What to do?

[semlon]

I paid for and "purchased" an item before 5.30am.     I got a message just under an hour later saying thank you.

More than FIVE hours later, I got a message saying the item is not available and saying they would help me to cancel.

This is unacceptable as it seems the item either did not exist or did but was sold to someone else AFTER I paid. (there has been no contact by the seller since to say what happened or on anything) and since the item is a battery charger and I had already purchased a battery elsewhere, I will not be able to use the battery now (and I would have gone elsewhere).

I am NOT going to request to cancel on principal 

The money should have been refunded immediately to my account as cash so I could use it again.

I want to bring this up with Ebay (for them to examine if the same item WAS sold to someone else AFTER I paid.

This is not huge money but I am more likely going to have to consider it as theft.

I guess there is no way to contact Ebay over this yet?

[kopenhagen5]

You can only use chat with eBay as their call centre is closed due to Covid-19.

But they will just tell you that the seller is probably out of stock and didn't realise.

When it is cancelled you get a refund back to the funding source.

Even though it is poor form by the seller, not much else you can do.

We all make mistakes sometimes.

[tazzieterror]

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@semlon wrote:

...

This is not huge money but I am more likely going to have to consider it as theft.

...

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This is NOT theft so I'm going to have consider this post as RIDICULOUS.

Given all the things happening in the world today, an out-of-stock battery charger shouldn't even register on the scale of "worth chucking a public tantrum over".

All the foot-stomping in the world won't cause the charger to miraculously appear back in stock, and you can't compain about not getting a refund if you're not willing accept an order cancellation! 

And refunds are processed in the same way that payment was originally made.

Good luck with your protest!

[papermoon.lady]

Sometimes I have also seen sellers who sell  the same items on other sites (same username, sama rare vintage items), so apparently this is allowed. In general on eBay an item shows as out of stock once the last item is sold. But the seller could have made a mistake in the number of available items. Or maybe they sold the item somewhere else.

[davewil1964]

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@semlon wrote:

I paid for and "purchased" an item before 5.30am.     I got a message just under an hour later saying thank you.

More than FIVE hours later, I got a message saying the item is not available and saying they would help me to cancel.

This is unacceptable as it seems the item either did not exist or did but was sold to someone else AFTER I paid. (there has been no contact by the seller since to say what happened or on anything) and since the item is a battery charger and I had already purchased a battery elsewhere, I will not be able to use the battery now (and I would have gone elsewhere).

I am NOT going to request to cancel on principal 

The money should have been refunded immediately to my account as cash so I could use it again.

I want to bring this up with Ebay (for them to examine if the same item WAS sold to someone else AFTER I paid.

This is not huge money but I am more likely going to have to consider it as theft.

I guess there is no way to contact Ebay over this yet?

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You purchased an item BEFORE 5.30AM and are surprised the seller took 5 hours to contact you? On a Saturday?

Not everybody gets up before dawn on a Saturday (or any day) to start work.

Get your charger from somewhere else. Maybe a shop. Or the person you bought the battery from.

[4channel]

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semlon

(235 ) View Listings

Community Member

Posts: 1

Registered: 8 hours ago

What to do?[ Edited ]

8 hours ago - last edited 8 hours ago

I paid for and "purchased" an item before 5.30am.     I got a message just under an hour later saying thank you.

More than FIVE hours later, I got a message saying the item is not available and saying they would help me to cancel.

This is unacceptable as it seems the item either did not exist or did but was sold to someone else AFTER I paid. (there has been no contact by the seller since to say what happened or on anything) and since the item is a battery charger and I had already purchased a battery elsewhere, I will not be able to use the battery now (and I would have gone elsewhere).

I am NOT going to request to cancel on principal 

The money should have been refunded immediately to my account as cash so I could use it again.

I want to bring this up with Ebay (for them to examine if the same item WAS sold to someone else AFTER I paid.

This is not huge money but I am more likely going to have to consider it as theft.

I guess there is no way to contact Ebay over this yet?

---

Hi semion. I'm sorry to hear of your dilemma. I know how frustrating it can be when you purchase an item and then find out it's not available. I'd just like some clarification though, you are talking about a "Buy it Now" purchase and not an auction you bid on and won right?

