I Won an Auction

[Breck]

Thing is, the seller has 100% positive feedback. Oh wait, that's usually good news, too.

 

Thing is, it's not hard to have 100% positive feedback when the only people who've ever left you are either

 

A. from Thailand, selling "Sterling Parker 75s"

B. from an undisclosed location

C. no longer eBay members, even though they left feedback only 2 months ago

D. have, at best, a feedback rating of 16

E. some combination of the above

 

We'll see what happens. I've requested an invoice specifying insured shipping. The seller has been a member since Dec '07, and has several other pens up for bids, but I'm definitely nervous.

 

Look, low feedback isn't necessarily a bad sign. Hell, my eBay feedback is only 24. I'm just not that active on eBay*, but I always pay and try to do the good communication thing. But my feedback is all from members who are still around, and most have 3- or 4-figure feedback themselves.

 

Ugh. I feel kind of sick and nervous. Any advice on how to proceed cautiously with this? Or am I overreacting?

 

 

 

 

*may have something to do with why I thought, "Well, my feedback rating is low, too - no reason to delve further into this seller's profile before I hit the 'Bid Now' button."

 

 

[paulrbarnard]

Thing is, the seller has 100% positive feedback. Oh wait, that's usually good news, too.

 

Thing is, it's not hard to have 100% positive feedback when the only people who've ever left you are either

 

A. from Thailand, selling "Sterling Parker 75s"

B. from an undisclosed location

C. no longer eBay members, even though they left feedback only 2 months ago

D. have, at best, a feedback rating of 16

E. some combination of the above

 

We'll see what happens. I've requested an invoice specifying insured shipping. The seller has been a member since Dec '07, and has several other pens up for bids, but I'm definitely nervous.

 

Look, low feedback isn't necessarily a bad sign. Hell, my eBay feedback is only 24. I'm just not that active on eBay*, but I always pay and try to do the good communication thing. But my feedback is all from members who are still around, and most have 3- or 4-figure feedback themselves.

 

Ugh. I feel kind of sick and nervous. Any advice on how to proceed cautiously with this? Or am I overreacting?

 

 

 

 

*may have something to do with why I thought, "Well, my feedback rating is low, too - no reason to delve further into this seller's profile before I hit the 'Bid Now' button."

 

Ouch, That does sound a little risky. That said I too beleive in giving people the benifit of doubt. There are far more honest people out there than crooks. I would be realy worried if they ask for Western Union money transfer...

 

 

[johnboz]

Make sure you use Paypal. If something goes bad, be sure to open a dispute within Paypal's time limit.

[inky]

Make sure you use Paypal. If something goes bad, be sure to open a dispute within Paypal's time limit.

 

Ditto this.

 

 

[Breck]

Yeah, PayPal is definitely going to be this seller's only option. I've requested his contact information, and he - funnily enough - has the same name as an all-but-washed-up MLB pitcher: Julian Tavarez.

 

It's not the world's most unlikely name, especially when the small town in Kansas where he claims to be located is ~20% Hispanic, but still: this is Not Looking So Good.

[sirksael]

Don't worry so much. You can rely on paypal.

I don't want to set bad blood, but this is one of the reasons why it has become nigh improssible for a private person to sell something on ebay...

Ask him to send a picture of the pen with your email to prove he has it before you pay?

[BerneseMtDogEatsArco]

I bought one from an ebayer who sent me a fake to meet paypal's "shipping requirement". His ebay profile said NY, but... the package came from CHINA. And paypal requires you send the package back to CHINA to get the refund (which is less than the shipping cost would have been). I had to FIGHT paypal with 11 calls over the space of a month to get my $80 back.

 

If someone looks the least bit "off" I don't touch it.

[zerobuttons]

........

Thing is, it's not hard to have 100% positive feedback when the only people who've ever left you are either

A. from Thailand, selling "Sterling Parker 75s"

B. from an undisclosed location

C. no longer eBay members, even though they left feedback only 2 months ago

D. have, at best, a feedback rating of 16

E. some combination of the above

..........

Investigate any seller before bidding. Don´t bid if you don´t trust the seller 100%.

 

[Breck]

@ sirksael: The seller already has photos of the pen whether or not he has the pen itself. What's to stop him sending another stock image or one taken from some other site or auction? I guess I could ask him to photodocument the packing and shipping process from beginning to end, with a copy of today's newspaper, but that seems excessive.

 

@ Bernese: What did it take to finally convince PayPal that you were due a refund?

[waffas]

As far as I understood you havent paid for the item yet. You may as well tell them circumstances have changed and you dont want the item.

 

Worst thing happens you get a strike on your account but at the same time you can defend yourself and diligence which hopefully ebay will listen to.

 

If you havent sent anything, really consider not continuing the transaction.

[varmas]

I bought one from an ebayer who sent me a fake to meet paypal's "shipping requirement". His ebay profile said NY, but... the package came from CHINA.

 

 

This seems all too common now. Here in Singapore, there are buyers who register as being in UK or USA and then charge ridiculous amounts for shipping for items sent locally.

 

I found out the hard way. Bid for a pen and paid 15 Pounds Sterling for shipment. When I got the pen, the return address on the package was a less than 15 minute drive from my house.

 

 

Stay well,

Solomon

 

[sirksael]

@ sirksael: The seller already has photos of the pen whether or not he has the pen itself. What's to stop him sending another stock image or one taken from some other site or auction? I guess I could ask him to photodocument the packing and shipping process from beginning to end, with a copy of today's newspaper, but that seems excessive.

 

@ Bernese: What did it take to finally convince PayPal that you were due a refund?

