Am I being scammed $2000 ?

[le-jac1]

I bought a Macbook Pro last night around 11:30 pm. The seller told me he had sold it in the physical store 20 seconds after I paid for it. It was midnight. I asked him if he could get a picture before I paid, he said he would like to but it was already to late, that he would do it  the next morning. 

I called ebay, ebay says it's a paypal problem; I called paypal, paypal says it's a ebay problem.

Here is what happened:

Your previous message
Hi mate, I'd like to buy your macbook. When do you think you can ship?

ji_jile_gklkiwy:

Hello, As soon as I have received the payment. Thanks

Your previous message

Thanks, mate. Do you mind sending me a picture of the back of the box with all the specs on it? I'll pay once I make sure it's the model I want.  Thanks a lot.

ji_jile_gklkiwy:

I don't mind but its already late here. I will once I open my shop early in the morning, if it will still be available for sale

Then I paid for the item.

The seller immediately marked the order as "shipped" but with no tracking information. 

ji_jile_gklkiwy:

Hey mate. Sorry to tell you that the item has already been bought in our physical store. Kindly dispute the transaction because I can't refund from my side. I am so sorry but we will be restocking in one weeks time. You can check back in a weeks time.Sorry

A dispute will ensure you get all your cash back in your paypal.Thanks

login to your paypal the the transaction you made to me click it you will see details .click it you will see dispute this transaction.

say item not received

To do so:

Log in to your PayPal account. Go to the Resolution Center.Select the dispute you want to escalate, then click Escalate.Follow the instructions.Click Escalate to a claim.

Your previous message

Then why did you just ship the item?

ji_jile_gklkiwy:

did I ship it?? Sorry

Your previous message

I know you can refund, just do it. I don't want any trouble.

ji_jile_gklkiwy:

which trouble now. Just say you din't receive the item...Paypal will just escalate the case and have your money back in full. It is held on my side .

Do you want me to mark the item as not shipped or what

Jist remarked it as not shipped.Ain't here to scam you or something just that the item has already been sold

The seller didn't mark the item as not shipped.

I went to bed.

I call ebay this morning, ebay says the seller is right, I should do what the seller told me to.

Then ebay gives me the number of paypal, tells me that paypal has a better solution.

I call paypal, paypal tells me my money is protected. That they can't do anything since they can't prove the seller is a scam. 

What's the seller up to?

Clearly there is no Macbook and no physical store. There is no shipment. The seller won't get the money.

Why the hell is he doing this?

[*tippy*toes*]

---

@le-jac1 wrote:

Thank you for the reply.

Anyway, here is where I am now:

I opened a dispute on paypal this morning. The seller has no response yet. I figure the seller is waiting for me to escalate the dispute, which I won't. I'll wait for the "shippment" and open a dispute on ebay.

---

Sellers can mark an item as shipped if they use eBay labels. It will mark it as sent when they create the label, even at 2am. That said, as far as I know, the tracking number gets automatically uploaded too.

As you have opened a PayPal dispute, that's all you can do. You can forget about an eBay dispute now. It doesn't matter what happens, you can't open an eBay dispute. So long as the seller doesn't upload a tracking number into the dispute, you should get your refund as soon as you escalate the dispute. If they add a tracking number, it will become harder, because PayPal only require proof of postage, whereas eBay require proof of delivery.

I'm still on the fence as to whether they are a scammer or not. If they have their own website, it's possible it was also listed there and someone has bought it, even at midnight. If they were scamming, they wouldn't be giving you step by step instructions on how to open a dispute and get a refund. They'd be sending an empty box with tracking to ensure they won a dispute. Also, by giving you instructions on how to open a dispute, rather than sending a cancellation request, they are losing a fair bit of money in fees, 9.9% of the total price (including postage).

Escalate the dispute as soon as you can and go into a shop and buy a new computer. Hardly Normal has a big sale on at the moment. You get a warranty when you buy in a shop, which you don't get buying online (even if the seller says you do).

[le-jac1]

---

@kopenhagen5 wrote:

If a case with eBay fails a case with PayPal can be opened but not the other way around.

eBay require proof delivery in a case, PayPal only need proof of postage.

Edit - padi ..........................

---

I checked the paypal Seller Protection policy:

If a buyer files a claim, chargeback or reversal against you, we’ll place a temporary hold on the funds in your PayPal account. This’s done to ensure that you’re aware of this and there are sufficient funds available to cover the full amount of the claim, chargeback or reversal.

To resolve the case, you need to submit the necessary documents required in the Resolution Center. We’ll also need the following documents from you as proof of postage:

• For an unauthorized transaction, proof of shipment is required.
• For items not received where the transaction value is less than US$750, proof of shipment is required. For items not received where the transaction value is equal to or greater than US$750, proof of delivery with signature confirmation is required.

[springyzone]

---

:

---

I checked the paypal Seller Protection policy:

If a buyer files a claim, chargeback or reversal against you, we’ll place a temporary hold on the funds in your PayPal account. This’s done to ensure that you’re aware of this and there are sufficient funds available to cover the full amount of the claim, chargeback or reversal.

To resolve the case, you need to submit the necessary documents required in the Resolution Center. We’ll also need the following documents from you as proof of postage:

• For an unauthorized transaction, proof of shipment is required.
• For items not received where the transaction value is less than US$750, proof of shipment is required. For items not received where the transaction value is equal to or greater than US$750, proof of delivery with signature confirmation is required.

---

That's comforting for you to know.

It seems that what you should do now is escalate as soon as you can, as soon as paypal lets you. Get your money back. Go to a real shop.

