Problem with Ebay Express seller....long

[tekmom]

On April 22, I purchased a 'buy it now' item on Ebay Express. The seller is a power seller with over 2100 items sold in a 10 year period. Her percentage is a 98.5% positive with 34 negatives in her history, which I didn't see as too terrible. I paid immediately. Her listing state she ships quickly with priority shipping, although detailed feedback implies that her shipping can be slow.

I emailed her on the 24th to see if item shipped as it was a gift needed by May 1st...yesterday, and she replied that she could ship it that day, priority. Well, it never came. I emailed this morning asking about my item and I haven't heard back. I'm now regretting the transaction as I have read more of her feedback about items not arriving or arriving very late and that she ignores emails. She claims she moved, friend sick in hospital or that it takes a while to make her pillows (I ordered a Chenille pillow for my daughter)
It now seems to me that she advertises items that she hasn't even made yet without disclosing that in her listing.

Not to mention, the pillow I bought was stated to be her last one, but yet the listing is still there showing it for sale. I feel terrible but I stated in my email today that if the item indeed shipped, I need shipping verification or something and if I don't receive the pillow by the 5th, I would have to file a complaint.
Did I do the right thing? I haven't left her feedback yet as I was hoping for the pillow...she hasn't left me feedback either. Any advice?

 

[missj1975]

I think you did the right thing. She told you she shipped it on the 24th and apparently she lied. Delivery confirmation automatically comes with priority shipping so she should be able to give you a tracking number.

Don't leave feedback until the situation is settled. If you leave her negative before the situation is resolved, she really has no more incentive to help resolve the issue.

When you say filing a complaint, do you mean thru ebay or paypal? I would think you have grounds to file a paypal dispute if she doesn't respond by the 5th.

 

[tekmom]

I think you did the right thing. She told you she shipped it on the 24th and apparently she lied. Delivery confirmation automatically comes with priority shipping so she should be able to give you a tracking number.

Don't leave feedback until the situation is settled. If you leave her negative before the situation is resolved, she really has no more incentive to help resolve the issue.

When you say filing a complaint, do you mean thru ebay or paypal? I would think you have grounds to file a paypal dispute if she doesn't respond by the 5th.

I guess the complaint would be through Paypal? I've never done this before, I've always had such a positive experience. If I don't hear from her or receive my pillow, how do I file a complaint whether Paypal or Ebay...or do I dispute the charge on my credit card?

 

[robinb]

I think you did the right thing. She told you she shipped it on the 24th and apparently she lied. Delivery confirmation automatically comes with priority shipping so she should be able to give you a tracking number.

That's not true. It comes FREE with priority shipping if the person buys their postage electronically.

I'm sorry tekmom that you didn't get the item in time for your DD's birthday . But ... you should have taken the "slow shipping" feedback more into account since you only had 7 business days between the end of the auction and when you needed it. The seller was WRONG in telling you it was sent on a specific day when it was not. I think that giving her until the 5th was probably too much for her to accomplish as many places are on the 3-4 day timetable for priority mail. But ... what's done is done and I would follow up on appealing through PayPal on the 6th or 7th.

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

First thing I'd do is open an Item Not Received dispute. This link tells all about it. That should get the seller's attention. The link to eBay says the buyer can open it after 10 days. That would be either today, maybe tomorrow, when you can do so.

Since you paid by Paypal, the seller could easily purchase postage through Paypal. IIRC, when a seller does, an e-mail is sent to the buyer with any tracking information. I sell much more than I buy, so I'm a bit fuzzy on what the buyer receives.

If they don't send the item and don't refund your money within a reasonable time frame, then I'd say request a refund through Paypal. Right now, to me a "reasonable time frame" would be within 10 days. That would be the end of the time period the seller has to respond. If they don't respond in that time, you can close the dispute and they get a non-performing seller strike. Then I'd go through Paypal for the refund.

 

[tekmom]

Thanks, DD understands. I guess I figured that even slow shipping would be less than 10 days for a 'buy it now'. I've gotten anything else in 3 days or less with priority, the longest being 3 days from CA to NY. This was coming from Montana. I was okay, when she emailed me back on the 24th, telling me she would ship that day and verifiying that it was need by the 1st. It just seems like she either doesn't have the pillow or needs time to make it...which would have been fine, had I went into the transaction aware of this..pretty pillow, though.

 

[tekmom]

First thing I'd do is open an Item Not Received dispute. This link tells all about it. That should get the seller's attention. The link to eBay says the buyer can open it after 10 days. That would be either today, maybe tomorrow, when you can do so.

Since you paid by Paypal, the seller could easily purchase postage through Paypal. IIRC, when a seller does, an e-mail is sent to the buyer with any tracking information. I sell much more than I buy, so I'm a bit fuzzy on what the buyer receives.

If they don't send the item and don't refund your money within a reasonable time frame, then I'd say request a refund through Paypal. Right now, to me a "reasonable time frame" would be within 10 days. That would be the end of the time period the seller has to respond. If they don't respond in that time, you can close the dispute and they get a non-performing seller strike. Then I'd go through Paypal for the refund.

