Bad Deal

[kmmcgrew]

Just a heads up:

I am in the middle of a deal which looks like it is heading south.

I purchased a used TD-8 which I had contacted the seller about on Ebay.

I did not complete the sale on ebay - just over email and PayPal.

I received the unit and it does not work 100% - the LED display is blank (comes on if you tap the unit). Some of the button backlights don't work. The MIX In pot is intermitten and sound from the Phones and Master Outs cuts in and out as you wiggle the pot. The seller did not disclose any of this stuff.

I have also noticed that the unit doesn't look like it matches the photos in the ebay auction. I have pointed this out to him and he will not provide me the photos from the auction so I can take a closer look.

The seller is "willing" to refund my money but not without me returning the unit first. No way that is going to happen.

The last email I recieved started like this:

I will make one suggestion and advise you to heed my warning. Do NOT threaten me - not even once. I won't tolerate it and have ways to alleviate and stop it at the onset. If you want to play the game, you picked the wrong person.

I have certainly not threatened him - only asked for the photos, if he had actually used this TD8 himself, and a phone number where I could reach him. He actually lives probably about an hour from me.

The seller ID is: my*1jack

Please stay away from his auctions!

I will let you know if I am able to resolve this. Any tips would be great. Thanks.

[JmanWord]

Well, you did purchase it using Paypal. Not as good as if you would have purchased on the Ebay auction, but if you cannot resolve this you can at least put a dispute into Paypal. Try to get a refund from the seller 1st. If that doesn't work, contact Paypal.... Also keep all your email communication, that is important. I can see your problem with wanting the refund before mailing the TD-8 to him, but all refunds are normally given out "after" the item is returned.

[lidrummer]

Try to get a refund from the seller 1st. If that doesn't work, contact Paypal.... Also keep all your email communication, that is important.

Jman is dead on here...I know 'cause I just got screwed over by a fraudulent seller but I kept everything including all emails and a copy of the original ebay listing. Submit a dispute to PayPal. If the seller is legit and has a high number of ratings, he is likely to resolve the issue. Also, you can get his contact information through ebay but be aware that when you do this, both you and he will get an email with both parties contact information.

good luck and in the future, it is probably best to complete the deal within ebay.
lidrummer

[kmmcgrew]

Thank you for the replies. I hadn't actually thought about involving PayPal to try and resolve the dispute. This is the first time I've ever had a deal go bad like this. I do have all of the emails.

Thanks,

Kevin

[tripp2k]

Good luck with Paypal, but the guy's feedback leaves alot to be desired. Feedback history suggests similar issues in his past and his counter feedback suggest the same type of behaviour he is displaying to you now. If someone doesn't have 100% this history speaks volumes about them as a seller, as a buyer or maybe even that they got screwed. The latter doesn't happen repeatedly so it generally shows as a one time event.

Cease contact with the guy unless Paypal requires it. Let them do the work and absolutely make sure they take his threat statement into account. Bad people suck.

[Alan VEX]

Some thoughts if you used a CC...

If you used a CC through PayPal, skip PP and go straight to the CC card for fraud. They will reverse the charge and PP WILL HAVE TO make a resolution with the seller.

Obviously, try to work it out first. That's always smartest. [If it was with CC], you should be covered during the return if the guy won't budge on you sending him the module first. Call the CC company, ask them about the return and tell them the situation and they will probably help you out.

If it was PP through your bank, cash, etc... you're probably screwed. Very sorry to hear that.

[stickinthemud]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you saw an item on eBay, but completed the sale "outside" of eBay (their public warnings to the contrary), meaning the seller did not pay the commission eBay had earned by helping him present his merchandise to the buying public.

Now you find that the seller decieved you about the condition of the unit, and has warned you pre-emptively about "threatening" him (ironically a threat in and of itself).

Are you surprised this has happened?

I will likely catch some flak for being unsympathetic, but if you lie down with the dogs, you wake up with fleas.

By all means, try to get this guy to do the right thing, but remember, you did business with someone who skirted the rules. You should not be too surprised to find he's not an honest person.