Good luck. So stressful for you when you are newish to ebay. Don't let it turn you off ebay, but use it for smaller purchases.

Are you living in China? You might be able to get some good computer deals in shops there.

[le-jac1]

I live in A

---

@springyzone wrote:

---

:

---

I checked the paypal Seller Protection policy:

If a buyer files a claim, chargeback or reversal against you, we’ll place a temporary hold on the funds in your PayPal account. This’s done to ensure that you’re aware of this and there are sufficient funds available to cover the full amount of the claim, chargeback or reversal.

To resolve the case, you need to submit the necessary documents required in the Resolution Center. We’ll also need the following documents from you as proof of postage:

• For an unauthorized transaction, proof of shipment is required.
• For items not received where the transaction value is less than US$750, proof of shipment is required. For items not received where the transaction value is equal to or greater than US$750, proof of delivery with signature confirmation is required.

---

That's comforting for you to know.

It seems that what you should do now is escalate as soon as you can, as soon as paypal lets you. Get your money back. Go to a real shop.

Good luck. So stressful for you when you are newish to ebay. Don't let it turn you off ebay, but use it for smaller purchases.

Are you living in China? You might be able to get some good computer deals in shops there.

---

I am Chinese and I'm living in Australia. I sure miss Taobao(Chinese ebay). I'm more familiar with Taobao. There are all 1,000 kinds of scams in China, so Taobao keeps updating the rules and now is almost perfect even for newbies. 

Computers, cameras, smartphones and almost all electronic products in China are cheeper than Australia, I mean much cheeper. 

Thank you for your reply, it's really helpful.

One thing I dislike about China is the internet community. If I post this in a Chinese forum, the discussion should be like"I think he is 8/10 stupid" "No, it's definitely a 9.5/10" "Hey, please tell us why you are so f-ing stupid" "I'm the best, I would never fall for that." "My 4-year old son is better than you."

[springyzone]

---

@le-jac1 wrote:

I live in A

---

---

---

I am Chinese and I'm living in Australia. I sure miss Taobao(Chinese ebay). I'm more familiar with Taobao. There are all 1,000 kinds of scams in China, so Taobao keeps updating the rules and now is almost perfect even for newbies. 

Computers, cameras, smartphones and almost all electronic products in China are cheeper than Australia, I mean much cheeper. 

Thank you for your reply, it's really helpful.

One thing I dislike about China is the internet community. If I post this in a Chinese forum, the discussion should be like"I think he is 8/10 stupid" "No, it's definitely a 9.5/10" "Hey, please tell us why you are so f-ing stupid" "I'm the best, I would never fall for that." "My 4-year old son is better than you."

---

I only asked as when i clicked on your name, it showed location in China, but I had had the impression you were in Australia from your first post.

I hope you don't mind but I did have to laugh at your description of the Chinese internet community. Not that it is funny, it is downright rude. I always thought Chinese people were very polite. I bought some things off alibaba and the sellers there were ultra nice and helpful.

I believe you about prices in China being cheaper & I'm glad Taobao has stricter rules. I think some Chinese sellers can still pull scams on Australian ebay though, or from what I have read. I've not had a problem with any but I only buy small things.

Good luck with your refund & don't worry about anyone who says stupid. Anyone can make a purchase that goes badly for them & anyone can have an experience in life where they lose some money. It happens to just about everyone at some stage.

[imastawka]

---

@le-jac1 wrote:

---

@kopenhagen5 wrote:

If a case with eBay fails a case with PayPal can be opened but not the other way around.

eBay require proof delivery in a case, PayPal only need proof of postage.

---

I checked the paypal Seller Protection policy:

If a buyer files a claim, chargeback or reversal against you, we’ll place a temporary hold on the funds in your PayPal account. This’s done to ensure that you’re aware of this and there are sufficient funds available to cover the full amount of the claim, chargeback or reversal.

To resolve the case, you need to submit the necessary documents required in the Resolution Center. We’ll also need the following documents from you as proof of postage:

• For an unauthorized transaction, proof of shipment is required.
• For items not received where the transaction value is less than US$750, proof of shipment is required. For items not received where the transaction value is equal to or greater than US$750, proof of delivery with signature confirmation is required.

---

Maybe USA Paypal, not Australian Paypal.

https://www.paypal.com/au/selfhelp/article/how-does-paypal-seller-protection-work-faq2645

[louisas_lines]

It is definitely possible to open an Item Not As Described after closing an Item Not Received case. No problem.

[lyndal1838]

You should not close the first dispute as it cannot be reopened.....you need to leave the dispute open until the item arrives and if it is not as descrribed there is a section to change the original dispute from not arrived to not as described.

[le-jac1]

An update on the 3rd of May:

I escalated the dispute on paypal on the 29th of April. I've been trying to contact with the seller but no response.

Paypal told me that they would keep me updated via email.

I haven't recieved any email from ebay nor paypal since I escalated the dispute.

I checked the resolution centre today and I got this: 

Status

The seller has responded to our request for tracking information. We haven’t confirmed the tracking information yet but wanted to share it with you.

• Not Applicable tracking # Not Applicable

What happens next

Please review the information and let us know how you would like to proceed.

If you've resolved the problem, you can cancel this claim at any time.

If you've received the item but it isn't as described by the seller, you can change the reason for your claim.

I chose to continue the claim. 

Yet I have not recieve any notifications about this required "Action". I think if I hadn't checked the resolution centre today and kept waiting for the email, the claim would be canceled after a few days and I could kiss my money good bye.