Bought an item, but seller wont respond

GamerInfo

Hi guys i need some advice.

Last tuesday i bought a console off ebay and paid immediately using funds sat in my paypal account. I immediately emailed the seller through ebay and expressed my worries over their postage method and advised them to use a courier instead (which would work out cheaper than using royal mail anyhow).

My mail went un-answered, but i honestly thought they'd just go ahead, book a courier and i'd receive my item before the end of the week. Obviously as i'd still not received or heard anything by friday (i know it wasn't a great deal of time to give them) i requested their phone number and sent them a text basically just asking if they received my mail re. the courier and if they'd managed to send the item yet.

As a small minority of people do not keep their phone numbers updated i tried ringing the number and it just rang out (so was working and correct)

After checking their profile this morning, the seller now has another item listed on a 1 day sale - so obviously the seller has been on ebay and begs the question why they have failed to respond to my messages?

I sent another message telling them that as i'd failed to hear from them despite several different attempts, that if they'd not replied by this evening, id have to start the process of trying to get my money back - all i want is a simple reply telling me if the item has been posted or not!!!

After just checking their live listing, they have answered a question regarding it today!! I know ive not given it very long, but i dont think it's too difficult to spend 30 seconds replying to a buyer whom you've just taken £200 off!!!

Ive been scammed via ebay - and the lack of contact at first made me think this had to be an account take-over or scam - but upon checking past listings - the items that ended are not at all 'high-value' (and many went un-sold)

Since i purchased the item, the seller has made several purchases (totalling about £50) - so again not your idea of a scammer.

Im just confused as to what my next step should be - im guessing paypal - but what effect would that have on their current listing?

DitaVonTee

Dispatches seem very slow at the moment, I don't know whether this is lazyness on the sellers part, or Royal Mail. I'd certainly give them until at least Tuesday which has given the seller a week to sort this out.

Then still if no show of the item, contact paypal, or take it to dispute.

Has the item been marked as dispatched by the seller?

GamerInfo

Hi, thanks for the reply,
No the item hasn't been marked as dispatched

I realize i haven't given it very long - and to be honest i don't mind the waiting - even if it took 6wks to come, so long as im kept in the loop it's fine

The listing itself screams scam (or maybe it's me being paranoid) but the seller looks as genuine as they come. To explain:

- every item they've listed in the last 90 days has had a genuine listing photo - but the console i bought used a stock photo

- every previous item listed was listed as pick up only - the listing i bid on was listed as free postage and her current live listing is listed with a set postage price

- the fact the seller will not answer me but has replied to questions asked on their current listing, sets of alarm bells

When putting in a paypal dispute - does anything happen to their account? i know i want answers but as they are selling stuff i dont want to mess things up for them - what if the seller has already transferred the funds from their account?

mikey72

I'd give them until next tuesday, then open a dispute on paypal (not ebay). It's surprising how that will focus an ignorant seller.

soolin

You can't open a dispute on paypal until Tuesday anyway so I would be a little more patient.

Telling the seller to use a different postage method has probably made you seem a bit flakey to the seller, I know if I got such instructions from a buyer i would delay posting a little on the basis you might be a scammer trying to push me into posting quickly before I noticed anything was amiss.

GamerInfo

soolin wrote: »

You can't open a dispute on paypal until Tuesday anyway so I would be a little more patient.

Telling the seller to use a different postage method has probably made you seem a bit flakey to the seller, I know if I got such instructions from a buyer i would delay posting a little on the basis you might be a scammer trying to push me into posting quickly before I noticed anything was amiss.

As a seller would you think i was a scammer if i asked you to post it by a method that protects you as a seller and is far cheaper and a lot more secure than the royal mail 2nd class standard postage you were offering?

I merely contacted the seller explaining that i didn't trust royal mail and wasn't comfortable by having such an expensive item sent by such an un-secure and slow postage method - by them using a courier they will have an item sent that is fully tracked and requires a signature upon delivery.

Scammers don't ask for secure postage methods to be used - quite the opposite - i'm unsure why anyone would take my request to have my item sent via a courier as im up-to-no-good. In fact that would have quite the opposite effect on me

soolin

Whilst I would welcome a buyer telling me i had made a mistake in my listing by offering a service that didn't cover me I would not expect them to start telling me not to use RM and to use a courier instead. I choose not to use couriers I prefer Royal mail and yes I do get worried when buyers buy something and then start telling me to change what I am doing.

A polite 'Hi I've paid but note you are sending this standard mail which would not cover you if item was lost by Royal mail- and I thought I ought to warn you before it was sent'. Is sufficient for a warning.

Just wait till Tuesday then slam in a paypal claim, I would suggest paypal as you will almost certainly have to wait a great deal longer to do an ebay one as they wait until the very last date on which the item could arrive per the listing, before a claim can be opened.