Thanks, I've always gotten the shipping confirmation from a seller with the number to check delivery confirmation...but nothing with this.

 

[tekmom]

Seller emailed me today and stated that she had a stroke recently and is forgetful. She says she shipped it this morning. I replied that I was sorry about her health problems, wished her a speedy recovery and asked for the shipping confirmation so that I could track the pillow....she hasn't responded. How long should I give it? It's coming from Montana to New York...priority. Thanks for all the help

 

[teacups]

Seller emailed me today and stated that she had a stroke recently and is forgetful. She says she shipped it this morning. I replied that I was sorry about her health problems, wished her a speedy recovery and asked for the shipping confirmation so that I could track the pillow....she hasn't responded. How long should I give it? It's coming from Montana to New York...priority. Thanks for all the help

All depends on the shipping method. I've had some people on ebay ship things book rate (even when they were not books!) and that can take forever. She may have sent it overnight to make you happy.
HOPEFULLY by now she knows she should send it at the least priority, and that should be by Wednesday latest Id guess. She sent it on a Saturday? Even if you do get the pillow, you might consider leaving this info in feedback so others know. I take feedback very seriously on ebay. I wont even buy from someone with less that 99% EVER. I know there are many complaints which are bogus, but I've been burned a few too many times on ebay... and almost always their feedback showed it as a pattern. Good luck to you and keep us posted.

 

[robinb]

I take feedback very seriously on ebay. I wont even buy from someone with less that 99% EVER. I know there are many complaints which are bogus, but I've been burned a few too many times on ebay... and almost always their feedback showed it as a pattern. Good luck to you and keep us posted.

You may want to reconsider that in the future. I think there will be fewer perfect scores out there. Now that sellers can no longer leave feedback, buyers are going to be bolder about leaving negatives for any little thing. I would use the following website to look at all their negatives so you can see if there is a pattern or not: http://www.toolhaus.org/ .

 

[DMickey28]

Seller emailed me today and stated that she had a stroke recently and is forgetful. She says she shipped it this morning. I replied that I was sorry about her health problems, wished her a speedy recovery and asked for the shipping confirmation so that I could track the pillow....she hasn't responded. How long should I give it? It's coming from Montana to New York...priority. Thanks for all the help

I am sorry about her health problems but isn't it a bit conicidental that with each complaint in her feedback the response was always something abit dramatic like that. I hope she is ok and you get your pillow.

I just recently started buying some things on ebay and go through the feedback with a fine tooth comb. I am neurotic like that though!! Last night I bought from someone with 99.8% and over 20K transactions. Hopefully I get it soon!!

 

[teacups]

You may want to reconsider that in the future. I think there will be fewer perfect scores out there. Now that sellers can no longer leave feedback, buyers are going to be bolder about leaving negatives for any little thing. I would use the following website to look at all their negatives so you can see if there is a pattern or not: http://www.toolhaus.org/ .

While you are right... I wont reconsider. Too many times burned. I'll buy elsewhere. There are plenty of sellers, I can find one with 99% or better, or Ill drive to the mall.

 

[HappyHeart]

You may want to reconsider that in the future. I think there will be fewer perfect scores out there. Now that sellers can no longer leave feedback, buyers are going to be bolder about leaving negatives for any little thing. I would use the following website to look at all their negatives so you can see if there is a pattern or not: http://www.toolhaus.org/ .

Sellers can no longer leave feedback? Wow, that's news to me. I don't do ebay very often, and even then, my husband normally handles it.

 

[tekmom]

All depends on the shipping method. I've had some people on ebay ship things book rate (even when they were not books!) and that can take forever. She may have sent it overnight to make you happy.
HOPEFULLY by now she knows she should send it at the least priority, and that should be by Wednesday latest Id guess. She sent it on a Saturday? Even if you do get the pillow, you might consider leaving this info in feedback so others know. I take feedback very seriously on ebay. I wont even buy from someone with less that 99% EVER. I know there are many complaints which are bogus, but I've been burned a few too many times on ebay... and almost always their feedback showed it as a pattern. Good luck to you and keep us posted.

Thanks! I hope I get it. Normally I'm completely anal about feedbacks but because her score was a nice high one, i chanced it. crossing my fingers.

 

[tekmom]

I am sorry about her health problems but isn't it a bit conicidental that with each complaint in her feedback the response was always something abit dramatic like that. I hope she is ok and you get your pillow.

I just recently started buying some things on ebay and go through the feedback with a fine tooth comb. I am neurotic like that though!! Last night I bought from someone with 99.8% and over 20K transactions. Hopefully I get it soon!!

It does seem like an excuse pattern, but there's the sappy part of me that worries that it could be true and I'm being a cruel, impatient, meanie.

 

[robinb]

It does seem like an excuse pattern, but there's the sappy part of me that worries that it could be true and I'm being a cruel, impatient, meanie.

Even if it's true, the "meanie" part of me thinks that maybe an eBay business isn't the right career for someone who had a stoke and has memory problems.