I bought a part on ebay and paid for it through paypal. Then the seller contacts me and tells me that it has to be shipped Greyhound and that I'll have to pick it up. Okay. He gives me a tracking number, and I contact Greyhound on the day its supposed to arrive. They say they don't have it and the tracking number is no good. The seller won't respond. What recourse do I have?
Open a dispute through ebay. You'll get your money back.
Go through eBay's internal recourse solution and they should suck the money back out of the seller's PayPal account.
Paypal guarantees their process as long as you follow the guidelines and didn't check the Gift box but did check the Goods/Services button
BTW, Greyhound's package racking is a joke most of the time and they rely on empty spaces on the buses to carry the cargo, so sometimes the packages sit around for a few days before they go anywhere.
However, the tracking number should at least show up in their system and its not as if he faked a tracking number, but might have messed up on it, etc.
The tracking number comes up bad in their system. I asked him to verify it, but he has stopped responding.
When you ship via Greyhound they ask for a phone number and email address for the recipient and when the package arrives they contact them. They do not give a hard date and time of arrival.
Last time I did this I was given a tracking number but when I tried to track it for the buyer it arrived 3 days after they said it might. It is a strange method of shipping in the modern world where we are used to real time instant tracking services and your phone beeps in your pocket letting you know that the truck just left your driveway.
It is however very cheap for large items. I was quoted $240 for the package I wanted to ship via UPS and greyhound was $52
In reply to Ditchdigger:
Thing is, he didn't ask me for my phone number until after he said he shipped it.
Doesn't sound kosher then. I just did this last month so the strangeness is fresh in my mind.
Call your local Greyhound and ask them the details about how to ship with them. They should tell you what info you need to process.
Checked your spam folder for a notification email?
Just be sure to submit your grievance with PayPal before 45 days go by. On day 46, you're boned.
I filed a case with Ebay, so we'll see how it goes.
eBay has been good both times I've had to file a claim.
Greyhound was awful the only time I ever had anything shipped through them. Never, ever again.
In reply to Woody:
Greyhound wasn't my choice. The part is a dashboard, and the seller waited until after the sale to tell me it couldn't be shipped another way because of it's size. I'm thinking that's BS, but I didn't check into it, as I didn't know at the time how bad Greyhound is for shipping.
20 years ago I used to ship 50-75 boxes a week with them, no problem. For large items that weren't time sensitive they were perfect. Cheap and dependable.
That was 20 years ago though.
Good Luck
Okay, I ended up getting the dashboard, and instead of being "mint", as was stated in the auction, it has cracks and discoloration in it just like the one I'm needing to replace!
The seller claims it was perfect when it left, but there were no signs of rough handling on the box when I received it, although it wasn't packaged well.
After everything I went through getting it, I didn't want to have to return it, so I asked him to refund part of my money and I'd sell it to recoup the rest. He didn't like that idea, and started accusing me of being a scammer, so I opened a case with Ebay. I've been going back and forth with this guy for several days, and not making any progress. What I can't find is anywhere that I can actually get Ebay involved in this. I have an open case in the resolution center, but no where can I find a way to actually contact Ebay. Even when I click on a link that says "contact Ebay" I instead get a FAQ section that if I go through all the steps takes me in a circle back to opening a case! Can someone tell me how to get Ebay involved?
Good luck at getting ebay personally involved.
You need to end the conversation with the seller. There is a function there on that page where you push a button that says basically "enough". That's when ebay will make their decision. As long as you're in dialog, ebay will not intervene or make a final decision.
Thanks. Can you tell me where on that page the "enough" button is? The only thing I see is this, which implies that if I close the case I am satisfied with the outcome.
"Add a message to the seller, or close this case if you are satisfied."
What about Ebay's money back guarantee? Or is there anything I can do through Paypal, or perhaps my credit card company?
In reply to Datsun1500:
Why should I have to pay to return defective product?
