PSA: some ebay sellers are scammers

[Miffy]

I notice that the Community Board is listed under the Just for Fun category, but this post isn't about fun. It's about an ebay scam I just encountered, so I wanted to warn others who might have the same thing happen to them.

My first mistake was purchasing something from an ebay seller who had only 37 ratings. Of course now it's too late for me to rectify that mistake, but I won't be doing this again.

A couple of weeks ago I bought a computer keyboard from an ebay seller. Logitech stopped manufacturing this keyboard a couple of years ago and it's my much preferred keyboard so I purchase them on ebay now when my current one dies.

The keyboard I purchased was listed as New. And because it was new, it was not exactly cheap. The total cost, including shipping, was $204. So this was no small-time purchase.

The seller messaged me a couple of times, imploring me to test the keyboard as soon as I got it and to leave feedback for him. I assured him I would. The day I got the keyboard earlier this week, I immediately opened the box and tried it out. To backtrack for a moment, as I was taking the keyboard out of the box I noticed a couple of things that led me to believe that the keyboard wasn't new but had been returned to the store--Best Buy (there's a label on the box)--where it was purchased. But, okay, people return things. No big deal.

I plugged the keyboard into the computer and started typing sentences that contain every letter. I didn't even get to the numbers and symbols because the "O" key didn't work. At all. And several other letter keys were not functioning properly.

Here's where I made another mistake. Instead of immediately starting a formal return on ebay, I wrote to the seller, telling them that the keyboard didn't function and that I wanted to return it for a refund. Then the seller started inundating me with messages, telling me to get the keyboard fixed and they'd pay for it. But, uh, no, this keyboard never works properly after it's fixed. I know this because I've been using this exact keyboard for 10+ years now.

Back and forth, back and forth with the seller. Mistake! Don't do this! If you want to return something on ebay or have a problem with the purchase, contact ebay, NOT the seller.

Anyway, at one point, the seller offered to refund me $140 and I wouldn't have to return the keyboard. After a few more back-and-forths, I said I'd take $150 since at that point I was just worn out from arguing with this person. And they came back and said fine, they'd refund me as soon as I left positive feedback for them! I believe this is called "extortion." I said I would initiate a formal return on ebay. The seller agreed.

Fortunately for me, I stopped making mistakes. I got an official ebay return going, got the ebay-generated return label, etc. The seller received the keyboard back yesterday . . . and immediately filed a complaint about me, saying that I'd sent back not the keyboard but a gallon of sand! And ebay said they were working on the dispute, etc., etc., etc., and I would find out the resolution in 5 days. But there was no way for me to respond directly to ebay.

I was furious and found a way to talk to an ebay rep on the phone and told her my story. I've been an ebay user for 20+ years and have 200+ positive ratings as both a seller and a buyer. The rep was able to see this as well as all the ridiculous things the seller had messaged to me and assured me that my purchase was guaranteed by ebay and that I would get a refund.

I asked her what would happen if the seller left negative feedback for me and she said it would automatically be removed. I hope this is the case. Today I received the refund.

But . . . I do have some concern about this seller. Because they know exactly who I am and where I live. They do live on the other side of the US from me, so I'm not worried about them harassing me in person, but I'm concerned about other possibilities. I hope to heck that none of them happen.

Therefore, caveat emptor--that means "buyer beware." I have never ever had an experience anything like this on ebay but now I'm very very wary. Be wary. You do not want this to happen to you.

TL;DR: Be careful who you buy from on ebay. Don't do business with anyone who has very few ratings. If you need to return something, do not contact the seller but go directly to the formal ebay return process. And take pictures where possible.

 

[_19disnA]

Have never bought anything from ebay since I hear too many stories like yours. People running a legit business tend to use Amazon (or various other 'marketplace' type sites) and seem far more reputable. While some ebay sellers are legit, you have no way to know the difference until you have a bad experience. People selling one-off items are the ones to be wary about. Someone actually running a legit business from home wouldn't just be selling one-off items. Collectibles are different from computer equipment to me. Perhaps that person buys up used/returned/refurbished items and then tries to make a profit peddling them as 'new'.

I also don't get the whole fascination with positive 'ratings' on ANY site that sells things. I tend to glance over ratings to see if several people say the same negative things or that the product is flimsy, doesn't work well, etc. I am more interested in the negative ratings and will likely buy a different product if there are many. You honestly have no idea if the positive ratings are legit or posted by the seller or their friends.

 

[fly girl]

I sell on eBay.

