eBay, etc. General Question/Answer Thread

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#9,376
nicole0612 said:
Thank you BB. Yes, I will give it one more try, it won’t hurt. Reporting the seller might make a difference, ebay told me that the free returns + having a clean record were both required for the seller to withhold part of the refund. They were selling another similar item at the same time that I’m fairly sure was also fake (same item, different stone), so I asked CS if the other buyer realized it was fake and filed a claim would that allow me to appeal and possibly win. The rep said maybe, but there was some convoluted complication, namely that it would all have to happen with 30 days (of the purchase ?).
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Update on my counterfeit purchase with only partial refund issued! Wow, the seller just relisted the other item similar to the one I purchased that was authenticated as counterfeit (same model, different color). Now it says “Van Cleef Style” and it is thousands less, of course. She has not posted the one I purchased again, but it may be coming. I was planning to try to call ebay CS again in the morning to see if this makes a difference in the verdict in my situation. The last conversation with CS went similar to the other ones, the representative said that since the seller had a good history on her account that they could not require her to refund me the difference in the partial refund she gave me, and when I asked if it would make a difference if in the future the other item similar to mine was also return for being counterfeit, and the representative said possibly, but only if it was within 30 days of the purchase. I just checked, and today is 31 days after my purchase and she just listed it! I’m sure she knew I would be checking for it. I did leave her negative feedback, which I have not done before, I made it very general and just said “unfortunately, the item was counterfeit”. I checked and she now has 100% positive feedback and my feedback was removed!
 
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#9,377
nicole0612 said:
Update on my counterfeit purchase with only partial refund issued! Wow, the seller just relisted the other item similar to the one I purchased that was authenticated as counterfeit (same model, different color). Now it says “Van Cleef Style” and it is thousands less, of course. She has not posted the one I purchased again, but it may be coming. I was planning to try to call ebay CS again in the morning to see if this makes a difference in the verdict in my situation. The last conversation with CS went similar to the other ones, the representative said that since the seller had a good history on her account that they could not require her to refund me the difference in the partial refund she gave me, and when I asked if it would make a difference if in the future the other item similar to mine was also return for being counterfeit, and the representative said possibly, but only if it was within 30 days of the purchase. I just checked, and today is 31 days after my purchase and she just listed it! I’m sure she knew I would be checking for it. I did leave her negative feedback, which I have not done before, I made it very general and just said “unfortunately, the item was counterfeit”. I checked and she now has 100% positive feedback and my feedback was removed!
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Wow! Report, report!
 
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#9,380
nicole0612 said:
I did leave her negative feedback, which I have not done before, I made it very general and just said “unfortunately, the item was counterfeit”. I checked and she now has 100% positive feedback and my feedback was removed!
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Can't do that. Be brief and non committal - 'Unsatisfactory Transaction' - and leave it at that. Accusations or allegations give them ammunition for removal.
 
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#9,382
N.M.Nevuhmynd said:
Can't do that. Be brief and non committal - 'Unsatisfactory Transaction' - and leave it at that. Accusations or allegations give them ammunition for removal.
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I don't think that's true. In fact, ebay has told sellers that that type of accusation is the buyer's "opinion" and it (generally) stays. On occasions when it's removed, it's usually the result of a CS person who was sympathetic.
 
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#9,384
nicole0612, your ordeal is insane. I tend to be very persistent if I feel I have been unfairly wronged (as you have been), but I would have given up a while ago and called my CC company.

Wouldn't eBay be violating consumer protection laws to withhold refund money on a counterfeit item? You took the additional step to get third-party documented verification that it is counterfeit. Usually that is an expense that is not refunded, and you are the innocent party here.

I truly hope you purchased via PayPal using a credit card. You should NOT back down, contact your credit card issuer if you did, and ask them to intervene. What happens is that they will contact eBay themselves and ask eBay to cooperate...if eBay still won't, they will evaluate your case individually with the evidence you are wiling to send to them, and force eBay's hand. You should ALSO get a refund of your eBay Bucks money--a refund of those are issued in another certificate that you could put towards a different purchase that expires within the same month of generation.

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Complete aside and just sharing more stories of caution on 100% "positive feedback" volume sellers.

There was a situation regarding an eBay seller named "mobileshark" (apparently not the same as a brick and mortar store somewhere in California whose Google reviews section has been peppered with complaints about the eBay seller) who recently sold a $1000+ laptop to a buyer. The buyer posted a complaint on a forum to say that it was SNAD--it was sent unprotected and crammed into a tight box; the screen had a large crack whereas it was described as a small surface scratch. When the buyer returned it, the seller (mobileshark) accused him of damaging the laptop.

--> I found a very similar story as the above, where an expensive item was accused of being swapped, when actually the buyer received it SNAD.

Looking him up on eBay, he also has 100% "positive feedback" (with 197 revised) and also offers Free 30-day Returns.

So it seems that unethical Sellers have figured out this loophole. This particular one in my story seems to mostly sell inexpensive electronics and uses the loophole occasionally on expensive items; I would guess that eBay ends up refunding buyers + seller but they don't care as long as they get all those fees on those little sales.

