Bid, pay, and wait. Yep, that’s exactly what I did after winning a heated eBay auction on a cool pair of Levi’s for my hubby. As he’s a slim-built 6 foot tall fellow, I was thrilled to be the winning bidder on these jazzy jeans and excited to see my boy’s buns decked out in the prized denim.
And so I waited. Tick-tock, tick-tock. Nothing. I figured the package was delayed since the sale was international, and holiday parcel delivery was slow. Oh well, no present under the tree for my sweetie. Tick-tock, tick-tock.
The days quickly turned into weeks, and still no lovely Levi’s in the mail. Were the jeans stuck in customs? Did they get lost in the mail? Crap, how long ago did I win that auction? I checked My eBay Summary page for the auction details and counted back the days, all 47 of ‘em.
Now, you could call me many things at this point. Some would say I’m the world’s most trusting and patient eBayer on the planet. Others would say I’m a sucker who’s been had. And you’d all be right.
Despite never receiving my swanky Levi’s from a well-rated seller, I’ve been a happy eBay buyer for over ten years. During this time I’ve bought a variety of new and used goods from a slew of sellers at excellent prices, and have only been shipped counterfeit or misrepresented merchandise once.
The case of the lost Levi’s stunk of fraud though, so I decided to hit up eBay’s Resolution Center to report the stench and recoup my costs. Here are the five steps eBay recommends to defrauded buyers, and the gotchas that will cost you:
Step One: Contact the seller. Be nice.
When my jeans failed to materialize, I messaged my seller through the auction description page and left a little disgruntled digital dirt. It’s important to resist communicating via private email even if you have the seller’s address — eBay requires that both parties attempt an email resolution before opening a case, and leaving proof within the eBay system is therefore wise.
Also, be nice! A number of things can go wrong with an eBay transaction, and assuming that your seller is an a$$ (and calling them such via email) could hinder your case. Besides, many sellers are keen on keeping negative feedback from downgrading their reputation, so they’ll often offer a refund if an item fails to match the auction description, turns out to be flawed, or is proven counterfeit.
I sent three messages to my Levi’s seller. Each went without a reply. Bummer.
Step Two: File a report with PayPal or eBay.
I get a little grumpy when it comes to paying for eBay purchases — it seems that PayPal, a wholly-owned subsidiary of eBay, is the preferred payment method of sellers. And with the stiff rules for international payments I’m often stuck using PayPal on eBay.
PayPal users defrauded of funds can report grievances through the PayPal Buyer Protection Program. For all other payment methods, head on over to the eBay Buyer Protection Program to lodge your complaint. I’ve had very mixed results using both programs, mostly ’cause the rules are strict. But these rules are key:
- You must first attempt to resolve the problem with the seller through eBay’s messaging system.
- Only eligible purchases are protected — items like cars and real estate are not covered under either program.
- You must open a case no later than 45 calendar days from the date of your payment.
The final point is the kicker — wait longer than 45 days to file a complaint and you won’t recover a cent. Since my jeans auction was 47 days old, I didn’t qualify for buyer protection under either program.
Step Three: Call your credit card company.
Savvy eBay shoppers know that paying with a credit card may offer the best buyer protection on the planet. So if you paid for your eBay purchase with plastic, contact your credit card issuer as soon as possible to report the fraud. Depending on your cardholder agreement, you may have up to 30 days from the statement date to recover your funds.
Tip: Using a credit card to fund a PayPal purchase may offer the best buyer protection possible. If you’re unable to exercise your chargeback rights directly with your credit issuer, go ahead and escalate your dispute by filing a claim under the PayPal Protection Program. You can’t pursue both concurrently or double dip, so pick your best option first — it only takes one program to recover your defrauded funds.
Step Four: Contact the Feds.
When you’ve passed the 45 day buyer protection limit and your credit card issuer sticks you with the purchase, eBay customer service will send you to your federal fraud agency to file a formal complaint. Fun stuff, right?
