Spaghetti Legs 

Hi all,

I'm working my way through a somewhat sketchy Ebay purchase of a Rossin Record. I figured there was about a 50/50 chance of it being a scam from the start but thought the price and bike were good enough to give it a go. I bought it in mid-August, seller stated in the listing that he would be out of town until 9/3. I sent a message the day after the purchase, really just to make sure there was a person at the other end and got a vague, thank you have a nice day reply.

Fast forward to this week. I gave the guy the benefit of the holiday weekend and sent a message yesterday asking for a shipping update. No reply so I sent the "I didn't get my item" message through eBay today. A few hours later I get the "item has shipped" message with a USPS # and a separate message from the seller stating that he will ship tomorrow but I need to cancel the dispute, otherwise he'll refund the money. Interestingly the tracking # is from a different state than where the bike was listed.

So finally the question. If I close the dispute can I open up another one in a week or so when it doesn't show up? Does the window for the money back guarantee extend when a dispute has opened? Is this a typical scam pattern?

CV-6 

I don't think a legit seller would place such a stipulation (cancel the dispute) on shipping. Get your refund.

Otis

Do NOT cancel the dispute. Let him refund your money.


Check the tracking number he sent, see if it gives any weight or size. Might just be six buck Priority label?


Either way, I would not risk it unless it's money you really do not care about losing.

Spaghetti Legs 

Yeah my thoughts as well. I'm guessing trying to string along until the money back window closes.

shelbyfv

Get your money as quickly as you can. The "I'll be away until..." is a known flag that indicates scammers.

Spaghetti Legs 

Just sent this message.

This has been a highly irregular transaction from the outset. I will be happy to cancel the request when the bike is on my door step.

bulldog1935

Normally I would say forget ebay and go straight to paypal to file your dispute/claim and get your refund quickly.
If you're in a filed ebay dispute stick with it, but don't even think about canceling it until you have the bike or the refund posted in your bank account.

Kactus

You waited patiently for him to "get back" from where ever. If he is legit, he should do as you requested. But I'm skeptical of someone who posts such an expensive item knowing they will be out of town when the time expires; a $5 - $10 item sure, but not a whole bike.

I hate the pre-printed labels from USPS that allow people to meet the shipping time limits of eBay without in fact doing so. I've had more than a few cases where people print them out, it shows the item has "shipped", yet it doesn't get to the PO for a week or more.

carbomb

That last message sounds good and asking for a refund through eBay should be as good as going through Paypal. I don't think you should have to worry because they are the same company right?

TimmyT 

Do not cancel the dispute. When the item is marked as delivered, ebay will automatically close the dispute after a certain number of days. If you cancel the dispute, you cannot escalate it which you may need to do to get your money back. If the dispute is settled through attrition, it most likely does not affect the seller's rating.

oddjob2

I could not find the ebay sold listing. If he has lots of good reviews, you shouldn't sweat so early. Returning from a trip doesn't mean the selller has to ship within 48 hours. Plus the USPS just opened on the 7th after labor day.

verktyg 

In the words of Monty Python - "In Search of The Holy Grail" - "RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY!

A few years ago I was top bidder on a bike at a fair price of slightly under $600. I got sniped at the last minute by $0.01 from a buyer with ZERO history. This plus the bidding history that suggested I was going against a shill made me suspicious.

I sent a message to the seller requesting a 2nd Chance Offer if the deal fell through.

Two weeks later the bike was re-listed. I sent the seller another message about the 2nd Chance Offer and they said that they had sent me one - B.S.!

The opening bid in the new auction was $300 so being a trusting soul I decided to chance it and placed my bid. I was the only bidder and paid for the bike through Paypal as soon as the auction closed.

I had to nag the seller for a month to get them to ship me the bike. They came up with all kinds of lame excuses but the bike finally arrived about 5 weeks after the auction closed.

It was poorly packed with the wheels rolling around in the box. They placed some thin bubble wrap on several parts of the frame and threw in a bucket of styrofoam peanuts which covered the bottom of the box providing no protection. One of the few instances of negative feedback that I've left for a seller...

After that experience, I've had no patience with lame sellers! eBay sales are legal contracts! It says so in the BIG print.

A seller with "seller's remorse" because they didn't get as much money as they'd hoped for has to abide by the rules of the auction. In all auctions, you buys yer ticket and you takes yer chances!

verktyg

Chas.

