Your Advice Please

[tizeye]

I'm not sure how long I should wait before panicking but I bought a car off ebay back on the 29th December for $166.00 which in our money is $320.00. The seller said that it was shipped on the 3rd of Jan and that he has no shipping number for it because he sent several items at once he only has one number for all of them..yep a bit strange..then he sends me a message asking if I'd post positive feedback as soon as possible so he could get his money from paypal..which I did (I know)..anyway it hasn't turned up..don't forget I'm in New Zealand but most things I get from the USA are here in 8-14 days....should I be worried?

Tizeye

[civilguy]

When did the eBay/Paypal monster create that rule? You have to get positive feedback before you get your money? I've never heard of that.
Besides that though, I would give it another couple days. If it was sent first class international mail it could be 3 weeks, and he wouldn't have an individual tracking number for it in that case.
I do wish you luck on this.

[a01butal]

What was the sellers feedback like? If he has sold a lot and is 100% or 98.9 you are probably ok. Otherhand he's already told you a lie about the feedback payment thing. If he got questionable feedback and not much of it then maybe there is something to be worried about. Make sure what the time limit is for opening a grievance with eBay so that you don't go past the end time which might be around 31 days but please check it out for yourself. If sellers ask you to do things you don't think is right just make them wait until you verify with eBay where you stand. Hope this helps.

[JK Racing]

I sent a box to New Zealand (international priority, only a couple dollars more and with tracking), it got there in a couple days.

Shipped 12-26, received 12-30.

[Incredible_Serious]

I'm not sure how long I should wait before panicking but I bought a car off ebay back on the 29th December for $166.00 which in our money is $320.00.

More likely NZ$320,000!!! lol... sorry, always got to have a go, my Aussie nature....

The seller said that it was shipped on the 3rd of Jan and that he has no shipping number for it because he sent several items at once he only has one number for all of them..yep a bit strange..

So he has a shipping number for multiple items going to different places??? That sounds like a crock right there....

then he sends me a message asking if I'd post positive feedback as soon as possible so he could get his money from paypal..which I did (I know)..

Have never heard that you need positive feedback as a seller for an item to get money from PayPal.... sounds more like, once you've left positive feedback, it will make it a lot harder for you if/when you need to request the money back!!!

anyway it hasn't turned up..don't forget I'm in New Zealand but most things I get from the USA are here in 8-14 days....should I be worried?

Tizeye

Unfortunately matey.... yes, you should be worried. The few items I've mentioned above start the alarm bells ringing for me. Course, I'm just a bit over-protective these days due to the increasing scamming on eBay (coupled with the increasing lack of any real care by either PayPal or eBay).

Maybe post a link to the auction, giving us a look at what you purchased in case it turns up somewhere else? Also, think about a01brutal's advice on the time limits to making a claim.... be sure they don't pass you by in a cloud of seller bluster...

Sorry matey, wish I could be more useful!!!

Be sure and let us know if the package arrives....

Alex

[tizeye]

He's only had 25 trades but they are all positive..so I guess I should wait a few more days and see what happens. My despute deadline is the end of this month. Thanks everybody for your 10 cents worth I've got half a buck already..

[purpletimbo]

The tracking number thing is odd, but works in your favour, if you initiate an item not received paypal dispute, and he cannot provide individual proof of postage for that item, it is decided in your favour automatically.
The paypal holding his funds thing is a recent addition by ebay against bad sellers, you are automatically a bad seller until you are a good one, hows that for guilty until proven innocent. If you have under a certain feedback, goes on amount, positive, and the 5 star rating system, then they hold funds in escrow themselves automatically, and release them on posistive feedback, as that will only be left when the item has arrived in satisfactory condition, well normally!!

[badhoopty]

HUH?
so if i dont leave feedback for somebody they dont get paid?

i kinda like the idea that right after i send them payment the seller is able to use that money as they please.


and tizeye, simply say you aint leaving feedback until you get it. thats a no-brainer imo.
i hope its just slow getting to you. it really sucks getting thieved over the internet.

[klavy69]

Here's my dime tizeye.

I have had the same thing happen to me. Couple guys asked me for positive feedback to get their money from paypal here 3 months or so ago so its nothing new. It had something to do with them being unverified with paypal which means they don't have a bank account or a credit card linked to paypal. Either way I told them no feedback til I get my package...which you shouldn't have done...but you know . Things to check...is his feedback as a seller or a buyer? He has 25 or so but if thats all as a buyer you might validate a worry. If he has sold high dollar stuff like this before you can relax a little. Ask for the numbers he said he has or a copy of the receipt and tell him its for your postal carrier so you can verify where it is coming from so they can check...its a crock since I don't believe they can back track like that unless there is an actual claim but I could be wrong. By all means let him know you are going to set a claim against him if you don't have your package by the time the countdown with paypal/ebay is there and make sure you post a claim a few days ahead of the actual time it does expire so you don't lose out by timezone defeat.

If this was happening to me in your shoes...Not worry yet because More than likely its in transit and the seller wasn't completely honest about his shipping date. Contact him about the receipt. Let him know you will post a claim against him if you don't have it by the expiration date. Post a claim if you don't have it by the date even though you have proof it is in transit (cover your butt this way if its lost). you can always close the claim out if you recieve it later. Keep positive about it til you need to worry.

Why you shouldn't have put up his feedback. If he isn't verified with a bank account or credit card paypal has no way of getting your money back. If you hadn't put up his feedback paypal would have that money in 'limbo' in case of a claim. Paypal still insures your transaction but I'm not up completely on that anymore since I stopped selling on ebay. It might not cover you completely if he scams you is what I'm thinking.

I have to give credit to paypal though. I had a problem awhile back with some parts and I put a claim in and the seller never checked the claim or replied to it. I pestered the seller and he finally refunded me the money....wait for it, wait for it...the day after paypal had refunded me out of his account. This was a 2 month ordeal and he was pissed to say the least. Well anyway, sorry for the long read but there are alot of us on this board and maybe someone is close enuf to this seller to drop in and see whats up if he does try to scam you . Good luck and keep us informed if you don't mind.
Todd

[a01butal]

Please don't keep his eBay id a mystery, we need to keep these kind of activities to a minimum and stay away from sellers like this. Knowledge is the only weapon the buyer has. I believe you're at $1.15 now.

[tizeye]

Ok his id is corvette2974 I checked his feedback only 11 as seller 25 as buyer!..anyways I really appreciate you guys stepping up to the plate for me..how's that for an Americanism..it was for a BBT sprintcar that I've been going on to you guys about it arriving soon and how excited I was..since I won the auction for it I've bought new alloy arms..alloy wheels..a body..all of which will now be of next to no use to me..oh well auction number 190275885773

Tizeye

[tizeye]

What does this mean: sent it via us postal service first class international as apposed to what? Is this the slowest method?..He also said the receipt also has a bill number on it 1000201429528..does that mean anything?

[aconsola]

there is no tracking information for first class international which is why I do not use it. Priority mail(the next level of servic up) has tracking, but starts at about US$25.
If you go to www.usps.com and put that number into the "track and confirm" system it will tell you "Delivery status information is not available for your item via this web site."
I would submit a paypal claim, the sooner the better.

[a01butal]

aconsola is right why wait if it shows up you can alway cancel the process but it takes awhile for them to get the gears rolling and I also hope you saved the email from him asking you to give positive feedback so he could be paid.

[tizeye]

Thanks guys I've kept all correspondence between us..he even emailed me directly from the ebay site when he asked for the feedback...so I have will now file a claim...thanks again guys..amazing what 2 bucks gets you today..
Cheers