Failed DeVere 507 Ebay purchase

**geoffrey billett** · 13-Apr-2009, 04:42

2 weeks ago I bought one of these on UK Ebay for £127, which was cheap. It turned out the seller was an internationally acclaimed photographer whose work is collected throughout the world. Other that an literally 10 word initial email saying that his lab is only open Monday to Friday 9-5pm ( with no address given as to where his lab is or contact number as to how to contact him) I have heard nothing back. I have emailed him on 5 occasions and telephoned him once ( having got his phone number from ebay through a dispute process ). There was no answer to the phone call other than an answer phone so I left a message. No response.

I have subsequently left negative feedback today on his account. Am I unreasonable? I feel that if someone places an article for sale they assume some immediate responsibility for contact and continuing with that sale irrespective of their potential lifestyle etc. Again am I unreasonable?

**evan clarke** · 13-Apr-2009, 05:48

Unless his account was highjacked. This happens a lot with photo equipment...Evan Clarke

**Brian Ellis** · 13-Apr-2009, 07:52

You don't say whether you've paid or not. Assuming you paid and that it's been two weeks since he would have received your money I'd say that you're entitled to hear something about the status of the shipment by now and to leave negative feedback. If you haven't paid then I think leaving negative feedback is a little extreme after only one telephone leave-word. Some businesses are so inundated with spam that email isn't a very efficient way to contact them.

**geoffrey billett** · 13-Apr-2009, 15:06

Thanks Brian. No i have not paid - it was cash on collection. As to spam he obviously received my first email offering to collect it on Easter Friday as he replied 2 weeks ago saying that was not possible and saying his lab was only open 9-5 Monday to Friday excluding Bank Hols . A further 4 emails and 1 phone call have been ignored. I have not called again as I didnt want to be perceived as harrassing him. My sense ( perhaps wrongly ) is that he does not wish to sell the enlarger for such a low amount and now may wish to withdraw from the transaction. Or I am pretty low down on his priorities.

But perhaps I am wrong. But what is a reasonable time constraint? I mostly pay on the day of purchase by paypal. I too am busy and need to structure my time and its a 150 mile drive to London to collect it. People check their emails daily. Is 2 weeks a reasonable timescale?

**geoffrey billett** · 14-Apr-2009, 15:20

Good news - email received this morning, he was called urgently over to the West Bank without access to a computer.

The deal is back on :-)

Was I too hasty? I guess there's no definitive answer. Sorry to bore you all!

**emo supremo** · 22-Apr-2009, 19:55

I think you were entirely justified. As we move faster and faster away from what has been and still should be I keep hearing that word "Sorry" more and more waved about like magic fairy dust. "Sorry" used to be reserved for instances where you stepped on someone, or made an honest mistake NOT as the antecendent to physically occupy their space or abbrogating all responsibility (kind of like Congress).

The law states that when you enter into a deal and money changes hands that's a contract (above and beyond your word should be bond)...the guy had a responsibility to you. I'm weary of bums hiding behind their "Sorry" excuses.

**sun of sand** · 22-Apr-2009, 20:59

Everything sounds reasonable to me on both sides
Believe his story then I'd apologize for the negative feedback having to be left but no options were really left in the system ..i'd remove the negative, if possible

and who cares about a "sorry" when obviously accidentally stepped on? Who stands there just WAITING for an apology for such an offense
too many people imo
We all make those types of mistakes so shouldn't we recognize them forgiving them immediately
we do -if not always- for the most part
yet for some reason
sometimes some people will still get all f'in indignant over it as though if they don't make a showy stand the world will become something ugly
That sorry means next to nothing if we have already forgiven
If we value those nothings isn't that worse than the waving of magic sorry dust

If someone isn't truly sorry
what is there left? They just aren't sorry
That's solely their loss
What do I get in accepting their sorry?
I get the victimization taken from me?
I can take the victimization out by needing no apology in the first place
Maybe people just don't feel respected for some reason and so demand things that carry no real value but have value placed upon them ..I'm +45 respect/love points!
That's what seems ugly to me
the near global perception of disrespect on some level and the NEEEED to therefore be openly respected or something ..Public Display of Respection
Seeking apologies for every wrongdoing is like some lifelong heirloom grudge held against the world and you're inexplicably at -843820342359509 points
That has to be causing some real big microscopic problems
Bums just because they fail to meet their responsibilities once ..twice...?
Yeah, maybe they failed
but
maybe you've both failed once you start becoming weary of them and calling em names and sh*
I just don't know which is worse really
one
two moments of being let down
or a lifetime of unshakeable shame
you're likely to pass on your hatred and so is the other dude for never getting much of a chance
seems like two wrongs trying to make a right to me

**neil poulsen** · 22-Apr-2009, 21:39

You can feel regretful, but no need to feel guilty about the negative feedback. Sellers know that they're required to contact the buyer and vice-versa within a certain amount of time after the end of the auction.