Looks like I got scammed on eBay too!

[where02190]

Again I'd encourage you to publish the sellers name, address and other info on this and other forums along with thsis story.

[fuzzball]

I think that is crap. They wont touch it? are they afraid that they don't know what they are doing? I think you should make the loser public so that you can ruin his name. I think it is unfair, I would look for someone that might be willing to evaluate the unit for fee (explain the case they may feel sorry for you), I know I would.

[The Chinese]

 

Originally posted by Kid Klash Well, it looks like I'm screwed.

 

 

Dude, i totally feel for you man. If I hadn't used my credit card to buy that fader pack, I would have been in the same boat. I think Where is right, publish that stuff. People don't have the right to do {censored} like this.

 

-Todd

[Kid Klash]

Originally posted by where02190 Again I'd encourage you to publish the sellers name, address and other info on this and other forums along with thsis story.

 

His eBay seller name is sweet_sound_audio, aka Jeremy Grant.

[where02190]

What's his phone number and e-mail address? For that matter what's his mailing address?

[Kid Klash]

There was an article in the Portland Oregonian newspaper that caught my eye - a guy that got burned by an eBay seller created a website that allows people that have been burned by eBay sellers to post information about them. This site is :

 

www.ebayersthatsuck.com

 

They even have a forum there, and have posted replies from the irate scammers that have been listed...

 

Anyone that has been scammed by an eBay seller needs to look over this site!

[fuzzball]

Thanks for sharing, I agree I would give out his phone number and address ( and whatever else you have) Payback time! I would love to have his info, please share I could have some fun with this!

[Kid Klash]

I still need a working blackface ADAT with low hours and software version 4.03, so I'm watching some eBay units, as I write this.

 

yeah... I know... bad idea, right?

 

I'm taking all the information and tips I learned the hard way with the first eBay ADAT fiasco and I'm hopeful that I don't get burned again...

 

[fuzzball]

Just make sure you stick with paypal and always use someone with a good rating. Plus contact them first by email and ask a question. This will show you how they react if they wont answer a question to sell the item it is certain they wont be any help if you have a problem. I always like to send a question about the condition of the item and if it is 100% functional, this will also give you proof in case it is not what they said it was.

[where02190]

In addition to learning from your experience, check on these and other forums for someone in the local area of the piece that can check it out for you ahead of time. Just requesting this can weed out the scumbags.

[ShakaCthulu]

I've been burnt a few times on Ebay as well, but nowhere near as bad as some people I'm seeing recently. Basically, the anonymity of Ebay gives some people the nerve to cheat and flat-out lie in their auctions. And I've seen this "UPS did it, it was fine when I shipped it" line many, many times. It's so bad that some UPS places will actually open your package up (if it's electronic items) and check how you've packed it, so many assholes are pulling this scam! Paypal offers a little more protection than the m.o. route....make sure that if the item exceeds UPS or whoever's minimum coverage that you get extra insurance. Someone's great feedback rating doesn't necessarily mean they're not a lying S.O.B., because people are wary of reciprocal negatives, even if they are entirely justified by leaving that neg.

 

Would I would like to see on HC is a Sticky Forum where you, and others who have been ripped off by these douches, can list their Ebay monicker, name, etc, so we can avoid them like a bad sequel! BLACKLIST!

[Kid Klash]

Unbelieveable!

 

Just when I'd totally given up, I received the following (slightly modified) Email from the eBay claims adjuster handling my case :

 

=========================

 

Hello,

 

Thank you for your cooperation during the investigation of the Standard

Purchase Protection Claim #XXXXXX.

 

We are pleased to inform you that this claim has been found on your

behalf. A claim payment will be issued via PayPal within the next 45

days in the amount of $126.00 through eBay, Inc. Payment will be sent to

you at the following email address:

 

YYYYYY----

 

Once the payment has been sent, you will receive a payment notification

email from PayPal at the above email address. If you do not receive the

payment on or before Thursday, May 11, 2006, please notify us via email.

 

Please be assured, if a violation of eBay policy has occurred we will

take the appropriate action based on the results of our investigation.

Such actions may include issuing a warning, temporary suspension,

indefinite suspension or terminating the membership.

 

If you have any questions regarding the status of the seller's account,

please check their feedback profile by going to the following web

address:

 

WWW-------------------

 

This page will tell you if the member is no longer registered with eBay.

