From Brian Willoughby Sent Wed, Aug 28th 2019, 17:34
From Brian Willoughby Sent Wed, Aug 28th 2019, 17:34
Thanks for the suggestion to call, David. The return process was going smoothly, so I didn=E2=80=99t call at = first. After the MD recorder arrived at the pawn shop, the seller = refused to refund on the grounds that I had shipped a different item! = They even tried to point out that my eBay review history shows a 40% = rate of problems, as if that somehow marked me as the culprit in this = case. That=E2=80=99s a new tactic that I hadn=E2=80=99t heard about, so = I=E2=80=99m mentioning it here. The seller actually maintained the = fantasy that they sent out an unused item, then accused me of swapping = it for a used item on return. The seller specifically mentioned = something that was blurry in their photo, but crisply focused in my = photo, as if that was proof of the swap. Fortunately, some of their = original photos show signs of wear in other aspects. So, I called eBay, explained the situation, and walked them through the = photographic proof. The rep on the phone actually settled the case in my = favor while we were talking. My case had been =E2=80=9Cunder review=E2=80=9D= according to the emails, so this call apparently sped up the process, = and it probably helped that I was able to present my case. I was a little worried before calling, because the more I looked at the = seller=E2=80=99s original photos, I wondered if eBay might think that I = should have known that the item was used. The ripped staples in the = manual are clearly visible in three photos, as is the cracked styrofoam. = However, none of the seller=E2=80=99s photos showed wear on the rack = unit itself, and the title with =E2=80=9CNew Old Stock=E2=80=9D should = be enough proof that they were acting fraudulently. Brian p.s. Note that you can get access to the same system using the eBay web = contact, although the 866 number is different, and the web site gives = you a seven-digit number to provide after calling. This links them to = your account quickly. Both numbers (the one David provided and the one I = got from the eBay web site) require you to navigate a voice-activated = menu, so don=E2=80=99t say =E2=80=9Creport seller fraud=E2=80=9D or = they=E2=80=99ll think your account has been breached. Say =E2=80=9Ctalk = to representative=E2=80=9D and that=E2=80=99ll get you through. On Aug 22, 2019, at 11:18 PM, David Messenger <xxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx> = wrote: > Brian and everybody: >=20 > Whenever something like this happens to me I just call Ebay direct. = Believe it or not they are always very helpful. I wish I could say the = same for Facebook-they are completely opaque... >=20 > You will of course be talking to some young person in the Phillipines, = but that's never been a problem for me. I always talk to a body as it = makes someone look at the problem and they can make verbal notes for you = on the issue at hand so if you call again they know status. >=20 > Here's the number. >=20 > 1 (866) 540-3229 >=20 > Good luck, >=20 > D. >=20 > On 8/23/2019 12:03 AM, Brian Willoughby wrote: >> Thanks for all of the support from folks who copied the list or = replied privately. I=E2=80=99ve decided to pursue a return through the = eBay process, despite the fact that this seller does not accept returns. = I attached 7 photos, any one of which should make it obvious, to anyone = at eBay with half an idea of what =E2=80=9CNew Old Stock=E2=80=9D means, = that this was a clearly fraudulent listing. >>=20 >> Being a gear head, it seems like such a waste to send away this unit, = since I=E2=80=99ll probably end up with another used one eventually. = However, I clearly paid for NOS (you know, nitrous oxide), and the = seller knew that someone would pay more for a discontinued product that = is New Old Stock over any of the many other used rack MD recorders. >>=20 >> I=E2=80=99m still ranting, of course, because I haven=E2=80=99t had = time after work for two days to take care of lighting and taking photos, = composing the complaint, and stepping through eBay=E2=80=99s process. = It=E2=80=99s a serious waste of my time, and if I were well versed in = the legal process then I=E2=80=99d be tempted to sue for the lost time = dealing with this obvious