Dodgy feckers on Ebay - advice needed

[dan101smith]

A couple of months back I sold my old plasma on Ebay for £425. It was won by a zero-rated buyer, but as it was collection only I wasn't too worried.

He paid in advance by Paypal, and we arranged collection - it was collected, and all ok.

Today, I get an email from Paypal telling me he has initiated a chargeback through his credit card company.

So, a dispute is automatically opened in Paypal. My account has been debited by the £425, and to proceed I have to tick a box that confirms I have proof of despatching the TV. As it was collected, I don't.

I'm livid. Obviously the guy is no longer registered on Ebay.

Suggestions for next steps? I can see Paypal are going to be next to no help on this.

[ManicMushroom]

so you sell something and dont give a reseat (cant spell i know)

tbh, im unsure if theres anything you can do as you did not create some kind of proof that it has been sold

[Kuroblack350]

Paypal are utterly useless - that's for sure. Is your Paypal account funded by your credit card? Perhaps they can help, mine is funded by Amex and they have always been useful.

Sorry to hear this anyway, I also would have thought the advance payment was good to go.

[Maxf]

Is your account now -425 or have they taken 425 from your balance.

If its the former then you'll be ok, but wont be able to use paypal again. They will try and strong arm you into writing them a cheque to bring it back to 0 - but there is information around (including on here IIRC) about how to tell them to FO (time passed since transaction etc).

If its the latter, then you are fked. PP know the other guy is scamming, but are down 425, so want it back.

I see this happening more, and as % rates increase and 0% deals dry up, people are going to be trying all kinds of crap to bring their balance down.

Do you have the buyers address (maybe through ebay) - you could threaten him with small claims court action for your loss. I'm sure you have witnesses that it was collected.

[Fort Jefferson]

Kuroblack350 said:

Is your Paypal account funded by your credit card?

If it's not, it should be. It gives you a second line of defence (first actually, because paypal are *****)

[V8mate]

Did he leave any 'thanks for the TV' feedback for you?

[mrobertshaw]

most importantly do you know his address? If you do pay him a visit to see if he might change his mind...

[outlaw biker]

I'd be tempted to get the Police involved. What the buyer has done is no less than fraud. Theft even.

[dan101smith]

At the moment my PP account is showing as -425. It hasn't (yet) been taken from my bank account.

I have an email address for the guy, but it's a hotmail one. I also do have an address. I have emailed him to say that unless he drops this action by Tuesday I will be reporting it to the Police as theft/fraud, and taking legal advice to follow-up.

Unfortunately collection was arranged by phone, although my g/f is witness to it being collected. He is also "no longer registered" on Ebay.

Bugger.

[outlaw biker]

No doubt this would be classed as obtaining goods by deception.

[Meeja]

Sadly PayPal was your first mistake after using eBay.

When I ever sold anything on eBay, and they wanted to collect, then they brought cash, or it was no deal.

I always insisted on my listing that it was (cleared) cheque or cash. Paypal was definately not accepted.

What info on the buyer do you have?

Email address? Vehicle reg when he came to collect? Whilst now a non-registered user of eBay, you still may be able to get his address details from the winning bidder emails, or from eBay directly as you have a transaction with him. However, these details may be false.

Police is a definate. How interested they would be is a different matter though.

[Meeja]

dan101smith said:

I also do have an address

Pay a visit.

With a couple of MPV's worth of friends.

[eliot]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

On the otherhand, let them take the money from your credit card - then you can get your CC company to do a chargeback back to PP for un-authorised withdrawal?

[V8mate]

outlaw biker said:

I'd be tempted to get the Police involved. What the buyer has done is no less than fraud. Theft even.

And tell Paypal that you are calling the Police - may impress on them that you're not the villain

Edited by V8mate on Sunday 19th October 15:21

[dan101smith]

My account is funded by a debit, not credit, card.

Will be speaking to the police tomorrow, and also to PayPal.

[Meeja]

dan101smith said:

My account is funded by a debit, not credit, card.

Will be speaking to the police tomorrow, and also to PayPal.

Speak to the bank NOW and put a block on any transactions between PayPal and the Debit Card.

Explain the fraudulant nature, and hopefully any attempt to claim the £425 from your debit card can be blocked.

[507bhp]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Agreed. Stop it now! This is fraud of the (almost) highest order!

[ZR1cliff]

dan101smith said:

A couple of months back I sold my old plasma on Ebay for £425. It was won by a zero-rated buyer, but as it was collection only I wasn't too worried.

He paid in advance by Paypal, and we arranged collection - it was collected, and all ok.

Today, I get an email from Paypal telling me he has initiated a chargeback through his credit card company.

So, a dispute is automatically opened in Paypal. My account has been debited by the £425, and to proceed I have to tick a box that confirms I have proof of despatching the TV. As it was collected, I don't.

I'm livid. Obviously the guy is no longer registered on Ebay.

Suggestions for next steps? I can see Paypal are going to be next to no help on this.

I've got the same thing going on with an ebay buyer from Holland with 1 feedback to the value of £243

I sold him two items, both engine parts, that were sent out on 1/10/2008. within around 10 days he sent a brief email stating one item had not turned up and were both items sent in the same package, so I sent a brief email back stating they were sent seperately. Within a week, and with no mention of his intensions, he initiated a dispute on paypal for; the item that's not turned up and also the first item has crack damage - yet there was no mention of this crack damage in his first email ?

So I logged on to Paypal to view his dispute notes and tried emailing the buyer for the next 3 days with no reply. In the end I find his phone number on the net and phone him Thursday - he states item number two has still not turned up and informs me of the damage in item number one. I state that I am not aware of the cracks, nor was the shop that sold me the item a couple of years earlier, so I ask him for Photos so we can progress from there.
I am still waiting for the photos but have logged all my daily actions with paypal so they can atleast see I am trying to resolve the dispute. The buyer has done absolutely nothing to resolve the issues since taking out the dispute with Paypal and when I was on the phone my gut feeling was he was not being truthful and thought he was being a bit too hasty with the 'no delivery', considering It was international postage. Although I have concealed my suspicions to him for now.

I wonder which way this will swing ?
Will I lose my payment that Paypal are now holding ?
Will I ever see the parts returned if I refund him ?
Do get all out of shape and catch a flight over to Holland and turn up unnanounced ?
Do I put it down to experience and write off the loss and keep my dignity ?
Do I let it get to me ?

[The Moose]

These low life scum of the earth types that dont get enough robbing us through benefits think they are entitled to more from us in this manor????

Its utter bullst and I am so fking pissed off with the state of affairs in this country.

All I can suggest to the OP is you phone up the bank and say you have had your debit card stolen. Telling them to not allow the transaction (in my experience anyway) has led to them allowing it and you having to claim your money back.

PROPER FULL ON bdS

Sorry - just a REAL piss boiler this bks

Edited by The Moose on Sunday 19th October 16:41

[Flintstone]

507bhp said:

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Agreed. Stop it now! This is fraud of the (almost) highest order!

Cannot emphasise this strongly enough. Contact your bank NOW and ensure that this debit does not slip through. If you come back here complaining it did we'll tear you a new one and you'll deserve it.