 

We are sorry that you have had this difficult experience and hope that

the Standard Purchase Protection Program has helped to alleviate some of

the disappointment.

 

Kind Regards,

 

ZZZ

Claims Adjuster

Standard Purchase Protection Program

eBay Trust & Safety

 

===================

 

Granted, it's not for the full amount (they deduct $25 for processing a claim), and it doesn't get my freight charges back (about $63 total), but $126 is a long way ahead of zero!!!

 

Thanks to EVERYONE for all the tips, guidance and moral support during this ordeal!

 

- Kid

[fuzzball]

Well that is a bit reassuring, some is better than none. I guess all in all that is not to bad, your only out a few dollars.

[Kid Klash]

I received a questionnaire from a company that eBay hired, asking me how I felt about the eBay claim process, and whether this would effect my future eBay buying considerations.

 

Bottom line was that I felt the claims adjuster did a good job, but the process takes way too long, and the customer still gets taken advantage of because eBay charges the customer $25 to process the claim, and there is no refund for shipping, even when the customer has been scammed by the eBay seller. Therefore, they've just lost me (and my wife) as a customer/buyer.

 

So, eBay buyers BEWARE!!!

[fuzzball]

Thank you for sharing your experience, I am sure this will be helpful information for many.

[Phil O'Keefe]

Well Kid, I'm glad it was decided in your favor.... but had it been for a smaller amount, it seems to me that the Ebay process wouldn't be worth the hassle... say on a $50 effects pedal purchase or something. By the time they deduct the $25 for processing the dispute, and after the shipping loss, you're still losing over half the money you laid out. Sure, that's going to be under $50, but it makes the hassle not worth it, and I imagine a lot of people say "oh well" and blow it off on the lower priced purchases they get scammed on.

 

I'ev never been hard-core scammed on Ebay (knock on wood), but you've got to be very careful. So watch your six folks, and be careful out there.

[Kid Klash]

...I bought another "low hours/good condition" ADAT from a different eBay seller... it should arrive next week... keep your fingers crossed!

 

My wife thinks I'm nuts for buying anything else from eBay, but I want to finish this project, and the only source I've found for ADATs IS eBay.

 

I'll let you know how I did when it arrives.

[fuzzball]

I hope it works out this time, it is a shame that a few people ruin a good thing for the rest of us.

[ConcertPhotoZin]

Originally posted by EveningSky I have had a few excellent experiences over Ebay. I find the concept and organization both facinating in some ways genial. That being said, I have also had many so-so experiences and a 2 downright problem transactions. IMO, Ebay is not concerned enough to protect the honest consumer, and I advise great caution in its use. Sure, everyman/woman wants "something for nothing", the expensive piece of equipment, "IN MINT+ CONDITION", hardly used, .... . In reality, the sellers are full of professionals who make good money by pedaling someone elses junk, lemons, used&abused, often streching the truth, often having little to no idea of what they are selling, let alone if it works. Folks, high end audio equipment "does not improve with years, like a fine wine." I welcome Ebays successor, who will do more to identify sellers, and buyers, and do more to insure safe and honnest transactions. Until then, this Ebay member will remain very weary of this instituion. ES;

[umkcprof]

Sorry about the bad Ebay deal. I had a bad experience on a $1700 item a while back, but it ended up well when the seller took the unit back. And surprise, surprise, the defective unit ended up back on ebay within the month. (I'm sure it was repaired. :-)

 

My favorite Ebay transaction involved a vintage 1950s Christmas item I bought last year (my wife and I are avid antique collectors, and one of our areas of interest is 1950s to early 1960s aluminum Christmas trees and similar goodies). I immediately sent the money just as specified on the bill the seller sent me right after the auction. The price was like $75 plus $5 in shipping for $80 in total. I was concerned that $5 seemed too little to ask for packing the item carefully and I asked him to pack it well and I would be happy to pay any extra charges involved. The seller emailed me that the extra shipping cost him $1.25 more than he thought it would. I told him, "fine," I'll just write you a check when it arrives. A week passes and nothing happens, so I email the guy about the item and he was "I am still waiting for the $1.25 for the extra shipping." Since Christmas was right around the corner, I had lost a week on this ridiculousness, so I told him, "Are you kidding me? I told you that I would send you the money once the item arrived! Well, it is obvious to me that you need that extra $1.25 a lot more than I need this item, so just go ahead and keep the item, and keep my money, to boot. I don't want a refund! Consider it a donation to the "Jerry Smith Poverty Abatement Fund!" He wrote me back asking what I really wanted him to do and I told him, "just like I said. Any pleasure I would have received from this purchase was completely removed when I learned that wasn't going to be trusted for a crummy buck!" I further told him to be sure to resell the item on Ebay, because I was certain that he was destitute and truly needed the cash.

