Vintage HiFi Audio Forum

PoLiTiCs => What's on your cranium??? => Topic started by: bmwr75 on August 05, 2010, 11:19:11 AM

Title: Think I'm done selling on eBay!!
Post by: bmwr75 on August 05, 2010, 11:19:11 AM
Three sales in the last three weeks.  All three resulted in disputes being filed with the eBay Resolution Center.

First was disputed by me when seller only sent a partial payment and never responded to a single eBay email thereafter.  I've refunded his money in full and am waiting for the dispute to time out so I can do something else with the speakers.

Second was disputed by the buyer when I sold him two sets of untested tubes and he now claims one is bad.  The eBay ad clearly stated I'd test the tubes before shipment if requested by the buyer (he didn't request this).  The ad also clearly stated No Returns Accepted and No Warranty Expressed or Implied Due To The Age of the Items.

Why didnt' I test them before shipment......because three of the four tubes were stilled sealed in the factory plastic from the 1950s, which made them highly collectible.  The other tube had been removed from the plastic by the original owner when he bought them new way back when, tested once, and placed back in the plastic.

This same buyer has purchased 6 other identical tubes on eBay in recent weeks.  What do you guys think the chances are he's trying to scam me?

To say the least, I'm disgusted with eBay buyers right now.
Title: Re: Think I'm done selling on eBay!!
Post by: Reverend on August 05, 2010, 11:44:52 AM
I sold a turntable earlier this week to a guy in CA.  He used the Buy It Now feature but my dumb ass forgot to check off that immediate payment was required when I setup the listing.  I noted in my instructions that immediate payment was due.  That was 3 days ago and haven't heard from him since.  No payment, numerous e-mails and no response. 

I found that since he didn't pay me I can open a case right away to cancel the transaction instead of waiting to open a case to force him to pay me.  The cancellation keeps track of all of my e-mails to him and the noted reason that he did not pay.  If he approves the cancellation then I get my fees back.  If he doesn't respond at all, I still get my fees back.  I already went ahead and re-listed the item.  Here we go again...
Title: Re: Think I'm done selling on eBay!!
Post by: Kingman on August 05, 2010, 12:54:43 PM
I have sold a good deal of items on ebay. The key is to always put the phrase " as with all vintage audio components there can be no guarantee, no returns". This doesn't fix all the problems, but most.
Title: Re: Think I'm done selling on eBay!!
Post by: thuffman03 on August 05, 2010, 01:00:46 PM
I am staying away from ebay these days and buying my stuff of of OCCD.  I am letting him deal with all that mess.  LOL
Title: Re: Think I'm done selling on eBay!!
Post by: OCCD on August 05, 2010, 02:30:16 PM
I take road trips for most of my equipment. Screw Epay.  We need to start another Audio auction site.
Title: Re: Think I'm done selling on eBay!!
Post by: SunnyDaze on August 05, 2010, 02:36:30 PM
We could feasibly create our own. An audio-only version of eBay, perhaps we call it OCCDbay?

No absurd fees, none of the baloney that makes eBay suck.
Title: Re: Think I'm done selling on eBay!!
Post by: Kingman on August 05, 2010, 02:41:38 PM
I take road trips for most of my equipment. Screw Epay.  We need to start another Audio auction site.
...Ok...you got a hit!!!!! 8) 8) 8)
Title: Re: Think I'm done selling on eBay!!
Post by: bmwr75 on August 07, 2010, 01:23:53 PM
I can't believe it!!  eBay decided in the buyer's favor for both sets of tubes and gave a full refund.  There was nothing wrong with the 2nd set of tubes per the buyer's admission.  Don't know why he even filed a case on the 2nd set.  Will be interesting to see what shape these formerly collectible tubes are in when I get them back.

Three sales in the last three weeks.  All three resulted in disputes being filed with the eBay Resolution Center.

First was disputed by me when seller only sent a partial payment and never responded to a single eBay email thereafter.  I've refunded his money in full and am waiting for the dispute to time out so I can do something else with the speakers.

Second was disputed by the buyer when I sold him two sets of untested tubes and he now claims one is bad.  The eBay ad clearly stated I'd test the tubes before shipment if requested by the buyer (he didn't request this).  The ad also clearly stated No Returns Accepted and No Warranty Expressed or Implied Due To The Age of the Items.

Why didnt' I test them before shipment......because three of the four tubes were stilled sealed in the factory plastic from the 1950s, which made them highly collectible.  The other tube had been removed from the plastic by the original owner when he bought them new way back when, tested once, and placed back in the plastic.

This same buyer has purchased 6 other identical tubes on eBay in recent weeks.  What do you guys think the chances are he's trying to scam me?

