the e-mails I sent. I can believe he maybe missed the e-mail where eBay said I won the auction but I also sent three - four emails and he should have gotten at least the Paypal e-mail confirming payment, plus his paypal statement - he would have had to have missed at least 7 clear messages.
One thing is that his paypal address is different than the address used in eBay.

3000 transactions since 2002 - that's around 750/year or an average of 2/day.

**just4funsies** · 06-22-2006, 10:37 AM

There's no question that there are eBay'ers out there who are simply derelect in their responsibilities, and others misuse the system to take advantage of the unsuspecting, but there is nothing to be gained by ignoring communications from the other party before money has changed hands, and if Paypal is used, the buyer still can get his money back if the seller does not act or mis-represents. I suspect that there ARE presently some problems within eBay, since so much of this seems to be happening right now. I'm sure that somebody at eBay decided it would be better to sweep them under the rug than to come clean publicly. Being automated does not mean being trouble-free, it just means that any problems that occur will be duplicated with absolute perfection and blinding speed. "Too err is human, but to REALLY screw up requires a computer..." (Wish I'd said that...

)

As for feedback, those who hesitate to leave negative feedback when it is deserved are missing the whole point of the system. How else are we gonna know when somebody has established a pattern of unreliability? "Retaliatory" negative feedback will be clearly evident, especially if all your other feedback is positive, so there's little reason to worry about anyone taking it seriously.

**bmyers** · 06-22-2006, 10:45 AM

You can only leave feedback for someone else for 90 days after the end of the auction. I'd wait until 89 days af 23 hours had passed and leave your true opinion then and hope the guy is asleep.

Ebay couldn't care less about your problem, they are too busy sticking cash in their pockets (from the seller) to be bothered by you (the buyer=0 revenue). The truth ain't always pretty is it?

Bill

**Tom Miller** · 06-22-2006, 11:09 AM

Loring,

If you feel like the guy deserves a negative feedback, I think you should give it. It sounds like you've done more than due diligence.

I'm not very e-bay savvy, having only bought a handful of items, and sold even less, but I don't think one negative feedback to you, as a buyer, is so damaging. And you're doing the rest of us buyers a service by "calling them as you see them".

If the seller really thinks that e-bay or paypal were to blame, he can take it up with them. And, as a fee-paying customer, he can hope to get a little more of their ear than a buyer could.

Regards,
Tom

**just4funsies** · 06-22-2006, 11:29 AM

Originally posted by bmyers

Ebay couldn't care less about your problem, they are too busy sticking cash in their pockets (from the seller) to be bothered by you (the buyer=0 revenue).

I'm not so sure about this. Although eBay might ACT like they don't care about buyers, I doubt they are so naive to believe that buyers don't matter. Think of what would happen to the sellers and to eBay if the buyers got fed up and went elsewhere. It's the buyers that feed EVERYBODY.

**LCHIEN** · 06-22-2006, 11:43 AM

Originally posted by Tom Miller

Loring,

...
I'm not very e-bay savvy, having only bought a handful of items, and sold even less, but I don't think one negative feedback to you, as a buyer, is so damaging. And you're doing the rest of us buyers a service by "calling them as you see them".
...

Regards,
Tom

Well the truth is with his 3000 feedbacks (96%) and my 176 feedbacks (100%) a negative feedback would do him a lot less damage than it would do me. I think even with 25% chance of him retaliating it would not be worth the risk. And I'm not 100% sure its his fault (although not a whoile lot less, but not certain if you know what I mean).

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