I'm Getting Worked on Ebay
Summary:
Through seller incompetence, inexperience, and unverifiable excuses that the Postal Service disputes, it took 11 days for me to receive an item that I overpaid $25 1 day shipping for. There was monetary loss to me because of the delays. The seller responded to my stern but civil demands with rudeness and name-calling. The seller returned my money after I received the item, and is now demanding that I pay again including 1 day shipping, and has filed a complaint with ebay.
The seller claimed to have shipped the item 4 separate times, could only produce 1 tracking number, and refused to ship by alternate methods for less money after the delays.
I paid for the item again this time only including priority mail shipping.
It's not huge money, but I lost $35 because of the delay and now I'm nervous of a "nonpayment" strike against me, forced payment by paypal of the additional $14.75, and obviously negative feedback.
Anyone had a similar situation? Advice?
Details (mostly from my email to ebay):
On June 9, 2006, I won auction, a cell phone, from seller mzbitsch2u, Linda Mitchell. I was the only bidder so I won for $6.99. I paid her almost immediately, within ~ 1 hour of winning the auction. I paid for the item though Ebay’s checkout, including the offered $25 1 day express shipping via PayPal. I expressed the urgent need for the phone as mine had disappeared while biking and it was my only phone and I was paying a fortune for temporary phone minutes.
When I didn't receive the phone on the 10th, I sent out emails. The seller did not respond. When I didn’t receive the phone on the 12th, I sent out more emails and an ebay message warning the seller that I would have to contact Ebay and others about fraud if she didn’t deliver. Still, the seller did not respond.
On June 13, I went to Ebay Live Support and they told me how to get the seller's contact information. I finally contacted the seller by phone that day. The seller insisted the item was mailed out but wouldn't provide a USPS Express Mail tracking number. I open a Square Trade case.
On June 14, the seller then claimed that the post office would not send the package because she hadn't paid enough shipping and that it was the post office's fault. However, the seller refused to provide the original tracking number to verify this claim. The seller claimed she shipped the package a second time, but still provided no tracking number.
I contacted my Post Master, who stated that the seller’s claims "do not reflect how the USPS would handle that situation." I subsequently have contacted the 63072 Post Office, which is the originating post office for the sender on the express mail form. They concurred that the seller’s story blaming the post office made no sense.
In a second email on June 14, the seller then claimed I hadn't paid and that she actually returned to the post office and retrieved the package she'd just shipped!!!
I informed the seller that I had paid, forwarded the PayPal receipt email, and explained the steps she had to take to accept the payment, even though that is not the responsibility of the seller. I also reminded the seller that she had referenced my message attached to the June 9th payment. I stated that the delays had forced me to spend more money on temporary phone minutes and that she should refund me part of the shipping and ship the package via a cheaper method.
On June 16, the seller stated "I did contemplate not even sending it to u" but that I would have the item on the 17. In a second email on the 16th, the seller then stated that the post office was closed and that I would receive the item on the 19th.
June 16, 3rd email from paypal: Seller requesting payment for the item again, my original payment still showed unclaimed.
On June 17, the seller admitted in an email she didn't understand how to work paypal and would have to contact them. She also revealed she mailed the package to the incorrect address (the one given for UPS, not USPS).
On June 19, I informed the seller, I would not pay twice while there was an unclaimed payment in her account. I suggested that she accept payment. I again demanded a partial refund. I also offered to resend partial payment if she returned the entire payment.
On June 19, I contacted my post office to have them hold the package as it had been addressed to a non-deliverable address. I received the item. I won and paid on June 9, the package was shipped June 17, and arrived June 19 at a price of $18.80 in a free USPS express mail shipper. I asked the postal clerk how much it would have been to ship USPS Priority Mail and they measured it to $4.05.
June 19, the seller returned my paypal payment.
June 19, the seller sends an email demanding that I send the payment again.
June 20, I again contact Ebay Live Help for advice on how much shipping I should pay, and they suggest I contact Safe Harbor.
June 22, Safe Harbor responds saying that I should contact the seller and the ebay Q&A forums. Essentially: "We got our comission so we don't care what you do."
June 23, Ebay Q&A (which is dominated by sellers) is overwhelmingly appalled by the sellers actions and tell me to pay no shipping at all, just for the item (one dissenter thinks I should still pay her $25 for the shippping).
June 25, Seller files an "unpaid item" complaint with ebay demanding I pay for the item plus $18.80.
June 25, I send payment for the item plus $4.05 shipping (priority mail equivelent).
I've been an ebay member for 7 years and have a feedback of 90. The seller, 4 years and 14 feedback (I know that should have warned me off).
If I really wanted to screw the seller I'd return the phone under her return policy and paypal's policy, then she'd eat the shipping, fees, and be unable to resell (with a fresh negative feedback on the same item, remember I was the only bidder the first time), but it would hurt me a lot to do that (time and money for another phone).
