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How Do you Get Satisfaction from a Seller Who Ships Not As Described Items ?

OldirongunOldirongun Member Posts: 3 ✭✭
edited April 2002 in General Discussion
I've been buying on auction sites for about 1 year now. I still haven't found a good approach for resolution of problems with some sellers who deliver: Items Not As Described or Totally Misrepresented; without losing any more time and money? I've tried being reasonable with the seller,not posting negative feedback and just keeping the item, contacting the auction sites,getting tough with the seller, posting negative feedback. I've ran out of approaches to use with sellers that are not cooperative. I use the proper approachs before bidding; question inquires, read previous feedback, pay promptly, etc. Has anyone have any other solutions that work. I'm really fed up with being disrespected and ripped off. Thanks[This message has been edited by Oldirongun (edited 03-22-2002).]
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Comments

  • alledanalledan Member Posts: 19,541
    edited November -1
    I recently had a situation where the seller wasn't going to ship the items i payed for at all.After threatening to contact his states sttorney generals office i finally received only half of the parts. The * kept most of the good stuff.I left negative feedback as did others which gave him a 4 F rating, Now he is back under a new username.
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  • idsman75idsman75 Member Posts: 13,398 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    What about someone who responds via the "Wanted To Buy" forum? You arrange a deal outside of the Gunbroker realm and you send payment. Upon receipt of the item you notice that it is in less-than-perfect condition (i.e. scratches on wooden stock from poor packaging prior to shipment). How would you handle this?
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  • Matt45Matt45 Member Posts: 3,185
    edited November -1
    After doing everything right, asking nicely, and exhausting all of GB's avenues, there is only a few things you really can do. Make sure you use Postal Money Orders and threaten mail fraud, Federal Felony charges, State Felony Charges, ATF involvement. At least get your money back, and let GB know about all of it. Alledan-Double make sure that GB knows that this is a user once ejected who is back with a new set of lies.
    Reserving my Right to Arm Bears!!!![This message has been edited by Matt45 (edited 03-22-2002).]
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  • alledanalledan Member Posts: 19,541
    edited November -1
    Matt-I thought he would be automtically ejected because of the 4 F rating. It appears not becuase his old user name is still up and running.[admin: anyone with 4 Fs would be gone. Being able to search old auctions or feedback by his user name does not mean the account is still open][This message has been edited by admin (edited 03-22-2002).]
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  • travelortravelor Member Posts: 442 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Matt45 is right..Protect yourself by paying by United States Postal Money Orders, request shipping via USPS. The USPS is very good about protecting against fraud. They are run by the Fed. Gov., and interstate mail fraud is a Federal Offence. Better yet, request an infoice/bill for the product and ammount owed on hard copy through the mail before purchase. That becomes a valid signed contract, again enforced through USPS.
    keep lots of extra uppers for your ar..you can change often enough to keep the thing from over heating...what ever caliber fits the moment..~Secret Select Society of Suave Stylish Smoking Jackets~
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  • 223believer223believer Member Posts: 128 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The smartest thing to do is to only deal with people who have a very long record of excellent service, products, and descriptions. Before I bid on something I take a good long look at the seller's feedback. I'm looking for EXCELLENT reports.Think abou it: Cabelas is not the cheapest place to order stuff from, but the quality is great and if there are any problems they fix them super quick and to your total satisfaction. Do you pay extra for that? You sure do, and Cabelas is not a "bargain" in the commonly accepted sense of the words. At the same time, if you consider getting a good product at a reasonable price and the knowledge that everything will be OK if there's a problem, then I think it is a bargain.Realize also that it's also sort of the nature of the beast of these auctions for used items: If you're buying something used there is ALWAYS going to be a difference of opinion about its condition between the guy selling and the guy buying. If you want to avoid this, buy new.
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  • borderguyborderguy Member Posts: 387 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I got totally ripped-of by a vendor at Ebay. I followed all the steps and still was stuck with a worthless, not as described item. So for a month I collected subscription cards for magazines, record clubs and book clubs. Sent out over a hundred of em. Figured the cost of postage to cancel everything evened us up. Probibly was immature, but it made me feel good.
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  • woodsrunnerwoodsrunner Member Posts: 5,378 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I always pay with a credit card or a postal money order. I can always protest the card charge. With the postal m.o. I just threaten mail fraud charges. I know the post office rarely pursues these things. But who wants to risk any govt. agency looking into what they are doing?About a year and a half ago I bought an antique farm bell on ebay. I still hadn't recieved the item 6 weeks after sending payment. I sent her an email telling her she had five days before I talked to my post master. I had the item three days later. She had feedback as a slow shipper the same day I recieved it. She didn't leave any feedback for me, oh well..WOODS
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  • travelortravelor Member Posts: 442 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Border guy, I like that approach...will start collecting post cards now...as far as the Postal Service not acting...they do..always...just like beurocratic red tape...they take their sweet time...as long as 6 month....but you can bet they do their job....
    keep lots of extra uppers for your ar..you can change often enough to keep the thing from over heating...what ever caliber fits the moment..~Secret Select Society of Suave Stylish Smoking Jackets~
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  • He DogHe Dog Member Posts: 51,593 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    That's funny Borderguy! I like it. It is also mail fraud.
