ebay unpaid item case opened against me

prowla

gik wrote: »

There has been no mutual agreement regarding a variation to what was agreed in the contract. So what you agreed to stands sureiy?

I am awaiting a reply.

gik

prowla wrote: »

As already mentioned (multiple times), it can be varied by mutual agreement.

One item in over 1000 transactions is not too complicated or inconvenient; I've simply asked if I can collect as I will be driving past their town (curiously on my way to collect another complementary item from another seller who only offered collection!) - who knows, maybe the seller never thought of it (in their total of less than 10 sales!)?

In all honesty, I didn't expect it to be an issue, and it is still possible that it isn't (except in the eyes of some of the people on this thread).

It doesn't matter how you try to dress it up 14 transactions/less than ten sales blah/smoke/mirrors. You do your homework and ask your questions before making a BINDING bid....got that?

gik

prowla wrote: »

I am awaiting a reply.

You pay what you agreed when you bid.

Parity

I'd love for Martin to have a look over this thread. Would he be happy to give money to a merchant who refused to answer a basic question?

Our OP has not reneged on any contract, he's just not happy to part with his hard-earned dosh before he gets a response from the seller.

Martin says we should challenge, question and negotiate as necessary to get the best result - a shared management of sale. Our OP has not at any point said he would not pay postage costs, he just wants an answer to his question. I salute his wisdom in withholding payment until he gets a response from the seller. He may well meet with "No, I won't accept collection in person", at which point, I agree, he would be obliged to pay postage.

As for those who are saying things like 'time is money', 'the seller has had problems before so are avoiding the issue', etc etc etc. What the hell are you doing here? Why did you join this forum? This bloke is just asking if he can pick up an item rather than paying postage, as he is passing by the area. You should be supporting him! If you don't agree, then you should find a new troll-hole to inhabit!

Perhaps this is a case for MSE's Money Moral Dilemma/Money Moral Maze? I think I'll submit this case as a good topic for a larger audience.

UsernameAlreadyExists

gik wrote: »

You pay what you agreed when you bid.

And he's happy to pay 99p. There's a question over the postage though.

prowla

gik wrote: »

It doesn't matter how you try to dress it up 14 transactions/less than ten sales blah/smoke/mirrors. You do your homework and ask your questions before making a BINDING bid....got that?

As you well know, I mentioned the number of transactions the seller has undertaken in response to a comment that they might be sick of people asking them questions; you are taking it out of context.

Your exhaustive ebay experience of 75 transactions (including no sales) clearly carries far greater weight than my over 1000 (including over 250 sales).

Your use of the word "binding" clearly shows that you don't understand the concept of mutual agreement.

Parity

Parity wrote: »

As a seller, it is my responsibility to engage with communication with the seller. It's common courtesy. If you don't care to deal with an ethical seller, someone happy to communicate, even with a negative response, then I will be happy to send you my ebay username via PM (not to be shared publicly), as I have no wishes to deal with someone who doesn't share my good morals.

I note that Gik has not yet PM-ed me to request my eBay username. Therefore I suggest he is just a toothless forum-troll. All words, no actions. At least he's stopped asking all and sundry for their usernames. Which was my main aim in offering him mine!

Some people just like making waves. Those people should make best use of rainy days and put their wellies on to jump in puddles and stop muddying waters in other people's debates!

likelyfran

Parity wrote: »

I can't believe the amount of nonsense I've read from someone asking a community for help!

I have read through the diatribe and am quite disgusted at how the OP has been treated.

First of all....to label them as a 'penny pincher'.....how ridiculous.....aren't we all members of this forum because we like to save a few pennies where we can?!

Then, for one forum member to say that you wouldn't try to "buy from a shop in the high street and the negotiate your own terms!". Actually....go and ask Martin....I think he'd disagree. You should always see your purchases as negotiable. Martin advises us to haggle where we can, it's part of the MSE toolkit. Negotiable = negotiate....this involves communication! This is where our fellow MS-er met with problems and where you should be supporting him/her!

Next, to accept no communication from someone we are buying from.....how do you know this won't turn into them not bothering to send the item, postage paid for or not? I'd certainly be worried as a buyer that just as I had received no reply to my message to the seller, I might also receive no goods! As one forum member bravely compared ebay to buying an item in a shop (fool!), I shall make the same analogy: if I had asked to buy a product in a shop, had not been spoken to, acknowledged or given some indication that I had any importance as a buyer.....I'd be walking right out of that shop and leave the product on the counter (as I have done in the past, actually!).

As for non-communication being an 'answer in itself'.....I shudder to think of the consequences of how this might play out across different areas of life. Non-communication means nothing. It means they haven't said one way or another. PLEASE do not muddy the waters on this issue!

We know nothing of the true nature of this transaction; how long was left on the auction in order to communicate with the seller, the decency of the seller (who is, admittedly, fairly new to eBay), the practical cost of sending the item through the postal system.

What I have witnessed is someone posting to ask advice and being lambasted by over-enthusiastic nay-sayers. Some of you have even had the gall to ask for eBay usernames as some sort of bully-boy tactic.

Shame on you.

As an experienced eBay buyer and seller, communication is all. It's about common decency (which I don't expect some of the thread-posters to understand). It goes both ways. Online sales depend on trust far more than high street sales where you are face-to-face with a representative of a huge company and therefore are fairly sure of decent service overall (through complaint procedures), even if the shop assistant is an ignorant numpty.

If the seller can't be bothered to email you a simple 2 letter response of 'No'....why the hell should you trust them to go to the post office and send the item.

Well done to the OP for being savvy in this case. It saves him/her trying to recoup their losses through Paypal.

Yes, well done to the OP for causing all this trouble over a 99p item (that can cost up to £30!), that they agreed to pay for and are now refusing to, because seller will not engage in a changing terms and conditions convo that should and perhaps could have happened BEFORE OP BID ON ITEM. If OP had been mannerly, common sensical and communicative enough to ask then.
:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::T

Parity, normally I'd be the first to jump in and stick up for an OP who has been set upon by forum bullies, for no good reason - it does happen quite a lot - but this is really not one of those cases!!

UsernameAlreadyExists

likelyfran wrote: »

If OP had been mannerly, common sensical and communicative ...

What about the seller?

gik

I've put my ebay details up here and you have not. You 'boast' about your transactions yet where is the proof. I could have said 10,000 + transactions and be a liar and not post my details. Why not post your ebay ID if you are so sure?


Why did you not request that you pick up the item before bidding?