- Americans: Depending on your location within the States, eBay may send you to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). The IC3 works in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C), and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA).
- Canadians: Regardless of your province, eBay routinely refers Canucks to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) to report internet crime. The CAFC is run jointly by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Competition Bureau, and the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).
Yeah, it’s a lot of acronyms to stomach if you’ve lost under $100 on your failed eBay transaction. But if you’ve gone this route I’d love to hear from you!
Step Five: Go ahead, leave negative feedback!
Now’s the time to make your mark and warn fellow eBayers about the dodgy seller by leaving negative feedback. Keep it professional, terse, and to the point though — these comments are publicly displayed on eBay and catty comments may reflect poorly on your own reputation. And before dropping a vicious bomb on a boutique or store, be sure the negative feedback is truly well deserved — negative feedback can hurt the seller’s reputation and harm their online auction business, especially if it’s unwarranted.
So what happened with my jeans?
I may have won the auction but I lost every penny thanks to a scammy highly-rated eBay ‘powerseller’. My loss of around $60 wasn’t catastrophic by any means, but it sure changed the way I charge my eBay purchases. Today I always pay for online purchases with my credit card and never use the balance in my PayPal account — my credit issuer has proven to be more reliable than eBay’s so-called protection programs. And I never buy a pair of jeans online unless I’ve consulted with the AuthenticForum first — these guys can spot a fake pair of denim from just a simple photograph!
Your Thoughts: Have all your eBay purchases been positive? Please do share your stories!
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Your two cents:
Thanks for this great ‘heads up’. Knowledge is power, especially for consumers.
I had an experience like that this last christmas. I “won” a sari from India. It never arrived. I started communication like you, late in the game because of the time delay of mail from India. Turned out that not only was I out the Sari, I was out the cost and the fees. I contacted the seller, many times. It was only after I threatened to turn him in as a fruad that he refunded not only the cost, but the fee’s also. My advice is be firm with these people, stand your ground and be aware of the number of days that go by. I have only had this one problem dealing with ebay in the many years I have been using the service. I am still looking for a maroon sari tho..:) Thanks for all your good advice in living a full, rich life. It is nice to have savings in the bank(my mind, the best bank in the world.)
Yours Truly,
Elaine, a fan from Upstate NY
I just returned some DVDs which I believed to be fake. The price was right (slightly lower than Amazon), but the actual discs had typos on them. (The word “last” was spelled with a “k” … I kid you not.)
I sent a nice note to the seller asking about the provenance of the disks and was informed that she only bought from reputable suppliers. Nevertheless, she offered to refund my full purchase price including shipping.
I sent the disks back, the seller refunded the money pretty much immediately, and cancelled the transaction.
Susequently, I purchased the DVDs on Amazon and have found several differences between the authorized set and the set I bought which was obviously a knockoff.
I learned that lesson also early in my eBay days, but my mistake cost me $300 for a Toshiba PDA that never arrived. I now will not purchase and eBay item that is outside the US or Canada and will only use Visa gift cards for which I load up with only the amount of the purchase + $5.
Visa will protect your purchases on these cards just like debit and credit cards and should the number be had by someone of less than honorable intentions, they don’t have access to your entire account.
This is terrific information; I appreciate the step by step plan for filing a complaint/trying to resolve the issue.
I limit the size or cost of items in case something should go wrong but have successfully made many, many purchases using PayPal on eBay. Keep an eye on passage of time. I have had great success with both PayPal and Ebay resolutions center as their reputation is important to them. I have never returned anything but a couple of items arrived not as described or damaged in transit. When I sent a photo I was credited the same day. I have purchased things from many countries and from many different categories.
