Selling on Ebay.... lesson learned!

I'm
Done selling on eBay. Last 4 times I had the same similar thing happen to me. Someone came in and sniped my auction at the last second, then never paid, no communication, nothing... Then had to do the waiting game like you have to. Eventually get your money back but it stinks.

I've been on eBay since 2001. Never had so many issues as I have in the last few months.
 
The Logical One said:
In my description it says no returns accepted. Is that enough to not have to give him a refund or am I screwed... again??
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doesn't matter. If he claims it's not as described, he will get a refund.

When you create your listing, and select "no returns accepted," you will see a message pop up that says the item may still be eligible for return under certain circumstances.

So, always accept returns, because ebay doesn't give a crap.
 
neffarious said:
You are screwed. Buyer always wins on ebay. I had a guy burn up a video card weeks after he bought it. I had to give a refund. I was pissed because it was a 250 dollar card and I was completely out. I sold it for parts for $50.
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i know a guy who sold a brand new watch; 3 weeks after the sale, buyer opened an "item not as described" claim, stating the watch was used and scratched. Ebay forced a refund.

The buyer had worn the watch, scratched the hell out of it, and then decided he wanted his money back. Claimed not as described and the same watch, although now scratched, was returned.

That's why, when I sell on ebay, it's always something I either A) don't care if I ever see again, or B) something that I absolutely cannot sell anywhere else (and I don't care if I ever see it again).
 
ljusmc said:
i know a guy who sold a brand new watch; 3 weeks after the sale, buyer opened an "item not as described" claim, stating the watch was used and scratched. Ebay forced a refund.

The buyer had worn the watch, scratched the hell out of it, and then decided he wanted his money back. Claimed not as described and the same watch, although now scratched, was returned.

That's why, when I sell on ebay, it's always something I either A) don't care if I ever see again, or B) something that I absolutely cannot sell anywhere else (and I don't care if I ever see it again).
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That's just wrong man.....

Seriously this is going to be the LAST thing I ever sell on ebay. It's crazy to think people like that exists. And it's even crazier to think that ebay would screw over sellers like that.

At this point I'm really hoping the fact that I had the unpaid dispute that I opened up against him would work in my favor. All of the evidence points towards the fact that he had zero intentions to keep the knife in the first place. He only paid me for the knife because he didn't want the unpaid strike on his account. He used that as a loophole with full intent to return it as soon as he received the knife. He didn't even try to contact me.... he bee-lined straight for the dispute claim. The dude is a real sack of sh*t.

And just as a heads up to everybody else. His username is Koraveeyui, real name is Johnny Hsieh. I did some searching and found out the ebay account is actually his wife's account. And the shipping address is not even his. It's either his friend's or relative's.
 
The Logical One said:
That's just wrong man.....

Seriously this is going to be the LAST thing I ever sell on ebay. It's crazy to think people like that exists. And it's even crazier to think that ebay would screw over sellers like that.

At this point I'm really hoping the fact that I had the unpaid dispute that I opened up against him would work in my favor. All of the evidence points towards the fact that he had zero intentions to keep the knife in the first place. He only paid me for the knife because he didn't want the unpaid strike on his account. He used that as a loophole with full intent to return it as soon as he received the knife. He didn't even try to contact me.... he bee-lined straight for the dispute claim. The dude is a real sack of sh*t.

And just as a heads up to everybody else. His username is Koraveeyui, real name is Johnny Hsieh. I did some searching and found out the ebay account is actually his wife's account. And the shipping address is not even his. It's either his friend's or relative's.
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Thanks for posting his username. On the block list he goes. I suggest everyone do the same. Probably won't help if ebay sees him get blocked by a couple hundred members but it certainly can't hurt.
 
You guys called it, and I was 90% expecting this result anyways. They granted the buyer a refund. I called paypal to see if there was anything I can do about it. And once again another helpful girl from the dispute center actually took her time to review everything from the case, including the pictures, messages, etc and said that if it was up to her, she would have DEFINITELY not granted the buyer a refund.

She advised that I wait until the knife arrives, and I can open up an appeal. At this point it's not even about the money, or the knife, it's a matter of principles and justice. Nobody screws me over and gets away with it that easily. I'm the type of person where if I'm fighting a losing battle, I will fight till the end and make sure I give you HELL before you take it from me.

My buddy kept urging me to just let it go and stop being stubborn. This is the victim mentality and that's the reason why people become victims. Criminals/bad people get away with things because people let them get away with things. This guy has probably done it numerous times before, and he's going to keep doing it to others. I'm going to make it hell for him to get his money back, so he'll think twice before pulling this on somebody else in the future.
 
