Paypal Dispute?

awelgraven

awelgraven

Well-known member
So I sold some RAM for $10.50 on ebay (including economy shipping), and today I got an email from PayPal that said the buyer has filed a claim that the item was never received...

When I log into Paypal, my only options are:
A. Give the buyer a full refund
B. Provide tracking information
C. Prove that a full refund has already been issued

Because it's older, cheap RAM, I didn't make it a tracked package because I figured the item wasn't worth the extra cost to the buyer of tracking. So am I screwed on this? I mean, I don't actually know if this person got the item or not, but it seems strange that with an untracked package, it's as easy as filing a claim to get out of paying...

or am i missing something? the person has a high ebay rating...
 
yup, pretty much screwed. At least its only for ten bucks. Always put tracking info (delivery confirmation is like 40 cents at USPS) with stuff you sell.
 
yup screwed. no tracking - you are hit.

Unless you doing it to make a living - im not sure selling things for $10 even makes sense most of the time. When you add up the time to ship it , etc (unless making a living and going to the post office anyway to ship tons of things ) the risk is high you could lose your item and not get paid - ebay and paypal win though
 
Yep. And, may I add, rightly so. I just had such a situation with a seller in China - he claims he sent the item (some clamps) and I never received them, meanwhile he never gave tracking info - so I just got a refund and immediately bought the same clamps from a different seller who did provide a tracking number. I'd rather pay a couple of bucks more and have tracking - the hassle of back and forth when you don't get your items is not worth it. Lesson - try to always provide tracking numbers. I'll never again use the guy who did not provide a tracking number, even though he did give me a quick refund - hate, hate, hate waiting and then not getting what I ordered.
 
Alright, thanks guys. I kind of figured i was screwed. I'm sure I didn't write the address wrong so I'm sure this person got the item and just knew he could get his 10 bucks back. But it's only 10 bucks so I don't really care. Lesson learned for future ebaying.

Thanks everyone.
 
awelgraven said:
Alright, thanks guys. I kind of figured i was screwed. I'm sure I didn't write the address wrong so I'm sure this person got the item and just knew he could get his 10 bucks back. But it's only 10 bucks so I don't really care. Lesson learned for future ebaying.

Thanks everyone.
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At the same time it could have genuinely been lost in the post. Having said that you'd have expected a message from the buyer first rather than going straight for a claim.
 
I've bought alot from ebay and when the item doesn't turn up I ask the seller to solve it and thus hardly ever get into a paypal dispute. 99% of all sellers give me a full refund or send another item with tracking the second time. That's the way a buyer should act. First contact the seller and if that doesn't help claim a dispute to paypal. I figure you are screwed in this case. Next time, ship with tracking.
 
I'm sure it's possible it got lost in post, but I never got a message asking about it's whereabouts. I got an email this morning at 8:30am that a PayPal dispute had been raised and 5 minutes later, it had been escalated to a claim.

I feel like if there had truly been an issue, I would have gotten a message asking about the item before it was escalated to a claim. But that's just life. I guess I'll never know :)
 
It's $10. Let it go, not worth the fight. You've already devoted more than $10 worth of effort over this. Cut your losses.

The buyer has a high rating, they most likely genuinely didn't receive it. You don't get a high rating by being dodgy over $10. Be a good seller and refund or get off ebay. The only issue here where I would side with you is if the buyer didn't contact you first. That's the polite thing to do, to give the seller the opportunity to make good without involving ebay. Because those ebay people are beyond nazis. Once you put the ball in their hands they do what they want, when they want and without notification. They make arbitrary decisions and won't tell you anything when you ask what's going on or how to rectify it. It's always best not to involve them if you can help it. Just refund the guy. Sorry, but no tracking - you bear the risk.
 
awelgraven said:
I'm sure it's possible it got lost in post, but I never got a message asking about it's whereabouts.
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Ah, missed that. I would suggest sending the buyer a message asking why they didn't contact you directly for a refund and accuse them of bad manners. Say that there would have been no issue with a refund and that it is rude (and against ebay policy) to go straight to dispute. If their response is unsatisfactory, refund and leave them bad feedback.
 
Egg Born Son said:
It's $10. Let it go, not worth the fight. You've already devoted more than $10 worth of effort over this. Cut your losses.

