Burned on eBay

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TedG954

Senior Member
Just a heads-up:


I needed a new UV filter and I prefer the B&W brand. As you probably know, they are German-made and are regarded as high quality. I found a filter on eBay and made the purchase. It was advertised and pictured as a B&W filter. The filter arrived today. The box was a typical B&W blue box. The filter though, was a Bower, made in Germany and definately NOT a B&W. You can buy a Bower for about 1/4 of the cost of a B&W. I guess the seller didn't think anyone would notice (?). Pure fraud and ripoff. I filed a complaint and dispute. I'm sure eBay/PayPal will refund my money, but I just hate the hassel and I hate scammers even worse.



http://www.ebay.com/itm/361182441759

The seller: Yonatan Geffen (geffen.2008)


 
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PapaST

Senior Member
Man that stinks. Thanks for the heads up. On ebay, if I guy has that many negative comments in one month (regardless of his volume), I probably would have stayed away.

PayPal protection seems to be really good nowadays. You should get all your money.
 
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Wolfeye

Senior Member
I closed my eBay account recently because they really screw over sellers nowadays. As a seller you have to take returns for six months. That means someone can "rent" your gear for that long and not pay a dime, then return it all beat to hell. And eBay always sides with the buyer.

Since you're the buyer in this case, you won't have a problem. I'd demand return shipping fees too, but good luck on that. I'm not sure why eBay considers fraud and your wasted time needs the added insult of paying to ship the junk back, but it does.
 
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TedG954

Senior Member
I have already heard from the seller, "...sorry for the inconvenience." They sent a return label. Yes, there's an inconvenience, but what about the attempt to defraud? I guess that doesn't matter as long as you get your money back. "OOPS. I got caught. My bad. Here's your money back." This guy's scam is all over the country. The product was ordered in NY, sent from KY, and the return is going to Las Vegas. National scammers posing as a mom 'n pop store.

Live and learn.
 
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TedG954

Senior Member
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carguy

Senior Member
That sucks. The hassle is annoying for sure.
Glad it will work out.

Been selling/buying on ebay since 1999. The positive far outweighs the negative in my experience :)
 
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Wolfeye

Senior Member
carguy said:
That sucks. The hassle is annoying for sure.
Glad it will work out.

Been selling/buying on ebay since 1999. The positive far outweighs the negative in my experience :)
Click to expand...

Historical performance is no predictor of future satisfaction. :) Your 15+ years on eBay came largely before the new seller rule. Imagine now. You need a new piece of kit but you're down on the bucks, so you go and sell your D810 to buy the D810S. Great! A guy buys your D810. Then at about 5.5 months, you get a request to return it. It had 400 clicks when you sold it. Now it has 57,000. You say no way. Ebay says, yes, way. They suck the $2000 from your Paypal account.

Does the plus still outweigh the minus?
 
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carguy

Senior Member
Yes it does. I still sell on ebay without issue.
My return policy is clear.
My listing descriptions are VERY clear and include VERY detailed pictures.

Ebay's money back guarantee specificially states it can be used when 1) the item is not received or 2)the item does not match the description.

If I receive a request after 5.5 months, it is not going to happen, per the guidelines and my documented return policy.

Paypal you say? Paypal and ebay are parting ways. This will end the money hostage situation due to scamming ebay buyers. Buyers have only 60 days to submit refund requests via Paypal. Buyers must open a dispute within 45 days.

https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/helpcenter/helphub/article/?solutionId=FAQ2393

Sounds like you've hit a bit of bad luck, certainly not the 'norm'.
 
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Wolfeye

Senior Member
Well, I'm no longer sure where I read the six month rule. I believe I read it from a seller in one of the eBay forums, which no longer exist. Doesn't really matter to me. I really can't deal with an internet company that has no email contact.
 
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Retro

Senior Member
I've found that eBay works great as long as you don't have any problems, and don't need to contact them. I've spent what seemed like an endless amount of time on their 'Customer Service' pages trying to find out how to contact them. It's like Mr. Bean confused in a roundabout. They intentionally make it hard.

If a Canadian (me) buys from a Global Shipping Program seller, Pitney Bowes charges you (it looks like a second purchase on the order) for Canada Customs taxes and duties. When your Socket 939 proc arrives and it's an AM2 because the seller mislabled the listing, you send it back and get an easy refund (I did), but who gives back the $43 in Canadian taxes? Not eBay. Not the seller.

Do you want to print out every digital document relating to the purchase, taxes paid, returned shipping substantiation, refund substantiation, etc. and go downtown to the Canada Customs office and wait in line for an hour, and then spend 20 minutes trying to explain everything to an officer who doesn't want to give you any money then wait for them to consult with their superiors to get $43 back?

Better to avoid GSP sellers altogether. I don't buy from any US company that collects taxes and duties for the Canadian government. Morons.
 
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