eBay

shyaus_15 · ‎24-10-2020

I suspect I’m dealing with a scammer.

I purchased a kit of modelling sets from a seller supposedly in Germany who is now giving me the runaround about posting my purchase. I’m in Australia.

What started out as seemingly legitimate has begun ringing alarm bells.

First the seller requested more postage costs. Then they wanted more money to cover PayPal fees. After that, I asked them to please send my original purchase.

Now today, the seller has offered me extra items. I said that I was only interested in extra items IF there were no more extra costs associated and I got an extremely rude response back.

I have tried to be civil throughout our correspondence but am naturally getting increasingly frustrated as this runaround back and forth delaying posting the original items I bought in the original listing.

I have asked the seller politely again to kindly post my purchase but I doubt that they will.

I don’t know whether to report the seller to eBay at this point.

Advice please.

kopenhagen5 · ‎24-10-2020

Germany has not been able to post to Australia using regular mail for 6 months.

I am still waiting for an item to be sent I purchased in May from one of my regular sellers in Germany.

Australia:
Shipments containing goods to Australia (i.e. DHL Paket International, Päckchen International and Warenpost International) can no longer be accepted due to problems with transport, customs clearance and / or delivery in the destination area until further notice.

There is the express courier service available but it costs a small fortune.

springyzone · ‎24-10-2020

What was the estimated date or arrival? You'll see it if you look back at the original ad.

Once that date has passed, don't bother with more messages to the seller, open a proper ebay claim for item not received. You'll need to follow it up as the seller is given time to provide details eg tracking number. By the sounds of it, your seller won't be able to do that and so a few days later, you'll be able to press on with the claim and should get your money back.

It doesn't matter how many messages the seller sends offering you this and that and trying to delay things, the bottom line is once you have purchased something, they need to get it to you within the nominated time frame or soon after. It really is not on either for a seller to ask for extra to cover postage or paypal fees after a sale. You weren't bound to pay them by the way. It sounds to me like a very inexperienced seller.

If an ebay claim doesnt work (although i think in this case an ebay claim would see you get a refund) there is then paypal. Try ebay first though.

I think you will most likely get the original purchase price & postage cost refunded in an ebay (or paypal) claim. But those extras you paid, I am not so sure about them. Maybe one of the sellers on the boards will be able to give you more details about that as I am really not sure what happens here, even given you probably have the info in your messages.

Still, having the majority of the money refunded is way better than getting nothing.

jellybirddesigns · ‎24-10-2020

Gosh, I was hoping you didn't actually fall for that nonsense of asking for more funds for "postage" and seller fees in Paypal are the responsibility of the seller, not you.

You'll possibly see those funds again as they are separate to your transaction. You should only ever pay what is asked for in the listing.

What I would firstly do is open a case for "Item Not received" as soon as you are able to do so.

Depending on how you funded the transaction and the additonal funds, you have 2 paths. If all the funds came from money you had in PP, then try and contact them to say that you have been scammed for additional funds and want their assistance.

If the money came from a credit card via Paypal, then contact your bank for a chargeback.

You could even contact the seller one final time and tell them you intend to initiate a chargeback anyway and see if that scares them into just refunding you everything. Usually there is a cost to the seller as a "chargeback" fee, so they would want to avoid it.

audio-spot · ‎24-10-2020

As kopenhagen has advised, the seller probably didn't realise that they were not able to send to Australia with the cheaper option (Deutsche Post). The seller would have been better to communicate this directly to you. Perhaps English is not their main language?

Now is not the time to be purchasing from Germany. Just ask the seller for a refund.

Were you buying some Noch items (the brand with so much great stuff)?

*tippy*toes* · ‎25-10-2020

@audio-spot wrote:
As kopenhagen has advised, the seller probably didn't realise that they were not able to send to Australia with the cheaper option (Deutsche Post). The seller would have been better to communicate this directly to you. Perhaps English is not their main language?

Now is not the time to be purchasing from Germany. Just ask the seller for a refund.

Were you buying some Noch items (the brand with so much great stuff)?

Ya think? A German seller in Germany? Perhaps indeed.

digital*ghost · ‎25-10-2020

I wouldn't assume scammer, personally, though they are not handling the situation as well as they could, by sounds of it (just as an FYI - sellers in Germany have always been able to add PayPal fees on top of the sale price, including postage; PayPal initially had a requirement in most countries that users had to agree to where they wouldn't impose the fees on to buyers using PayPal as a payment method, but they could not have that stipulation in Germany due to [I think] banking regulations, and it has since been redacted in Australia as well, though I believe eBay Aus at least has a policy where the extra fees can not be imposed).

I've told people from overseas who are interested in purchasing my items that postage is more cost effective when buying multiple items, so it's at least plausible the seller was trying to reach a compromise with the additional postage costs (as in, not necessarily pay more for postage, but maybe buy a couple of extra items so the additional expense is more worthwhile - not saying it's a strategy I would use, or even that this is likely what they were thinking, just that the communication issues may have made the seller's actions seem more ill-intentioned than they could be).

At this stage, though, either way I would be inclined to request the transaction be cancelled and my money fully refunded, as even if they are just trying not to lose money on a transaction where costs are higher than they anticipated (the best case scenario from what you've described), that's ultimately the seller's problem and if they are not willing to send the items at the initial purchase and postage price, trying to "upsell" or ask for more money is typically the last thing they should do.