Are fruitcakes running rampant on eBay lately? Selling, buying, listing, feedback, etc...

[Pseudoty]

13 minutes ago, Jessekidd13 said:

Thanks guys, I hate that my first instinct is to assume it's some sort of scam. 

Pseudoty, I'm sure you said something helpful, but I can't stop looking at the grain on that table.

Messed that one up I was thinking lantern festival not temple fair, ouch that one hurts more. What I usually do is send a message something like this: I have been building lego for well over 20 years and although rare sometimes this happens. I can assure you that I personally purchased this sealed set from the lego store. I hope this didn’t ruin the building experience for you as I am sure it would for me and I want you to be happy so here is what I can do. Let me know what pieces are missing and I can order the replacements from lego and have them shipped directly to you at my expense, or if you would prefer just return the partially built set with the remainder of the sealed bags, instructions and box for a refund.  They will usually take the former. 

Edited March 7, 2021 by Pseudoty

[scatmanjack]

You block a bidder an ebay for non-payment and they change their ID and bid/win on another auction a few weeks later- and don't pay for that one either... both $150+...

[KShine]

As an ebay buyer, I requested to cancel an order right after purchasing (my mistake). Seller refunds, less a "cancellation fee" (5%).

I know that things aren't fair on the sellers side, but I deal with that garbage regularly as a seller (cost of doing business). So why as a buyer should I accept an arbitrary "fee" (which is against ebay policy).

Should I accept getting screwed on both sides? I know that I could force the remaining refund, but is it even really worth the trouble?

[zaphoid]

3 minutes ago, KShine said:

As an ebay buyer, I requested to cancel an order right after purchasing (my mistake). Seller refunds, less a "cancellation fee" (5%).

I know that things aren't fair on the sellers side, but I deal with that garbage regularly as a seller (cost of doing business). So why as a buyer should I accept an arbitrary "fee" (which is against ebay policy).

Should I accept getting screwed on both sides? I know that I could force the remaining refund, but is it even really worth the trouble?

I'd make a stink out of it. With managed payments now the seller isn't getting screwed by PayPal keeping their fee which is probably why they were doing this. 

26 minutes ago, scatmanjack said:

You block a bidder an ebay for non-payment and they change their ID and bid/win on another auction a few weeks later- and don't pay for that one either... both $150+...

I once had to block a buyer about 8 different times.  Basically for the same thing.

[KvHulk]

1 hour ago, zaphoid said:

I'd make a stink out of it. With managed payments now the seller isn't getting screwed by PayPal keeping their fee which is probably why they were doing this. 

I once had to block a buyer about 8 different times.  Basically for the same thing.

FYI - Not everyone is on managed payments. It is still being rolled out.

[Darth_Raichu]

1 hour ago, scatmanjack said:

You block a bidder an ebay for non-payment and they change their ID and bid/win on another auction a few weeks later- and don't pay for that one either... both $150+...

 

1 hour ago, zaphoid said:

I once had to block a buyer about 8 different times.  Basically for the same thing.

Contact eBay and explain the situation.  I know the best they can do is to give you back the listing fee, but this should put the buyer/scammer on eBay's naughty list.  It is in eBay's best interest to weed these people out.  

Also, there is a report Buyer button, log a complaint there as well, 1 for each id.  

[Darth_Raichu]

1 hour ago, KShine said:

As an ebay buyer, I requested to cancel an order right after purchasing (my mistake). Seller refunds, less a "cancellation fee" (5%).

I know that things aren't fair on the sellers side, but I deal with that garbage regularly as a seller (cost of doing business). So why as a buyer should I accept an arbitrary "fee" (which is against ebay policy).

Should I accept getting screwed on both sides? I know that I could force the remaining refund, but is it even really worth the trouble?

No, but if you use the same eBay id to sell and buy then the answer is maybe

[CosmicSpeed]

I just sold a +$600 item through the global shipping program on Ebay to a buyer with 0 rating. His username is the first 3 letters of his first and last name and a member since 7/2020. Should I cancel this order or are chances less of something shady happening since its through the global shipping program?

[thelovemachine]

Once it reaches Gsp ebay responsible.   
 

Another question I have is.  What happens if usps shows delivered but buyer says never received.  Buyer did check with usps who told him they sent to wrong house.  The usps couldn’t find it.  I would think I’m not responsible.  

[exracer327]

47 minutes ago, thelovemachine said:

Another question I have is.  What happens if usps shows delivered but buyer says never received.  Buyer did check with usps who told him they sent to wrong house.  The usps couldn’t find it.  I would think I’m not responsible.  

This is why you need to have insurance and a paper trail from USPS showing where they delivered it to.  Until your product is in the hands of the customer, you're on the hook.  When I use USPS if there is any delay or the tacking isn't updated for several days I initiate a "where is my package?" claim.  It is funny how quickly the package ends up in the right place when you do that.