 

:-)

 

Stephen

[Kid Klash]

Originally posted by Kid Klash ...I bought another "low hours/good condition" ADAT from a different eBay seller... it should arrive next week... keep your fingers crossed! My wife thinks I'm nuts for buying anything else from eBay, but I want to finish this project, and the only source I've found for ADATs IS eBay. I'll let you know how I did when it arrives.

 

Well, the (second) ADAT (from an HONEST eBay seller) arrived yesterday, and it was exactly as he described... 305 hours on the head, good condition and fully functional, v4.03 software, no problems whatsoever. It even arrived in the original Alesis outer and inner carton, with the four little stick-on rubber feet! It works perfectly with my other blackface ADATS and BRC, so I'm finally back in business. I'm a happy camper.

 

:cool:

 

PS : I'm still waiting for my claim refund from eBay; they said it can take up to 45 days to process, so I'm not worried about it at this point. In the meantime, the eBay seller that scammed me is still doing business on eBay.

 

:eek:

[Kid Klash]

eBay Emailed me, saying they placed $175 into my PayPal account to cover the partial cost of the ADAT and shipping... which I'm quite pleased with... it's more than I expected.

 

I'm trying to get PayPal to send me a check for $173.50 (the total, less their $1.50 charge for sending a check) without giving them my credit card information (they want my credit card information and a copy of my drivers license before they'll send me a check... an unusual requirement to my way of thinking, especially in a fraud settlement case!).

 

I'm waiting to see if a photo copy of my drivers license, ASCAP card, AAA card and Elks card (!) without my credit card information will be enough information for them to issue the check to me.

 

The saga goes on.

[Kid Klash]

Well, PayPal informed me by Email that the personal information I mentioned in my post of 5-18-06 wasn't good enough, and said they wouldn't send me a check without either credit card information, or a copy of a utility bill, along with a photocopy of my "photo I.D." drivers license.

 

So, I faxed them a copy of my drivers license (again), and a copy of my cable TV bill (with all the account information blacked out), which I just learned they DID accept. Finally!!! What a process. This has taken close to four months to get resolved.

 

Anyway, I asked them to send me a check, which they said they would do. I'm supposed to receive the check in one to two weeks, sometime in June.

 

So, thanks again to Phil and everyone else that gave me encouragement and tips along the way. If you get cheated by an eBay seller, don't just accept it and walk away... file a complaint and see it through, even though the process is a long and complicated one.

 

Oh, and yes, as of today, "sweet_sound_audio" (the guy that ripped me off) is still selling stuff on eBay.

[Kid Klash]

Well, it's been a long, strange trip for sure...

 

When I got home last night, there was a check from PayPal (!) waiting for me in the mail box, which, after many months of Emails, phone calls, faxes, and uncertainty finally concludes my hard-learned lesson about buying stuff from eBay.

 

And yes, the guy that scammed me (sweet_sound_audio) is still selling stuff on eBay.

 

Buyer beware.

[Phil O'Keefe]

Well, I'm glad to hear that you got the money, and found a good working ADAT deck from another seller.

 

What I'm wondering is this: Now that the conflict has been resolved, and the arbitration worked in YOUR favor, will ebay retract the guy's negative feedback that he left for you? It would only seem fair AFAIC.

 

I try hard to be a great Ebay'er. But it seems like there are some flaws in the feedback system. I'm proud of my 100% positive rating, but one disputed deal like yours would screw that up.

 

And then there's folks who won't give you positive feedback... or any feedback. I recently did a deal for $1,300 on Ebay. I paid via the specific method the seller requested (USPS MO), even though that wasn't the most convienient way for me to do it. I sent the payment quickly, and he had it within three or four days after the auction closed. I got the products (pretty much as described) and was happy, so I posted positive feedback for the seller. But a week went by and still no positive feedback for me. So I sent the guy a nice message via ebay asking if he could please post some feedback, and he replied that he would. That was a while ago, and he still hasn't done it.

 

In the future, I think I'll go back to waiting to post feedback until after the other person does first.