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Anyway, I insist on you fighting for a full refund. It is absolutely unethical for eBay to be facilitating these shenanigans...I don't think it is even lawful in Canada & the US.
 
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#9,386
resplendent said:
nicole0612, your ordeal is insane. I tend to be very persistent if I feel I have been unfairly wronged (as you have been), but I would have given up a while ago and called my CC company.

Wouldn't eBay be violating consumer protection laws to withhold refund money on a counterfeit item? You took the additional step to get third-party documented verification that it is counterfeit. Usually that is an expense that is not refunded, and you are the innocent party here.

I truly hope you purchased via PayPal using a credit card. You should NOT back down, contact your credit card issuer if you did, and ask them to intervene. What happens is that they will contact eBay themselves and ask eBay to cooperate...if eBay still won't, they will evaluate your case individually with the evidence you are wiling to send to them, and force eBay's hand. You should ALSO get a refund of your eBay Bucks money--a refund of those are issued in another certificate that you could put towards a different purchase that expires within the same month of generation.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Complete aside and just sharing more stories of caution on 100% "positive feedback" volume sellers.

There was a situation regarding an eBay seller named "mobileshark" (apparently not the same as a brick and mortar store somewhere in California whose Google reviews section has been peppered with complaints about the eBay seller) who recently sold a $1000+ laptop to a buyer. The buyer posted a complaint on a forum to say that it was SNAD--it was sent unprotected and crammed into a tight box; the screen had a large crack whereas it was described as a small surface scratch. When the buyer returned it, the seller (mobileshark) accused him of damaging the laptop.

--> I found a very similar story as the above, where an expensive item was accused of being swapped, when actually the buyer received it SNAD.

Looking him up on eBay, he also has 100% "positive feedback" (with 197 revised) and also offers Free 30-day Returns.

So it seems that unethical Sellers have figured out this loophole. This particular one in my story seems to mostly sell inexpensive electronics and uses the loophole occasionally on expensive items; I would guess that eBay ends up refunding buyers + seller but they don't care as long as they get all those fees on those little sales.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anyway, I insist on you fighting for a full refund. It is absolutely unethical for eBay to be facilitating these shenanigans...I don't think it is even lawful in Canada & the US.
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I really appreciate your thoughts and advice, thank you. Ebay CS told me that since it is now 31 days, they cannot so anything (I think their limit is 30 days). I paid with PP, but I am inclined to just take the loss at this point because PP will not have a way to get my bucks back, so now there is only ~$100 difference. My concern is that I might be jeopardizing the $3040 refunded amount by going after the other $100. The seller claimed that I damaged the item or didn’t include part of it in the return (ebay would not say which it was!), so I would be stressed that PayPal would side with the seller. Even if it is a 1% chance, I don’t think the stress would be worth it to me. The seller is obviously very savvy on how to maneuver these things. I just wish I could have worded my feedback in a way that it was not removed and could have warned others!
 
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#9,388
chicinthecity777 said:
Deleted.
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I saw the post you deleted and just want to clarify.

Ebay collects sales taxes on behalf of the states in which buyers live. It has nothing to do with you (or any seller) and is just shown as being collected from the buyer as part of the payment buyers make. (Unfortunately, sellers are still paying PP the 2.9% + $.30 fee to PP on the sales taxes.)

You don't need to do anything. The buyer owes it and ebay and PP do all the work acting as the agents of the states by collecting it.
 
#9,389
BeenBurned said:
I saw the post you deleted and just want to clarify.

Ebay collects sales taxes on behalf of the states in which buyers live. It has nothing to do with you (or any seller) and is just shown as being collected from the buyer as part of the payment buyers make. (Unfortunately, sellers are still paying PP the 2.9% + $.30 fee to PP on the sales taxes.)

You don't need to do anything. The buyer owes it and ebay and PP do all the work acting as the agents of the states by collecting it.
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I got that in the end. Thank you. My only point on this is the sale didn't theoretically occur in the U.S. as I am not a U.S. seller. The sale shouldn't subject to U.S. sales tax but should subject to import duty and customs. Otherwise, the goods could have been taxed twice. It just doesn't make any sense. If the buyer travel to the UK and buy goods here, they are not subject to U.S. sales tax but when they bring the goods into the U.S., it is subject to import duty. But I am no U.S. tax expert so I don't know for sure.
 
#9,390
chicinthecity777 said:
I got that in the end. Thank you. My only point on this is the sale didn't theoretically occur in the U.S. as I am not a U.S. seller. The sale shouldn't subject to U.S. sales tax but should subject to import duty and customs. Otherwise, the goods could have been taxed twice. It just doesn't make any sense. If the buyer travel to the UK and buy goods here, they are not subject to U.S. sales tax but when they bring the goods into the U.S., it is subject to import duty. But I am no U.S. tax expert so I don't know for sure.
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I'm in California and I have to pay sales tax even when I buy from a seller in another country. In California, they call it a use tax, so technically it doesn't matter where you bought it, it is where you plan on using it. If I buy things while traveling, I'm supposed to report them on my income tax and pay the use tax of them then. Anything I buy from an international seller is duty free if it is under $800. Over that, I'm paying both sales tax and duty.
 
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