The buyer has a high rating, they most likely genuinely didn't receive it. You don't get a high rating by being dodgy over $10. Be a good seller and refund or get off ebay. The only issue here where I would side with you is if the buyer didn't contact you first. That's the polite thing to do, to give the seller the opportunity to make good without involving ebay. Because those ebay people are beyond nazis. Once you put the ball in their hands they do what they want, when they want and without notification. They make arbitrary decisions and won't tell you anything when you ask what's going on or how to rectify it. It's always best not to involve them if you can help it. Just refund the guy. Sorry, but no tracking - you bear the risk.
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Yeah, I understand :) I'm not being pouty or trying to complain... I was just genuinely surprised at how easy it was to have this happen if you don't provide tracking info.

I'm grateful it was a $10 lesson and not a $1000 lesson :)
 
Actually, I just went to send him a message on eBay and wouldn't you know... "this user is no longer registered on eBay."

So I guess that answers that...
 
awelgraven said:
Actually, I just went to send him a message on eBay and wouldn't you know... "this user is no longer registered on eBay."

So I guess that answers that...
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When someone disputes without even talking to the seller I have no doubt they are trying to get an item for free. I usually put tracking on a package for my sake as a seller so I know they got it or not. None of the receiving the package and claiming they didn't get it and need a refund to paypal.
 
awelgraven said:
Yeah, I understand :) I'm not being pouty or trying to complain... I was just genuinely surprised at how easy it was to have this happen if you don't provide tracking info.

I'm grateful it was a $10 lesson and not a $1000 lesson :)
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You're telling me. I think I've just been scammed for over $750 for a motorised slider from the UK. They sent it by ship even after I specifically asked for air (conveniently, allowing the ebay complaint period pass by) and was told to expect it on the 4th of march. The seller disappeared (later told was suspended for non-payment of ebay fees, possible but fishy). The manufacturer (as far as I know) then got in touch and told me they will back the sale but I've been asking for shipping information for three weeks now with nothing more than platitudes in return. The latest (it's possible, I guess) is that they've been snowed in under 15ft of snow and can't reach the office to get the information. Still smells fishy but short of naming and shaming them here once I've totally given up there's not much I can do without support from ebay/paypal when they are half a world away. Still, overall ebay has saved me more money than buying locally than I've lost through bad sellers or poor purchases on my part. And half the time I've got my money back. But $750 isn't small potatoes.
 
I got an item returned to me by the Royal Mail after sitting in their depot for 3 months - in the meantime, I'd already supplied the buyer a replacement. Tracking was useless - it simply said "your package is passing through our system and will be delivered shortly" - and said this for months, but eventually I did get it back. Over christmas I bought something from Hong Kong on ebay, and it never turned up. I asked if it had been sent, they said yes. It arrived after 2 months, and the date stamps showed it had left Hong Kong the day after I bought it. I have no idea where it had been after that.

I don't sell internationally any longer - just to random to make worthwhile.
 
I had a buyer for a small price item, and the whole thing seemed a little fishy. Payment had to clear first through PayPal, but once it did, I sent it on. Now the user is unregistered on eBay, but I haven't had a claim against the item, probably because I always purchase tracking.
 
Egg Born Son said:
You're telling me. I think I've just been scammed for over $750 for a motorised slider from the UK. They sent it by ship even after I specifically asked for air (conveniently, allowing the ebay complaint period pass by) and was told to expect it on the 4th of march.
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I don't understand - when you were buying, didn't it specify that they were going to send by air? If they did specify and then sent it by ship, isn't it time to back out of the transaction? Never agree to any shipment that takes you out of the complaint period - ebay sends you a reminder about the date too as it approaches... anyhow, yeah, you gotta be absolutely ruthless - as soon as something doesn't add up - back out, no ifs, buts or maybes.
 
I don't know if it's good yet because I haven't received it. It's an igus based design, programmable and can move as slow as 10cm an hour. I had Baraka-style time-lapse in mind when I decided to buy it. The manufacturer is called variant stream. It was an impulse buy (the usual way you get into trouble). If it lives up to the claims I think it will be very good but based on the customer service and absence of delivery so far I can't recommend it yet. Their ebay seller is currently suspended, their manufacturer's website is down. Every time I email they respond to tell me they'll give me the information I'm after the next day but never do. It's not looking good.
 
awelgraven said:
Yeah, I understand :) I'm not being pouty or trying to complain... I was just genuinely surprised at how easy it was to have this happen if you don't provide tracking info.

I'm grateful it was a $10 lesson and not a $1000 lesson :)
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Not only does every shipment need a registered shipping number, but anything over $200 or $250 (I forget) requires signature confirmation, according to Ebay.

Sellers are odd. I've received items for 99 cents that were registered while a $50 product arrives sans. Personally, I always have one and I sell as low as $4.
 
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