Pre-Ordered Item has not arrived

[clothes-and-pkmncard]

So I made a pre-order for an item in November 2021 with an expected release date in March 2022.

I got around to checking the status of the order and it seems as though the listing for this item is no longer active. I tried to ask the seller about the status of the order and eBay showed an error "Sorry, we did not find your item in our system"

I went through the help centre and attempted to complete the "Report an item that hasn't arrived" but it looks like the furthest back I can search for purchased items is December 2021.

What are my options here? I would love to contact eBay Support to help resolve this but there isn't a single option in the help centre for me to select.

[countessalmirena]

Firstly, to solve the immediate problem… just change the date range of your purchases in your purchase history. (Drop-down option.)

Can you see the transaction there?

Once it’s clear that your purchase is showing, your should be able to open a claim for full refund on the basis of INR. (I’m assuming that the EDD - the Estimated Delivery Date - has recently passed. Don’t let it go any longer. eBay’s Money Back Guarantee has a timeframe; you must lodge a claim within 30 days of the EDD - not a second later.)

Can you find the purchase and tell us the EDD?

[clothes-and-pkmncard]

Hi countessalmirena,

From the "Report an item that hasn't arrived" in the help centre, the furthest back I can select from is December 2021 - there is no option to change date ranges here, only a "Load more items" button that disappears when December purchases are loaded.

From my Purchase History page, I can see the item and view the order details. Unfortunately when I click on the item link, it takes me to an error page stating "It looks like this page is missing" (when I do the same in the app, it shows a similar error).
The order details page shows: time order was placed, order total, item number, order number, delivery address. It was marked as posted a few day after I made the order in November 2021, and the return window closed on 22 JAN 2022.

Recent purchases in my Purchase History list have a "more actions" option, but this item doesn't.

[jellybirddesigns]

Pre-orders have to be shipped within 30 days, according to Ebay policy, but is sounds more like you've been scammed. After all, it was marked as posted a few days after the order, even though it wasn't supposed to be released until March? Also, it doesn't seem like there is a tracking number.

What was the item? Hopefully not something expensive.

If you paid via Paypal, you can open a dispute there as you have 180 days from purchase.

Alternatively, you can raise a chargeback with your CC company.

[clothes-and-pkmncard]

Thanks, that's good to know. I'll give the seller a little more time to respond.

It's a $30 electric toy accessory.

I did pay with paypal and still within 180 days, so likely will follow that path if unable to resolve with the seller.

I'm not too sure just yet if I've been scammed as the seller seems to be reputable. We'll see!

[countessalmirena]

A seller who lists a presale item with a lead time so far beyond the permitted time is not reputable.

If I were to venture a guess, your “reputable” seller has a feedback score that seems high…? For a high-volume seller, 99.5% is the lowest I – and many others on these boards – would consider adequate.

Don’t delay. I’d get on to eBay Live Chat right now and ask if the CS rep can immediately open a case now. If the CS rep cannot do so, and there is some sort of “reason” why not, I would then immediately open a PayPal case. Remember that PayPal’s timeframe starts from the date of transaction, not the expected date of delivery, so while you do still have time, it’s not as much as you might think.

There is literally no point in waiting. I agree - it reeks of scam.

[papermoon.lady]

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@clothes-and-pkmncard wrote:

Thanks, that's good to know. I'll give the seller a little more time to respond.

It's a $30 electric toy accessory.

I did pay with paypal and still within 180 days, so likely will follow that path if unable to resolve with the seller.

I'm not too sure just yet if I've been scammed as the seller seems to be reputable. We'll see!

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If you purchased the item in November, you don't have much time left (particularly if it was the beginning of November). Don't miss the PayPal deadline while giving the seller more time to respond. And don't wait until the last day, as anything could happen, like a problem with the Internet. It looks like a scam anyway to me.

[jellybirddesigns]

Why wait for a seller response and why give them the benefit of the doubt? It's your hard earned money and dodgy sellers who know that the time frame for opening disputes has passed are under no obligation to respond.

By putting a "due date" of March, the seller hopes that buyers will not be savvy enough to know the ground rules of Ebay. 

Open a case today and take the stance that the seller is a scammer. They might come back to you only AFTER you have opened an Item Not Received case via Paypal and they might even tell you that they will send another item if you close the case. They will never do so, so stick with it until you get a refund.

[clothes-and-pkmncard]

Thanks for your insight!

Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a Live Chat function for Ebay. I was expecting to be able to find it through the help options in Ebay's help center but that doesn't seem to be the case.

I will open an Item not Received case through PayPal.

And also thanks to everyone else for their knowledge and assistance here!

[countessalmirena]

eBay chat:

https://www.ebay.com.au/help/contact_us?id=4042&st=10