The post below by papermoon. lady gives an account of what may have taken place.

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papermoon.lady

(529 ) View Listings

Community Member

Posts: 495

Registered: ‎07-02-2006

Re: What to do?[ Edited ]

in reply to semlon

7 hours ago - last edited 7 hours ago

Sometimes I have also seen sellers who sell  the same items on other sites (same username, sama rare vintage items), so apparently this is allowed. In general on eBay an item shows as out of stock once the last item is sold. But the seller could have made a mistake in the number of available items. Or maybe they sold the item somewhere else.

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4channel

Community Member
Kudos: 1
Kudo date: 2 hours ago

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Yes papermooon.lady,  I've come across this too. The seller's usually have to be on the ball though. Just using a website like Music Stack for example. A seller with the same kind of name that you described  an item and within a few hours the item on eBay had closed.

@semion, perhaps you could leave a neutral feedback explaining what had happened.  Personally I'm not a great fan of sellers who list on multiple sites with the same inventory. Yours could be that kind of issue.

[4channel]

I paid for and "purchased" an item before 5.30am.     I got a message just under an hour later saying thank you.

More than FIVE hours later, I got a message saying the item is not available and saying they would help me to cancel.

This is unacceptable as it seems the item either did not exist or did but was sold to someone else AFTER I paid. (there has been no contact by the seller since to say what happened or on anything) and since the item is a battery charger and I had already purchased a battery elsewhere, I will not be able to use the battery now (and I would have gone elsewhere).

I am NOT going to request to cancel on principal 

The money should have been refunded immediately to my account as cash so I could use it again.

I want to bring this up with Ebay (for them to examine if the same item WAS sold to someone else AFTER I paid.

This is not huge money but I am more likely going to have to consider it as theft.

I guess there is no way to contact Ebay over this yet?

[4channel]

Sometimes I have also seen sellers who sell  the same items on other sites (same username, sama rare vintage items), so apparently this is allowed. In general on eBay an item shows as out of stock once the last item is sold. But the seller could have made a mistake in the number of available items. Or maybe they sold the item somewhere else.

[4channel]

Also give it another try and ask seller what happened. explain your dismay while being courteous and mention about the charger etc.

[4channel]

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* * *

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@semlon wrote:

I paid for and "purchased" an item before 5.30am.     I got a message just under an hour later saying thank you.

More than FIVE hours later, I got a message saying the item is not available and saying they would help me to cancel.

This is unacceptable as it seems the item either did not exist or did but was sold to someone else AFTER I paid. (there has been no contact by the seller since to say what happened or on anything) and since the item is a battery charger and I had already purchased a battery elsewhere, I will not be able to use the battery now (and I would have gone elsewhere).

I am NOT going to request to cancel on principal 

The money should have been refunded immediately to my account as cash so I could use it again.

I want to bring this up with Ebay (for them to examine if the same item WAS sold to someone else AFTER I paid.

This is not huge money but I am more likely going to have to consider it as theft.

I guess there is no way to contact Ebay over this yet?

---

 @davewil1964 wrote:

'You purchased an item BEFORE 5.30AM and are surprised the seller took 5 hours to contact you? On a Saturday?

Not everybody gets up before dawn on a Saturday (or any day) to start work.

Get your charger from somewhere else. Maybe a shop. Or the person you bought the battery from.

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Well someone was awake to thank you or was that an auto-generated message that semion got within the hour?

[tazzieterror]

Honestly 4channel, what is the point in these ridiculous quotations? You're spamming the page with multiple copies of messages that take up 5x the space of a normal quote and for what? Making it it difficult for everyone to read?

You harp on to others about showing courtesy - maybe if you showed a little yourself you might get some of that respect you're craving.

[danieh_6]

Have to agree with Kopen here.

Everyone makes mistakes.

Sellers fault, poor inventory management/ API not refreshing fast enough.

OP the seller has an automated message to thank you.

Then when the seller has actually logged onto his computer he is realized he is out of stock. You should give the seller a little bit of slack it was early in the morning all sellers are humans (at least I hope). So most have to live normally out side of eBay and aren't processing robots.

I understand your frustration but there's not much that can be done. When it's cancelled you get a refund back to the funding source.