You HAVE to try this!! EBAY your way to DISNEY!!

[Cinders]

I'd so love to scream right now I had a buyer on Half.com leave me a negative saying he didnt receive the item. I pulled out my Delivery Confirmation and looked up the shipping information on Shipping Assistant and it shows the item was delivered November 3rd. When I responded to his feedback with the confirmation # it showed him as "not a registered user." When I went in to Ebay help (all Half.com's help pages take you to Ebay's help pages) it wouldnt let me email them since my "auction" number to them is invalid. How can an unregistered user leave feedback? I know on a NPB I had awhile back I couldnt leave feedback since that user had been removed......so why can they leave feedback if they aren't registered? Is there a link for Live help? Or someplace to email them without having to put in an auction number?

 

[Cindy B]

Originally posted by DMRick
Gee, that's a little overkill, harsh (actually, it's a lot). The man prob didn't know what an echeck was..he prop thought it was a typo.
I .

The advice he (my hbby) got from the ebay sellers forum was to do just that, deny, file NPB, and other stuff...

I told him I thought that advice was to harsh, but it was my hub said it wan an overwhelming response to do it that way...

 

[disneychrista]

In my terms of service I state no checks, payment in this form will be return with the item after payment is received in acceptable term. To pay by check use paypal's echeck. I have only had to do this once from a guy who first paid by Credit Card (I don't accept) and then turned around and paid by check (again I don't accept). Finally he sent me cash. I then sent the item along with his check.

 

[DMRick]

The advice he (my hbby) got from the ebay sellers forum was to do just that, deny, file NPB, and other stuff...

I'm on half a dozen ebay forums. He must have given them more info than you've given us, or he misunderstood the advice they gave..because that's not usually their responses for something like this. I mean, that's just not what eBay says to neg for..because someone misread or misunderstood your TOS. It's an easy fix, it's not like they tried to cheat you...you don't have to send them the item. I suspect, if you take your hubby's advice, you'll soon be sprouting negs...they do get to return them : (

Which board did he get that advice from?

 

[Lollipop Mom]

Hello, everyone! I thought I'd jump in here. I'm relatively new to the boards as we are planning our first trip to WDW with our sons for May of 2004 but I'm an ebay veteran! I'm a former powerseller...a SAHM who got bit by the ebay bug and figured I may as well make some $$ with it! I specialized in clothing but have been doing other stuff lately. I took a few months off at the end of the summer because of some family obligations and lost my powerseller status and am just starting to get back into the swing of things again.

If anyone is interested in info on selling clothing, I had put together a web site last year that has a lot of info on getting started with it. I got tired of seeing all these "powerseller coach teaches you how to make $$ selling!" ads for $5 each out there when what they are offering is basically info anyone can find free by asking the right questions so I decided to make my own site...but make it free. It's just basic info but all compiled into one area. It's at www.designer-bargains.com if anyone wants to check it out. Forgive the big red type at the top or the main page, I found out 2 different people started auctions selling liks to the site so I added that notice.

Originally posted by Cinders
When I responded to his feedback with the confirmation # it showed him as "not a registered user." ... Is there a link for Live help? Or someplace to email them without having to put in an auction number?

Hi Cinders! Unfortunately, half.com doesn't have it's own dedicated help system anymore. It is ebay policy that feedback left by someone who is NARU is removed from your feedback profile. You could go through the ebay help meus here and select about selling...feedback...feedback removal policy and then state your case there. The only thing that may make a difference is that he is now NARU. They won't care if you have a video of the mailman hand delivering it and the buyer opening the package (not meant to be snotty towards you, it's just really unfortunate in cases like this one).



On the person who sent a check when your TOS states no checks, I would hesitate to do a NPB right away if he has a good feedback history. Is the check drawn on a bank that has a branch near you? If so, bring it there and cash it so that if it's no good you find out right away and there are no fees charged back to you. If there isn't a branch near you, you could look up a phone # for the bank (most will have an 800 number for customer service that can be found online). Call and say you want to verify funds on an account. You give them the account number and amount and they can tell you if the check is good. Some banks will allow you to place a "hold" on that amount while sending the check in to clear. Not all of them will do this but it doesn't hurt to ask! It's always possible that it's good now but funds are gone by the time it is mailed to them but that's far less likely to happen on a small amount than on something big. If you don't want to do either of those, I'd email him and politely explain again that you do not accept personal checks. If you don't hear back in a few days, then file the NPB. I just usually tried to avoid doing things that could make someone who is TRYING to pay get all huffy and decide not to pay at all. Then even if you do a NPB you are still out your final value fees as well as your time, kwim? Good luck!!

