Community Newsletter: Q&A forum: Help-I got scammed on Ebay

First off, you should realize/know that PayPal really *is* eBay. eBay purchased PayPal a while back. I suspect this is one reason so many people report having "little assistance from eBay" in resolving disputes over auctions, yet following PayPal's rules for a dispute results in more action. eBay probably prefers to deal with things at the PayPal level, since that's the system that is most likely to have direct access to a person's funding (credit cards and/or checking accounts linked to their PayPal account).

Second, to get the most leverage over scammers in the future, it's probably best to pay for things using a U.S. Postal money order. Someone ripping you off after cashing a postal money order is committing a federal offense, and you can get the post office directly involved in resolving it for you. A credit card isn't bad either, since you have the ability to request chargebacks. But a card payment made via PayPal makes them the intermediate party involved in the transaction, and that can muddy things up considerably.

I've had both good and bad results with PayPal in the past. One problem with their dispute resolution process is, it's very "mechanical" in nature. It often seems that a live human being never even gets involved in the decision to refund your money or not. Depending on the circumstances, and if you can provide everything they ask for in the time-frames they ask for it, it can go well for you, or go really poorly. PayPal is also known for doing such things as freezing a user's account, if he/she buys a product from an eBay seller who subsequently gets investigated for fraud of some sort. (It's no fun when you have hundreds of dollars in your PayPal account from recent sales, but suddenly you're unable to use any of it -- often for months on end, with NO real explanation!)

In buying on ebay never deal directly with ANY seller. ALWAYS, use PayPal and follow their rules for purchasing. Also, NEVER return mechandise until PayPal so directs. Scammers and/or cheats will never respond satisfactorily to a buyer. Even honest Sellers may need a little push. PayPal is the best pusher, so use them. A Buyer has no recourse/leverage that will force a seller to correct anything. You can huff and puff but PayPal is the only one Sellers pay any attention to. PayPal can fix things. Buyers can't do anything, unless the Seller you are dealing with is an honest, upfront person. None of us can know that except by experience. Ratings are good but provide no guarantee of anything. Two rules to follow buying on ebay: 1) always use PayPal and follow their rules; 2) never return anything until PayPal gives the word. Relying on the Post Office to get you money back - GOOD LUCK - it may be the next century before you see a dime, if ever.

Check the seller's previous feedback. If he has several and wants to maintain a positive profile, a negative feedback on your part could get you a response and a refund for the speakers. There is a good chance that he doesn't want to lose eBay as a seller's medium. Good luck!

After exhausting my other resources on a scam, I contacted the Attorney General of the state the scammer was from. They had already been in contact with others he had scammed, and eventually won a judgment for all of us. It took several years, but I was finally repaid everything. My thanks to the Indiana Attorney General's Office!

Always use Paypal Buyer Credit to pay for your purchases. They are then protected up to $2000. If the item was not as advertised, or you did not receive it, notify Paypal, and they will take it from there. There are a few restrictions, but all purchases are at least protected up to $200, which would have covered your speakers.

I've been exclusively a buyer on ebay since 2000, and I've been hacked but not scammed. I think it's because of what I buy. I buy china, toys and hobby supplies primarily. I don't buy things that are likely to be stolen property or that are easy to scam. For things like speakers, you're better off buying them from the local big box/discount store, where you get NIB, can see what you're buying, and have better return policies. I'd never buy a tv, ipod or similar item from an ebay seller. And don't forget that you need to support local businesses from a tax-base point of view. I know there are wonderful, honest sellers out there--I've bought from hundreds of them and will continue to do so. But remember, you get what you pay for, and an extreme bargain may not be a bargain at all. Caveat emptor. Denise

The seller, Paydaysomeday has just listed the exact speakers for sale again.I find this very suspicious as he did not have any speakers listed until yesterday-other than the one's I purchased in June.I have notified Ebay, Paypal, and Discover. Here is the update on my actions. Ebay was very nice and has investigated and removed the strike the seller put on me. Paypal and Discover have told me they'll let me know in 30 days-which seems excessive given the situation. Because Ebay has removed the strike, I can no longer leave additional feedback on the seller.Thank you for all of your feedback.I will never buy electronics or things that have to work again on Ebay. It's sad for Ebay because I regularly buy $5,000+ for personal use and over $15,000 a year for work online.

I checked this item on eBay
( 250263098122 )
and it looks as if the photo is a stock photo, not of the actual item itself.
My impartial comment would be "Would a buyer with a lot of existing positive feedbacks suddenly rip off a seller ? or is it more likely that a massive bulk seller didn't actually inspect the item before sending ?"
Everyone's advice is right - go to Paypal and get a chargeback.
Did you photograph the item before you returned it ? Always worth having a full photographic record.
I never sell items without a photo actually taken of the item - often 3 or 4.
Hope you get your cash back - and in future don't buy items shown with stock photographs

Rgds