Zero Feedback Help!

aubreyjane

aubreyjane

O.G.
May 25, 2008
141
0
#1
I just set up an *bay account this weekend solely for the reason of bidding on this one certain bag. I have not used *bay in the past because I really never had the need. However, the listing did not have any restrictions for people with "0" feedback, and since you have to start somewhere I bid on the bag and was the high bidder. The seller sent me invoice and a follow-up email asking me when I was going to pay; I was not able to get my PayPal account set up yet so I sent the seller an email asking for her address so that I could mail a USPS Money Order. The seller sent me an email back saying that the bag had been damaged and not to worry about sending payment. I think they had reservations about selling to me and wanted to make sure they could still sell to the next highest bidder... Do I have any recourse?? TIA!!!
 
#2
i guess you could file a non performing seller complaint, but perhaps it was damaged, who knows , unless you see it listed again, you won't know i don't think.
people are so wary of new buyers/sellers these days, but you can get equally stitched up by a long standing member !
and like you say, everyone has to start somewhere, i've had some great transactions with newbies.
 
#3
Thanks! The sad thing is the seller is a TPF member and posted pictures of this particular bag all over this forum and there was nothing wrong with the bag in any of the pictures. The seller was unsure about the bag once purchased and said "you will see this bag on eBay shortly"... I am just sad b/c I really wanted this bag! :crybaby:
 
#5
Money orders are safe for the seller, not the buyer. What if there's something wrong with the bag you receive, or it never arrives? Unless you know the person or someone who knows the seller, offering to pay with an MO is a bad idea. Was "money order" among the seller's accepted payment methods? fBay no longer allows MOs, so either you didn't pay close attention to the payment methods, or the seller listed one that is not allowed. If you were planning to buy something on fBay, you needed to set up your PayFoe account before buying. I understand that it takes a few days to do that and perhaps the auction was ending. You probably should've contacted the seller prior to bidding to let him/her know that you could not pay with PayPal.

In any case, I doubt the bag is damaged. I mean, it wasn't when it was listed and then became damaged when you said you could pay with an MO. While an USPS MO would be riskier for the buyer, maybe the seller was turned off by the zero-feedback, being asked for her address, and the lack of PayFoe account.

Better luck next time!
 
#6
....fBay no longer allows MOs

That isn't quite true. :smile: Ebay does not allow sellers to write in a listing that they will take money orders. Also, sellers can not be the first to suggest to a buyer that they will accept a money order. However, if the buyer asks the seller to take one, ebay has said that is allowed but they will monitor a seller that seems to be taking "too many" money orders or other non approved payments. Of course ebay does not advertise any of this as they do like to be ambiguous but I have seen ebay reps say this more than once when asked about it.

Also, just fyi ebay.ca still allows sellers to advertise and accept money orders though I'm sure this will change soon.

Sorry for going off topic but just wanted to let everyone to know that if you ask, some sellers will still take money orders.

Sorry that you missed out on that bag though OP. You might want to buy a few small items on ebay just to build up some feedback.
 
#7
You probably should have said that since you were new, it'd take a few days for paypal to confirm your address. I have very low feed back (8) but all of my transactions have been very good and all sellers seem to be happy to work with a newbie!

Next time, I'd try to have some communication with the seller. It always reassures them.
 
#8
Joy2shop said:
....fBay no longer allows MOs

That isn't quite true. :smile: Ebay does not allow sellers to write in a listing that they will take money orders. Also, sellers can not be the first to suggest to a buyer that they will accept a money order. However, if the buyer asks the seller to take one, ebay has said that is allowed but they will monitor a seller that seems to be taking "too many" money orders or other non approved payments. Of course ebay does not advertise any of this as they do like to be ambiguous but I have seen ebay reps say this more than once when asked about it.

Also, just fyi ebay.ca still allows sellers to advertise and accept money orders though I'm sure this will change soon.

Sorry for going off topic but just wanted to let everyone to know that if you ask, some sellers will still take money orders.

Sorry that you missed out on that bag though OP. You might want to buy a few small items on ebay just to build up some feedback.
Click to expand...

Money orders are not among the accepted payment methods on fBay. Maybe ebay.ca is different, IDK. Payment methods other than the ones listed among the acceptable ones can be used for items that fall in certain categories (see below).

