Too Good To Be True

Kay

It's always been said that if something's too good to be true, then it probably is.

I've been an ebayer for many years, and never been caught out with a con, got 136 feedback, 100%. I need a pearl necklace (fake cos I can't afford real, and don't need it for this purpose) for a costume. Saw one advertised with a starting price of 99p - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8950253322 - assumed it was fake and bid on it.

I didn't win it, but I got offered a second chance offer to buy it for £3, and saw that the description said it would be sent First Class Royal Mail and said OK.

The seller then sends me an invoice for £30 - when you look closely in the ad, it states in a separate box to the 1st class bit that it is GBP 25 and then GBP 2 for insurance. Obviously, this is ripping off Ebay and misleading buyers, so I complained to Ebay but haven't neard back yet.

Now, my dilemma is - do I put it down to experience, pay them, and hope it's a decent necklace, or refuse to pay on the grounds that I'd been misled? Just to make it clear, I didn't really think I was going to get a real pearl necklace for £3, despite the description, I'd assumed it'd be a realistic fake.

I know I've been daft, but what should I do?

wigginsmum

I'm not sure you've been misled; it's pretty clear on the auction that the postage is extortionate. Did you click the box to accept the Second Chance Offer? If you did, that might constitute a contract. If you don't take it further, you risk a NPB and a neg.

bleugh

report the seller for charging excessive postage

this is viewed by ebay as fee avoidance, which ebay really don't like

madauri

Actually I am afraid it's all "ok". Lots of ebayers offer things starting at a very low price and trust the earnings to the postage. Whenever I look for something I check the price AND the postage. So I'm sorry to say I don't think ebay will give you the reason. I find it unethical, but it happens all the time.By the way, it must be a really really heavy necklace, needing such postage. You will need to hang it from balloons to be able to wear a necklace worth more than 7 Kg of postage!

Kay

Thinking of biting the bullet and hoping it's a good necklace - if it's as good as it purports, then even £30 isn't a bad price. If they'd put £25 instead of GBP 25 then I'd have spotted it easier, but I just saw the First Class Royal Mail bit.

Have reported the fee avoidance bit, but they've not replied yet. Will stall the seller for a couple days.

mssjab

I find it difficult to believe that ANYONE would 'bid' £3 on something that's said to be worth £550, and who hadn't read the terms of the offer properly, let alone someone who's bought several things on ebay in the past - are we being real here!!

That being said, the whole things too laughable to waste much time on. Clearly someones trying a con. If they've sent you an invoice (and one must ask how they've managed to do that) then they're obviously trying to protect themselves from possible problems in the future.

I see that someone thinks that you may have already made a contract. I fail to see that, and anyway, how would it be enforced?

I know that people who regularly use ebay like to keep their 'performance' up to 100% (and some seem to jealously guard their reputation) but as a buyer it would be very difficult not to get a good 'rating' when everything is paid for 'up front'

As far as I can see, no money has been exchanged, so the bottom line is - do you want to waste £30 on a load of tat that can probably be bought for a few pounds from your local market or are you going to pay up, for reasons I have to say, would be best known to yourself.

Moglex

mssjab wrote:

I see that someone thinks that you may have already made a contract. I fail to see that, and anyway, how would it be enforced?

Although the OP does not state it explicitly, I think most people are assuming that she accepted the second chance offer.

samtman

ask if you can collect the item or arrange you own courier.

mssjab

Moglex wrote:

Although the OP does not state it explicitly, I think most people are assuming that she accepted the second chance offer.

But how would it be enforced??

Kay

Moglex - yes I did. And yes, I know I should have read it properly and no I didn't expect the real thing for that price. Aren't we all allowed the odd brainstorn every now and again?

samtman - never thought of that - excellent idea - will try it!

Moglex

Looking at the auction and his/her feedback, it does look as if s/he's selling stuff that is appreciated by the buyers (who appear genuine), and the cost/pp ratio is just fee avoidance.

It looks as if you would get better than you actually wanted, but for more than you wanted to pay.

Please keep us informed. ('cause we're all dead nosey )