[jjdrumz]

My policy is similar in that I require return of the item because on the other end you have people that buy something and tell you something is wrong with it, when in fact nothing was wrong. They will try and say if you refund me X dollars I will be happy. If there is truly something wrong they don't have a problem sending it back but if they are trying to scam then they don't mess with it. I have messed up plenty but always taken items back and been glad to refund the money.

As far as eBay they don't offer any protection...only PayPal can get your money back and it doesn't matter if it was in or out of eBay. The only thing that eBay provides is feedback and this guy stopped caring about that a long time ago.

I would ship the unit back because either way you can still get your money back with PayPal or a CC. I would try PayPal first and then the CC method that Alan laid out. I have found PayPal to be pretty good about claims.

[tripp2k]

BTW, this is the item number on eBay 260232286192. Do a search. You can also find completed (but not necessarily sold) auctions doing an advanced search and check the completed auctions button. You can still view the pictures and I would suggest you capture them sooner than later.

[naru6403]

Similar thing happened to me, bought a set of hart Ecymbal IIs off ebay, payed with paypal. The ride was single trigger when on the auction it said it's dual, so i contacted seller, but he refused to give me a refund. So i contacted ebay and they told me to ask paypal for help. So i opened a claim, and finally got my money back, even the shipping fee. So i suggestion is contact paypal, see what you can do, also when it comes to refund, you do have to send the items back first, that's how i did.

[SIZZLE]

Alan's right about using a credit card, thats always the best way to go. You can make a claim with paypal and they will freeze his account, but that should be the last resort. The seller said he is willing to refund your money so whats the problem? Like JJ said most sellers have the same policy. I've actually dealt with this seller and had no problems, get a refund and move on.

[kmmcgrew]

Thanks again for your replys.

The eBay number listed above is correct and I do wish I would have spent more time looking at his feedback. I have saved off the auction pics.

I did use a credit card through PayPal. Question - should I go ahead and stop payment on through the CC while I try and resolve this through PayPal?

Also - the last email from the guy is more reasonable - telling me "he doesn't feel good about all of this". Do I tell him I am about to drag him through the whole PayPal and CC resolution thing and give him one more chance to refund my money before shipping the unit or just go ahead and start communication through the PayPal system. I won't ship the unit back until he either pays me or I get everything documented in the PayPal system.

Thanks again.

[pchanning]

I feel your pain. Top tip... keep all records longgg after the event, else you might get arrested!!... heres how...

I bought a acoustic kit from ebay, it was damaged, he wouldn't play ball, I opened a dispute, paypal refunded me all they could that was in his paypal account* as he didn't respond at all, so now I have the drums and the money. I paid him again and thought all was well with the world...

...some 6-8 weeks later...

...the guy reported me to the Police for theft!!! I was arrested, but dug out all the records and stated my case down at the Station. What a nightmare. This whole thing went on for 3 months! So the moral(s)...

pay with a credit card through paypal if poss.

* paypal only have access to what is in the guys account, if he is a good crook, it wont be there - hence I would say go the the credit card route and force paypal to get on with it (as the whole dispute process takes toooo long).

HTH
HTH

[oldmandrummer]

Thanks again for your replys.

The eBay number listed above is correct and I do wish I would have spent more time looking at his feedback. I have saved off the auction pics.

I did use a credit card through PayPal. Question - should I go ahead and stop payment on through the CC while I try and resolve this through PayPal?

Also - the last email from the guy is more reasonable - telling me "he doesn't feel good about all of this". Do I tell him I am about to drag him through the whole PayPal and CC resolution thing and give him one more chance to refund my money before shipping the unit or just go ahead and start communication through the PayPal system. I won't ship the unit back until he either pays me or I get everything documented in the PayPal system.

Thanks again.

Sorry man, I have to agree with a couple of the others here. I buy items on ebay often and would not expect a seller to offer up a refund without getting the item back first. I feel your pain in getting a bum deal on this, but if he is saying he will refund your green, what gives with playing this tough guy routine? To each his own, I suppose.

[Colquhoun]

I also agree that the item needs to go back for the seller to issue a refund. Use the "signature required" option on the return postage if you decide to go this route.