 

As I said, Ask him to take a picture of the pen together with the Email you sent him requesting the picture. Simple and efficient.

[Breck]

@ sirksael: The seller already has photos of the pen whether or not he has the pen itself. What's to stop him sending another stock image or one taken from some other site or auction? I guess I could ask him to photodocument the packing and shipping process from beginning to end, with a copy of today's newspaper, but that seems excessive.

 

@ Bernese: What did it take to finally convince PayPal that you were due a refund?

 

As I said, Ask him to take a picture of the pen together with the Email you sent him requesting the picture. Simple and efficient.

 

Oh! I don't know how I managed to miss that. It was late when I was reading. Thanks for the clarification/repetition.

 

*edit to add: Still no response to my request for an invoice. Maybe the seller got scared when he saw that I'd requested his contact info, but it's still early.

Edited May 22, 2009 by Murderface

[Breck]

Update:

 

The invoice arrived, requesting $28 for international shipping and handling, which is the amount stated in the auction description, and the cost of USPS Express Mail International, so there's that.

 

I replied requesting a photo of the pen with the request email in frame. I explained that I wasn't accusing the seller of anything, but that there had been problems of late with low-feedback sellers and highly-collectible pens and that such a photo would set my mind at ease.

 

The Nuclear Option of just saying that I'm not comfortable paying, per waffas' post above is still on the table. It's ugly, but there it is.

 

There was a nearly identical pen that went for $5 more than this one ten minutes removed, from a seller with >300 100% positive feedback. Why didn't I just up that bid?

 

*sigh*

[sirksael]

I'm keeping a close eye on this one. Hope it turns out well for you! My faith in humanity must not be shamed!

[Breck]

I'm 99% ready just to pull the plug on this transaction.

 

The hit to my feedback (if this joker even sticks around that long, which I doubt) will be easier to take than the loss of almost $200.

 

• He responded to an invoice request within 24 hours.
• Approaching 48 hours on the clock, he has not responded to a request for a photo of the pen a la sirksael's method of proof.
• Since I became aware of him, he has opened several more 3-day auctions of highly desirable pens (PFM V, Cartier, MB, etc.), no two of which have the same photo set-up, and all of which have overlapping low or "private" feedback bidders, including the zero-feedback suspected shill in my auction.
• He has had several auctions end early in the last 48 hours. Whether this is of his own doing or administrative, I don't know.
• The phone number supplied in response to my the User Information Request is invalid or does not exist, according to Skype.
• The area code of that number is the western suburbs of Chicago, not central Kansas, as the seller's information claims. That could be innocent: After all, Skype gave me a NYC area code and I live in Grenada, but with the combined weight of the other circumstantials, I'm not inclined to think so.

 

Well, the mistake is mine, and the negative feedback, if it comes, is the price I pay. Meanwhile, I've learned a lesson in the value of due diligence before bidding. I was bidding in an emotional state because I'd just broken a Parker 51 that day and was desperate to replace it, and I should have known better.

 

For those interested, I'll update this thread if anything changes.

[ccajackson]

I'm 99% ready just to pull the plug on this transaction.

 

The hit to my feedback (if this joker even sticks around that long, which I doubt) will be easier to take than the loss of almost $200.

 

• He responded to an invoice request within 24 hours.
• Approaching 48 hours on the clock, he has not responded to a request for a photo of the pen a la sirksael's method of proof.
• Since I became aware of him, he has opened several more 3-day auctions of highly desirable pens (PFM V, Cartier, MB, etc.), no two of which have the same photo set-up, and all of which have overlapping low or "private" feedback bidders, including the zero-feedback suspected shill in my auction.
• He has had several auctions end early in the last 48 hours. Whether this is of his own doing or administrative, I don't know.
• The phone number supplied in response to my the User Information Request is invalid or does not exist, according to Skype.
• The area code of that number is the western suburbs of Chicago, not central Kansas, as the seller's information claims. That could be innocent: After all, Skype gave me a NYC area code and I live in Grenada, but with the combined weight of the other circumstantials, I'm not inclined to think so.

 

Well, the mistake is mine, and the negative feedback, if it comes, is the price I pay. Meanwhile, I've learned a lesson in the value of due diligence before bidding. I was bidding in an emotional state because I'd just broken a Parker 51 that day and was desperate to replace it, and I should have known better.

 

For those interested, I'll update this thread if anything changes.

 

Out of curiosity, are these inconsistencies enough to notify eBay for investigation? I use eBay on the rare occasion, so I don't know their rules/threshold for checking out questionable sellers, or if you must wait to be "taken" before they check things out.

 

Your policework may also protect some others who aren't as savvy.

 

C-C

 

[Breck]

I think not, and I think my short turnaround times due to my high index of suspicion are considerably shorter than the due process eBay allows for.

[Brock]

You can use http://superpagescom.intelius.com to check, if it is a published phone number for homes and businesses.

 

Brock

 

[Breck]

Thanks for the tip. It comes back as a successful match from that site, but I get no connection either through Skype or on a regular phone. Plus, it's not where the seller says he is.

 

I've found a site, This Old Siam Pen, which has duplicates of several of the pens this seller is offering, down to the backgrounds in the photos. I think I'm done with this guy.

 

This got me looking again at his feedback: 6 total in his history, from 3 "buyers". The only one who's still an eBayer left 2 identical messages on 2 identical auctions. Same pen, same photos, everything.

 

*edit to add: and someone else left a negative feedback when they bought that pen from a member one degree of separation removed, saying that it was cracked.

 

Shameless.

Edited May 25, 2009 by Murderface