fraud. I=E2=80=99ll definitely be giving a = negative feedback for newchesterlaurelpawn, a.k.a. Chestertown Jewelry = and Pawn. >>=20 >> I may have missed an opportunity, though. The first time through the = refund process, I recall seeing an individual=E2=80=99s name - John = something - and address. I clicked through without saving it anywhere. = Now I can=E2=80=99t find that information again, and even attempting to = ask for a refund a second time ends up on different pages (probably = because eBay has a record that I=E2=80=99ve already filed such a = request). eBay will eventually get back to me, but I wish I could put a = name out here on this list so that folks aren=E2=80=99t mislead by John = (*fubar*) at Chestertown Pawn. >>=20 >> Brian >>=20 >>=20 >> On Aug 20, 2019, at 7:40 PM, xxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx wrote: >>> Brian, >>>=20 >>> Ebay heavily favors the buyer in situations like this. You should = be able to return it and get a refund (including shipping) easily. I = don't remember if you're allowed to give negative ratings on returns. = The partial refund angle will depend on the seller, but Ebay does = support partial refunds too. >>>=20 >>> BTW, I quit selling high value items on Ebay, due to it's buyer = favoring. I had a synth returned that was serviced and in great = condition, because the buyer did not understand how to operate it. I = was out shipping and had problems getting refunded the selling fees. = However, I've never had an issue on the buying end. >>>=20 >>> --- >>> Doug Huseby >>> http://synthark.com >>> http://synthark.org >>>=20 >>>=20 >>> On 2019-08-20 20:11, Brian Willoughby wrote: >>>> Hello all, >>>> I bought a rack-mount miniDisc recorder on eBay, described in the >>>> title as =E2=80=9CNew Old Stock=E2=80=9D >>>> After it arrived, it was clearly well-worn and used. The paper = manual >>>> was practically shredded; there were three used miniDiscs in the = box >>>> with set names hand-printed on the labels; the styrofoam was beat = up >>>> and clearly had been handled hundreds of times; and the unit was = not >>>> new or even in the typical plastic wrap. >>>> Only an idiot would actually think that this was New Old Stock. >>>> The seller showed photos of the box opened, so clearly they saw the >>>> condition of everything inside. I wrote to the seller to ask why it >>>> was mislabeled, and the only response was, "It was sealed in the = box. >>>> We opened it for pictures. If you aren't happy with it we will take = it >>>> back for a refund.=E2=80=9D I don=E2=80=99t think that having new = tape applied over >>>> the old to close the box counts as =E2=80=9Csealed in the box,=E2=80=9D= at least not >>>> in my use of the English language. >>>> I used to be an eBay expert, but it seems that the market has = changed >>>> and there=E2=80=99s a whole new dynamic. >>>> My question is: What is best option to deal with this? >>>> 1) Return the unit and wait for another one? >>>> a) Will I actually get my money back? >>>> b) Do I have to take a loss on the return shipping costs? >>>> c) Will I still be able to give this guy a negative rating to warn >>>> others about the fraudulent labeling and description? >>>> d) What if the unit actually works and I prefer the old =E2=80=9Cbird= in the hand?=E2=80=9D >>>> 2) Beg the seller for a partial refund? >>>> a) This sort of thing used to be a universal response from sellers = on >>>> every complaint. Either that has changed, or this seller is taking = a >>>> hard line. >>>> b) I haven=E2=80=99t actually asked, specifically, so perhaps the = seller would >>>> be willing. >>>> c) Does eBay now have a process that makes this impossible? =E2=80=A6= or difficult? >>>> or, should I: >>>> 3) Shut up and learn my lesson that eBay has more scammers than >>>> trustworthy merchants? >>>> a) I=E2=80=99ll obviously confirm that the unit is functional = before I choose >>>> this option. >>>> b) Maybe I don=E2=80=99t understand how flexible the term =E2=80=9CNe= w Old Stock=E2=80=9D >>>> really is, and I should just tape up the original box for any of = the >>>> used items I sell and say, "New old stock we believe. Was still = sealed >>>> in the box." >>>> Sorry for the non-Analog content, but this community seems very = savvy >>>> about eBay. >>>> Brian >=20