I don't have any cases open at the moment, and it's been a while. I think it's the "close case" button.
Read ebay carefully on that. I don't think it means you're happy, just that you're closing the dialog between you and the other party.
Ebay goes to great lengths to make sure the process is confusing.
So I should click on something that says to close the case if I'm satisfied when I'm not?
Don't close the case.
You'll be able to escalate your dispute to a claim through Paypal, that's what you need to do.
Just opening a case doesn't involve anyone. You need to escalate it before 45 days or you're boned.
In reply to Swank Force One:
How do I do that? I've been searching for a way to do it and can't find anything. I just keep getting caught in these link-loops that end up taking back to where I started!
I've had some recent experience with a case on ebay. I purchased a guitar case for my Gibson Explorer. I found one on ebay and won it. After recieving it, it turned out to be for a different model of Explorer with a smaller than standard body. I shipped the case back to the seller and then nothing. I then opened a case with eBay. Ultimately, I was refunded my entire purchase plus the initial shippign cost (lost return shipping).
Make sure all communication with the seller is through the eBay messaging so they have a record of it and can review it. Be sure to include a tracking number so they can see the returned item was sent back.
To me it sounds like you have a good case for the item being misrepresented, but you'll probably have to return it to get your money back. I've been using FedEx ground for some fairly large items and the shipping has been reasonable. How big is the dash?
I've only dealt with one bad seller. The ad was for a set of coilover sleeves and springs which I was the only bidder (no reserve) and they sold for stupid cheap. Wait nearly 2 weeks for the box to show up and its in rough shape, poor taping, rips, etc. Open the box and there is sleeve/spring missing. Contact seller who claims everything was there when mailed, but he promised a refund. Wait 2 more weeks - no refund. File dispute, eBay got my money back but I had to return the item, so I sent them back in the same box, same carrier (on my dime - basically broke even). I shipped a pair of Recaros via Greyhound from NC to Texas and there was no issue, by the way. I'd send it back the same way.
bravenrace wrote: So I should click on something that says to close the case if I'm satisfied when I'm not?
Look carefully at that button, or if there is something else to indicate you're done with communication and are not satisfied with the results. Like I said, I don't have any cases open, so I can't see the screen. You're after the part I've highlighted below.
When an item doesn't match the listing description
If a buyer receives an item that doesn't match the listing description, the buyer needs to open a case by contacting the seller through the Resolution Center. The seller should address the buyer's concern and offer a solution, such as accepting a return or offering a replacement or refund.
If the buyer isn't happy with the seller's response or doesn't receive a seller response, the buyer can ask us to review the case and make a decision.
If we're asked to decide the case, we review the item description and any other information about the item that the buyer and seller provide. If we can't determine whether or not the item matches the listing description, or if the seller has already offered to accept a return, we ask the buyer to return the item to the seller.
When an item is returned to the seller The buyer must return the item in the same condition in which it was received. The seller is required to accept the return at the same location specified in the listing. If the cost of return shipping isn't covered by the seller according to their return policy, we may decide to pay for return shipping costs in some cases. If we don't pay for the return shipping costs, the buyer is responsible. For items with a total cost of $750 or more, signature confirmation is required for the return. The seller pays for any customs charges on the returned item. After confirming that the item was returned to the seller, we refund the full cost of the item and original shipping to the buyer's PayPal account. The seller reimburses us for the amount.
Find out more about reimbursement.
When an item isn't returned to the seller
We may not require that an item be returned to the seller when: The item location was misrepresented. It's hazardous to ship the item back. The seller doesn't fulfill the terms of the return policy in the listing. The seller chooses not to engage with the eBay Money Back Guarantee. Alternatively, with the buyer's consent, we may give a partial refund to cover differences between how the item was described in the listing and the actual item that was received. When we give a buyer a partial refund, we don't ask the buyer to return the item to the seller. The seller is required to reimburse us for the partial refund.
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