 

[lalapodip]

Hi, Lori, and thanks! I am checking your site out now....

 

[Cindy B]

Originally posted by DMRick
I'm on half a dozen ebay forums. He must have given them more info than you've given us, or he misunderstood the advice they gave..because that's not usually their responses for something like this. I mean, that's just not what eBay says to neg for..because someone misread or misunderstood your TOS. It's an easy fix, it's not like they tried to cheat you...you don't have to send them the item. I suspect, if you take your hubby's advice, you'll soon be sprouting negs...they do get to return them : (

Which board did he get that advice from?

He specifically asked on Ebays seller forums... (I have no idea exactly when he asked !)

He did tell me later that there was some split repsonses later.. some saying cash the check, but the inintial response was NPB them!

 

[DMRick]

but the inintial response was NPB them!

I went over looking, and I don't see this specific case..but really, you just have to do what you want. Maybe your hubby didn't give the same info to that group, as you gave here. I would say 99.9% of the people would not file a NPB on something you haven't given the person time to fix. Maybe the day he asked the question, had been a bad day for some of those who answered him. I tend to lean on being patient..after all, my goal is to get paid, not pay ebay fees for nothing. And I sure don't want a return neg, on something that I could easily have fixed.

 

[bafmrf]

I am so upset. I received an item today that I bought from a seller. It is a bar butler (item which dispenses alcohol in shot glasses). There were around 10-15 different ones available to bid on and I chose this one because the picture of the butler showed a better looking, more expensive model than the others. This one ended up being $20+ more than the others but that was ok because I was getting an "upscale" model. Got it today and it is the same as the others. Not what was represented. And the seller only packaged it in brown kraft wrap. The box is all crushed on the side and it was going to be a gift. I re-read the listing and nowhere does it say that the picture is not the actual piece. I emailed the seller basically what I said here. If I don't get satisfaction from the seller, do I have any recourse.

Thanks in advance. I am so bummed.

Martha

 

[jgates]

Thanks for the great link! Maybe I can figure out why those beautiful christmas dresses didn't sell. (I did sell 3 out of 6 items so it wasn't too bad - still waiting on payment for one)

 

[C.Ann]

Martha: I'm not sure what your recourse is on that - sounds like misrepresentation. Maybe someone with more experience can give you an answer in a bit here...
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two questions:

#1: I'm interested in a hand-sewn item that is up for auction on eBay. The woman does a lot of them and has great feedback. However, it is an item that will need to be washed frequently. Is it against the rules (or in poor taste) to try to email someone who has bought from her in the past to find out if the item holds up under normal washing and drying?


#2: I went to Half.com and wanted to buy some items. Did it last year with the debit/"credit" card that's attached to my separate checking account. I wanted to change it to the Paypal debit/"credit card" but at the bottom - where you fill in the info - it says you can't use checks, debit cards, or PAYPAL.. Does that mean I can't use my Paypal debit/"credit card"?

 

[DMRick]

However, it is an item that will need to be washed frequently. Is it against the rules (or in poor taste)

It might be construed as auction interference or spam using eBay's mail system.

I would ask the gal how it washes..she shoul dbe honest..if not, she knows you know where to find her.

 

[m.pots]

Wow, I'm getting excited!! I'm about to close on my first sale on ebay!!! woo hoo! Can you all tell me exactly how I should handle the after sale stuff. Do I email the winner or do they email me. also, do I restate the sale of terms (payment) arrangements, etc. I want to be sure I do everything right.
Thanks!
Steph.

 

[Lollipop Mom]

If I don't get satisfaction from the seller, do I have any recourse.