(source: fBay)

Permitted on eBay.com:

Sellers must offer to accept one or more of the following payment choices:

  • PayPal
  • Credit or debit card processed through an Internet merchant account
  • ProPay

For specific categories, sellers may also offer to accept:

  • Bank-to-bank transfers (also known as bank wire transfers and bank cash transfers)
  • Checks
  • Money orders
  • Any of the following online payment services: Allpay.net, cash2india, CertaPay, Checkfree.com, hyperwallet.com, Moneybookers.com, Nochex.com, Ozpay.biz, Paymate.com.au, XOOM
These payment choices may be offered only for items in the following categories:

  • Motors > Cars & Trucks
  • Motors > Motorcycles
  • Motors > Powersports
  • Motors > Boats
  • Motors > Other Vehicles & Trailers
  • Business & Industrial > Agriculture & Forestry > Tractors & Farm Machinery
  • Business & Industrial > Construction > Heavy Equipment, Trailers
  • Business & Industrial > Food Service & Retail > Concession Trailers & Carts
  • Business & Industrial > Healthcare, Lab & Life Science > Imaging & Aesthetics Equipment
  • Business & Industrial > Industrial Supply, MRO > Fork Lifts & Other Lifts
  • Business & Industrial > Manufacturing & Metalworking > Manufacturing Equipment
  • Business & Industrial > Manufacturing & Metalworking > Metalworking Equipment
  • Business & Industrial > Office, Printing & Shipping > Commercial Printing Presses
  • Real Estate
  • Adult Only
Not permitted on eBay.com
Sellers may not solicit:

  • Buyers to mail cash.
  • Buyers to send cash or money orders through instant cash transfer services (non-bank, point-to-point cash transfers) such as Western Union or MoneyGram.
  • Buyers to mail checks or money orders (except for items in categories specifically permitted above)
  • Payment through bank-to-bank transfers (except for items in categories specifically permitted above)
  • Payment through "topping off" of a seller's pre-paid credit or debit card.
  • Payment through online payment methods not specifically permitted in this policy.
  • Payment through payment methods not listed in this policy.
 
#9
Sellers may not solicit:
  • Buyers to mail cash.
  • Buyers to send cash or money orders through instant cash transfer services (non-bank, point-to-point cash transfers) such as Western Union or MoneyGram.
  • Buyers to mail checks or money orders (except for items in categories specifically permitted above)
  • Payment through bank-to-bank transfers (except for items in categories specifically permitted above)
  • Payment through "topping off" of a seller's pre-paid credit or debit card.
  • Payment through online payment methods not specifically permitted in this policy.
  • Payment through payment methods not listed in this policy.

Hi karmen

I was referring to .com and Yes you're right, sellers may not solicit those forms of payment including money orders. But soliciting for a money order and accepting a money order are two different things. And yes money orders are not on the "accepted" list but as you know, ebay are often ambiguous about things. They try their best to be be ambiguous about some things! :sad:

The following info is an FAQ from August 08 after they announced the paperless policy. I've also seen a more recent confirmation of this somewhere but this was the easiest to find.

Sellers Question: What should I do if I have long-standing, repeat customers who insist on paying with checks or money orders, even after I explain the benefits of electronic payments and offer suggestions?

Ebay's Answer: We know this may happen occasionally. A seller can accept check and money order payment from a buyer if (and only if) the buyer requests it. We will not take action against a seller who is trying to accommodate their buyer, complete a sale and be in compliance with the policy. Sellers cannot in any way solicit check or money order payment from a buyer. This is considered abuse of the payments policy. Remember also, you can refuse to accept these payment methods. If the buyer doesn't pay, you can file an unpaid item (UPI) complaint. Buyers who insist on paying with these prohibited payment methods in a UPI claim will lose the claim and will not be allowed to leave negative feedback.

That info is from http://www2.ebay.com/aw/core/200810.shtml#2008-10-21105916


I just found this. It's a ebay forum thread about a seller asking a ebay rep about taking money orders.
http://forums.ebay.com/db2/thread.jspa?threadID=520077152&tstart=0&mod=1232424993401


I really don't like ebay's paperless policy because I think that buyers and sellers should each have a choice on which payment method they use.ebay. So today I just wanted to spread the word that it is ok for the buyer to ask to use a money order and that it is ok for the seller to accept one when they are asked about it.


Hope this all makes sense, its late! :sleepy:
 
#10
I see your point; however, that is a FAQ in which fBay tells sellers what to do if long-standing, repeat-customers buyers insist on paying with an MO. fBay states that sellers who are caught between a rock and a hard place won't get into trouble if they end up having to accept the MOs, which they don't have to do. That's another story, IMO--an exception--because, still, as a rule, fBay does not allow MOs.
 
#11
Just an update, the seller finally admitted to being worried b/c of my "0" feedback that she offered the bag to the next highest bidder. The seller did not even give me 24-hours before letting the bag go to another buyer. Crappy way to do business if you ask me! :tdown:
 
#14
karmenzsofia said:
I see your point; however, that is a FAQ in which fBay tells sellers what to do if long-standing, repeat-customers buyers insist on paying with an MO. fBay states that sellers who are caught between a rock and a hard place won't get into trouble if they end up having to accept the MOs, which they don't have to do. That's another story, IMO--an exception--because, still, as a rule, fBay does not allow MOs.
Click to expand...

Well, I guess we have different opinions on this one. But the world would be boring if we all thought the same.:greengrin:
In the forum thread that I posted the link for there is nothing mentioned by the ebay rep about the customer having to be an "old customer". The way I see it is that though ebay does not want to encourage money orders they also do not want to upset the buyers by totally not accepting them.

Anyway, I think its a real grey area. Thanks for the debate/conversation karmen!
 
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