Otherwise, think about it from the customer standpoint: They ordered a product which they claim never arrived; do you think they will want their money back?

[lodibricks]

51 minutes ago, exracer327 said:

This is why you need to have insurance and a paper trail from USPS showing where they delivered it to.  Until your product is in the hands of the customer, you're on the hook.  When I use USPS if there is any delay or the tacking isn't updated for several days I initiate a "where is my package?" claim.  It is funny how quickly the package ends up in the right place when you do that.

Otherwise, think about it from the customer standpoint: They ordered a product which they claim never arrived; do you think they will want their money back?

Well, I don't think we'd have any paper trail as to where it actually delivered, only where it should have delivered. Would be nice though, or if USPS took pics like Amazon.
I do know the seller is typically off the hook once the tracking says Delivered, but I hadn't considered who's on the hook if USPS (allegedly) acknowledged misdelivering. 

[Mark Twain]

Ebay recognizes a package as delivered if it scans at the city/zip code, not street address of the buyer. At least that used to be the case. You’d likely win an INR case but should contact the buyer and kindly direct them to contact their local post master so he can run down the package.

[$20 on joe vs dan]

when an Amazon package to me went awry...I went to the obvious suspect (there's a neighbor who shares the same street # and similar street name) and I saw it sitting behind his glass door.  Looked like he was on vacay and the cleaners brought it in...anyway I left a note and got a call from him a couple days later.

Might help to let your buyer know to try this.

 

[In my case it was very fortunate, because the package had three NISB Phantoms w/ Thrawn which I got back then for $70...currently going for $155 and will likely hit x5 once Thrawn gets put in his rightful place as the 2nd most popular  Star Wars villian] 

[thelovemachine]

2 hours ago, exracer327 said:

This is why you need to have insurance and a paper trail from USPS showing where they delivered it to.  Until your product is in the hands of the customer, you're on the hook.  When I use USPS if there is any delay or the tacking isn't updated for several days I initiate a "where is my package?" claim.  It is funny how quickly the package ends up in the right place when you do that.

Otherwise, think about it from the customer standpoint: They ordered a product which they claim never arrived; do you think they will want their money back?

Well it was a small Lego set. The one with Voldemort baby so it shipped first class.  I generally don’t get insirance.  I don’t think I’m on the hook with eBay if it says delivered. The buyer complained to usps and usps can’t find it.  I figured others maybhave had that experience.   
 

one other time buyer claimed he didn’t get it but it says delivered a s eBay sided with me   This one is weird where buyer says usps shopped it wrong   

 

[KvHulk]

If the package was addressed to the verified address on file and marked as delivered by the shipping company then eBay will side with the seller. Your obligation is over.

Edited April 6, 2021 by KvHulk

[thelovemachine]

Thx. I’ll have to reply to the buyer with three unfeotunate news.   I’ll tell him to ask his nearby neighbors but it’s now two weeks.   He may live in crap neighborhood where neighbors don’t drop it to u when delivered wrong. 

[exracer327]

5 hours ago, thelovemachine said:

one other time buyer claimed he didn’t get it but it says delivered a s eBay sided with me   This one is weird where buyer says usps shopped it wrong   

I totally agree with this.  I would want a copy of that email and show it to ebay.  Then I agree, you would be off the hook.

Let's be honest, you should be off the hook as soon as it is delivered.  I mean technically it is out of your control once you drop it off at USPS but I'm always amazed at the buyers who want door-to-door service.  

[thelovemachine]

He had said ...where do we go next...and I told him, maybe ask your neighbors and that's about all I can do.  I think there is a Amazon type level of customer service everyone expects, when most of us sellers are nothing like a 1.5 trillion dollar company.  its the amazon effect where you can say you didn't get it and they would send you a new one or give you a full refund.

[TheBrickClique]

9 hours ago, lodibricks said:

Well, I don't think we'd have any paper trail as to where it actually delivered, only where it should have delivered. Would be nice though, or if USPS took pics like Amazon.
I do know the seller is typically off the hook once the tracking says Delivered, but I hadn't considered who's on the hook if USPS (allegedly) acknowledged misdelivering. 

I’ve read that most usps scanners now have gps that attaches coordinates where it is scanned. So, if they deliver to the wrong address, they can check where it was delivered. 
I experienced this first hand last year when our mailman came to our door and told us he left someone else’s package with our deliveries. I was surprised he remembered and would have known given how many boxes are delivered each day to our house. But knowing this, it totally makes sense. We looked at our stack of packages we hadn’t gotten to and sure enough there was the package he was looking for. 