Martha, I am so sorry to hear you had a bad experience with buying. If the item pictured in the auction was something totally different from the item you received then it would definitely be misrepresentation on the part of the seller. As far as the packaging, if the item wasn't damaged there really isn't much you can do about that short of mention it to the seller and in feedback if need be. If it was damaged you could try an insurance claim (if it came UPS, Airborne Ground etc where insurance is included or if you included insuance on the item through USPS) but the first thing most carriers are going to do is send someone by to inspect the packaging and if it wasn't properly packaged they will deny the claim. With regards to handling the misrepresentation, you said you emailed the seller, that's your best first step. Hopefully they will do the right thing and refund you. If not, how did you pay for the item? If you paid through Paypal, you can file a complaint with them. If you paid through them with a CREDIT CARD, even better because you could contest the charges on the card. If you did that, the seller would have the money taken from their paypal account and would have a chance to argue their side (copy the picture that was in the auction if you haven't already then take a picture of what you received) but usually credit card disputes with Paypal are decided in favor of the buyer. It's a toss up with a complaint with another form of payment. As far as ebay is concerned, if the seller doesn't make things right you can report them using this link but ebay will not likely take action in a case like this. The best thing to do is hold off on leaving feedback till the seller has a chance to make things right. If they refuse, leave appropriate feedback for them to warn other buyers. I hope you are able to get this resolved!

Is it against the rules (or in poor taste) to try to email someone who has bought from her in the past to find out if the item holds up under normal washing and drying?

I don't think that is technically auction interference if it is a potential buyer contacting a former buyer. If a former buyer was emailing bidders on a current auction saying "just so you know, this doesn't wash well!" it would definitely be auction interference. I would probably start by asking the seller how they wash too though. One good reason is that seeing how well she handles your questions now would be a good indicator of if she is an attentive seller, kwim?

Can you all tell me exactly how I should handle the after sale stuff. Do I email the winner or do they email me. also, do I restate the sale of terms (payment) arrangements, etc. I want to be sure I do everything right.

Congrats on your first sale, Steph! That's great! There is no rule as far as how you have to handle post sale contact. A lot of people will pay you with paypal (assuming you take paypal of course!) before you even have a chance to contact them (ALWAYS nice! ). If that doesn't happen I send out an email with the auction info and payment methods I accept etc. (you can take a look at this page for an explanation of what I usually do postauction. There is also a link to a bunch of email templates for different sitautions. My postauction email is usually something like...

Congratulations! EbayBuyer, you are the winning bidder for:

Huge lot of Disney Items

Payment Amount: 19.99 + 3.85 s/h = 23.84 ($25.14 with optional insurance).

I accept Credit Card and e-check payments through PayPal (preferred). My account name is payme@thisaddress.com. You may also send personal check, money order or cashier's check within 10 days to:

My Name
101 Main Street
Anytown, GA

Personal check payment will have a 7 to 10-day hold before item is shipped. Credit card, money order or cashier's check payment will ensure immediate delivery of your item.

Please include the item number with your payment (or print out this e-mail.)

Please reply to this e-mail within 48 hours to confirm receipt and to verify that you are sending payment. If you send your shipping address, we can get your package ready to go.

Thank you for your bid! We look forward to making this a smooth transaction.

Thanks!


Hope you get a last minute bidding war and a great ending price on your first sale!

 

[jgates]

OK guys - what are these MAC Cosmetics that seem to be so hot on Ebay? I don't ware make-up but maybe I should start looking for this stuff!!!

 

[DMRick]

I don't think that is technically auction interference if it is a potential buyer contacting a former buyer.

I gave two instances of why it could be against eBay rules..and I believe I am right about them both. eBay does not want potential buyers to email old buyers (which is why they make us go through them, and sometimes those emails get read). If the old buyer does not give the "right" answer, and the second buyer tells that to the seller (or even if they don't, and it happens to be reported by the "old" buyer), it could be auction interference. So, in actuallity, it may technically be auction interference, but you may not get "caught", since the chances are the old buyer won't tell the seller.

If you paid through Paypal, you can file a complaint with them.

Paypal doesn't get involved in condition of item..wish they did, but it's too subjective (she said, he said). If the item didn't arrive..they would get involved.