GamerInfo

soolin wrote: »

Whilst I would welcome a buyer telling me i had made a mistake in my listing by offering a service that didn't cover me I would not expect them to start telling me not to use RM and to use a courier instead. I choose not to use couriers I prefer Royal mail and yes I do get worried when buyers buy something and then start telling me to change what I am doing.

A polite 'Hi I've paid but note you are sending this standard mail which would not cover you if item was lost by Royal mail- and I thought I ought to warn you before it was sent'. Is sufficient for a warning.

Just wait till Tuesday then slam in a paypal claim, I would suggest paypal as you will almost certainly have to wait a great deal longer to do an ebay one as they wait until the very last date on which the item could arrive per the listing, before a claim can be opened.

I have been very polite in all my emails - im a seller myself, so believe in treating people how you wish to be treated. My initial; email regarding couriers was telling them that its worth a look - i did not demand they use it..... and they clearly followed your way of doing things and wanted to not only pay the earth for postage, but also use a postage method that relieves them of all their seller protection via paypal - plus if any damage or loss occurs they are only covered for £30 odd pounds insurance/claim wise (on a £200 item).

Just out of curiosity - what postage method would you advise if the seller came here wanting to know? Would you tell them using royal mail 2nd class standard was sufficient enough? Or would you tell them to either send via special next day delivery or via a courier?

My experience of royal mail includes them on more than one occasion not obtaining signatures on recorded and special delivery items ive received and also them leaving parcels in full view of any old passerby - not really reliable or safe eh? Thankfully for me, ive encountered some very honest people who've alerted me to the postman's laziness to knock on the front door!!!

Thanks for all the advice given - i'll wait until Tuesday and see what happens - fingers crossed it's just a case of a seller who doesn't think it's good to talk

custardy

GamerInfo wrote: »

I have been very polite in all my emails - im a seller myself, so believe in treating people how you wish to be treated. My initial; email regarding couriers was telling them that its worth a look - i did not demand they use it..... and they clearly followed your way of doing things and wanted to not only pay the earth for postage, but also use a postage method that relieves them of all their seller protection via paypal - plus if any damage or loss occurs they are only covered for £30 odd pounds insurance/claim wise (on a £200 item).

Just out of curiosity - what postage method would you advise if the seller came here wanting to know? Would you tell them using royal mail 2nd class standard was sufficient enough? Or would you tell them to either send via special next day delivery or via a courier?

My experience of royal mail includes them on more than one occasion not obtaining signatures on recorded and special delivery items ive received and also them leaving parcels in full view of any old passerby - not really reliable or safe eh? Thankfully for me, ive encountered some very honest people who've alerted me to the postman's laziness to knock on the front door!!!

Thanks for all the advice given - i'll wait until Tuesday and see what happens - fingers crossed it's just a case of a seller who doesn't think it's good to talk

if thats the case,then why not message the seller before purchasing?

soolin

GamerInfo wrote: »

I have been very polite in all my emails - im a seller myself, so believe in treating people how you wish to be treated. My initial; email regarding couriers was telling them that its worth a look - i did not demand they use it..... and they clearly followed your way of doing things and wanted to not only pay the earth for postage, but also use a postage method that relieves them of all their seller protection via paypal - plus if any damage or loss occurs they are only covered for £30 odd pounds insurance/claim wise (on a £200 item).

Just out of curiosity - what postage method would you advise if the seller came here wanting to know? Would you tell them using royal mail 2nd class standard was sufficient enough? Or would you tell them to either send via special next day delivery or via a courier?

My experience of royal mail includes them on more than one occasion not obtaining signatures on recorded and special delivery items ive received and also them leaving parcels in full view of any old passerby - not really reliable or safe eh? Thankfully for me, ive encountered some very honest people who've alerted me to the postman's laziness to knock on the front door!!!

Thanks for all the advice given - i'll wait until Tuesday and see what happens - fingers crossed it's just a case of a seller who doesn't think it's good to talk

Assuming item is over £46 then Special delivery as per postage requirements for paypal protection:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3146680

I don't have problems with special delivery (I do with recorded ) and I do have problems with couriers and signatures. Anyway, just alerting the seller to the need for protection should be good enough as it is ultimately their problem, not yours as a buyer. If you told them it was not sufficient then they could have come back and asked for mor einfo if they had chosen.

Also remember that if the seller happened to be a business seller he need only cover the original unit cost of the item as that is all that is refunded. We had a very interesting discussion on here recently with a seller using standard mail for high end goods as his unit costs were under £46 anyway.

Crowqueen

If you didn't like the way the seller was going to post, why did you bid? There must be hundreds of similar items for sale out there - including from other outlets or retailers - that use a safer method of delivery.

I'm not saying the seller is right either to ignore you or relist the item, but I'd rather pay a bit more and know that the purchase was secure from all angles than risk a potential scam on eBay, particularly on an electronic item like that.

If I received the advice, I'd take it at face value, but let's be realistic here, not all sellers on eBay are like that and if things don't look right to me I don't bid.