Ebay Woes - Do I Ask For a Refund?

[Justhandguns]

I think if you use Paypal these days, they have a new system which acts a bit like your credit card, i.e. they pay for it for your item first and deduct from your account later (with your approval). I do not know how useful this is going to be, but that is an extra layer of protection for the buyers. For me, myself, I almost exclusive buy only from ebay. I have only sold a handful of items so far, mainly just to "recycle" some things that I would never use or able to use, not really for making money. But I think to become a smart buyer/bidder, you really have to learn from these unhappy lessons. I think the best judgement is how much you are willing to risk, more like on a casino table. When you place your maximum bid, just expect the worst would come, if it turns out to be the item as described, you will have one very fine day.

There is also a bidder's psychology, some people possess a "winning" mentality, sellers always welcome these type of bidders, but then, some of them ending up as missing buyers most of the time. Gems are hard to find, usually mis-titled items or released from private owners who do not know what treasures they are getting rid of. On the other hand, most of them are just too good to be true, especially those items which have been floating around for ages or relisted items. My word of advice is be patient, and spend a lot of time doing researches, like searching for similar items, finished items, price researches and so on. Even is you really like an item, hold your horses and look carefully, every single word of the description. Be careful when you see things like "New without tags", blurry or tiny pictures as mentioned, too short of a description etc. I have also seen sellers posting pics of their "once brand new" jackets (photo taken when they were new) while the buyers complained about getting some entirely different beaten jackets.

 

[havocpaul]

Trying to catch up after recent forced 'lay-off' this post caught my eye as it highlights an increasing 'trend' on eBay for sellers to fall well short of what is expected in their descriptions, I would put it down to more and more new sellers appearing with limited knowledge of their items or how to best describe, however, I have found it a problem with seasoned sellers who really should and do know better. I have had several purchases (and near-purchases where instinct thankfully kicked in), recently where items were misleading and wrong, simple as that. Damage not described, measurements well out, other issues not mentioned etc. I have had to return and demand refunds because I felt it was not my fault and really despite the much-used "buyer beware" quote, I don't think it is the buyer's job to question the seller when the description clearly states the 'facts' regarding condition, size, if it has been misleading in its description then the buyer should insist on their money back plus postage incurred when returning the item. I even had one issue with an item (not a jacket) that was in very poor condition with issues not mentioned at all to the point I even wondered if it was the same item that the photo showed! The seller did offer to refund me but then had the cheek to say that I should not bid on any of his items again as my bids would be cancelled...great service buddy!! So I am all for requesting refunds for items that were listed incorrectly, as an eBay seller of many years myself I always try to make sure I have: a) taken enough detailed photos. b) described condition, make of zips etc correctly. c) highlighted any faults d) given as accurate as possible measurements where required. It's not hard and really sellers that don't should be noted and avoided to save hassle and disappointment. Good luck with your refund request.

 

[ultrark2004]

i almost got burned by one of the major posters/shops on this site. on ebay. the coat in question was a aero j106 and had been in their shop for quite some time. when i got the coat the collar & other parts were cracked. the coat had hair in it also. i took pics of it & sent it back requesting a refund. long story short after back and forth ebay forced them to refund my money. make sure you take good pics of the problems

 

[Baron Kurtz]

As many have said: "buyer beware".

I too have had my fair share of issue with buyers and sellers on eBay. The biggest issue with vintage, of course, is that many people simply don't know what they're getting or selling, and disappointment is inevitable in that kind of transaction. (I'm not suggesting this is the case here.)

Buyers who simply refuse to pay. (My best one was a claim that his girlfriend had bid using his account. Then he started getting pissy when I demanded payment & eventually escalated through eBay - I have a zero tolerance policy for deadbeat bidders: you pay or you get an eBay case opened. - He couldn't understand why this was a problem. "This is how I want to do it so it should be OK with everyone else; a very common attitude today.) Buyers who wear the item and wreck it (at a Hallowe'en party, say), then say it was like that when it arrived - note: if you're too fat for an item, DON'T BUY IT! Sellers who don't describe flaws.

Sellers who use potentially generic terms for trimmings/furniture (Talon, etc.) having looked at only one of the trims in question. If you buy a Hoover on eBay, would you expect to receive a Hoover branded vacuum cleaner, or something else? In the UK, it could be any kind of vacuum cleaner! Buyers/sellers who have very different senses of smell - my own sense of smell is quite heightened, but I know other people don't even notice smells I complain of.

so again: buyer/seller beware. In this case, I think there is a case to answer just on the zipper issue.

 

[wquiles]

I recently got a Filson Wool Cruiser (the ones with the thinner cloth), and although it arrived as in the pictures, it was not in "excellent shape", as it smelled like smoke/cigarettes and it had a couple of food stains on the front (easy to see). After emailing the seller, he says he missed the stain and that he does not smoke , but he agreed to refund me $10 so that I can have it dry cleaned. Unfortunately the item has sleeves that are a tad too short (I did not ask about the sleeve length!), so I will put it back for sale and hope to at least break close to even.

 

[Justhandguns]

I always expect 'one grade' less than what is advertised, which, in many occasions for me, turned out to be true. New without tags usually means worn but kept at mint condition, mint condition means it is used, but in relatively good shape, but don't expect it to be really mint, maybe some stains, loose knits, worn out patches at not so obvious places, dirty collar etc. And with the advancement of digital cameras these days, most jackets actually look better in the photos. But I must say the antics of some sellers and buyers are getting worse and worse these days.

 

[Novos]

This one finally was resolved. After a number of days of silence, the seller offered a partial refund and I accepted, which seems fair. I don't go into buying vintage leather jackets with unrealistic expectations, but the seller managed to avoid taking pictures of the mold stains, and simply claimed the jacket "needed a cleaning." Lots of other small issues that just added up to a seller being misleading. I know not everyone has an eagle eye for issues with vintage clothing, but sellers need to be honest. I feel as though I shoot myself in the foot for being so honest with my vintage leather sales on ebay, but then again I've never had an issue with a buyer asking for a refund based on "condition not as described."

I'm relatively happy with the outcome I suppose, but I think it's one more nail in the coffin for buying vintage leathers on ebay.

 

[wquiles]

I always expect 'one grade' less than what is advertised, which, in many occasions for me, turned out to be true.

You know, that is a very wise way to look at used things on ebay

This one finally was resolved.

Awesome :eusa_clap