How long should I wait before taking action?

SaLoGo

On the 11th Nov I ordered some David Beckham Instinct After Dark (Limited Edition) aftershave for a Christmas present for my fella. I only ordered it from ebay because I couldn't find it anywhere else!

A week after ordering it had still not arrived. I messaged the seller through ebay to see when I could expect delivery and got this response:

We have had trouble sourcing this item which we buy direct from Coty who actually manufacture this particular perfume. They have let us know that we will be expecting it in early next week and will get it out to you as soon as possible.

Firstly, I thought that to sell something on ebay you had to actually have it? It states on the listing there is more than 10 available and 17 sold.

Secondly, how long do I wait before taking action? I've never been in this situation before, everything I've ever ordered has turned up within a few days!

I feel like they've got me over a barrel because I desperately want the aftershave, but the only other listings I could find were for tester pots!

soolin

You have 45 days in which to open an INR claim in paypal, so if you are prepared to wait a ltitle longer then it might be worth it.

However, if the seller makes a habit of drop shipping without goods being available then be warned as their account will almost certainly be suspended soon. A few negs or neutrals, a lot of very poor stars for despatch times and buyer complaints/paypal claims and they can wave goodbye to sleling again.

Crowqueen

There is a bit of a weasel way out with this one: eBay allow sellers to presell items, and under this rule items only have to be in the seller's hands within 30 days of the order being placed, so technically sellers have this way out (though I suspect some people who play fast and loose with this will be marked down quite a lot for dispatch time - always check feedback about this).

I agree with Soo, you shouldn't let this guy stall you (be aware of the time), but on the other hand sellers often leave listings running to keep their place in search knowing they can probably rely on their suppliers to restock; take a look at their feedback and see whether other people have had issues or whether they seem to be able to fulfil their sales.

SaLoGo

At the moment they only have 1 negative feedback due to a damaged package. I think I'm going to give him until Friday before I consider any action.

SaLoGo

The seller had 2 more negatives regarding slow delivery and item not in stock since last week so I sent him another message asking if he had despatched the item yet and he replied:

I do apologies this has not come back in would you like a full refund thanks

I have agreed to a refund, but what happens to the transaction? Do I make a claim or will he do the refund himself? Will I still be able to leave feedback and if I can when would be the best time to do so (ie, before of after I've had the refund)?

Sorry for all the questions, but I've never been in this position before!