eBay Madness

[Stephen23]

I was just reading the thread about Paypal scams and thought I would share a recent experience.
I bought a Fed2 + 50mm lens combo on eBay from an outfit called "Auction Genie". The camera never arrived and I spent weeks sending emails and making (International) phone calls to find out what was happening. I was reassured that it was okay because the item was "insured".
To cut a long story short, I kept getting excuses for non delivery and then they stopped replying to my emails and I always got the answerphone when I rang up (they were obviously monitoring the calls with user I.D.). I kept asking the question "if it is insured why can't you refund the money?" No reply.
Out of frustration I left a negative feedback stating "Disappointing transaction, camera did not arrive no refund. Trade with care". The people at "Auction Genie" then sent a negative feedback about ME making false and untrue accusations!
I went through the eBay claims system but they wanted €25 for the privelege. I tried to claim back via Paypal, but could not as it was past their time limit for claims. (TIME LIMIT????)
So now I have no camera, no refund and a negative feedback I do not deserve.
The lunatics truly are running the asylum.

 

[Plasmat]

"Auction Genie" is a software package, not a seller.

Did you check the feedback of the seller before you bid?

Post the auction number. I will look at it and analyze it for you.

 

[Terao]

Unfortunately customer service and acocuntability appear to be foreign terms to eBay and Paypal in my experience and also of several friends (both as sellers and buyers). Its a great marketplace when transactions go smoothly but eBay just don't want to get involved when something goes wrong. I've bought and sold very high value items on there and only had one transaction go wrong but I always base my purchase decision on whether I can afford for it to go wrong.
Increasingly the bargains are disappearing on that site and I rely on other marketplaces for my gear acquisition...

 

[Stephen23]

Sorry Plasmat Auction Genie is a company that sells on behalf of sellers. I should know I have the phone bills to show for it, and yes I did check the feedback.

 

[Flyfisher Tom]

I always base my purchase decision on whether I can afford for it to go wrong.

I agree ... unfortunately, one really needs to be prepared for catastrophic loss before bidding and ask if yourself if you can live with it. Sad, but true on Ebay now.

 

[Flyfisher Tom]

Sorry to hear of your troubles Stephen 🙁

 

[rxmd]

Hi Stephen,

I'm sorry to say that, but you're probably out of luck.

The eBay feedback system is broken. Nobody leaves bad feedback unless he can afford to get bad feedback himself. That means that up to half of all bad feedback on eBay might be unwarranted.

Regarding feedback: you can comment on other people's bad feedback. If I see an auction where a buyer gets bad feedback from a seller and the comment is a civil-sounding version of "I paid them money up front and never received anything", I would personally count that bad feedback as nonexistent. Everybody knows that there are fraudulent sellers.

If you paid more than 25 EUR up front, I'd try the eBay claims system anyway.

Philipp

 

[rxmd]

Increasingly the bargains are disappearing on that site and I rely on other marketplaces for my gear acquisition...

Where? (Other than RFF classifieds, of course 😉)

Philipp

 

[Stephen23]

The transaction went through this outfit called Auction Genie which seems to be an agency of some kind, so I don't have a specific eBay name (oh but that I did).

Stephen

 

[rxmd]

Hi Stephen,

I don't understand; since you've won an eBay auction, you should have the eBay screen name (like a RFF username) of the seller?

Otherwise, can you post the eBay number of the auction?

Philipp

 

[AusDLK]

Whenever I buy something expensive especially from a foreign seller or any seller that I have the slightest doubt about, I always use my credit card as the Paypal funding source. If there is a problem (and there hasn't been so far) then I can dispute the charge with the CC provider, if necessary, and avoid Paypal and/or eBay hassles.

 

[bsdunek]

It's interesting, there are two 'auction_genie' sellers listed. one in Florida, the other in Texas. Both have been around for the same time, which makes me wonder if they're the same outfit. In any case, both have perfect, 100% positive feedback.
With this, I would also trust them. I've never had a problem with eBay transactions, but it can happen any time. 😎

 

[BillBingham2]

EvilBay goes both ways, I've had a wonderful experience with one sell, very very bad with another. The comment on the feedback system being broken is 100% dead on, it is so busted. I had a very bad transaction and knew that the seller would give me negative (he claimed to have sent a 100% working product and when it got to me as 75% working, but unuseable). I'm tempted to start another ebay ID just for international transactions, one that can get trashed if needed.

