Strange situation on ebay

darkosaric · May 4, 2014

Hi all,

Not sure where to put this question, here it goes:

Recently I bought 10 expired films for 1 euro + 17 euros shipping. I got films after couple of days, but they were the wrong ones. Seller had mixed up me and other buyer. He returned the money, and asked me to send the films back. I did so, but still did not received my films. So on the end I spend time, my money for return shipping, and got nothing. He is not replaying to my messages.

Negative feedback? If I complain on ebay - I did received my paypal money back, so...

thanks,

wildbill · May 4, 2014

if you got all your money back, call it a day and move on. sounds like he made an honest mistake and then the film got "lost in the mail" according to him. people seem to make that claim all the time though.

darkosaric · May 4, 2014

wildbill said:
if you got all your money back, call it a day and move on. sounds like he made an honest mistake and then the film got "lost in the mail" according to him. people seem to make that claim all the time though.

I did got my money back and then I lost those money by sending wrong films back to him (with tracking number).

cliveh · May 4, 2014

Can you share who the seller was, so we can all avoid them.

BrianShaw · May 4, 2014

Been there before too. Mistakes happen. In one situation the seller refunded my money and told me to keep or throw out the wrong item. In another situation the refund would only follow the return... and I was out the shipping both ways because only the item value was refunded, not the shipping. Do yourself a favor and call it a gambling loss. Few sellers seem willing to pay for their own error so the buyer ends up fully "whole" after a purchase error. This is true even with face-to-face transactions in a retail environment.

Dan Daniel · May 4, 2014

Were all your communications through the Ebay system? I had something similar recently and the seller phoned me (along with messages through Ebay). I figured I would keep everything in writing and on the Ebay system. His notes to me indiciate that I am due a full refund.

If you have a message from him saying that he will pay the return shipping I would file a claim with Ebay and reference his message. The complaint process is a separate track from the feedback process, so you can use the complaint to leverage him to do right without affecting feedback and such.

BrianShaw · May 4, 2014

If you are willing to spend the time it takes to do what Dan suggests I'd bet you'd get your shipping costs refunded too.

darkosaric · May 4, 2014

Dan Daniel said:
Were all your communications through the Ebay system? I had something similar recently and the seller phoned me (along with messages through Ebay). I figured I would keep everything in writing and on the Ebay system. His notes to me indiciate that I am due a full refund.

If you have a message from him saying that he will pay the return shipping I would file a claim with Ebay and reference his message. The complaint process is a separate track from the feedback process, so you can use the complaint to leverage him to do right without affecting feedback and such.

Yes, all communication were through ebay. But nowhere he did wrote he will pay return shipping, I was thinking he will send me films, and return shipping was from money that I got as refund.

Newt_on_Swings · May 4, 2014

That sucks, it happened to me once too. Was buying something like an enlarger lens and I got a box of random old filters. I returned to the seller immediately but it took two weeks for other buyer to return my enlarger lens and finally I got my lens after another 4 or 5 days. I had asked first though for the seller to cover his shipping costs as it was his mistake. He originally wanted me to ship straight to the other mixed up buyer, but that would have voided any ebay or paypal protection.

railwayman3 · May 4, 2014

I'd suggest negative feedback.....I think that morally any seller (not only Ebay) should put his own mistakes right, so that the customer isn't out of pocket.

Ebay can be a gamble, but, IMHO, sellers with good feedback will put things right. I've had two cases in the last couple of years...one was an honest mistake in the description by the seller, who refunded in full plus postage both ways. The second was a filter damaged in the mail despite good packing...the seller refunded the price in full including postage, and said to throw the item out (it wasn't of any great value and not repairable, but still very fair to take my word for the damage).

Rick A · May 4, 2014

Remind the seller the mistake was his, and as such he owes you the cost of return shipping as well. If he doesn't give you satisfaction report him to paypal and ebay. Don't hesitate to threaten him with negative feedback if you have to, but only as a last resort.

trythis · May 4, 2014

Threaten negative feedback. Open dispute with ebay so he knows you aren't putting up with the BS.

sent from phone. excuse my typing.

Dan Daniel · May 5, 2014

Even without him agreeing to pay return shipping, I'm with the others- it's the right thing for him to do. Open a dispute with Ebay. The worst that happens is you end up where you are now- no film and out shipping. The best is you get paid for the shipping. The middle- you don't get the money and leav3 negative feedback because the guy deserves it.

darkosaric · May 5, 2014

Thank you all for feedback - I will Open a dispute with Ebay, and I already wrote to him that if nothing comes I will be forced to put negative feedback.

jcc · May 5, 2014

Yeah, seller mistakes should cost the seller the return shipment cost. I bought something last month, and seller had parts mixed, but accepted the return at no cost to me, other than time.

