Want can be done about buyers with no feedback?

[sjef0900]

Hello!

I had a of trouble recently with a buyer. She ended up sending threats about coming around to my house and things. Terrible stuff!

The story is long but basically I printed the item number involved in the scandal on a forum thread. The lovely ebay community used this item number to research her buying and selling practices. It turned out she was buying second items on ebay and relisting them as new. She was also using photos from the original listings. I think others from the community contacted her and also reported the items that had fraudulent condition descriptions to ebay. This made her furious and she started sending ominous messages to my inbox about "big consequences" and "ripping off the wrong person" and of course the worst "I will knock on your door and collect the return post amount or get the jeans back.....its up to you...I can create a scene at your house if you want..." (I had paid the return amount a month ago - this was all just crazy scary stuff.)

Today I listed some new items. I had a watcher on all of them within minutes of posting. One item has a bid and that member also contacted me asking for a buy it now price. That member joined today and has no feedback history. I suspect this is a "burner" ID created by the person who has been harassing me - presumably to buy the item and cause further trouble.

I"m a low volume house house seller and not much ebay knowledge or experience. Naturally I have a few questions:

a) is there anyway I can link this buyer ID to the original buyer that is harassing me?

b) I have already added this new ID to my BBL - is there anything else I can do because she has already bid - lets say she bid $1000 that $40 dress will be hers...

c)is the best option to just end all my auctions and use gumtree instead?

Many thanks, I really appreciate the response I recieved from the community last time!

NB: The item with the bid was an item I also purchased second had on ebay - I have listed the condition as preloved and contacted the original seller out of courtesy. I'm not trying to make money on it - just I bought it for a specific occasion and don't think I will have another occasion for it, so am selling. Should I add that I originally purchased it on ebay in my description for fairness and full disclosure?

[sjef0900]

Gosh! I hope I don't sound too paranoid. Maybe I'm just jittery from the stuff she has been sending!

These are some extra details  - the original problem with the buyer was a item she requested a refund for 4 weeks after the sale. I honoured the refund and paid returned postage - she kept the item and listed it for sale with an inflated price. I reported the item and queried ebay about the member. She did send the item back a week ago - after many aggrevated messages.

[*tippy*toes*]

Until the buyer wins the auction, I don't think there's any way you can link the accounts if it's hers. Do you have buyer requirement blocks in place to block accounts that haven't been phone verified? If it is a new account, and it is hers, she may not have phone verified it.

If you really think it's her causing trouble, you have a couple of options. Let the auction run its course and see if that account wins it. If it does turn out to be her, I would immediately contact eBay and tell them that she has created a new account to bypass your blocks and with the sole intention of trashing your feedback. In the event she does then leave bad feedback, you can contact them again and request it be removed on those grounds.

The other option is to cancel the bid. As you have already added that buyer to your blocked list, they won't be able to rebid.

Go into that buyers feedback page and then click on "view ID history". If they have changed the ID name, it will show what the original eBay issued username was, which is usually a shortened name. For example, John Smith might be "joh-smi". You may be able to see from that if it matches the name you got when she bought the last item.

I would also be contacting the police and reporting her for harrassment. You could contact the police closest to her. Ask them if you can email or fax a copy of all the correspondence between you so they can see the threats she's made. I think that would get them to listen more than if you just told them over the phone. You could also take her to court for harrassment and even take out an AVO against her.

[saarzi]

You can cancel the bid, as well as block the ID.

You cant link the ID's, but Ebay and Paypal probably can through her credit card details etc.

Id CALL Ebay and ask to speak to a supervisor and tell them whats happening and report her. Dont end it there though.

If it was me, I'd also contact her and tell her if you suspect shes stalking you in any way whatsoever, youll report her to ACORN and the police... and if she threatens you, or you suspect shes created any other ID's, DO EXACTLY THAT. Go into the police station (her local one if youre close enough), and talk to them. Ask if they can drop into her place in person to let her know that you are serious (theyve done that type of thing for me before), tell them you want something formal, in writing, even if she isnt charged with anything, just so theres a history.

Obviously shes stupid enough to think this doesnt work both ways. She knows who you are, but you also have all her details, and considering shes the one making the threats, you can make her life worse than she can make yours.

Dont end all your auctions because of some lame twit - if you do, shes won.

Re: buying and reselling on Ebay. It doesnt matter where you buy something. You are able to buy and sell any of your belongings, without disclosing where you got it from. You can also make profit on it if you chose. You bought it, your item, you can do with it as you please. Its NOT unethical, and thousands of sellers do that. Dont list that you bought it here etc etc. thats a bit weird, and I think itll put buyers off (it would put me off, wondering why youre doing that).  

[harley_babes_hoard]

In addition to above. don't forget to keep copies of all correspondence she sends and try to keep it all through ebay messages. This will be evidence if this "buyer" should be silly enough to keep harassing you.

If she is silly enough, she could find herself banned from ebay forever never allowed to sell or buy as they can track her IP address.

[kopenhagen5]

I remember the thread but can't find it. (If it's the same one)

Everyone was amazed how the member could sell as new at high mark up when purchased second hand.

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

---

@*tippy*toes* wrote:

Until the buyer wins the auction, I don't think there's any way you can link the accounts if it's hers. Do you have buyer

---

now I know that joe generally replies to posts that use his name, so . . . . . joe . . . . . joe . . . . . joe . . . . this Opening Poster needs your help matching eBay IDs and seeing if they are the same person.

I know you don't want to post the website you know of that can match IDs if there is a link between them, but if this Opening Poster that may be dealing with a deranged member was to Private Message the two IDs to you could you check on that site you know if there is a link?  That would really help this seller.

In fact, if you made the website public it would help many sellers, but I understand you don't want to do that.

Cheers joe, be a sport and message this seller please.  If you do this I will refer to you as "superjoe" for the rest of January.

[joethenuts]

i have given it out to members i can trust , sorry others should google it , as always  it will kick me back on my but.  if a problem ocurs, and you know my feelings on these web sites , they should all be banned. even the one i know off  and also the one you know about , but thats my opinion. this op is acusing a person who bid to be some else , because some one bid on her item. 

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

thanks for replying joe.  This OP is accusing the zero feedback new member of being the same person who bought an item from her and complained about its condition despite listing it for on-sale as "New - without tags" at double or more than the price she paid.

I don't want you to give her the site, just find out from her through Private Messages what the two IDs are, then put them into your site and see if they are the same person or have a link, then let the OP know through Private message.  I can't see that there is any downside for you in doing this . . . . . .unless the site does not exist and you are unable to help!

Cheers joe, and remember, I will refer to you as "superjoe" for the remainder of this month if you can help out the OP with this.

[joethenuts]

you have been here long enough to understand that buyers and sellers have ids for a reason , so you want me to expose an id that might or might not be the same person, think about if it was you who bid on her item should other people know who you are, please. 

i dont know this seller from a bar of soap , if she is curious  she can contact ebay who can match it , even they prob wont give that info out  its private,  capise private info,

also the last 2 things i was asked to prove kicked me on my butt,  ala prove courier times   remember  also prove buyers allowed to pick up any order   the bearded one.  

if you want to give your website to others thats your business, but you know my feelings about that.