To say the least, I'm disgusted with eBay buyers right now.
Title: Re: Think I'm done selling on eBay!!
Post by: SunnyDaze on August 07, 2010, 01:32:54 PM
See my "An idea...." thread.
Title: Re: Think I'm done selling on eBay!!
Post by: Falcon on August 07, 2010, 02:50:49 PM
eBay and PayPal always rule in favor of the buyer.. always.
  I sold a Thorens turntable with a Dynavector 10x cartridge several years ago to some asshole in Seattle, long story short, he loved it, told me thru email that he was going to mod it.... Next thing you know he filled a claim with eBay and PayPal that I sold him a defective product.. PayPal refunded him $375.00 right away... I only had $75.00 in my account at that time.. They both ruled in favor of the buyer, even though I had 7 emails from this pole smoker saying he loved it, and was going to mod the RCA cables.... I eventually got the table back, in shambles with a busted Dynavector cartridge...

   I never used that PayPal account again, and never did put the $300.00 back in. F#ck them, I never gave them permission to refund that asshole.  If I ever go to Seattle I am going to beat the crap out of that asshole.. I still have his address...

  Now with PayPal you have to have a back up funding account, either credit or bank. If they refund money they get it back!! And if some asshole does a charge back with there credit card, you are just screwed... 
Title: Re: Think I'm done selling on eBay!!
Post by: SunnyDaze on August 07, 2010, 02:56:23 PM
I bought a pair of 1984 Air Jordan I's on eBay for a significant sum a while back. They arrived and were fake. VERY fake. I contested the auction with eBay, who ruled in favor of the seller. Paypal required me to get a letter from an authorized Nike representative stating that the shoes were counterfeit, what about them is different than the originals, etc...

I contacted Nike. Of course, I got no reply. I explained the scenario to PP to no avail. They ruled in favor of the seller. I ended up selling my $500 sneakers for $50.

Since then (2002), I've only done maybe a dozen eBay auctions. None of them were for significant cash. Other than my CD player, the most expensive I've gone was $40 for a battery for my MacBook.

Title: Re: Think I'm done selling on eBay!!
Post by: SunnyDaze on August 07, 2010, 03:00:05 PM
I take road trips for most of my equipment. Screw Epay.  We need to start another Audio auction site.

http://vintagehifipgh.com/forum/index.php?topic=780.msg7108;topicseen#msg7108 (http://vintagehifipgh.com/forum/index.php?topic=780.msg7108;topicseen#msg7108)
Title: Re: Think I'm done selling on eBay!!
Post by: bmwr75 on August 08, 2010, 08:28:31 AM
Now waiting the return shipment.......am just hopeful the pissed off buyer didn't damage the tubes.  I have visions of a box of broken glass and a few metal parts rattling around.
Title: Re: Think I'm done selling on eBay!!
Post by: bmwr75 on August 16, 2010, 08:41:53 PM
Update

UPS man supposedly delivered the returned items today. The eBay buyer immediately got a full refund for both items as soon as UPS electronically showed the items as delivered.

When I got home and opened the box.......only one item was returned. The buyer kept the other item. What a cluster f*^k!!!!
Title: Re: Think I'm done selling on eBay!!
Post by: schwarcw on August 16, 2010, 11:27:15 PM
Unbelievable!!
Title: Re: Think I'm done selling on eBay!!
Post by: bmwr75 on August 19, 2010, 10:40:34 AM
Ebay finally made good on this deal. I told them the buyer never returned one of the items. They contacted him and he admitted it. I got paid the the item he kept. He got a refund for the item he returned. I had to eat 1/2 the shipping and the listing fee for returned item. Now......if eBay can get the final valuation fee refunded to me next month on the returned item, the deal will be mostly fair. THE END.

Moral of the story -- do everything you can to settle with a buyer and avoid the eBay dispute process.
Title: Re: Think I'm done selling on eBay!!
Post by: Kingman on August 19, 2010, 08:26:36 PM
Quote
Moral of the story -- do everything you can to settle with a buyer and avoid the eBay dispute process.
AMEM!!!!...it's always best if you can come to an agreement...sometimes it's not possible. I've had that happen only twice in 7 years....
Title: Re: Think I'm done selling on eBay!!
Post by: fhawk618 on August 20, 2010, 12:32:07 PM
Done Selling...and Done Buying!!! I used to use E-bay to buy and sell quite a bit of stuff, but over the last couple of years I've had some bad encounters on both the buying and selling end of the deal. Now I just use it mainly as one of the bechmarks to put a value on something. Not only have listing fees gone up, but there's more misrepresented junk than ever (casting a shadow over reputable sellers), and most everyone suddenly feels that their labor for "handling", "packing", or "restocking" is worth $75.00 per hour. In my recent experience, it's cheaper (and more reliable) to make a road trip to buy stuff, and (as a seller) to have people come play with what I'm selling (you'd better be satisfied--you picked it out yourself)!!!
Title: Re: Think I'm done selling on eBay!!
Post by: OconeeOrange on August 21, 2010, 11:44:31 PM
I don't sell often on ebay, but buy often.

99% of the time I am happy.

Buying on ebay does take brains.  There are bargains, but no free stuff.

Mainly, my selling there is of BOWL tickets I buy every year.  I have great seats at many.  I pick out where I am going and sell the rest.  I just try to get my money back, and have never been disappointed. 

Most of my great audio equipment was bought there.  With out ebay, I would still be playing with BOSE  :'(