Check their rating activities. If they're buying or selling now, but not returning messages, then they're more than likely ignoring you. Bad business. And yeah, please share the name so we can all avoid the seller.

darkosaric · May 5, 2014

Just now guy answered that he will send the films. So threat of negative feedback was helping.

TheToadMen · May 5, 2014

Maybe the other buyer was late sending the films back to seller? But it's great you're getting yours now.

darkosaric · May 5, 2014

TheToadMen said:
Maybe the other buyer was late sending the films back to seller? But it's great you're getting yours now.

Maybe. This seller apologized - and it is a small time seller, maybe it is not so active on ebay. Anyhow - good is that it is solved .

TheToadMen · May 5, 2014

darkosaric said:
Maybe. This seller apologized - and it is a small time seller, maybe it is not so active on ebay. Anyhow - good is that it is solved .

I forgot to ask. What kind of film are you getting? Probably expired film? I once bought a whole box of Fuji NPC160 roll film (expired 2002) and still use it for pinhole photography and recently in my new Hasselblad SWC (from 1965). Old Fuji film keeps very well. Sometimes you get a color shift, that can be very nice. Like very nice blue pastel skies. I also once uses old Kodak Gold film, but that turned into muddy brown colors.

darkosaric · May 5, 2014

TheToadMen said:
I forgot to ask. What kind of film are you getting? Probably expired film? I once bought a whole box of Fuji NPC160 roll film (expired 2002) and still use it for pinhole photography and recently in my new Hasselblad SWC (from 1965). Old Fuji film keeps very well. Sometimes you get a color shift, that can be very nice. Like very nice blue pastel skies. I also once uses old Kodak Gold film, but that turned into muddy brown colors.

Yes, expired color 120 films. To make thing cheaper - I will develop it at home in RA4 chemistry . Planing to have fun, no serious work, so any color shift is not a problem.

TheToadMen · May 5, 2014

darkosaric said:
Yes, expired color 120 films. To make thing cheaper - I will develop it at home in RA4 chemistry . Planing to have fun, no serious work, so any color shift is not a problem.

Nice,
I bought a C-41 kit recently but haven't done this yet. Probably during the summer holidays. A nice period with serious time to be dedicated to experimental photography.

moose10101 · May 5, 2014

Threatening negative feedback is never a good idea. There are too many triggers that might cause an eBay drone to interpret your message as "feedback extortion", which would impair your ability to win a case or to leave feedback.

Also, the suggestion to open a case puzzles me. Once the original payment (item price + shipping) is refunded, as it already has been in this case, there is no case that can be opened against the seller, at least on the USA site. eBay does not (and probably cannot legally) force the seller to reimburse return shipping.

A good seller would obviously reimburse you for the return, and failure to do so should be taken into account when leaving feedback. But tread lightly in your messages to the seller.

darkosaric · May 5, 2014

moose10101 said:
Threatening negative feedback is never a good idea. There are too many triggers that might cause an eBay drone to interpret your message as "feedback extortion", which would impair your ability to win a case or to leave feedback.

Also, the suggestion to open a case puzzles me. Once the original payment (item price + shipping) is refunded, as it already has been in this case, there is no case that can be opened against the seller, at least on the USA site. eBay does not (and probably cannot legally) force the seller to reimburse return shipping.

A good seller would obviously reimburse you for the return, and failure to do so should be taken into account when leaving feedback. But tread lightly in your messages to the seller.

Already all was agreed, films are on the way - there was no bad tone from any side. Even my threat of negative feedback (actually mention of negative feedback) was done in post polite way possible.

moose10101 · May 5, 2014

darkosaric said:
Already all was agreed, films are on the way - there was no bad tone from any side. Even my threat of negative feedback (actually mention of negative feedback) was done in post polite way possible.

I posted because you and someone else both used the word "threat", and eBay does take action if they interpret even the most polite message as a threat. eBay staffers are not the sharpest knives in the drawer. Glad it was only a "mention".

I also posted the info about opening a case because other readers might mistakenly think it's possible after a refund.

I'm glad your transaction appears to be working out.

Strange situation on ebay

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