Advice about eBay

holidayroad · #1 03-31-2010, 09:58 AM

I've been buying from eBay for about 6 months and lately I have had a problem with sellers wanting you to pay to an e-mail at Paypal not linked to their eBay account. I had a seller do this around the second week of March, paid them at their e-mail and later found out I shouldn't have. They never sent the item and now I'm trying to get the item or refund, but will probably have to open a case with PayPal to get the money because (I didn't know this at the time) eBay will only cover a purchase paid with by Paypal if you use their Pay Now link/ or use a seller's e-mail address linked to their ebay account. Now I am in the same situation. I won something for my husband. The seller wants it paid at a different e-mail/Paypal account. He has good feedback. If this was a less expensive item, I might chance it. But this item is almost $200! I chatted with an eBay employ today and she said that the seller may have changed their e-mail account and not updated it at Paypal, but that if I pay to the new e-mail he asked me to pay to, I would receive no coverage from eBay if he didn't send the item. Anyone else had this problem or have advice????

HejiraNYC · #2 03-31-2010, 10:33 AM

Personally I think you have to just assess the situation on the face of it. How much positive feedback does the seller have? How long has he/she been an eBay member? What other types of items is he/she selling? There are sellers who actually make a living on eBay, so they have to be very serious about being above-board and ethical. If everything looks pretty ordinary (other than the paypal email business), and if you really must have that item, it's probably worth taking the risk. In the worst case scenario, you may have to file a payment dispute with Paypal if you don't receive the item...

holidayroad · #3 03-31-2010, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HejiraNYC

Personally I think you have to just assess the situation on the face of it. How much positive feedback does the seller have? How long has he/she been an eBay member? What other types of items is he/she selling? There are sellers who actually make a living on eBay, so they have to be very serious about being above-board and ethical. If everything looks pretty ordinary (other than the paypal email business), and if you really must have that item, it's probably worth taking the risk. In the worst case scenario, you may have to file a payment dispute with Paypal if you don't receive the item...

He has had only one other feedback in the last 90 days. He does have some older positive feedback and no complaints. Concerning filing a claim with PayPal, I took it from what was said at their site that if you purchase something from ebay, you have to click 'pay' on the eBay receipt they provide at PayPal or you won't be covered, but then that receipt will be linked to the buyer's now unused email address, right???

holidayroad · #4 03-31-2010, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trackaghost

I've never had that problem but I would definitely refuse to pay outside of eBay. He might be legit and trying to get out of paying fees to eBay or something but I would explain what happened before and say $200 is too big of a risk. I think it's pretty dodgy that this seller would even ask that though. If they have changed their email address it's not that big a deal to update that to their eBay account.

After I won, I received an invoice from eBay and at the bottom of it was his seller's note: 'Do not pay until you receive an invoice sent from my eBay e-mail account. This is to make sure the payment is paid to the correct e-mail account.'
I really don't like dealing with someone I now feel like I can't trust.

holidayroad · #5 03-31-2010, 12:12 PM

I appreciate the advice from both of you. Thanks!

holidayroad · #6 03-31-2010, 05:39 PM

I wanted to write an update. I wrote to the seller earlier and he wrote me back (finally) saying to go ahead and pay using Pay Now at eBay. He said he'd had trouble with payments getting sent to the wrong place before. I'm glad I could work it out with him!!

WildHeart69 · #7 03-31-2010, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by holidayroad

After I won, I received an invoice from eBay and at the bottom of it was his seller's note: 'Do not pay until you receive an invoice sent from my eBay e-mail account. This is to make sure the payment is paid to the correct e-mail account.'
I really don't like dealing with someone I now feel like I can't trust.

This happened to me once before a couple years ago and I thought it seemed fishy so before I did it I sent a msg to the guy through his ebay acct first and he was SHOCKED that I had received that email hoax

**mylittledemon** · #8 03-31-2010, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by holidayroad

I've been buying from eBay for about 6 months and lately I have had a problem with sellers wanting you to pay to an e-mail at Paypal not linked to their eBay account. I had a seller do this around the second week of March, paid them at their e-mail and later found out I shouldn't have. They never sent the item and now I'm trying to get the item or refund, but will probably have to open a case with PayPal to get the money because (I didn't know this at the time) eBay will only cover a purchase paid with by Paypal if you use their Pay Now link/ or use a seller's e-mail address linked to their ebay account. Now I am in the same situation. I won something for my husband. The seller wants it paid at a different e-mail/Paypal account. He has good feedback. If this was a less expensive item, I might chance it. But this item is almost $200! I chatted with an eBay employ today and she said that the seller may have changed their e-mail account and not updated it at Paypal, but that if I pay to the new e-mail he asked me to pay to, I would receive no coverage from eBay if he didn't send the item. Anyone else had this problem or have advice????

I have rarely had any issue (lately - knock on wood) with eBay.

Paypal generally always sides with the "buyer"... i've lodged 3 or 4 complaints against sellers (broken items, etc). In the end, its the seller's responsibility to get the item to you. A lot of sellers state in the auctions "It's out of my hands once it gets to the post office." This is completely untrue - the seller's are trying to shirk responsibility. PayPal has always recovered by money in the instances where the item wasn't satisfactory.

holidayroad · #9 03-31-2010, 09:11 PM

I hadn't had any major problems until this month. I have a seller who hasn't sent an item. I opened a case with eBay, no response yet. Twice before, I was sent someone else's item and they received mine. Just glad my problem today was solved. I am a good buyer, pay as soon as the auction is over (unless told otherwise). I just want a smooth transaction.

**mylittledemon** · #10 03-31-2010, 09:53 PM

Yup, me too. Just want it quick & painless

Have you opened a dispute with payPal? They can recover the funds and you can be on your way. I give people 5 days to respond via email and if they don't... screw 'em

holidayroad · #11 04-01-2010, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mylittledemon

Yup, me too. Just want it quick & painless

Have you opened a dispute with payPal? They can recover the funds and you can be on your way. I give people 5 days to respond via email and if they don't... screw 'em

I opened a dispute with eBay. They wait 7 days to hear from the seller. I am doubting they will get an answer!