[TheBrickClique]

2 minutes ago, TheBrickClique said:

I’ve read that most usps scanners now have gps that attaches coordinates where it is scanned. So, if they deliver to the wrong address, they can check where it was delivered. 
I experienced this first hand last year when our mailman came to our door and told us he left someone else’s package with our deliveries. I was surprised he remembered and would have known given how many boxes are delivered each day to our house. But knowing this, it totally makes sense. We looked at our stack of packages we hadn’t gotten to and sure enough there was the package he was looking for. 

https://www.uspsoig.gov/document/package-delivery-scanning-―-nationwide
sounds like they have newer units that have the gps. Not sure where they are in phasing out the older units. But this was from three years ago so I expect most would have been converted over by now. And the older units also didn’t provide real-time updates. So, if the tracking shows when it was delivered (rather than being updated when the driver finished their route, I presume), then they should also have the gps location. 

[thelovemachine]

This was what buyer had said.  So I guess gps may not help or maybe the family refuse to give the usps back the item.  

The buyer sent you a message.

Buyer’s message: "I talked to the Postmaster today, they attempted to recover the package from the GPS tracking and were unsuccessful. Since it was 1st class and was not insured what are the next steps... "

[TheBrickClique]

13 hours ago, thelovemachine said:

This was what buyer had said.  So I guess gps may not help or maybe the family refuse to give the usps back the item.  

The buyer sent you a message.

Buyer’s message: "I talked to the Postmaster today, they attempted to recover the package from the GPS tracking and were unsuccessful. Since it was 1st class and was not insured what are the next steps... "

You need to contact the post office personally to see what that means -- although I wouldn't put any more effort into this if I was you.  It is theft if you keep a package that was addressed to someone else and refuse to give it up if asked.  In which case, the buyer can file a police report.  But that message is extremely vague, and I think if I contacted the postmaster at my PO and they told me "our attempt to recover your package was unsuccessful", I'd like some more details -- I don't think the buyer is putting much effort into this, and probably for a reason.

Ironically, I have an open case on ebay right now where USPS shows delivered and the buyer claims he never got it and is expecting me to refund him.  I told him to submit a case to ebay, but his chances of getting his money back was dependent on the generosity of ebay to take it out of their pocket since the tracking clearly showed it as delivered -- and since he sent me a message claiming he never got it, it'll be difficult for him to try a SNAD attempt later.  I also told him to contact his USPS but he claimed he worked during USPS hours and that wasn't an option...  Right...

Well he filed a not received case with ebay, I sent the tracking info to ebay, and then I sent a request to USPS and got a message on their website that the package was part of an ongoing investigation.  I followed up with the buyer that I contacted USPS and said either ebay automatically filed a case to track down the package or he was able to contact the post office -- what changed?  Crickets since then.

In any event, you owe the buyer nothing financially.  It was delivered.  Your obligations are done.  Insurance is to protect you to the point of "delivery".  If the buyer felt they needed insurance after delivery to protect them, they could have asked for it, but they didn't.  It's the responsibility of the buyer to provide a safe location for the package (if theft is an issue).

[thelovemachine]

just to give you all a followup.  ebay ruled very quick....

eBay opened a case because of an issue with an item purchased from you. We reviewed the case and have decided to issue the buyer a refund of US $36.99 without any impact to you.

This case is now closed. You are not required to reimburse the buyer or eBay, and this case will not be counted in your seller performance evaluation.

 

Here's the case outcome

eBay Customer Support has refunded the buyer.

We're issuing the buyer a refund for this case. You don't need to do anything else. This case won't be included when we evaluate seller performance. Note: It may take up to 24 hours for this information to be updated in your Seller Dashboard.

Case summary

Outcome

You were not found at fault.

More info

You provided tracking information that shows that the item was delivered to the buyer's address. However, the buyer didn't receive it. As a courtesy, we're issuing the buyer a refund for this case.

 

Edited April 7, 2021 by thelovemachine

[trstnkn]

Shipped an item; I charged shipping.  Within 24 hours got a return message saying "im only 10 im in troubleeeeee".  Ok...?  Since I just shipped it (and I was annoyed) I waited to approve any return.  Now the tracking says "address not valid", so the item is now being returned to me.  (Interesting because it is an actual house per Google maps.)

I may have gotten 1 return in the past 2 years.  So, I'm not out the original shipping charge if I accept the return?  And how will eBay process the return since it was not delivered?

[$20 on joe vs dan]

47 minutes ago, trstnkn said:

Shipped an item; I charged shipping.  Within 24 hours got a return message saying "im only 10 im in troubleeeeee".  Ok...?  Since I just shipped it (and I was annoyed) I waited to approve any return.  Now the tracking says "address not valid", so the item is now being returned to me.  (Interesting because it is an actual house per Google maps.)

I may have gotten 1 return in the past 2 years.  So, I'm not out the original shipping charge if I accept the return?  And how will eBay process the return since it was not delivered?

Curious: what did the "10 year old" buy? 

I would think this falls under the Ebay: canceled transaction; just message the rep and make sure it's processed properly.