Surprised this is news to people. Credit card chargebacks work like a charm – almost too well. It is actually the seller’s responsibility to prove that the goods reached you ie via a tracked shipment and signature (there are other reasons for filing/legit chargebacks as well). If the seller can’t prove the package was received the buyer has a legit claim and I’ve never been denied a claim as a buyer. The protection is almost too good at the detriment of legit sellers who may not have tracked the shipment and actually does get lost. Should check your timelimits for chargeback claims but for me first I went through contacting the seller to resolve problem > then paypal chargeback (and realized I was beyond the timelimit) > and if that doesn’t work (or you’ve gone past your paypal timelimit) use credit card chargeback.
When my mom passed away an eBay seller (Mytwintreasures (Autumn Jojola)) took carloads of my mothers and my items to sell, with her profit being 40%. She had 100% feedback and I heard of her through a friend. Being in a trusting but delicate grieving frame of mind, I thought I could trust her. I did take photos of the roomfuls of items, and she said since it was so much she would list everything for me. I heard her on her cell phone telling a friend it was a “goldmine”. I really needed money and being sad and apparently naive, I thought hearing her say that was a good thing for me. Hah! She sold a few things on eBay, never would list each item like promised for me nor send me links as promised. Before I knew it, she moved away, going from Miss Nice to Miss Witch. eBay wouldn’t help, she started getting negative feedback and no longer sells on eBay (unless she’s there under another name). This was in California, now through Facebook I see she’s in Arizona. BEWARE! She’s married with a young son and twin daughters and used to sell designer label womens clothing along with some miscellaneous.
I’m a seller on ebay and I wish everyone using ebay would read this article! Many new buyers go straight to leaving negative feedback without even letting the seller know they didn’t receive it or weren’t happy with their item. Sellers want to make their customers happy so they keep coming back. Leaving negative feedback hurts sellers in two ways, we may lose our “above standard search standing” which means our listings aren’t viewed as often resulting in fewer sales and we may lose our discounts on listing fees which forces us to increase our prices and again incur losses. I wish there was a place for sellers to go to so that USPS would compile statistics on how many packages “fall off the truck”. It’s unreal, I don’t think that many buyers in one area could be scamming sellers but believe me it happens. If you don’t receive your package within two weeks or you aren’t happy with it, email the seller through ebay and in my experience sellers will make it right. Thanks for this article!
eBay has much better protections for buyers than for sellers. Sellers can’t even leave negative feedback for scam buyers! Trying to sell some of my excess “stuff” on eBay, I had one transaction recently where the buyer didn’t pay for the item. After a couple of weeks I used the resolution centre, and suddenly they paid…and immediately started emailing me “ok I paid please send the item ASAP.” “Where is my item I have paid for it.” etc. I mailed it quickly, and a few weeks later they emailed me “where is my item.”. I checked and Canada Post said it had been successfully delivered several days prior. I told them this and they just kept messaging me “please send me the item.” I opened an investigation with the post office for them. They opened a PayPal dispute. But I won, because I had a tracking number and delivery comfirmation. Nevertheless, they left negative feedback on my profile and I have no way to rebut. The whole ordeal took so much time and energy that I haven’t sold on eBay since. Ugh. A garage sale would be less trouble.
Let me re-emphasize, purchase on Ebay (or on-line) only what you can afford to lose. Half the sellers are flea market purveyors peddling overpriced plastic detris. Electronics may or may not work, glass/ceramics break, used clothes arriving stained, smell or torn, just plain ‘ol crooks. Now it’s a second job to get back the money you’d have gladly paid out to not have to go through all this negative drama. I’ve more bad experiences with ATT and Apple (never again) than Ebay, but I buy only what I can afford to lose.
I bought a USB cable for my mp3 player which arrived barely working, but the return shipping overseas cost more than the cord was worth. I contacted the seller, who offered to send me a new one free of charge. Stupidly, I believed him and left positive feedback (stupid, stupid!). The replacement cord never arrived and I was SOL.
Good tip for using credit cards through PayPal. Funny how PayPal likes to encourage you to use a bank account instead.