I agree, I don't buy from sellers with little feedback. I guess I would take a risk if the item was inexpensive (but not too good to be true), but not $200. I understand why you did through, because you wanted that particular keyboard and you want to put trust in people. Shame it backfired. Sorry.

Since it was broken from the jump, yes I would have started a return through eBay. It never hurts to contact the seller (I appreciate it when buyers contact me if they have an issue), but the good thing is eBay can see all the correspondence you had. The partial return is ridiculous! The thing was busted. And extortion for positive feedback. I hope eBay saw all of that because it tarnishes good sellers like myself. They can ban him for that, which they should.

I hope you can find another keyboard.

Have never bought anything from ebay since I hear too many stories like yours. People running a legit business tend to use Amazon (or various other 'marketplace' type sites) and seem far more reputable. While some ebay sellers are legit, you have no way to know the difference until you have a bad experience. People selling one-off items are the ones to be wary about. Someone actually running a legit business from home wouldn't just be selling one-off items. Collectibles are different from computer equipment to me. Perhaps that person buys up used/returned/refurbished items and then tries to make a profit peddling them as 'new'.

I also don't get the whole fascination with positive 'ratings' on ANY site that sells things. I tend to glance over ratings to see if several people say the same negative things or that the product is flimsy, doesn't work well, etc. I am more interested in the negative ratings and will likely buy a different product if there are many. You honestly have no idea if the positive ratings are legit or posted by the seller or their friends.

I am a legit small eBay seller. I am not a big enough to take to Amazon. And a lot of my stuff is pre-owned. I do not sell computer parts, but I have sold many one-off items: a few electronics and car parts. I clearly put them as pre-owned.

Well you wouldn't buy from me, I have no negative ratings. I am a legit seller that gives accurate descriptions and ships expeditiously. If I have over 500+ feedback from buyers you think all of those are my friends? LOL. Newsflash, none of them are. Yes, honest eBayers do exist.

 

[Smugpugmug]

Have never bought anything from ebay since I hear too many stories like yours. People running a legit business tend to use Amazon (or various other 'marketplace' type sites) and seem far more reputable.

From my recent experience, Amazon has WAY more scammers and bootleg/knockoff products than eBay these days. Also many legit companies do have a storefront on eBay. Maybe not the big ones but a few do.

I buy from eBay regularly and you can find great stuff on there. I 100% avoid people with less than 97% positive feedback regardless of the price of the item.

I'm also a seller and the stuff potential buyers have sent to me in messages is beyond parody lol

 

[Kerry1957]

I know you now know this, but you made several "rookie mistakes" for someone with over 200+ positive ratings. Purchasing a fraudulent item is certainly not your fault; you just did not help the situation.

It's very simple...if a purchase does not arrive in the condition stated on the auction, simply send it back immediately through the eBay mechanisms. Why you would want to engage with the seller is beyond me.

I'm sorry this became a hassle for you and hope it does warn others, so thank you for posting your experience.

 

[Miffy]

I know you now know this, but you made several "rookie mistakes" for someone with over 200+ positive ratings. Purchasing a fraudulent item is certainly not your fault; you just did not help the situation.

It's very simple...if a purchase does not arrive in the condition stated on the auction, simply send it back immediately through the eBay mechanisms. Why you would want to engage with the seller is beyond me.

I'm sorry this became a hassle for you and hope it does warn others, so thank you for posting your experience.

Yes, I was surprised at myself, really. I'm basically a trusting person, but it turned out that this was an instance where trust wasn't warranted.

And, to reiterate, I've been a seller on ebay, although not recently, and I do a certain amount of buying there. I have never run into anything even remotely like this, so I was blindsided.

I'm happy it was resolved and that it's over with.

 

[mom2rtk]

Also be sure to use Paypal for your purchases. They are notorious for siding with buyers and you could have filed a dispute through them.

You never should have accepted less than the original amount paid.

I'm a seller and buyer with feedback over 5K. Have a second account with just over 1K feedbackI have some stories of things gone wrong, but I can count those on one hand, and Ebay has been very supportive.

 

[Miffy]

Also be sure to use Paypal for your purchases. They are notorious for siding with buyers and you could have filed a dispute through them.

You never should have accepted less than the original amount paid.

I'm a seller and buyer with feedback over 5K. Have a second account with just over 1K feedbackI have some stories of things gone wrong, but I can count those on one hand, and Ebay has been very supportive.

Yes, I used PayPal, which I use for all my ebay purchases.

