scammed

[2010scrimo]

I purchased a new Iphone SE as a back up phone for when my current phone failed me, purchased November 2018 but ony just decided to start using it, THe new phone was sent to me from a wharehouse in Australia but it turns out that the seller is a Hong Kong based company...

Turns out the phone that was sold to me was made for the American market and was not supposed to be sold in Australia therefor Apple would not honor any warrenty and would not repair the phone, even at my expense ( really poor signal strength to a point where it is on SOS calls most of the time) I contacted the seller and they would not help in any way, contacted Ebay, they also would not offer any help

Fair Trading cant do anythin as the seller is based overseas

I am  left with a brand new unused Iphone that never should have been sold to me here in Australia, its a $300 paperweight.

[kopenhagen5]

Yes, the pitfalls of buying electronics online unless it's from one of the big known retailers.

Buy cheap, get cheap.

[collect247]

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@2010scrimo wrote:

I purchased a new Iphone SE as a back up phone for when my current phone failed me, purchased November 2018 but ony just decided to start using it, THe new phone was sent to me from a wharehouse in Australia but it turns out that the seller is a Hong Kong based company...

Turns out the phone that was sold to me was made for the American market and was not supposed to be sold in Australia therefor Apple would not honor any warrenty and would not repair the phone, even at my expense ( really poor signal strength to a point where it is on SOS calls most of the time) I contacted the seller and they would not help in any way, contacted Ebay, they also would not offer any help

Fair Trading cant do anythin as the seller is based overseas

I am  left with a brand new unused Iphone that never should have been sold to me here in Australia, its a $300 paperweight.

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I'm stunned at why you didn't even try and start the phone when you first got it?

Ebay MBG is 30 days and PayPal is 180 days for future reference.

I don't know perhaps you can sell it on ebay.us.

I keep telling every one not to buy iphones from overseas as they don't work in AU

[davewil1964]

What's your question?

No warranty for an item bought from an overseas seller is enforceable in Australia.

eBay's MBG expires 30 days after delivery.

Paypal protection expires 180 days after the transaction.

I haven't heard of any bank that will entertain a chargeback after about 6 months.

Most warranties are only for 12 months, anyway.

Due diligence, including, but not limited to -

Where is a seller REGISTERED?

Check the item/s upon receipt, not 14 months later.

Don't buy electronics online, especially phones (as Kopes said).

How did the price compare to the same phone from Apple? Apple don't discount, so no supplier is going to be able to sell for much less than them.

[2010scrimo]

The listing said it was located in Australia therefore I presumed I was purchasing a phone that was fit for Australia

[sandypebbles]

The listing can say anything, it dos not make true

More importantly, where was the seller registered and what was their feedback like?

[2010scrimo]

It wasnt a question, rather a statement of what happened

Ebay does not seem to care that a seller is selling phones in Australia that are destined for the American market

I couldnt compare the price as apple is no longer selling the SE

As the phone was located in Australia and new I thought I was purchasing a phone that would work properly in Australia

[collect247]

The phone was not located in Australia at all it's a trick the Chinese use if you don't know what you're looking for.

Always check where the seller is registered which would show as China/Hong Kong

[*tippy*toes*]

$300 for a brand new iPhone? Surely that alone should have rung alarm bells for you. You weren't scammed, you stuffed up, there's a difference. At best, you would have got some refurbished thing. At worst, a cheap Chinese knock off that was probably never going to work anywhere in the world.

An expensive mistake to learn. Hopefully the take home lesson from this is to do your homework before making a purchase in future. As already mentioned, check where the seller is registered, NOT where they say the item is located. Always check feedback. Never buy phones or other expensive electronic equipment on eBay. You won't get a warranty, and they could burn your house down.

Did you really think you were going to get a brand new iPhone for $300? Even a child would know that was never going to be the real deal.

If it were me, I'd be listing it on eBay for sale, using the "for parts or not working" option for "condition". You might get something for it. I would list it at auction with a starting bid of $100 for 7 days. I'm assuming you have all the accessories with it? It's the only chance you have of getting anything back for it. No-one else is going to help you after this long.

[2010scrimo]

Sorry I mentioned it,