Got scammed by an eBayer but eBay is awesome for protection

[fazool]

Originally Posted by GHS

I've bought and sold on ebay for years, No real problems. Could just be a misunderstanding, bad luck or bad karma.

I agree.

I've been buying and selling on eBay for ~15 years and only really ever had 1 or 2 issues.

This particular issue was for only a $45 transaction. It's not even the money (which will be covered by eBay) - it was my severe disappointment in waiting a week, getting shafted on my purchase and having to order new parts, setting my project back half a month. That's more important to me than $45.

On the other hand, I've had the most wonderful purchases through eBay, including two fantastic guitar purchases and a new Lionel steam engine.

So, it's funny - my bigger purchases are fine and the little one gives me grief.


sigh.....first world problems.

[RustyAxe]

If I can't find it used in a shop or on Craigslist I buy new ... or wait. Got burned once on eBay. Y'know what they say, "burn me once, shame on you ... burn me twice, shame on ME". It just isn't worth the aggravation.

[ewalling]

Originally Posted by cpmusic

Point taken. I've never bought anything that expensive via ebay and don't intend to because when I'm spending that kind of money I want to see what I'm buying ahead of time. The only acceptable alternative, especially with instruments, is to buy from a dealer with a good reputation and a dependable return policy.

In my experience, there was a 'happy' period with eBay in which it seemed to operate as a really good private buyer/seller marketplace used by people who behaved honestly by and large, and where the fees were quite low. I think the recession may have been the reason why an increasing number of maggots began to crawl from the woodwork and see it as a refreshing alternative to identity theft and shoplifting.

[fazool]

Well, eBay's first response was to rule in favor of the seller, not issue me a refund and close my complaint.

I contacted them directly with an appeal and the responder agreed they hastily closed my case without properly reading it. They reversed the outcome, ruled in my favor and issued a full refund within five minutes of my call.

I think they probably just fast-tracked everything and have a process to deal with hundreds of millions of customers. I think eBay probably paid this out of their own buyer-protection pocket.

I was pretty certain I was being handled by an offshore call center - the peculiar scripted phrases and the awkward conversational language made it clear that two of the three people I spoke with were not American nor native English speakers. So, I imagine a huge call center handling massive call volumes.

One interesting thing I sensed:

I had a coworker from Bilbao Spain. He told me once that the auto insurance industry in Spain automatically refuses all claims. It's not an official procedure but a cultural thing. They always deny every claim at first. Always. So you will get denied for some weak reason and you have to argue with them. Then they will honor your claim. It's almost like a self-defense they employ to weed out the clients who won't complain, just to save any easy ones.

This reminded me of that. Ebay admitted (twice) they were hasty and obviously didn't read my complaint. It took very little arguing on my part and they just gave me my refund.

It felt to me like their way of just dealing with a huge number of customers. They probably don't have time for a real argument and for only the occasional loss, it's better to just give in right away to the customer.

Anyway, I got my money back (and got to keep the merchandise) but my only frustration is that the seller is still selling the other half of the set with the incorrect listing title still, he thinks he won the case and my negative feedback was removed.

hmmmmm, maybe I should buy the second half of the set from him.....nah

[seannx]

Originally Posted by fazool

Well, eBay's first response was to rule in favor of the seller, not issue me a refund and close my complaint.

I contacted them directly with an appeal and the responder agreed they hastily closed my case without properly reading it. They reversed the outcome, ruled in my favor and issued a full refund within five minutes of my call.

I think they probably just fast-tracked everything and have a process to deal with hundreds of millions of customers. I think eBay probably paid this out of their own buyer-protection pocket.

I was pretty certain I was being handled by an offshore call center - the peculiar scripted phrases and the awkward conversational language made it clear that two of the three people I spoke with were not American nor native English speakers. So, I imagine a huge call center handling massive call volumes.

One interesting thing I sensed:

I had a coworker from Bilbao Spain. He told me once that the auto insurance industry in Spain automatically refuses all claims. It's not an official procedure but a cultural thing. They always deny every claim at first. Always. So you will get denied for some weak reason and you have to argue with them. Then they will honor your claim. It's almost like a self-defense they employ to weed out the clients who won't complain, just to save any easy ones.

This reminded me of that. Ebay admitted (twice) they were hasty and obviously didn't read my complaint. It took very little arguing on my part and they just gave me my refund.

It felt to me like their way of just dealing with a huge number of customers. They probably don't have time for a real argument and for only the occasional loss, it's better to just give in right away to the customer.

Anyway, I got my money back (and got to keep the merchandise) but my only frustration is that the seller is still selling the other half of the set with the incorrect listing title still, he thinks he won the case and my negative feedback was removed.

hmmmmm, maybe I should buy the second half of the set from him.....nah

Automatic refusal and denial of insurance claims is often a standard practice. We've read similar cases here on the forum involving damage due to shipping. I think a good percentage of those making claims, unlike Fazool, give up, because they either don't want the hassle of calling of appealing, or have no confidence that it will yield a positive result.

Fazool got his money back, but I'm sure he wasted more in time and effort. And the fact that the negative feedback was removed, is a shame.