You could file through your credit card. I believe you agree not to do a charge back if you have a business account. I didn't know that, but recently someone posted that here or on another board. She filed a charge back, and Paypal froze her accoutn until it was settled (the wronged buyer).

Hopefully, this will all not matter, and the seller will reimburse you a portion of the cost, if not all of it. eBay really is a buyer beware..not everyone is as honest as those on this board.

 

[dg39]

Jgates, MAC cosmetics are great cosmetics sold in either high end stores and their own boutiques. Like the other high end cosmetics each person selling them goes to a class when hired by MAC to learn everything about the makeup line. Macy's, Lord & Taylor, and the same type of department stores carry this line. It's not sold in any type of drug store. They carry everything from skin care to makeup brushes, foundation,eyeshadow,compact etc. High end, fairly expensive. I always used it, but found as you get older, its kind of drying, so it really is for the younger crowd. The MAC counters by me are always full with girls ages from older teens to 20's & 30's. I've sold quite a few pieces of MAC here on ebay. With MAC, if you buy any piece of their makeup and decide you don 't like the shade, you can bring it back to the store and they will replace it or refund your money. I was always too lazy to do that, thats why I had some around the house. If you can get your hands on some cheap, then its worth buying and selling on ebay. But it doesn't pay to purchase it full price, because its to much $$ and I don't think you'll make a profit. But, its great makeup...Hope this helps,

Denise

 

[floridagirrl2]

Re: whether it's auction interference to email a former buyer to ask whether an item you want to buy washes well--I would go ahead and do it, but use a throw-away email address (Yahoo, Hotmail, etc.), not your Ebay email address, to ask the question. I doubt any previous buyers would be offended by the question & choose to report you to Ebay, though.

Regarding receiving an item that was not as represented: the seller should pay the return postage for you to return the item you received, in addition to either refunding your 100% of your purchase price or sending you the correct item. Make sure you tell him/her that it's not acceptable to have a dented, messed-up box (he/she should already know this!)

Hopefully this is just a case of seller error, but if not, it's definitely a clear-cut case of fraud! If you do not receive complete satisfaction from the seller, I wouldn't hesitate to file a mail fraud form. I've read that the post office takes Ebay mail fraud quite seriously. Here's a link to the mail fraud form:
http://www.usps.com/postalinspectors/fraud/MailFraudComplaint.htm
and also to the FBI's internet fraud form:
http://www1.ifccfbi.gov/index.asp

 

[bafmrf]

So far I have not heard back from the seller. The box is very damaged but the piece inside looks intact. I am just very mad that it is not the piece I thought I was getting. This item is nice but I bid on a particular one thinking I was getting the sharper model. My husband has been working on finishing the basement for almost a year now and it was going to be a special piece for the bar. I could have gotten this particular piece for $20 less than what I spent. And another little pet peeve....the seller taped right onto the box so when you try to remove the outer paper, the box rips....ughhhhh.....


Martha

 

[Lollipop Mom]

Martha, I hope the seller does resolve it for you! I totally agree with Floridagirrl2 that if the seller wants it back that s/he should reimburse for return postage. There is no "rule" enforcing it but it's pretty common that if the seller makes the mistake then they should reimburse for all shipping charges.

Paypal doesn't get involved in condition of item..wish they did, but it's too subjective (she said, he said). If the item didn't arrive..they would get involved.

I went back and re-read what I wrote and I didn't make what I was thinking really clear. It did sound like I was saying Paypal may refund over it but that wasn't what I was trying to say...my bad! You are right that they won't get involved in disputes over the condition of the item but you can still file a complaint with them. In this case I was thinking more in terms of that the item pictured in the auction was different from the item that was shipped, not really just a quality issue, kwim? It wouldn't result in a refund from paypal but they do keep a record fo sellers with a large number of complaints and will cancel an account if it becomes excessive. I'm sure it has to be WAY over the top, but it is something you can do and if it's a real regular pattern for the seller then at least you did what you could to prevent it from happening to someone else.

With regards to auction interference contacting another buyer about an item they bought, I guess that's a gray area in this case depending on how you interpret their definition of interference. Ebay's official definition of transaction interference is "Transaction interference - Emailing buyers in an open or ended transaction to warn them away from a seller or item. " (see
this link for their help page on transaction interference).