I rarely purchase anything from overseas sellers unless they have fabulous feedback. I tend to read through the feedback also to make sure that they haven’t built up positive numbers by selling 10 cent items.
I make every effort to communicate problems directly with the seller as Most sellers are quite willing to work with you. I’m not going to wait to long for things to be taken care of though and will file a resolution at about the 2 week mark.
Not sure if many of you are aware of this but Ebay’s Detailed Seller Ratings have a huge impact on seller accounts. Sellers can have good feedback numbers but have poor seller ratings and lose there ability to sell on Ebay if they do not keep those seller ratings up.
Thanks for the detailed article on this. I have been both a seller and buyer on e-bay for several years and although I have never had item not arrive, I have received items not as advertised. Like others have said, I do not purchase outside of USA or Canada. I always check the ratings before making a purchase. I generally will not bid if the feedback is below 98%. Personal experience has shown this to be the breaking point between sellers who are customer oriented and those that are not. Thanks again, Fox!
I want to give my own input on the PayPal Protection Program experience. First of all, I had to return the item in the original package. Duh! I didnt keep it as I didnt expect to return it. Second, they wanted me to return it with a tracking number. Duh! Duh! The cost of tracking postage was more than half the cost of the item. And now comes the cherry on the sunday. I had to prove that my memory card was counterfeit. Well, eBay told me that the seller’s listing was removered for possible copyright infringement from the original manufacturer, Kingston. Except eBay’s emails about this was my only proof that the mem card was not as described and then, duh!, Paypal Protection Program didnt accept those emails as proof of counterfeit. After all, eBay is the one that pulled the listing of a fraudulent seller. So I got victimized once by a fraudulent seller and victimized twice by a phoney Buyer Protection Program. That left me with a real bad sour taste in my mouth about eBay and PayPal and the way we are supposedly protected. The seller must laughing out loud, he got my money, he got his mem card back and he is the winner that takes it all.
Be careful with credit card chargebacks on eBay transactions.
I don’t think this should be legal at all, but eBay’s rules basically state that if you do a chargeback on your own instead of allowing eBay/PayPal to do their own investigation and reach their own decision, they’ll threaten to cancel your eBay account.
I am reasonably confident that, when I buy through Ebay, and I use their Bank (called “PayPal”) that I will either get the goods, or I’ll get my money back. Oh, I’ve been burned a couple of times with ‘iffy’ merchandise masquerading as ‘pristine’, but in both cases, the buyer had since been suspended. I always weigh the sellers feedback with the value of the purchase. If it’s a store, you can almost always call them. If it’s a newbie, make sure you use PayPal.
I have been a long time buyer/seller on ebay and recently as a SELLER got ripped off. I sold a pair of shoes, but the buyer was in Thailand. They requested the cheapest shipping possible, which at the time, I thought was a reasonable request (I would probably do the same). I sent the item via Ground through Canada Post online and was given a “tracking” number. After weeks of the customer not “receiving” the item, he filed a paypal claim and they sided with him even though I had a tracking number, which actually turned out to be an untrackable item number. I was out the money and the shoes. I know the item would eventually show up and the guy in thailand would have gotten it for free, but paypal did not care at all!
I used to have much luck with Ebay however since the down turn of the economy, I’ve been scammed a couple of times by knock off’s and no delivery all from international suppliers. I try where possible to buy only from Canadian sellers…providing they are actually located in Canada…that’s been an issue too one time. I am very cautious and generally Ebay has lost my trust and 90% of my business which has been plentiful in the past. It’s like do I lose 100.00 or spend 100.00 more and actually get the merchandise.
I am very skeptical about certain sites and although I bought on line, haven’t used ebay until recently. It’s such a great, easy to navigate site, but can be totally addicting. I’ve only purchased two items – one arrived, pretty (a scarf) – thought it would be thicker, but that’s o.k. Also waiting for a sweater coat – both were from Canada (I hate paying duty!). I was told before I joined to ask LOTS of questions, which I do. Communication w/both sellers and shipping was done prac. immediately w/paypal. Ofcourse, I’m still skeptical – esp. when many buyers state they live in Canada but in fact their products are shipped from places like Hong Kong. Also, why on ebay Canada are we having to pay in U.S. Dollars?