Well, I didn't really accept the lower amount since I wasn't willing to abide by the seller's extortionist terms. But I agree with you, I shouldn't've even considered it. And I shouldn't've contacted the seller in the first place.

But, as I've said, I've never ever run into anything even remotely like this before on ebay. And ebay was in fact extremely supportive of me and rectified the situation immediately.

 

[Imzadi]

It's very simple...if a purchase does not arrive in the condition stated on the auction, simply send it back immediately through the eBay mechanisms. Why you would want to engage with the seller is beyond me.

Actually, from my previous experiences, even when you go through the "eBay mechanisms" the FIRST thing they make you do is CONTACT THE SELLER and try to work it out. And they request that all correspondence be through eBay's portal, so they can see and monitor all interactions and see if the Seller is doing something against eBay's TOS.

When one has corresponded in good faith and the required number of days has passed where there is no resolution, then one can file a dispute for a refund through both eBay and PayPal.

Again, learning from prior experiences, usually now, on that same day, I call my credit card's bank and file a complaint. They contact PayPal, letting them know of the disputed charge, and after doing their own investigation that they will reverse the charge whether or not PayPal agrees with them or not. (_I_ am their customer, not PayPal, that they want to keep happy.) Plus, PayPal likes to side with the Buyers to keep us as happy customers.)

That's when I then have gotten a quick letter from PayPal informing me I am getting my money back. (They kind of don't have a choice once I've called my bank and they know it. And in one instance noted in the letter that my bank ALREADY did a charge back on my behalf. ) And the case & investigation are closed.)

 

[Miffy]

Actually, from my previous experiences, even when you go through the "eBay mechanisms" the FIRST thing they make you do is CONTACT THE SELLER and try to work it out. And they request that all correspondence be through eBay's portal, so they can see and monitor all interactions and see if the Seller is doing something against eBay's TOS.

When one has corresponded in good faith and the required number of days has passed where there is no resolution, then one can file a dispute for a refund through both eBay and PayPal.

Again, learning from prior experiences, usually now, on that same day, I call my credit card's bank and file a complaint. They contact PayPal, letting them know of the disputed charge, and after doing their own investigation that they will reverse the charge whether or not PayPal agrees with them or not. (_I_ am their customer, not PayPal, that they want to keep happy.) Plus, PayPal likes to side with the Buyers to keep us as happy customers.)

That's when I then have gotten a quick letter from PayPal informing me I am getting my money back. (They kind of don't have a choice once I've called my bank and they know it. And in one instance noted in the letter that my bank ALREADY did a charge back on my behalf. ) And the case & investigation are closed.)

I'd figured my next step was calling my credit card ... but if there's a next time, I'll do it first.

 

[Toolulu22]

Sorry this happened! There are shady characters on both EBay and Amazon. I purchased my favorite discontinued perfume on Amazon last year- $178 for a tiny bottle. The scent is not right. Won’t do that again.

I sell personal items on Ebay. Mostly books and memorabilia. I get nervous of buyers with few ratings because they are usually the ones who don’t pay. eBay has made steps in recent years to protect both buyer and seller and I still feel comfortable doing both. But the saying “buyer beware” holds true if something doesn’t feel right. You, in good faith, contacted the seller to resolve the issue. They seem to be professional at ripping people off.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

The seller messaged me a couple of times, imploring me to test the keyboard as soon as I got it and to leave feedback for him.

This would be where I would immediately think something is wrong with not only the item I bought but also the seller.

There's saying "let me know if something isn't working right" but to ask multiple times to not only test it but to leave a feedback makes me think they know this item isn't in full working condition. Maybe they banked on someone testing it very briefly and to leave a feedback based on that. They obviously seemed to have a plan in place in case you complained to them about something.

I noticed a couple of things that led me to believe that the keyboard wasn't new but had been returned to the store--Best Buy (there's a label on the box)--where it was purchased.

That makes me think they bought the keyboard through Best Buy with an "as in" condition then thought to resell it for a profit.

Actually, from my previous experiences, even when you go through the "eBay mechanisms" the FIRST thing they make you do is CONTACT THE SELLER and try to work it out.

Many years ago when I purchased something through a 3rd party seller on Amazon where items arrived broken mostly due to shipper packaging choices they also wanted me to contact the seller first but if it wasn't solved then they would step in. These days I don't know how common that is, any returns or exchanges I've done have been so easy with Amazon and seamless but they did used to push that route more long time ago when they were not as big as they are now. I think for the OP it would have been just stating the item doesn't work and they need a refund and then if there's pushback to stop with the seller and go through eBay directly after that.