I recently had a bad experience on ebay over an N scale loco. It was advertised as new and unused, but when it came in it was missing one of its wheel sets. I wrote the seller a nice e-mail and explained everything in careful detail, and after 48 hours of not getting a reply, I wrote them again, only this time I promised them negative feedback, that I would turn them in to ebay and that I would post the incident on all three of the model railroading forums I belong to where thousands of model railroaders would see it… Within a couple of hours of sending the e-mail, I got a reply from the seller apologizing for the trouble and that they would gladly refund my money if I returned the item. Okay, I’m happy again, but I shouldn’t have had to have gone to those lengths to get them to reply - is this not true ?..
In most cases I have only had to send an e-mail and I got a response. Sometimes a seller may be occupied with lifes interruptions, family tragedy etc. In this day of instant answers we have come to expect immediate responses. That said, after repeated e-mails and no response ebay has a dispute resolution program. The ultimate hammer- extremely negative feedback to warn others of an unethical seller- to be used only after all else has failed. Of course E-bay can also ban the seller (or buyer) as they negatively impact their bussiness. As Ebay says, it’s all about trust. Caviate Emptor!(buyer beware)
Don’t send package back till you have the money, same rule applies when selling!
I may be speaking out of turn here, as I don’t know much about you or the seller on e-bay or e-bay as I don’t do the auction scenes. First, I’m glad that you got the problem resolved and that you are happy again. Thats what really counts here. However, I do wonder if 48 hours is really enough time for an answer to an e-mail. If this seller was an individual (nonbusiness type), he may not check his e-mail for several days and just happened to check it when you sent your second one. On the other hand, if he is a business selling on e-bay or the “net”, I would then think he would check his e-mail at least every day. So, with that said, I have some reserve as to maybe your second e-mail wasn’t really needed. Also, I might add that some honest businesses that may be small and and even large businesses are sometimes slow in responding. I can understand your fustration in getting a damaged item, and I also want to commend you for the way you posted this by not mentioning names, as this person may have just made an honest mistake. Stay happy! Ken
What kind of arrangements have been made about returning the engine? Will you be paying for the postage? Is there any guarantee that you will get a refund? Perhaps ask for a refund first that includes return postage.
One answer to the whole thing is to use Pay Pal in the first place. Not as satisfying as my first suggestion but it might solve the loco problem.
… and it might be an idea to refer the vendor to a good optician or the local driver licencing authority… if he can’t see a missing wheelset I don’t want him out loose on the roads!
I would wait to have the monsy first before sending it back. Did you use Paypal.? If so then file a complaint with them also. You people are missing the point. He sold something that surely wasn’t what it was supposed to be. Instead of it being new and unused it was used and broken. “OPPS I am sorry, I put the used broken one in your box by mistake, sorry” PLEASE
It may have been new and unused and still missing parts, did the ad say as is or as new, makes a difference, and remember you or I may notice something like that but would someone that dose not know trains? I see sellers selling the engine of a steam loco all the time without the tender and selling the tender as a coal car ( some really do not know some are playing games ).
A USPS (United States Postal Service) Money Order is like any other money order. You purchase these at your local Post Office and they’re a secure way to send money. However, they have no protection against a seller that misrepresents an item, like in this case. PayPal, contrary to what has been said above, is a secure way to send a payment electronically, and does not expose your credit card or bank account info to the seller, they only get the money that you tell PayPal to send them. I know for international sales I make on Ebay, I only accept payments in US funds, and PayPal converts the currency for you.
I doubt you can get a USPS Money Order in the UK, or any place outside the US.
The seller asked me to return the engine and said that they would refund the full amount including the return shipping. Once they recieve the engine, they’ll refund my money through PayPal. Most sellers won’t even consider refunding your money until they get their item back first.
I don’t play with people anymore. If this person had ignored my e-mails and not refunded my money, besides all of the other things I would have done, I may have also taken them to court over it. I may not be able to make any difference in the way the world is by my actions, but I would have made one ebay seller very miserable over a $40.00 N scale diesel loco…
I suggest you keep copies of all of the emails between you and the seller, photograph the locomotive showing the damage and when you mail the locomotive back to him, send it so that he has to sign for it (and you get a copy of the receipt) when he gets it.
The loco was listed as brand new and never out of its box!.. And there’s really no excuse for the oversite because the seller knows trains very well. As for the idiots that attempt to sale steam locos in two parts, they can keep them. The problem with that is called greed. That would be the same as someone trying to sale rolling stock by individual parts and pieces instead of complete cars.