It would definitely more fair if the "repair facility" must be agreed on by both parties.
It would definitely more fair if the "repair facility" must be agreed on by both parties.
"I took a return from europe on some waterhouse stops....."
What on earth could be wrong with Waterhouse stops. Unless you made them too thick.
Perhaps he was just too lazy/ignorant to work out his aperture diameters and made a tracing of the holes?
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I wouldn't mind the eBay/Paypal policies if eBay/Paypal actually followed their policies. They don't. They don't review documentation, they won't even bother to read an item's description or look at photos before making a decision; coincidentally, in 100% of cases, that decision favors the buyer. I conclude this is a business decision by eBay, that sellers are expendable and buyers aren't, even if said buyers are con artists.
What we're left with is creating independent means of verifying buyers before shipping items, to identify con artists before you actually mail an item. It's easier to not mail something, wait for a case to be opened, refund the buyer, but 1) you keep your item, and 2) you don't pay for shipping which you'll lose eventually anyways. I've had numerous China sellers pull this on me, for whatever reason (purely economic, not fraud-related): the China seller doesn't have in stock, can no longer get an item for $x dollars, or whatever.... you pay your money, wait 20 or 30 days, no item. You claim with paypal and get an instant refund, but you can't leave feedback on the transaction.
I say, if eBay won't protect sellers, sellers have to protect themselves. I don't mean the China 'just don't ship it if it's too expensive' model, I mean reporting deadbeat buyers on a separate forum and just quietly refusing to ship to said buyers. No you can't ferret out bad buyers by filtering for country; there are deadbeats and con artists everywhere. Maybe someday eBay will get a clue and realize independent sellers of curios/collectibles are a substantial part of their business, but I think they assume every seller of an 'antique lens' is a picker who found said lens at a yard sale and doesn't even know what the item is much less what it's worth.
I have a no return policy. But, if a buyer complained for a legitimate reason, I would permit a return. And maybe with EBay, I might not have a choice.
I've been on both ends, and as a buyer, EBay came to my rescue. I bought lens elements where the rim had been dented. It was not disclosed. I got my money back plus shipping. Nor did I have to pay return shipping to the seller. EBay provided the label and billed the seller.
You are absolutely right. I had a huge dispute with eBay/PayPal and they refused to take reciept of signed letters from my postman and his supervisor stating they DID NOT deliver an item to me. It was a CLEAR scam, from a seller who had 0 feedback (my fault for jumping on that deal, I admit). But they SIDED with the SELLER, despite being an OBVIOUS fraud after I collected evidence. So no, they don't 100% side with the buyer. I have TWO experiences of being screwed as a buyer. It amazes me, but I think I must be really unlucky.
Did you buy the lens(Pinkham and Smith) on a camera(Bookend Wisner) from South Korea/China/Russia for $495? with free shipping and a complimentary $200 gift certificate from Nigeria? ;-)
No, I'm not stupid. It was a BIN of $200 for a Nikon flash with a picture and simple description. The only indication of foul play was 0 feedbacks.
The scam was that the seller sent a postcard with delivery confirmation to a local address they found on mapquest. So according to the tracking number the item was delivered, to my town. But USPS does not specify an exact address for simple delivery confirmation with no insurance. I had no recourse except written statements, which Paypal would not accept.
Thats a new scam to me, how sneaky that they would use the post office to 'show delivery' and void any repercussions, I think the only way around that is to insist on signature confirmation or insured delivery as each are signed for.
Exactly. Apparently there is a small ring of criminals doing this somewhere in southern California. I traced them and found a phone number that went to a supposed mortgaging refinancing company, which upon further investigation was also involved in various scams. So they seem to be a diverse bunch of scammers, lending to small-time grifts that fly under the radar of PayPal, etc. I got into contact with another person scammed by them on eBay for a ~$200 item in the same way, who helped me figure out what was going on.
So if you see a great deal on an item for around $249.99 (the max that doesn't need signature confirmation or something) by a seller with 0 feedback, don't buy it.
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