I think I've been scammed!!

    • Gold Top Dog

    I think I've been scammed!!

    I am pretty new to ebay, but have been buying a few maternity things here and there over the past few months.  I pay with paypal immediately after I win an item.  Well, last Thursday I paid for something and haven't heard a word since.  No package, no tracking info, nothing (I did get the invoice which I paid immediately).  Usually when I win something I get the item within a few days tops. 
     
    I sent the person a message yesterday afternoon but haven't heard anything back.  At what point would you escalate this (i.e. report them for fraud, get my refund from paypal, etc)?  I want to do it immediately but DH says I am a little impatient and should wait a couple of weeks.  The item was under $10 so we aren't talking about a lot of money or anything, but I am still majorly PO'ed.  But, I will also feel stupid if this is normal and I am just acting crazy and impatient.
     
    The seller was fairly new, but had received all excellent feedback. 
     
    Any input?
    • Gold Top Dog
    This happened to me as well, I'd purchased a book and it just never showed up!  I did wait quite awhile before reporting it, only because books tend to take a very long time in shipping (book rate is very cheap and very slow).  Once I reported it however, I was refunded immediately.   Did the seller indicate how long it would take in the item description?  I believe this is standard required information, no? 
    • Gold Top Dog
    What's their feedback like? I believe 30 days is the timeframe before eBay or Paypal will do anything.
     
    It's complicated...and really IMO not worth the effort on anything under $100. But that's just me. I've only ever gotten burned once and I have ordered A LOT from eBay lol.
    • Gold Top Dog
    Their feedback was 100% positive (only about 20 comments though).  And the seller is new within the past 30 days.  The weird part is most of the comments indicate "fast shipping, excellent delivery".  Usually when I order something I get it in two - three days tops or at least I know it is on its way. 
     
    Honestly, it's not even the money (I think the total was $9.34), it's the point of it all, plus I really could use the maternity skirts for work [;)]
     
    I am so cheesed up about this, DH says I am boarding on obsessive.  I am just wondering if the auction didn't go as well as the seller planned and decided not to sell the items.  They were two Pea in a Pod ($65+) maternity skirts for work that I got for a total of $9.34...and most of that was shipping, so I wonder if she just changed her mind and decided not to ship and will try to sell them later.  That ticks me off.
    • Gold Top Dog
    I typically don't buy from new sellers. They are sometimes people that've been kicked off and rejoined under new names and email addy's to leave the bad feedback behind...not always...but sometimes. They might even have people buy a lot of cheap things to bulk up the good feedback etc...
    • Gold Top Dog
    In my own experience, sitting between two E-bay addicts here at work all day, I know that sometimes a seller just hasn't shipped the item yet.  I think it took my co-worker a week to ship out a PS2 to an auction winner.  But the buyer did get his purchase.
    • Gold Top Dog
    I would give it a few more days if it has only been a week since it was bought. It may just show up. If it was paid with Paypal, you can go through them to get a refund. I have had to do it before.

    I hope that this is only a delay for you and not a scam.

    --Sara
    • Gold Top Dog
    I typically don't buy from new sellers

     
    Yeah, now that I think back, I should have realized.  I don't think I even looked at that.  I can be too trusting, since she was selling maternity clothes and kids clothes I just thought it was a "mom" getting rid of some stuff.  [:@]  I just couldn't pass up the deal [;)]
    • Gold Top Dog
    I think you are being a bit too impatient.  Is the item shipping from within the US?  I have had it take a month to get something from Canada.
     
    If it were me, I would wait another week.  People do go on vacation and stuff.  No more money than you are talking, it isn't going to be worth a lot of effort.  If you haven't heard from the seller in another week or so, leave them negative feedback.  That is usually enough to get their attention.
    • Gold Top Dog
    I think you've gotta wait a bit longer. Also, you aren't going to get your money back. I had a seller send me a child's size large lands end coat a few months ago, when what I bought was a women's size large. I figured out what the issue was when I had my sister try it on. They also said it was like new, but someone had colored on the lands end logo tags.It also took a ridiculous amount of time to get the item. The person wanted me to ship it back at my own expense. Sorry, but absolutely not. I didn't screw up, they did. I ended up filing a report against the seller, who then tried to claim I was being difficult and refusing to ship it back. We left each other our bad feedbacks, and I still have the item. No big deal though since my sister can wear it.
    I'm just thinking in your case, maybe they don't send out emails, and let the automated stuff take care of it. They may also, and this is the case with many sellers, only ship once or twice a week. Maybe you paid for it after they had already shipped for the week, so that would delay getting your item.
    • Gold Top Dog
    Gina is right, they ask you to wait 30 days before they can do anything about it
     
    I know the feeling you are having, it happen to me before, is not really about the money but about respecting the deal between that person and you, i bought something under $10 once and that person decided to go on vacations before sending me the item, i mean, the person knew she was going out of town but she decided to set the end of the auction while she was not in town, WTF??? why she didnt wait to do the entire thing when she was coming back? i dont know, the item was a simple bracelet, why she didnt take it with her and send it from the place she was? i dont know either
     
    My point is, if you are going to do business you need to respect the person who is going to give you his/her money in exchange, that is the least you can do
    • Gold Top Dog
    You wanna talk about a shady Ebay scam? My dad is always buying watches off of Ebay. He never had a problem so he didn't think twice about when he bid on an auction that stated "Movado Watch" as he's bought several name brand watches in the past. He wins the auction and when he gets the watch, he opens up the package and when he seen the box he knew something was wrong. He looked at the watch and immediately knew it was a fake. Just to be sure, he took it to his Movado jeweler and he confirmed it to be fake. So Big Al emails the seller and informs her that the watch is a fake and he wants his money back. You know what this idiot had the nerve to say? She said "I never said it was an AUTHENTIC Movado". Maybe it's just me but when you advertise a watch as a Movado that means it's supposed to be a Movado not a cheap knock off. To make a long story short, Big Al got his money back, he got to keep the phony watch and the idiot got booted off of Ebay.
    • Gold Top Dog
    I would wait another week.  I have had one or two instances of things taking there time to get to me and I get quite impatient.  I too, like you, pay immediately and would expect the seller to ship quickly as well.  
    • Gold Top Dog
    I have escalated two claims to paypal.  The last one I never received the jeans (for my daughter) and the seller never answered the complaint.  I was returned my $$ but than she left me a neg feedback... witch.  I did my part called her twice and finally got my money back. 
    You do have to file the complaint within thirty days.  after filed the seller has 10 days to answer.  I would not let it go and I would request the sellers info and call.  I have had some poor communication with sellers but for the most part it is pretty good.
     
    • Gold Top Dog
    haha, i bought a baby sling on ebay when mae was 2 weeks old....i received it when she was 2 MONTHS old. the lady thought of every excuse in the book for it being late, but i did finally get it, with a partial refund.

    some sellers only send items one day of the week, so keep that in mind. was there any contact info on your invoice? sometime their telephone number is on there, i actually called the lady about the sling after i emailed her twice with no response.

    i hope you get it soon!

    ETA: the person i purchased from had 100% positive feedback and had been a member for 4 years, it really is hit or miss on that site.