Do you really have to put up with this?

fishpond

I won an auction and paid immediately.
A week later, I hadn't received the item so I asked if it had been posted yet as it didn't show up on ebay as being posted.
Apparently it had been returned to sender as my address does not exist "according to royal mail" (its only been here for close to 100 years and I have never had a problem yet).
I then requested to see proof of postage as I was becoming an unbeliever.

This is the response I received:-
"In that case I presume you do not wish for me to resend it. I'm offended because you are clearly calling me a liar. if you check with royal mail it is £12.95 for 48 hour tracked postage which is what I paid for. I am a single mum of 3 children who also works full time and has one child with a life threatening illness so I'm sorry I struggle to reply to you I don't have much free time. if you're looking for a pen pal may I suggest ebay is not the appropriate place? I have offered to resend the item and you have not answered my question. now you have raised a dispute I don't have the funds left in my PayPal account to pay for postage again so you may have to wait until I receive my child benefit in a few days however I will send it again. if this is not resolved by the end of the week I won't be able to reply becausey daughter will be in hospital receiving treatment for some time so let me know before then if you'd like me to resend it. I apologise profusely on royal mails behalf but please could you be less confrontational in your messages I'm trying to help you, thank you."

What would you do?/think

I feel like I have given her a loan for just less than £50 and no chance of seeing my purchase.
No names as this is still ongoing through the resolution centre.

illgetthroughthis

Care to share the messages you sent to the seller?

fishpond

Yes, I will go and get them.

Haffiana

Absolute rule of thumb - if they pull the sick child line, they are lying.

I would tell them that you believe them 100%, but if they do not provide the proof of postage then you will change your mind and act accordingly. Do not engage in conversations about their circumstances - it is irrelevant.

barvid

This seller needs to refrain from pulling her personal life into it and trying to make you feel bad about asking perfectly reasonable questions. This is about a transaction - retail, business, whatever. Irrelevant that she's a single mum. Irrelevant how many hours she works. Irrelevant if her child is ill. All these things may be true, and all these things may be terribly sad, but she's just trying to buy your sympathy. If all these things get in the way of her conducting an eBay transaction properly, maybe eBay isn't the place for her.

RMS2

fishpond wrote: »

I am a single mum of 3 children who also works full time and has one child with a life threatening

http://youtu.be/Qh2sWSVRrmo

fishpond

illgetthroughthis wrote: »

Care to share the messages you sent to the seller?

1) Wondered if the xxxxxx has been posted yet?
2) Many Thanks for the update
3) Hi
It still hasn't arrived, it is Saturday afternoon 27/9/2014.

“”your parcel has been returned to me today because apparently there is no number 30 and they have said the address is incorrect. have you had problems receiving post to your address before? I am unsure of what to do now because I paid £12.95 to send it and if your address is wrong it'll cost another £12.95 to send it to the correct address.””

4) Hi
you would be the first person in 20+years that has ever had a problem delivering a parcel or letter to this address
I would suggest you compare the address below to what Pay Pal will have supplied and the one you sent the item too.
XXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXX


It then went to the resolution centre and surprisingly , I haven't had a response yet.

soolin

Haffiana wrote: »

Absolute rule of thumb - if they pull the sick child line, they are lying.

I would tell them that you believe them 100%, but if they do not provide the proof of postage then you will change your mind and act accordingly. Do not engage in conversations about their circumstances - it is irrelevant.

I'm with you on this. Sick child, single mum, no money blah blah blah, you basically gave her a cheap payday loan. Not a seller I would trust any longer. Go for a refund, don't muck around asking for parcel to be re sent.

The moment they play the sick child card I assume they are lying.

pulliptears

See I always thought the whole 'ebay as a payday loan' thing was a bit far fetched, then I read this thread...

http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/2200142-To-think-this-at-the-very-least-morally-wrong-if-not-legally

happyandcontented

I have never heard of this before but reading that article I can see how it could be attractive to someone who is living hand to mouth. How sad is it to have to do that? That said, as a buyer I would be very annoyed.

GwylimT

She must be very concerns about her children if she is using child benefit for her own gains.