This seller is one in a million - for all the wrong reasons

[lezned-toycollector]

For the record, all names other than my own have been changed and while the events are real, the names are purely fictitious.

I'm in the market for a fridge. I got the shortlist down to one of three. I ask questions of each seller as response times and content speak volumes. In the end I decide on a 420L Westinghouse. This was after the seller (let's call him shonky_galoptic) had agreed that pick up on Saturday 19th would be fine.

So I place a bid for $120, and guess what? Surprise, surprise... who could have ever guessed I'd win it for the starting price of $50?? I'm out of town when I win last weekend, but figure I'll make payment when I get home on Sunday night.

Well it didn't come to that. On Sunday arvo, I received the following message;

The seller cancelled this order due to the following reason: 'Buyer asked to cancel the order.'

You don't need to do anything else. 

This eBay member of 12 years experience, is pulling a swifty. Numerous messages were sent and ignored. Then I wake on Monday morning to an SMS saying his sister wants $100 for the fridge, so reply if I'm willing to meet that price. I check and see the fridge is relisted for $200.

My next step is appropriate feedback followed immediately by live chat (happy to provide excerpts upon request)

Here I thought was the end of it... but wait, there's more...

Wednesday morning around 7am, shonky_ galoptic sent me another message through eBay messages, asking me to pay him $50 outside eBay and asking when I could pick up the fridge... seriously??? This clown is definitely a couple of sandwiches short of a picnic. So I have a bit of fun with a reply as follows;

You were a complete and total jerk. You treated me like carp and screwed me over. You ignored the rules which are there to protect people like me from people like you. After showing complete disregard for eBay policy, you just made up your own rules to suit yourself.

You've got a hide contacting me again. You ought to be ashamed of yourself.

I really wanted that fridge, but I wouldn't buy it from you now - even if it were the last working fridge in the universe. In fact I wouldn't buy a single thing from you, and I truly hope nobody else ever does either.

You can stick your fridge where the sun don't shine!

Enjoy your feedback and the eBay sanctions... after all, you've truly earned them.

Don't ever contact me again, or you'll be reported for harassment. I'm sure that would go down really well following the defects recently placed on your account.

Then I reported him through live chat again. There was nothing but scripted C&P responses in this chat, and I'm thinking that's the end of it... once again, happy to provide excerpts upon request

Anyway, around midnight (Thursday morning) I'm working on a few drafts, and notice my score has increased. As always, I look to see which item has been delivered so I can update my records, and find no new comments.

So I check my feedback as a buyer and see this numpty has left me a false positive... and he's lying through his teeth yet again. Of course I didn't pay. There was nothing to pay for because he cancelled the sale. Or could he be using the eBay system to complain about me refusing to grease his palm outside of eBay?? I really don't care either way. He's achieved his goal of being reported once again as soon as live chat opens today.

Surely it would be much easier for him to just close his account, rather than going out of his way to act like a complete and total gronk so eBay will do it for him.

[repentatleisure1952]

It may take 90 days to close an account.... so it's not that simple.

Looks like a very infrequent seller  who lost the plot.

That feedback stating that you did not pay will be removed on request by eBay.

You certainly made your feelings known in the neg you left for them...lol

Hope you find a fridge.

[lezned-toycollector]

Update...

Live chat did something different this time around. They told me they've placed restrictions on the seller's account - but provided a list of restrictions, rather than identifying exactly which ones they imposed. They also removed the false positive comment, but left the green dot. 

Now here's the different bit. They gave me a case number as proof of action being taken against this seller's account. I've never had that happen before... well at least not in the last 15 or so years. Let's put it this way, it hasn't happened since I closed my PS accounts back in 2008, and cut ties with my account manager.

[janeababe]

Mate, unfortunately, there’s no cure for stupid…. And…unfortunately…. Most of them are here selling on eBay 😑

Flip side is, a lot of those twits also buy and then cry when the coin has flipped! 

Good luck with buying a fridge replacement. Personally, I wouldn’t be buying it off eBay. 

[padi*0409]

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@janeababe wrote:

Good luck with buying a fridge replacement. Personally, I wouldn’t be buying it off eBay. 

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I agree Jane, there's plenty on the local FB buy and sell groups - and I live in a small town of about 1500 people.

[springyzone]

Unbelievable that a person who had been on ebay that long would be so stupid.

I would be livid too if a seller cancelled a sale, blaming me and then gave me neg feedback. In fact I once was, for something similar, when a seller didn't have the item I had bought, sold us another instead (which we paid in cash on the spot as the original was for pick up) then gave neg feedback because he said we never paid for the original! Wow, was I livid.

I loved your feedback. It is an accurate summary and informative to any other buyers. The bit I can't get over is the seller trying to sell off ebay. One report of his messages and he must know he would be in trouble.

Good on you for reporting him and getting an undeserved false positive removed. And I loved your nick for him-shonky galoptic.😄😄

[davewil1964]

OP lives in a significant regional city. Probably even has access to B&M stores, which WOULD have new fridges, which the OP said they were after.

[domino-710]

Gosh - and one would probably get a legit warranty. 

[*sons_and_daughters*]

Personally, I'd be looking at Appliances Online. I can't fault them. I have bought quite a few things off them. Order at 8pm in remote NSW, arrive next morning at 10am, free shipping. Heck, they'll even take your old appliances away f you want! You still need to shop around though. While most of the time they are the cheapest, if one of the B&M stores is having a sale, it could be cheaper to go that way.

[papermoon.lady]

I have bought quite a few times from Appliances Online too. I really like the fact that they dispose of old appliances (my place is crammed enough as it is!), and their prices are quite good.