Last ride 76 

+1 ...But telling you to cancel the dispute case or else, is not appropriate either, and I would leave it open.

No, not a typical scam pattern. There are of lot of screw-ups selling stuff on ebay. (and buying stuff there too). This sounds more like one of those cases.

Spaghetti Legs 

I hope you're right. Seller is low feedback with no seller feedback. Asking to cancel the dispute was a red flag IMO and I wouldn't expect that from an inexperienced seller, unless his message from eBay contained some type of dire warnings. We'll see how it goes but right now I think odds have gone from 50/50 to about 5-1 against getting the bike.

Thanks all for the advice, I'll post updates.

jamesdak 

Good luck. I had a seller send me only one of two items I ordered from him. They were both sent with the same shipping info. Repeated excuses from the seller about what happened etc. I had about 5 emails from them I sent to Ebay during the dispute. They honestly could not have read any of it because the seller requested them to close the dispute and they did in favor of the seller even though I never got my item and had repeated emails through Ebays own messaging system from the seller acknowledging that he didnt' send the stuff. That pretty much finished me every dealing with anyone on Ebay with a perfect rating.

repechage

I agree, leave the dispute active.
It will get resolved, you will be sent the bike or the cash will unwind.
I forget, but a low feedback seller often has to wait for the funds to him/her to be released for like 30 days?
You would prefer for this not to happen, accounts can close.
With the ebay/paypal separation, I have no idea what has happened since, reminds me I have not bought through ebay in over a year...

RoadGuy

Don't close the Dispute until the bike is in your hands, and you are satisfied with the bike. Once you close the Dispute, you can't reopen it, or open another one on the same item.

cinco

I found the sold listing...s. He appears to have sold it for the same too-good-to-be-true BIN price three times between late-July and mid-August (in "sold listings" with a green price, not just "completed"). If I were you I'd get my money back before he ships you a box of rocks or a framed photo of his butt and you have another problem to sort out.

Spaghetti Legs 

Ah dang it, you're right. Don't know why I didn't pick up on that. Thanks!

The Golden Boy 

Is this the one that has this in the ad?

bulldog1935

if you're really worried about it, send him an e-mail and explain you want the bike, are only protecting yourself, it's not personal, and you will the cancel the dispute when you receive the bike.
If you don't get the bike, the process should get your refund
And if you want to accelerate the refund, try a paypal claim - they cut to the chase.

Jean3n16

I just went through this ( TWICE). once with Ebay and once with Amazon.

Ebay: i bought a pair of bike shoes. The guy sent me shot gun shells. ( he has almost 500 feedback and didnt raise redflags there). I was mad. This wasnt he sent red instead of blue shoes... I messaged him and asked for proof he even had shoes. He came back claiming they were in CA. ( hes not). He refunded me my money through one paypal address ( how i paid)..Then he sends me $7 to ship his shot guns shells to a completely different paypal NOT listed and then has the nerve to tell me if i have a problem to contact PayPal. Look, buddy, youre the idiot that cant read, not me, dont get your undies in a twist. Im still waiting on shoes....

Amazon: I bought 2 bike tires. I realized theyd be the wrong size and quickly sent the seller a message. i said id return the tires un opened and could i have a refund. After getting a form answer and round about, them charging me for shipping that they advertised as free...amazon refunded me because he wont.

DONT close out disputes no matter if its paypal or ebay!! LEAVE negative feedback so the rest of us know!

CliffordK

I cancelled a dispute when it sounded like a seller was responsive, and would actually ship my item.

Unfortunately at that time, E-Bay didn't have a method to postpone a dispute. I don't know if that has changed.

Anyway, I was lucky, about 3 months later, my item did finally arrive (after I had given up and bought a second one).

So... as others have said, cancel the dispute once you have the item in hand. I think you can leave the dispute open without progress or actions for some time.

Perhaps you could reset the 30 day count by cancelling the auction, and having the seller re-up the auction as a "buy-it-now".

Jean3n16

update on my ebay drama- now the guy wont leave me alone and i had to contact ebay and they will monitor him and said not to respond to him. He told me its common courtesy to send a tracking number ( in regards to sending him back his stupid shot gun shells) and i said

" its common courtesy to send someone what they buy from you...."

repechage

My guess that there is a ebay guideline that the seller cannot withhold shipment till their Paypal hold clears… of course as they are separate now… with this info quoted above, time to unwind the deal.