If the knife does not get returned, file a theft report with the police in the city where he lives. Most major cities now have an internet theft/fraud division. With smaller towns, you might have to go to the county level.
 
zzyzzogeton said:
If the knife does not get returned, file a theft report with the police in the city where he lives. Most major cities now have an internet theft/fraud division. With smaller towns, you might have to go to the county level.
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I'm certain the guy will return the knife because he wants his money back. Seeing what a POS he is I think it'll be returned poorly packaged. You can bet that this time I'll be taking a picture of the box and every step of my unpacking process to use towards the appealing process.

If I can go back in time, I would have done a VIDEO of me packaging the knife AT the post office in front of the lady at the counter. Luckily this is the last knife I'm planning on selling, and definitely the last time I'll be using Ebay, so I won't have to go through this crap again.
 
TLO
Sorry for all the trouble your having to go through because of the buyer. This is the kind of thing that makes me hesitant about selling anything used on eBay.
I've noticed some sellers will post a LOT of close up shots of the item so that ANY scratch, chip, finish wear, etc is visible. I wonder if this helps their case when they have a 'item not as described' claim filed.

As far as not communicating with you about payment, I guess he had zero access to a phone or computer with internet access while on his "business trip".:chargrined:
 
Blades&Bullets said:
TLO
Sorry for all the trouble your having to go through because of the buyer. This is the kind of thing that makes me hesitant about selling anything used on eBay.
I've noticed some sellers will post a LOT of close up shots of the item so that ANY scratch, chip, finish wear, etc is visible. I wonder if this helps their case when they have a 'item not as described' claim filed.

As far as not communicating with you about payment, I guess he had zero access to a phone or computer with internet access while on his "business trip".:chargrined:
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It's alright, I'm past that angry phase and I'm just tired of this whole fiasco. That is going to be the last time I ever use ebay for anything. After this experience I honestly don't think that there is such a thing as "protection" as a seller. You can post all the pictures you want, and describe it as detailed as you want. If the buyer wants to return the item, he/she will find a way.

That POS didn't ship it out until today, when the case was determined 2 days ago. When he paid me on 10/18 (Saturday), 10 days after he clicked "commit to buy", I told him I would have it shipped out on Monday and send him tracking info after I get it shipped out.

The guy had the audacity to send me a message on Monday at 11am asking me for a tracking number, after he took 10 days to pay me.

Oh and about the business trip.... he wasn't able to pay me nor contact me on 10/16 (promised pay day), but he was miraculously able to come up with the funds and internet access to purchase a knife from a different high end knife seller on 10/14.

Karma will get him.
 
Blades&Bullets said:
TLO
Sorry for all the trouble your having to go through because of the buyer. This is the kind of thing that makes me hesitant about selling anything used on eBay.
I've noticed some sellers will post a LOT of close up shots of the item so that ANY scratch, chip, finish wear, etc is visible. I wonder if this helps their case when they have a 'item not as described' claim filed.

As far as not communicating with you about payment, I guess he had zero access to a phone or computer with internet access while on his "business trip".:chargrined:
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I know it sounds terrible, but it's because of this "item not as described" crap that I am sometimes intentionally vague when I describe something I'm selling on ebay.

For example, if I'm selling a watch that I've worn for any length of time, I will often make my description something like this: "Watch is used and has been worn. It shows evidence of being worn daily."

That way, if someone gets it and has buyer's remorse, what are they gonna do - call ebay and say that I didn't describe it properly? Are they going to say the watch wasn't used, and didn't show evidence of being worn?

I've found that if I try to be very detailed, it backfires. For example: If I list the watch and say "The watch is in immaculate condition. There are a few marks on the clasp, and a small (less than 1mm) scratch on the crystal," all the person has to do is contact ebay and say "I found a tiny, barely visible scratch on the bracelet, and the seller didn't say anything about scratches on that exact spot."

Boom. Item not as described ---> Refund.

It sucks, but I never go into detail on my ebay listings, for that reason.
 
You are dealing with people you don't know and have never had any past contact with them. I have well over 1100 transactions on eBay with maybe 6 that didn't turn out well.
All but 1 were resolved by eBay to my satisfaction and that one was for an item that cost less than $4. Right now I am having a similar problem on gunbroker. An item that I
listed has been sold and I am still waiting for payment. I reminded the buyer and he said that he would send me a money order right away. That was 6 days ago. I'm not
holding my breath. ;)
 
ljusmc said:
I know it sounds terrible, but it's because of this "item not as described" crap that I am sometimes intentionally vague when I describe something I'm selling on ebay.

For example, if I'm selling a watch that I've worn for any length of time, I will often make my description something like this: "Watch is used and has been worn. It shows evidence of being worn daily."

That way, if someone gets it and has buyer's remorse, what are they gonna do - call ebay and say that I didn't describe it properly? Are they going to say the watch wasn't used, and didn't show evidence of being worn?

I've found that if I try to be very detailed, it backfires. For example: If I list the watch and say "The watch is in immaculate condition. There are a few marks on the clasp, and a small (less than 1mm) scratch on the crystal," all the person has to do is contact ebay and say "I found a tiny, barely visible scratch on the bracelet, and the seller didn't say anything about scratches on that exact spot."