I got scammed back in 2004 when I was trying to buy The Notebook on DVD. Only lost $10. But I still wish I had that $10 back =/ Lesson learned!
I got scammed recently and ebay was a big pain. I bought a bikini for $40 that was claimed to be brand new, not used, or worn. When I received it the emblem that was ironed on the top was peeling off pretty bad. I told that to the seller who said they ran out of the same designed top but would send one in better condition of a different design. As I waited for the top I wore the bottoms because I figured the top would have been sent in good condition as she stated and in the same size as the one ordered in the first place. Oh boy was I wrong! I received a larger top and the emblems were peeling 10x worse than the first. So I wrote her back, she said she explained that it would be a different top, which I agreed too, but not a different size. After that she refused to do anything so I opened a case through ebay. She replied that she wanted the items back if she was to give me the refund, so ebay was going to pay for me to send it back. She claimed she didnt accept returns on those type of items, which I understand why, but I guess she was going to make an acception for mine. I then called ebay to ask what to do since I wore the bottoms. They said to return it anyway?!!! When returning an item it has to be in the same condition it was when received which meant it wasnt supposed to have been worn or washed. The emblems on it would definitely give it away if they were washed, they would wrinkle. So I said returning it isnt an option since they are worn(I find it disgusting they would want bottoms that have touched a private area to be returned anyways.) They said to make a deal with the seller outside of ebay claims. I contacted her and asked if I could return the 2 unworn and damaged tops back to her for the refund because I wore the bottoms. She freaked out on me and said how could I want a refund for wearing the entire suit. I replied back that it was only the bottoms I wore and if she would have sent the correct size top in brand new condition in the first place that we wouldnt have this issue. I then said I couldnt wear either of the tops with the ugly emblems and one that doesnt even fit. I told her if she really wanted the bottoms back already worn she could. Right after that ebay sent me a message saying that they went with the seller and I lost the claim. My boyfriend payed through paypal with his credit card and has now filed a dispute against the charge since ebay didnt care to do anything. I have had a few minor problems buying a things but the seller fixes it…the first time. I have only had one other issue go to claims which was a few years ago that I won but it was a much less expensive item. Overall I would recommend using a credit card if possible, I was lucky to use his or I would be out of the $40 I spent for a crappy damaged item. I would have accepted a partial refund but she wouldnt do a partial and didnt want to give any money back. Needless to say she received negative feedback that she really deserved.
Well my outcome was a MIRACLE now going back. Re:::: the FAMOUS UGG BOOTS.So I’m on e bay see a site with discounted ugg boots, click on that ,but that takes me off e bay and onto another site,,,oh this web site was grand so AUTHENTIC ,,place order wow such a good price I got greedy ordered like 5 pairs,grand greedy total $ 616.00.Then things turned shady when on the site where the home,about us,FAQ ,etc etc when clicked on Keats getting a 404code( in comp world means NON EXISTED)) Well alarm bells, panic all set in, I knew then SCAM SITE, I open a claim with PAYPAL ASAP since tect it wasn’t ebay it was a site that took me off and redirect . Well I waited did some more investigating of the site like how every time I went there URL name changed RED FLAG. Then I was like crap I’m calling PAYPAL I got ahold of a wonderful lady and I explained my side, in meantime they had contacted seller asking for tracking info to no avail I had tried the tracking number and it kept kicking me out with a unknown number,as I’m on the phone with her she gave me a credit right there on the spot back into my BANK ACCOUNT. Yep the transaction went thru bank account . So I’m one of the lucky ones got my$$$$$$$ back. Now I start getting random emails from mr. Wong foo CHOO nasty lil man, once calling me GARBAGE, once calling me a CUTPURSE ( looked it up means ,pickpocket ,thief,etc…REALLY,your selling COUNTERFEIT boots. Finally a package comes yep boots ok but defiantly fake.I email Mr.FooManChoo in china by the way and tell him I got fake boots in,he reply. You send boots back, I say gladly if you send to me SHIPPING COST IN U.S. DOLLARS ….Well Nast emails flew around the world and I finally had enough and told him that sorry you are NOT getting fake boots back and that I have donated them to a woman’s shelter here in the U.S.A. ( they where good fakes and wearable) So I got my $ 616.00 back, donated the boots. But have since had to change my bank account,cancel my C.C, and cancel my PAYPAL account,cancel my ebay account and my lesson is if I want something that bad get my lazy a$$ out of the house and go to the mall and buy it.
