I think my fiance has been scammed!

[urlittlestar]

Just wondered if anyone can help?

My fiance won an item last Sunday (6 days ago) for 99p. This was his first ever auction and he paid instantly. In total the price was like £5.50. The item was described as Opened- never used and had apparently been well looked after. I noticed that the seller had put in a note on the listing description they can take up to 5 days to dispatch but they said that they never take longer than that, but it’s been a week tomorrow and the seller still hasn’t dispatched the item. My fiance has sent them two messages now about 2 days apart but the seller has not replied once. They have good feedback somehow but their customer service is absolutely appalling. They haven’t even bothered letting him know when they plan to dispatch or anything. It’s just radio silence!

He tried to open an item not received case. Ebay won’t let him for a few more weeks. This morning he tried to contact ebay. For some reason he can’t get through! We are both so *bleep*ing angry but eBay just don’t seem to give a *bleep* at all. We both really want this item, it was really sought after by us and we're still shocked he won it so cheap but the seller seems to have no intention of dispatching. What makes me even more worried this is a scam is the fact that they won’t reply to his messages at all, yet have been listing new items proving they have been online! We saw some other people win items for 99p last Sunday too, but cos eBay doesn’t make it known who bought items, we can’t contact them to ask if theirs have been dispatched! If the item does ever show up, he told me he would leave negative feedback but eBay doesn’t even allow that! Why can’t eBay just ban sellers like this? It's clearly a scam! As far as I'm concerned, when the buyer pays for the item, that's their end of the deal done til they get the item and can leave feedback. It is then up to the seller to dispatch! No buyer should have to keep chasing up a seller. Sadly I'm having the same problem atm on vinted! At least my seller does reply though

[plpmr]

a not received case cannot be opened until one day after the last estimated delivery date.

[arkwebus]

You mention that you cannot open a non-receipt case for "some weeks" which suggests a Far East supplier.  

That is the way forward.  You open the INR case on the day after the latest date for delivery on the listing.  That is set when you buy; it does not change.   There is no obvious way that you can know whether he has despatched.  Sending messages is not needed.  As long as you use the INR case you will get all the money back unless seller can show delivery by tracking.  [Unlikely for 99p!]

@urlittlestar 

[kempseykate]

To the seller's 5 day despatch time you have to add delivery time.

If you can't open a case, then that Estimated delivery time hasn't arrived yet.

You can't say it's a 'scam' yet - just wait until the estimate delivery date, then open a not received case.

In future, check the EDD, if it's not as quick as you want, then buy from another seller.

[four_mid_able]

You can't force a seller to send an item same as you acn't force a buyer to pay for an item.

Sounds like maybe it sold too cheap and seller isn't willing to sell or doesn't know how to cancel the order and refund you.

All you can do now is wait until 1 day after latest estimated delivery date and open a non receipt claim.Wait 3 working days and ask Ebay to step in on day 4 if seller hasn't sorted it by then.

You can see how Ebays MBG works via the link at top right of most listings.

If it's not present on the listing you bought through then it won't be covered by the MBG ,some items are exempt.

You can leave feedback later.

[urlittlestar]

It's coming from Bolton and being delivered a hour and half away to us. Estimated delivery looks between 14 March and 19 March. That's fine. What's not fine, is the seller claiming they will send up to 5 working days and no longer, when they clearly have no intention of doing this! I'm getting sick and tired of selfish sellers 

[urlittlestar]

I won a item for 99p a few years back too, in fact the total price I paid was even less than my fiance paid for it. Guess what? Seller dispatched it and I got it. "It sold too cheap so seller isn't willing to sell" should be no excuse at all, it's so selfish, ungrateful, and rude. My fiance took the time to place a bid, he won it, then he took the time to pay for it. The fact that eBay allow people to refuse to sell cos they're not happy with the price absolutely disgusts me! Why is this allowed?! The only time that should be allowed is if the seller set a reserve price, but they didn't!

[arkwebus]

You should be able - if it has not arrived - be able to open an INR case on 20th March [hardly "weeks" though!].  It could arrive Tuesday next week.   Do be careful that you do not run out of time. 

You have 30 days from either last predicted date for delivery or actual date. 

My own suspicion woul be that it is not in Bolton but in China so longer delivery.  I probably would not buy from someone with 5 day despatch.  Everything I have bought recently takes 2 working days.  @urlittlestar 

[*guinevere*]

If your seller has not used tracking you'll have no way of knowing if the item has been dispatched or not. If they are a large seller they may not bother to mark items as dispatched.

As advised they have done nothing wrong yet. If you don't get your item by te last EDD, wait until the following day and open an INR.

If your seller has decided he hasn't got enough money for his item and isn't going to send, he will be penalised by ebay by being charged his final value fees while refunding you.

[1956glyn]

Hi

I am not defending the seller at all but many sellers do not start their items off at the minimum price they will be happy to sell it for.    Is your seller fairly new?   Another issue  for new sellers is...Ebay recommends most of the time that they start their items off at 99p even though its true value is much higher 😞  

My advice is.....ignore all Ebay recommendations.

Reserves are expensive as Ebay charge you 4% in fees on the reservice price and this is payable even if the item does not sell.   Also the minimum reserve that can be set is £50.

I always avoid setting a reserve and just start items off at the lowest price i will be happy to sell them for..........saying that i am/was  obv an experienced seller

[1956glyn]

I always set my despatch time as 5 days to try and "beat" Ebays silly estimated delivery dates.

Yes its 5 days BUT i generally post within a day or two.    I think others have also extended their shipping times because of the above.

[m25jet]

Personally I would say that the advice you have already been given about opening an Item Not Received case one day after the latest estimated delivery date if you have still not received the item by then is spot-on.  If you do have to open an Item Not Received case then if the seller ends up trying to drag things out make sure that you escalate the case to eBay at the first opportunity you get.  eBay will then force the refund and you will get all of your money back, even if the seller is completely against the idea of refunding the money.

In the event that you do open an eBay case but accidentally allow the case to time out you will not be able to open another Item Not Received case on eBay in relation to the same item.  Should this happen then there are two alternative routes to take to get your money back.  If you paid via PayPal then open a PayPal case against the seller.  Unlike eBay, who only offer buyers thirty days to open a case, PayPal offer buyers a total of one hundred and eighty days during which to open a case.  Should you have to open a PayPal case against the seller make sure that you escalate the case before the twenty day cut-off point in the event that the seller fails to co-operate.  However, if you paid for the item using a credit or debit card then you ought to be able to get your money back by doing a chargeback.