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  • SawzSawz Member Posts: 6,049
    edited November -1
    I had an ad in want ads to buy a ruger 32 mag a while back got a reply saying he had one. price was right told me the shape was fine. said we had a deal if he would agree to a three day exam period and an escrow service. 15 bucks I think it woulda cost cheap compared to the whole shot. never heard from him again. lucky me thinks
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  • alledanalledan Member Posts: 19,541
    edited November -1
    I found the same seller with the same username at Ebay. According to his feedback he has been bootlegging videos. One auction of his was for all the episodes of Mash on vhs. The going price was $1100,00. Mash ran for about 8 or 9 years so that is a whole bunch of tapes.When the unlucky buyer received the tapes and found out they were hi-jacked he about passed a brick.[This message has been edited by alledan (edited 03-23-2002).]
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  • offerorofferor Member Posts: 8,625 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Don't send the post cards. It is a federal crime to perpetrate fraud via the U.S. mail, which is why some crooks always insist on using FedEx. On eBay, I've seen sellers try to justify a certain percentage of "negs" by their large positive feedback numbers. But I've seen them barred from eBay for 30 or so negs even though they had 3000 positives, if buyers are willing to report them for it. Negative feedback is still the most powerful tool, which is why sellers who operate impersonally are so afraid of it. Sometimes all you can do is neg the guy and report him to the auction site. Reporting is important because the site may not notice the seller's behavior for a long time if you don't. I assume the same is true on any good auction site. The only good "neg" rating is zero.
    "The 2nd Amendment is about defense, not hunting. Long live the gun shows, and reasonable access to FFLs. Join the NRA -- I'm a Life Member."
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  • MafiosoMafioso Member Posts: 23 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Yous make him an offer he can't refuse.
    Let them sleep with the fishes.
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  • alledanalledan Member Posts: 19,541
    edited November -1
    Getting booted from an auction site is just a mere inconvenience for most of these guys so it looks like it is a wasted effort to do any negs.
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  • OldirongunOldirongun Member Posts: 3 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I thank all of you for your input; I really liked the suggestion of "let them sleep with the fishes" Also, I've looked into the Mail Fraud approach, since I do keep very accurate records of every transaction including using Certified Mail w/ Postal Money Orders for payment. So far, I haven't had any other bad transactions. But, the next seller that sticks it to me; will become very uncomfortable in continuing doing bussiness as usual. Gauranteed
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  • MercuryMercury Member Posts: 7,830 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I don't sell on Gun Broker, but I do sell on Ebay. I have since Day 1, pretty much. I remember when Ebay had less than 10,000 auctions, and only three employees. On Ebay, I have nearly 16k feedbacks, and a few negatives. I've found that with what I sell, you WILL get negatives, no matter what. EVERY SINGLE SELLER who sells what I do ends up with negatives. Why, I'm not sure, but even my MOM gets them! (She is super *-retentive about making things perfect, too!) Just seems that no matter what you do, you will get negatives. Because we sells items for kids, I guess. So, here are some tips on how to protect yourself:1. Always pay via credit card, paypal, etc. This lets you do a "charge back" if you get screwed. This recently happened to me for a $2,000 item. Guy refused to send it, I did a charge back (only reason I bought it was because I could use a credit card, and KNEW I was protected!). I got my money back within a couple of weeks! 2. WORK WITH THE SELLER!!!! The largest percentage of my negatives are from people who leave me a negative, THEN email me, saying "Where is my item?" Well, after you give me a negative, do you really think I CARE about your item? No, not then I don't! I'll go to the ends of the earth to help people, until they screw me! Most of the time, people not getting their items is caused by them not sending WHAT they are buying! It is nearly impossible to figure out what Joe Blow bought when he doesn't send anything but a blank money order with no item number, email address, etc. I ship 2,000 packages a week some weeks.....3. Give the seller time to ship it, and ALLOW FOR CRAPPY SERVICE AT THE POST OFFICE! I can't stress this enough! People email me TWO DAYS after they mailed a payment, saying "Did you send it yet?" Doesn't work that way. I do ship the majority of my stuff with 48 hours of receiving payment. Mail out of Tucson SUCKS.....priority mail (which is a total scam, by the way) takes 5-8 days MINIMUM! 10 days is NOT uncommon. 4. READ THE AUCTION CAREFULLY!! I can't tell you how many people bid, then say "Oh, thats not what I THOUGHT it was when I bid on it." My descriptions are VERY clear, too! I still can't understand it. Hope these tips help you! Good luck and happy bidding!Merc
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