[R-390] eBay advice

[Todd Bigelow - PS]

Terry O'Laughlin wrote:

> Anyone on the list ever have a eBay seller try to unilaterally cancel 
> a completed auction because he was unhappy with the selling price?  I 
> want my radio! 


Terry -

Not sure if you can do a whole lot about it beyond feedback. ePay 
doesn't do much against sellers as they are the 'bread and butter' for 
them, bringing in the buyers. I would advise a couple things: first, 
email the seller and epay too, explaining in the email that you bought 
the item and expect it to be sold/binding contract/etc. If that doesn't 
work, file a complaint with safe harbor. Again, this won't necessarily 
guarantee anything but will let the seller know you are willing to 
pursue the matter. If all else fails, leave negative feedback and state 
in the feedback that the seller wanted more money despite the 
reserve/final bid being met. Let the seller know that you are going to 
post negative feedback as well, as a last resort, and that you'd PREFER 
to close the deal as agreed by the original sale/'contract'. Remember, 
they can not only post feedback for you but also a response to their 
feedback, so leave no wiggle room.

I've had two bad experiences like this. First thing I ever sold on there 
I got hosed on for being foolish enough to post feedback as soon as I 
received payment. Buyer then decided to try to blackmail me for the item 
*and* a full refund, citing the fact that I'd already posted feedback 
for him so he could really screw my life up badly if I didn't go along. 
I refused to play his game, he posted feedback, I responded to mine. 
Later I got together with a couple of others who had the same experience 
with him and we got him removed from epay. Probably back now under a 
different user name, but at least we stopped him for a while.

Second incident is more like #2/ non-Hauser's experience. I sold a 
couple of small items, same buyer bought both but wouldn't send payment. 
Then when I told him to pay or I'd post negative feedback, he posted 
feedback for me first stating I'd never sent my shipping info. Sure, and 
I love to pay listing fees on $10 crap just so I can KEEP it. Of course, 
I did have his 'check is in the mail' email which I forwarded to epay. 
They did nothing.

Hope it works out for you, Terry. I'd pester the hell outta the seller 
to let him know you're serious. If all else fails though, let 'em have 
both barrels. The only thing that dissuades those types is falling sales 
due to bad feedback and reluctant buyers.