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e Bay problem

999 views 9 replies 6 participants last post by  krs 
#1 ·
Hello

(First, apologies, but details below will be somewhat vague on purpose. I need some input, but I want to also protect myself. Hope you understand, and thanks in advance.)

I bought a $500 gadget on eBay. It was described as in excellent condition. I received it the day before Christmas. Internal and external packaging was intact. Item was intact. After a cursory look to see if I got the right item, I put it aside. It was Christmas Eve.

I took a better look at the item a few days later. One of its button/switch didn't move properly. I contacted the seller, and he said to return it. I did not do any further testing since I was going to return the item.

I packaged it the same way it came to me, and sent it back. When the seller got it, he claims the button/switch is fine, but now, there's extensive internal damage to the item. The return package was intact. He claims that based on his experience, that amount of internal damage should be accompanied by external damage. But there is no external damage. The implication is that I caused the damage (he suggested a drop) and that I covered it up by replacing the broken external parts. (By the same logic, he didn't want to file a claim with the post office because if the post office dropped it, there would have been internal AND external damage to the item.)

The item was in my control the whole time I had it. No cats or children knocked it over. I am 100% sure I didn't damage it. I certainly didn't drop it, and most certainly didn't replace broken parts.

He wants me to pay for half the repairs which he will do himself.

I opened a cass with eBay. Now what? Any idea how they "resolve" such cases?

Is this a scam?

Thanks again.
 
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#2 ·
Go for a full refund through eBay, if the account you gave is accurate I would not trust the seller to fix it.
If there is freight damage, it is up to the shipper to pursue the courier.
The unit was defective on arrival. You have returned the unit, you DO NOT have to accept a "repaired" unit. eBay / Paypal should refund all charges (except for your return shipping)
 
#4 ·
Smelling a bit like he's running a scam.
 
#6 ·
Feedback is BS on Ebay. I will never buy and sell on Ebay again. I keep saying this, but every time I buy or sell there is an issue. It's a brutal place to do business now and I used to love it.
 
#7 ·
Worse still is "ioffer" where there's a feedback mechanism, but no supervision from anyone to see to disputes. No delivery of product is par for the course.

The purpose of Ebay is now to process as many sales as possible at as high a price as possible. As long as the sales targets are being met, disputes and resolutions are just niggling details.
 
#9 ·
This whole transaction just don't feel right.

He is adamant that I caused this extensive internal damage. He leaves it unsaid that I covered it up but he wonders aloud why there is no external damage. I would have given him the benefit of a doubt had he said I left out a screw, or scratched it, or bent a pin. But, no. Major damage. It must be me. Not even the post office. But me.

He runs a brick-and-mortar old-school new/used/repair store. Don't know how much of his business is new. Don't think he is an authorized dealer for any national brands.

He does have 2000+ positive feedbacks.

However, I've heard that feedbacks can be "gamed". If someone leaves you a negative feedback, you leave an outlandish feedback in return. The other party disputes the outlandish feedback, they remove both feedbacks. Voila, clean record.
 
#10 ·
Couple of things....

Re feedback on ebay - a seller can no longer leave negative feedback for the buyer, so this idea that if a buyer leaves negative feedback the seller retaliates with "outlandish" feedback just can't happen. That change was made ages ago and I assume your transaction just happened.
Basically all a seller can do now is to file a 'non-paying bidder' complaint if you as the buyer didn't go through with your purchase.

In general, ebay now tends to typically side with the buyer, not the seller, in any disputes. Ebay sellers are quite upset with that and there are tons of comments about this in the net and in the ebay discussion groups - but I think this would work in your favour.
The seller claims you damaged the internals of the device - you can claim that the internals were already damaged before you even received the device.

Did you even turn the device on and try it?
From your first post where the device was described as being in "excellent condition" it sounds as if this was not a brand new device but a used one.
 
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