Another Ebay Dilemma

[Benson32]

Ok, so I order one of my books off eBay. One week later I get a square box in the mail, one that obviously a book cannot fit into. It’s from the seller and it is full of children’s clothes. I immediately email the seller to see what is going on. He says that he sent the book, and doesn’t know where the clothes came from but it is somehow the post offices fault.

So I am starting to think this is a scam. I file a paypal buyers complaint. The next day I send him pictures of the box I received and he said that was not the box he sent me. He said that someone cut out the postage and all the addresses from his original box and taped them to another box, which happened to be full of clothes. Doesn’t make any sense. He says he is not at fault and his proof is that the $3.52 postage stamp that was printed for the book is not equal to the amount of postage of the box full of clothes that I received. I am not sure who to believe, what should I do? Paypal hasn’t responded with a message about the buyer’s complaint yet.

 

[ldogg53]

if someone wanted to steal your book they wouldn't have swapped it with clothes... sounds like the seller ****** up or is trying to rip you off...

 

[12thStudStan]

It could possibly be a post office error, but that is his problem not yours. Packages could have been damaged during shipping and they ended up getting mislabeled during repackaging, but that is unlikely. It is more likely that he got the address labels mixed up and sent you the wrong item.

If you paid by credit card through paypal, just call your credit card company and they will reverse the charge to your account. Otherwise, paypal will wait to hear a response to your formal complaint before they issue you a credit.

Paypal really sucks on how they handle the shipping issue on items received these days. On returned items they do not require the seller to reimburse you for the return shipping charges and they may not resolve the matter in your favor until the seller received the returned item from you. Yet another reason to pay by credit card through paypal and get the additional layer of protection.

Don't get suckered into some claim that it is the postal services fault and you should have purchased shipping insurance or other BS. Just deal with your credit card company or paypal.

 

[washparkhorn]

Check his other auctions. Was he selling clothes in any of them? If he was, ebaymail the winner of the other auction and exchange the clothes for the book.

Man - Ebay is becoming more and more like a Carny gone bad.

 

[Benson32]

That's what I thought at first, he got the labels mixed up. I looked at his other completed auctions and he hadn't sold any clothes nor had he had any idea where they came from. I paid through paypal but used instant transfer via my bank account instead of my credit card. I am assuming my bank will not do anything about it and will just let paypal settle it. I haven't tried to contact them yet though.

 

[KMcCoy33]

I want to say that even if you paid by credit card, there is something in the PayPal agreement when you sign up that allows them to keep the money regardless of a request by the credit card company for a refund. The only way you could be reimbursed by your credit card company is if they pay it.
I would just see what happens with PayPal first. Whatever caused you to get clothes instead of a book is the seller's fault in my opinion. I have sold lots of stuff and I just can't see how something like that would happen. That being said, if I really did send someone a book and they told me they got clothes, I might think they are lying. Basically the seller is the only one that knows if he sent the book or not so you will just have to wait out the PayPal thing, which will probably not be in your favor unless the auction had the PayPal buyer protection logo on it. He is wrong that the $3.52 postage is proof though (unless it was printed at the post office and the exact weight is on it.) It just doesn't make sense for someone to have taken the time to replace your book with clothes. Why spend that much time when you could have just stolen it. If he sent a book for $3.52, it probably didn't have delvery confirmation on it and was not insured.

 

[txtxyeha]

Agree with Washparkhorn - eBay is turning into a carny gone bad. I use to love to buy **** off of it, but now it seems 1/2 of the transactions I do have some screwup or angst involved with them.

 

[Benson32]

This is the only problem I have ever had. Otherwise ebay has been greatness.

 

[suttree]

Ebay is all about trading with the same people over and over. I probably have done well over 500 Ebay transactions, with about a total of 12 people.

 

[Simon Templar]

If you get ripped off on EBay, you're screwed. EBay certainly doesn't care. It's their dirty little secret.

Didn't know that you were denied the typical recourse when paying by credit card. I do know that I find it really curious that EBay makes such an effort to force you to use your bank account for payments instead of a credit card.

I don't believe that 'clothes' story for a second. That's absurd.

 

[superwick]

if i ever have problems with something i buy on ebay and have paid via paypal with my credit card, i just call Chase up (thats my cc company) and they immediately refund the money to me. Paypal actually will charge the seller an amt for the chargeback that Chase does also. I've never been screwed yet on ebay b/c Chase has such a great refund program in case you get a bad apple on ebay.

 

[horn4life]

You have NOT recieved your book. Other than that you shouldn't worry about the clothes. If the seller doesn't want them they are yours.

However his real problem is that he has NOT delivered the product you purchased, and he is indicating that it is the United States Governments fault.

Be nice then be nasty. I assume that using the postal service in any fraudulent transaction is considered mail fraud. I would float that word to the guy...