Won & paid for but no seller contact?

catt_2

On Wed. I bid for and won a new bath on Ebay.

It was poorly advertised with a bad photo and no measurements. Consequently I had to ask the seller several questions before bidding. I established it was new, undamaged and got the dimensions. Each time the seller responded quickly and so must have been online daily.

Probably because it was poorly described and for collection only, I won the item at a bargain price. I immediately paid by Paypal, the only method the seller had specified and asked the seller for the address to collect from, suggesting Saturday morning. Having had no response, I have today (Sunday) sent another email asking for the address and a contact telephone number as well.

My OH thinks the seller may be away for the weekend but I have my suspicions that he does not want to part with the goods. I checked the feedback and it's 100% (27) but based on buying and this is the first time selling.

I want the bath and need it soon. Are my concerns justified? What should I do next? Just wait or what?

Contains_Mild_Peril

If they don't reply by tomorrow, you can request their contact details from eBay. I'm surprised and slightly concerned that they asked for Paypal payment for a collection-only item: cash on collection would be the usual payment method in these circumstances, since it's generally safer for both parties and the seller would avoid Paypal fees.

BLUEWKD

It is usually better to pay by Pay Pal rather than any other method (unless cash on collection) because you are protected by Pay Pal. I would personally give him a few more days and if you do not hear anything then send him a last message saying that if you do not hear from him as to when and where you can collect the item within the next 24 hours then you will get in touch with Pay PaL. From what I know about Pay Pal they refund your money,then take it off him. Read Pay Pals conditions about refunds and this should help.

catt_2

Thanks for the replies.

Peril
I was surprised too as wth Paypal there will be deductions for the seller.

Blue, I don't want a paypal refund, just my bathtub! So if Ebay will disclose the contact details as Peril suggests, that would be better.

catt_2

I have just checked on Paypal what information is disclosed about the seller. So now I have the email address of the seller, which is a hotmail account and the seller's full name. The payment was completed on Thursday 30 August.

My OH says it may be a builder disposing of a trade quality bath to clear some space and moreover that the price I'm paying is not a huge bargain as its unwrapped and grubby and so effectively secondhand and I should allow the seller more time to get in touch. Do you think he's right? Should I email the seller to his hotmail or just via Ebay?

TheSteeeeels

Maybe he's just suspicious that you're a scammer.

See, if you pay by paypal and then collect the item, he has no proof of you ever receiving the item, meaning you could file some sort of dispute and leave with all your cash and a free bath!!

catt_2

I'm not sure I know what you mean. I'm the one who's suspicious, not the seller!

And its purely because the seller has not been in touch since end of auction on Wednesday.

TheSteeeeels

Yeah I get that, but he should not be accepting paypal and allowing collection. He is leaving himself wide open to fraud and maybe he only realised that after the auction ended.

BLUEWKD

TheSteeeeels wrote: »

Yeah I get that, but he should not be accepting paypal and allowing collection. He is leaving himself wide open to fraud and maybe he only realised that after the auction ended.

I do not understand why you say the seller should not accept Paypal and allow collection. He obviously has his reasons for only wanting this method, i.e. if it is a business then maybe for Tax Man purposes (personally I wouldn't give the Greedy so an so any more than I had to). If it is a business then maybe this is the reason you have not received a reply, and hopefully will receive one Monday.

Good Luck

soolin

BLUEWKD wrote: »

I do not understand why you say the seller should not accept Paypal and allow collection. He obviously has his reasons for only wanting this method, i.e. if it is a business then maybe for Tax Man purposes (personally I wouldn't give the Greedy so an so any more than I had to). If it is a business then maybe this is the reason you have not received a reply, and hopefully will receive one Monday.

Good Luck

Just to clarify, any seller that accepts paypal for a collected item is either very dim or has not bothered to read the terms and conditions they signed up for when they opened their paypal account. In cases of chargeback paypal require online tracking showing item has been delivered, the list of acceptable tracking methods accepted by paypal is here:

https://www.paypal.com/helpcenter/main.jsp;jsessionid=GbsZ25J6LVvK57GhGly1lv029G82wzX2fXMGM8FzQ5Q6Gsh5tPBg!103867205?t=solutionTab&ft=homeTab&ps=&solutionId=17464&locale=en_GB&_dyncharset=UTF-8&cmd=_help-ext&serverInstance=8003

The fact that this seller is already showing a lack of understanding concerns me. However, if he chooses not to sell the bath at the price won and refunds the paypal payment then there is very little the OP can do to force the sale. All they can do is report the seller for non performance.

catt_2

Soolin

Thanks for the advice.

If the seller merely refunds the purchase price to my paypal account, won't I lose out to Paypal fees?

Is Peril right to say that I can get the seller's contact details from Ebay?

Meanwhile I have sent another email, saying I'd like to collect tonight and also to the hotmail email account revealed by Paypal.

Surely, for his protection he could just make a note of my car reg. no.?

The thing is, the seller has not voiced any concerns with me. He has failed to get in touch altogether. This is after I won the item and paid for it!