Unhappy Ebayer faces court
Discussion
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20081024/tuk-unhappy-eb...
A disappointed eBay buyer has been threatened with legal action after he left negative feedback comments on the popular auction website. Skip related content
Related photos / videos Unhappy eBay Buyer Faces Court Chris Read, 42, said he was stunned to receive court papers saying he would be sued for libel over the remarks he posted in regards to his purchase of a mobile phone.
Mr Read, a mechanic from Herne Bay, Kent, wrote on the eBay feedback section that the £155 Samsung F700 handset he bought was scratched and chipped and was not the model he wanted.
He added that he had already waited for more than a week for a refund after returning it to the seller.
Shortly after leaving his feedback, Mr Read received an email from the seller, Joel Jones, asking him to retract the comments.
The mechanic told the Daily Mail: "There was absolutely no way I was going to remove the feedback. What I wrote was a valid and honest opinion of the item and the service I received.
"It's not like I wrote anything malicious or nasty or called him a conman or a fraudster."
He said he then received a formal letter from Mr Jones, warning him that if he did not sign an enclosed statement he would be taken to court and liable for court costs of £175 along with "substantial" lawyers' fees.
Mr Jones, who uses the name onsalexuk to sell electronic goods on eBay, said the comments were affecting his business as sellers who have negative feedback appear lower down the screen in searches than other people.
He has now given Mr Read a full refund for the phone.
Richard Ambrose, head of trust and safety at eBay, said: "Our feedback system allows buyers to make informed decisions about who they trade with based on the experience of other users.
"However, on the rare occasion that something goes wrong we always encourage users to contact the seller in order to resolve the matter amicably."[/i]
A disappointed eBay buyer has been threatened with legal action after he left negative feedback comments on the popular auction website. Skip related content
Related photos / videos Unhappy eBay Buyer Faces Court Chris Read, 42, said he was stunned to receive court papers saying he would be sued for libel over the remarks he posted in regards to his purchase of a mobile phone.
Mr Read, a mechanic from Herne Bay, Kent, wrote on the eBay feedback section that the £155 Samsung F700 handset he bought was scratched and chipped and was not the model he wanted.
He added that he had already waited for more than a week for a refund after returning it to the seller.
Shortly after leaving his feedback, Mr Read received an email from the seller, Joel Jones, asking him to retract the comments.
The mechanic told the Daily Mail: "There was absolutely no way I was going to remove the feedback. What I wrote was a valid and honest opinion of the item and the service I received.
"It's not like I wrote anything malicious or nasty or called him a conman or a fraudster."
He said he then received a formal letter from Mr Jones, warning him that if he did not sign an enclosed statement he would be taken to court and liable for court costs of £175 along with "substantial" lawyers' fees.
Mr Jones, who uses the name onsalexuk to sell electronic goods on eBay, said the comments were affecting his business as sellers who have negative feedback appear lower down the screen in searches than other people.
He has now given Mr Read a full refund for the phone.
Richard Ambrose, head of trust and safety at eBay, said: "Our feedback system allows buyers to make informed decisions about who they trade with based on the experience of other users.
"However, on the rare occasion that something goes wrong we always encourage users to contact the seller in order to resolve the matter amicably."[/i]
k all. By this point we've taken our lb of flesh so really couldn't give a s
The guy doing the suing here is, and I choose my words very carefully, a fool of the highest order.
All the defendant has to do is show he told the truth. It's an absolute defence. Then, when he wins, he gets ALL his costs paid by the guy who tried to sue him.
Libel is a rich man's game, played by poor mugs.
"I'm going to sue you for libel."
"But I told the truth."
If he goes through with this he'll get gubbed.
All the defendant has to do is show he told the truth. It's an absolute defence. Then, when he wins, he gets ALL his costs paid by the guy who tried to sue him.
Libel is a rich man's game, played by poor mugs.
"I'm going to sue you for libel."
"But I told the truth."
If he goes through with this he'll get gubbed.
Edited by Soovy on Friday 24th October 12:48
Thats me bu**ered then! I sent somebody some extremely nasty emails because it took over 3 months for me to recieve an item i had won on ebay. I genuinely thought i had been conned & then one day out of the blue, it turned up. The guy in question had admitted it was his fault though but i still felt bad.
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