I think because of the volume, ebay has not grown (matured, hired enough people) to meet the need. The fact that they want to charge you to look into removing a negative comment, when you are the buyer (do you have proof of payment) is very sad. 25 GBP is very high (IMHO it's rather like a land tax you are paying to a lord somewhere) for them.

Much as I hate to say it, I think what EvilBay needs is a good law suit (I feel like going shopping a Walmart now).

B2 (;->

 

[Stephen23]

Phillipp
Sorry that I can't be more specific but Auction Genie advertise themselves as a "Trading Partners" company acting on behalf of clients who sell on the bay.
And Bruce they are based in New Jersey USA.

 

[BillBingham2]

NEW JERSEY!! Home of Tony Saprano, toxic waste dumps........

What was the auction number?

B2 (;->

 

[Keith]

I bought a IIIc described as perfect from an eBay seller in the US. When I received it it had all sorts of issues and to this day it sits in a box while I wonder what to do with it. Ebay were no help at all and to add insult to injury the seller gave me negative feedback with some extremely unpleasant personal comments when he realised I was unhappy with the camera. I made the mistake of leaving a follow up comment to the positive feedback I had previously given him. (Hugh's Camera Sales)

Ebay! The term 'toothless tiger' comes to mind!

:bang:

 

[Plasmat]

OK, you lost US $64.99 on an item that was presumably sent by airmail on a transaction that took place September 16.

1) If you had filed a PayPal claim within 45 days, they would not have been able to prove delivery, and the money would have been reversed, no fee. You filed an eBay claim, which is different.

2) As a seller and buyer, I have sent many items to UK which either went by surface mail instead of airmail, through the fault of the post office. This can take MORE THAN THREE MONTHS. UK customs also sometimes holds items for months. I would say there's a good chance it will pop up in the next few weeks.

3) What claim forms were you asked to fill out? If the seller had the customs form number, it could be tracked and located. Often in the UK and Ireland, Parcel Force botches the delivery, NOT the seller. You should not have been so fast to leave a negative over a relatively small amount.

The seller's only negative out of more than 200 is from you. I suggest you go for a mutual negative withdrawal and work with him to locate your item. I do not think you were cheated deliberately over a $64 item.

 

[Stephen23]

Plasmat may I respectfully suggest that I have a better knowledge of this transaction than you - having communicated by telephone and email with these people.
Perhaps you can suggest a reason why they stopped answering my emails and phone calls? Would that not raise suspicions in your mind?
The main question still remains pertinent and unanswered - if the goods are insured why not refund?
I am somewhat creeped out that you traced the transaction as I had no intention of escalating this thread into a vendetta. I was merely adding comments to the discussion on Paypal/eBay problems.
You seem to be an apologist for the people I am in dispute with. I wonder why?

 

[Plasmat]

I'm an experienced eBayer with thousands of transactions since 1998.

It only took a matter of seconds to find the transaction, and I did not "trace" anything, I merely suggested an amiable resolution. No need to feel "creeped out".

Inexperienced newbies on eBay often don't understand the process fully and over react.

I have no personal interest at all in the transaction and no relationship with any party.

Since you don't seem to want friendly advice about dealing with it, consider my interest in the transaction completely closed.

Good luck.


* PS: Out of respect for your privacy, you might note I purposefully didn't mention the auction # in the forum even though it was simple for me to find it. So if you find anything "sinister" in my motives, I apologize. It wasn't my intention to offend you, and it's very hard to make judgement calls when only being presented with one side of the story. But think logically, why would this company want to ruin perfect feedback over a minor transaction? My suggestions to resolve it were totally neutral.

 

[Kim Coxon]

A couple of thoughts. If you have tried to resolve to situation for 2 1/2 months to no avail and if the other side are not answering even phone calls, there is litle more that you can do. In this case leaving a neg is perfectly reasonable regardless of their previous feedback. It is easy to gain pos feedback when nothing goes wrong, it is when something does happen that the "true" character is shown. The fact that you get a retaliatory response is predictable but I doubt it will do you any harm. Such responses are transparent. The feedback system is flawed but it is all there is.

If the sender contacts you and resolves the insurance problem, then I might consider a mutual retraction otherwise I would leave it as it is.

Kim