Don't buy film from this guy! (redux)

M

merciful

Guest
The beginning of the story.

So, six weeks after I ordered my film, it came: not long after I got an email from Philip Wang telling me that he'd checked his shipping records and it should arrive soon; and after my CC company had processed my chargeback. Philip said that I should either send him the money again, or ship the film back. I told him that I had paid for film to be shipped in mid-May, not mid-June as postmarked, and that I would either buy the film from him at $1/roll shipping included, or send it back to him if he paid shipping. This is part of the absurd screed I received in return:

First you will be a thief for $50 in front of GOD. Second, eBay, Paypal, your bank, and the whole internet community will all know about you, sooner or later. Google a people's personal history is very easy now. I heard business GOOGLEs people before any hiring. It will be terrible for a captured net thief 🙂.

I told him yesterday to send me the money for return shipping, but of course I haven't heard: I'm sure he's leaving it to me and God. I just don't need this sort of crap in my life, and you don't either: don't deal with collect888 on eBay.
 
I agree - no one needs to deal with that.

What I might have done in your situation is just break off enough film to cover your return shipping costs and then send him back the remainder with the advisement that you never want to hear from him again.
 
Is he a private person, or a store? Why did you decide to buy through him? Probably because it was cheaper than going through a reputable store.
IF that's the case, but I'm sorry, you get what you pay for. This is the perfect situation to illustrate why it's better to deal with a legitimate business. If the price is a little bit higher at least you're paying for peace of mind and not having to deal with "this sort of crap".
I agree that this guy screwed you on the shipping and he's probably a scam artist but if you do keep his film without paying you ARE a thief. You should pay for the film but NOT the shipping.
I mean no offense to you here, but I just get frustrated by people always trying to score the cheapest deal without realizing that good service actually costs something.
If I misinterpreted anything in this situation then I truly apologize and please ignore my cranky remarks!
 
Damn, that's a good idea, John, thanks. I'm off to Montréal for a little holiday on Monday, and if the money isn't here when I come back, I'll do just that.
 
Dave, I bought the film from his eBay store because I don't mind shooting expired film; I buy my fresh 120 from my local pro shop. He had thousands of satisfied customers (and a few not), and assured me he had everything in stock and would ship within three days.

Cranky remarks aside (and I make more than my fair share) I don't think I suggested that I was going to keep the film: the only mention of thievery is from him.
 
You wrote you'd pay him $1/roll - what was the actual price per roll including shipping? If it's a big difference, it might explain his being upset. I've bought from him once before without a problem. Did he apologize at any time for the late shipment?
 
It was $2.40/roll, shipping in.

I don't give a damn if he's upset: he shipped a month late, and wouldn't answer my emails when I enquired politely after the shipment or when I firmly told him I'd have to seek redress if he didn't answer. If he'd shipped when he was supposed to, or told me he couldn't, there would have been no need for me to have an issue with him.
 
You bought expired film and not fresh film that could have been damaged due to lateness. You weren't counting on the film to arrive timely for some special project which had to be scrapped due to the film being late. Even if the film had arrived in time most of it after 4 weeks would have been sitting around anyway, right? So how were you financially compromised? Offering $1/roll on something that you thought was worth $2.40/roll plus shipping 6 weeks ago is pretty much robbery.
 
Ok, let's see if I've got this right. You bought some film at $2.40 a roll and when it arrived late you said you were only prepared to pay $1? I'm assuming your original purchase had been fully refunded in the meantime.

Pay the $2.40 and don't try to rip the seller off.

Steve
 
I'm with sunsworth...

I'm with sunsworth...

sunsworth said:
Ok, let's see if I've got this right. You bought some film at $2.40 a roll and when it arrived late you said you were only prepared to pay $1? I'm assuming your original purchase had been fully refunded in the meantime.

Pay the $2.40 and don't try to rip the seller off.

Steve
Click to expand...

I'll only add, pay him the $2.40, and never buy from him again. You DID get your product, even if it was excessively late.
 
A number of posters seem to be missing the point that the seller represented to Andrew that the order would ship promptly. It didn't. Andrew attempted to bridge the failure via communications that were not returned. Presumably, Andrew bought film elsewhere and so the action to reverse the charge is fully justified. Requesting compensation to pay for the return shipping is likewise justified, since the product at that point was unneeded and unwanted.

Geez, guys, judgments about the merchant notwithstanding, in this instance he screwed up big-time. He should suffer the consequences and everyone can move on.
 
on a more serious note,

I'd recommend you test a roll, to make sure it is ok. If it is, then pay him the amount minus the shipping (as a penalty). And never buy from him again.

good luck
 
Yup, that's right: I paid for film to be shipped to me promptly, and it didn't come. Therefore, I am unwilling to pay the original price: he can take the deal I offer, or pay to have it returned to him. That's no rip-off: it's perfectly legitimate.



sunsworth said:
Ok, let's see if I've got this right. You bought some film at $2.40 a roll and when it arrived late you said you were only prepared to pay $1? I'm assuming your original purchase had been fully refunded in the meantime.

Pay the $2.40 and don't try to rip the seller off.

Steve
Click to expand...
 
No it isn't legitimate. As I say there are a whole host of possible reasons why he might ship late. He was remiss not to tell you why, but that doesn't mean that you are entitled to decide how much the goods cost.

Steve
 
Perhaps a review is in order:

...that I would either buy the film from him at $1/roll shipping included, or send it back to him if he paid shipping.

I'm not telling how it has to be: I'm giving him options.

And as for shipping a month late, after assuring me that he had he merchandise in stock and held himself to a strict policy of shipping everything within three days: well, I'd accept death of spouse or child, or severe personal injury; but as he continued to do eBay business throughout (including responding post-haste to an enquiry from another email address), I'd have to guess that neither was the case.

sunsworth said:
No it isn't legitimate. As I say there are a whole host of possible reasons why he might ship late. He was remiss not to tell you why, but that doesn't mean that you are entitled to decide how much the goods cost.

Steve
Click to expand...
 
sunsworth said:
No it isn't legitimate. As I say there are a whole host of possible reasons why he might ship late. He was remiss not to tell you why, but that doesn't mean that you are entitled to decide how much the goods cost.

Steve
Click to expand...

He doesn't decide anything, he makes an offer of $1 per roll and if that is not acceptable he will ship it back to the seller. Makes perfect sense. The seller failed to meet the deal as far as shipping is concerned so it's perfectly just that he has to pay for the return shipping.
 
jvx said:
He doesn't decide anything, he makes an offer of $1 per roll and if that is not acceptable he will ship it back to the seller. Makes perfect sense. The seller failed to meet the deal as far as shipping is concerned so it's perfectly just that he has to pay for the return shipping.
Click to expand...

Exactly...
 
Steve: The merchant either lied or failed to communicate or ignored Merciful's communications. He is a merchant, whether as an individual doing occasional sales or as a full time business. Once you post a sale on eBay you have both eBay, PayPal/and-or credit card regulations to adhere to, plus the commonly agreed ethical commercial behaviour expectations. How did the merchant live up to any of these? How did Merciful fail to adhere to the expectations of a buyer?
 
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