I just recently bought a crossbow from a well establish seller with great feedback. 100%. WELL I WAITED TWO WEEKS AND SAW THAT THERE WAS NO PACKAGE or tracking number so i contacted the seller and he said he sent it to give it time. well i know better about these things so i filed a problem in the resolution center and a case was made. now here is the tricky part. if you read it well it states to try to contact the seller and resolve the case. well he contacted me and stated if i drop the case he would get the bow out to me before 19th to my home just in time for Christmas. Me going against my better judgment decided to do this and drop the case not knowing ebay will not fix the problem if you are scam. this is a catch 22 here and they know it and a way they dont have to pay you back. but they dont tell you this. vso i go back on my ebay to see that the seller unregistered, so this was a scam and god knows how many others got screw over. ive been selling for over 10 years and buying as well on this account. now im out of $70.00. when i contacted Ebay they said there was nothing they can do. i am like you own ebay you own paypal tell me how you cant override you’re banking department to take money out of his account back to mine.
They wont do this because they know its a scam and feel not obligated to the buyer if they close a case. it simple you get screw over and they dont care if you close your account because ebay has go so big for its pants that they allow scamers to come in a rip million off people. i smell Nigerian scam here
Hi all im from australia, i recently bought on the 28/12/2012 a 64″ Samsung 3d smart tv off ebay to a total cost of $782. Once the auction had ended I was sent a message via ebay with bank account details to which payment was to be made. That same day i went to my bank and done a telegrapgic tranfer.
I contacted the seller and advised them that i had paid and that i had left the item number as a reference. They responed with a message ” as so as we are able to comfirm payment you item will be shipped” i waited and nothing so i contacted the seller in regards to shipment, there reply was ” still unable to confirm payment please send copy of your reciept” so i then sent then the copy, waited and still nothing this went on for 3 weeks, i opened a case up on the seller, i phoned ebay, and then i came across the ebay community forum in which this is where i leant that i had been scammed. Ebay Adviced me that i had to contact my local police and open a fraudulent case with them also. Now i’ve done everything i can to get this ASS Hole excuse my langage cought, and possible a refund of my $782
I’m in to minds, i thinking that ebay should take some kind of responability for this happening as they are meant to be making their site safe for buyers such as myselfm and others. Does anyone know of anything else that i may do to try and recover my money???????
I had a very similar thing happen to me. I purchased an expensive item from a seller in India. He included free shipping (slowest way) and said in advance that it might take 25 business days to get to me. Right up against the Ebay 45 day deadline to file a complaint. After 25 business days I emailed him and he said that “the post office returned it to have the batteries removed. Then it was “delayed in customs” When I finally got it, it wasn’t what was pictured at all and was broken. When went back to look he was using a picture of a very nice similar item for all his auctions of that type product. Exact same minor scratches in exactly the same place.
By this time it was too late to leave negative feedback. This taught me that anyone on Ebay with 100% positive feedback is either completely trust worthy or a skilled crook that knows how to game the system. Ebay was no help at all and he is still running similar listings today…