Boom. Item not as described ---> Refund.

It sucks, but I never go into detail on my ebay listings, for that reason.
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Yeah, I can understand why you would do that. Mentioning details isn't going to be a problem though as long as you make it clear that any issues listed aren't exclusive. Also, you wouldn't want to use words like immaculate in describing a used item with signs of use/wear.
Anyway I was just curious if the having the pics helped sellers if the buyer falsely claimed there was damage that wasn't there or damaged it themselves and then made the claim.

Back on topic, TLO
Hope the other seller didn't have to go through the same bull with this guy.
Let us know what condition the knife is in when you get it back.
 
Blades&Bullets said:
Yeah, I can understand why you would do that. Mentioning details isn't going to be a problem though as long as you make it clear that any issues listed aren't exclusive. Also, you wouldn't want to use words like immaculate in describing a used item with signs of use/wear.
Anyway I was just curious if the having the pics helped sellers if the buyer falsely claimed there was damage that wasn't there or damaged it themselves and then made the claim.

Back on topic, TLO
Hope the other seller didn't have to go through the same bull with this guy.
Let us know what condition the knife is in when you get it back.
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I'm going to take a video of it as I cut open the package, and take everything out as well as upclose shots of the said "scratches". Seeing how screwed up this guy is I wouldn't be surprised if he tossed it in the toilet or stuck it in his ass before he packaged it up so I'll be wearing latex gloves as well.
 
Hey, I know I am off topic a bit here, but I am kinda hoping you sellers might be able to help me out. I buy used knives on ebay to refinish, sharpen, and sell. Its more a hobby than a job because I might make ten dollars profit on a knife that I spend 3-4 hours on... but anyways... often, I get knives that aren't quite as advertised.
Recently I purchased an OKC3S that was advertised as used, very good condition. Seems good enough to me, and the pictures looked alright. So I won it, and when I received it, the spine is COVERED in chips from being beaten on with a hammer, the spine is bent over, and the handle is melted in a spot. None of this was really visible in the pictures. When i explained it to the seller and told him that i would send pictures, he said "you should have asked questions, I advertised it as used, and I dont do returns"
All ebay seems to let me do is file a claim for a return, and it isn't allowing me to leave negative feedback for some reason... (computer glitch?)

Is there any way I can get a refund from this guy? I would think that if he didn't state that the condition was "very good" that i would be screwed, but he did... and a knife this beat is clearly not "very good"
 
beachmaster said:
Hey, I know I am off topic a bit here, but I am kinda hoping you sellers might be able to help me out. I buy used knives on ebay to refinish, sharpen, and sell. Its more a hobby than a job because I might make ten dollars profit on a knife that I spend 3-4 hours on... but anyways... often, I get knives that aren't quite as advertised.
Recently I purchased an OKC3S that was advertised as used, very good condition. Seems good enough to me, and the pictures looked alright. So I won it, and when I received it, the spine is COVERED in chips from being beaten on with a hammer, the spine is bent over, and the handle is melted in a spot. None of this was really visible in the pictures. When i explained it to the seller and told him that i would send pictures, he said "you should have asked questions, I advertised it as used, and I dont do returns"
All ebay seems to let me do is file a claim for a return, and it isn't allowing me to leave negative feedback for some reason... (computer glitch?)

Is there any way I can get a refund from this guy? I would think that if he didn't state that the condition was "very good" that i would be screwed, but he did... and a knife this beat is clearly not "very good"
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Apparently filing a claim through paypal is the magic method. And from this experience of mine it seems like it is 100% true that they always side with the buyer. I've bought things in the past on ebay that was grossly different from advertised. I think in a way a lot of sellers screwed everybody on this one by not being honest with their description.

I think ljusmc's method is a good one though. When I say that I have bought things that were grossly different, I'm talking about describing a mountain bike as "in immaculate condition" but when I got it, it looked like it had been throw off a cliff and then dragged behind a truck for miles.
 
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I'd consider opening it in front of the post master in case he has substituted something else in the return shipment.
 
Good call. The guy actually sent it via ups, I know I'll have to go pick it up at the hub. Ill open it in front of a manager there. Thanks for the advice.
 
I'm 99% buying from eBay. I barely sell.

The horror goes both ways.
Once I bought a gold coin.
Turned out it was gold plated brass. I measured it's density. Tank you Archimedes.
It shipped surprisingly from China but the seller's address was a nonexisting suite in a warehouse in Virginia. Thank you Google street view. The guy always told me don't worry. What the heck?
Took a few weeks to get my money back from paypal.
And I only got oy after returning the coin to the non existing address. UPS returned it as non deliverable. Still paypal paid. Now I got the money (minus the attempted return shipping cost) and am stuck with the coins. After how many years are they mine if the fraudster doesn't contact me?
 
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