Ebay doesn't care if a seller repeatedly threatens physical violence

Does Ebay care if members abuse others and repeatedly threaten physical violence? I have to answer No, they definitely don't.  I made a small purchase and when the order arrived only half of what I ordered was in the envelope. I sent the seller a polite message and asked if he would send the remainder. He replied that he would. Shortly after I received a nessage from  Paypal telling me that I'd been given a refund. I told the seller I would have rather he send the missing parts. The seller immediately launched into a volley of fould language and threats of physical violence in over 40 emails which he continued to send until after 2am the next morning.

 

He told me he was flying up the next day to "Smash me" and teach me a lesson. He also told me he was arranging for his friends to pay me a visit. He rang my wife and abused her when she told him I was ill in bed and suddenly he assumed I was a schoolboy and my Wife was actually my Mother. He told me he was going to be waiting at the school gate the following Friday. His emails were gradually turning into more and more threats and more strange. He was flying up the day before, the following day, the following week and on Friday. I was getting the impression he had completely lost it. He informed me he was the one who would start it and it wouldn't be over until he saud it was over.

 

Things were turning into a nightmare so I rang the police. Three police officers turned and interviewed me and took copies of the emails. They showed great concern but obviously they couldn't really put my wife and myself under protection for a week.  Basically I was told there little I could do apart from getting an AVO at the local courthouse. They advised me to contact Ebay and if possible get the seller's name and address, I already knew this wasn't possible, but I did go ahead and inform them of the situation. They told me they would be taking action and in no way do they allow anyone to threaten members. My only course of action was to leave feedback telling others what had happened in just a few words.

 

I wrote to the seller as the police suggested and told him the police had been contacted. Very quickly he replied saying things like "us servicemen should stick together" and he loved me and only got upset because of his PTSD. He had mentioned earlier that he was an ex- commando in the SAS. Personally I found this hard to believe, SAS personell are taught to handle conflicts, and nothing he said earlier appeared to be done with any hint of self control. But obviously the mention of police made him change his tune, even though he said he could handle them with no worries. I'm 70 years of age and my Wife is 73 neither of us had any sleep and to be honest we were scared. The police promised to keep sending a car past our house and if anything happened to use the Medialert I have. 

 

So I left the negative feedback, I could hardly leave any positive, even though he sent me the missing parts and a full refund. At no stage did I encourage his behaviour, in fact in all I sent only 4 emails total. Ebay in their wisdom decided to remove my negative feedback and he's happily selling. Possibly because he pleaded it was his supposed PTSD which caused the problem. I'll definitely remember that one, PTSD made me do it. So Ebay believed him with no proof, just his word. It makes no difference if he thought I was a schoolboy and was silling to take me apart at the school gate. No, I'm a disable war veteran on a war service pension, confined to bed. 

Message 1 of 43
Latest reply
42 REPLIES 42

Re: Ebay doesn't care if a seller repeatedly threatens physical violence

 

"Multiple problems,Foul language and threats,batter doesn't work BAD Seller".

 

 

Good day to you,

 

Is the above neg that you left the one to which this post refers?

 

 

Message 11 of 43
Latest reply

Re: Ebay doesn't care if a seller repeatedly threatens physical violence

Looks like the neg was there all the time, then.

Message 12 of 43
Latest reply

Re: Ebay doesn't care if a seller repeatedly threatens physical violence

Hi stawks,

 

Perhaps...if that is the neg that the OP is referencing....it was there when the OP first posted...idk

 

jmo...after being refunded & receiving the outstanding portion(s) of the item & bearing in mind the messages sent by the full of spite & hot air seller I would not have further inflamed the situation...I would have left no fb & moved on.

Message 13 of 43
Latest reply

Re: Ebay doesn't care if a seller repeatedly threatens physical violence

Ah, but I like to throw in the ferret, so to speak.

 

I don't like it when sellers think they can get away with vile and nasty intimidation.

 

But that does look like the neg that the OP is referencing.

 

Which means all this was for nought.

 

Even though the seller said item wasn't working, the OP's neg stated it wasn't???

 

I give up.

Message 14 of 43
Latest reply

Re: Ebay doesn't care if a seller repeatedly threatens physical violence

Isn't it funny to watch when people make assumptions? I would have thought it better to ask before going off half cocked. And of course I'd complain about a neg being removed when it's actually there all the time.  Sort of sounds as if I'm being called a liar doesn't it?

 

Seeing as I how I complained about a neg being removed isn't it hard to imagine I'd do that when it's perfectly clear it wasn't? I would have thought it logical to assume that wasn't the auction I was referring to. And indeed it wasn't, That was an entirely different auction where the seller sold me a battery which was a clone and as the neg implies, it didn't work. AS for actually leaving the Neg, it was done well after the incident, after I'd spoken to both the police and Ebay.  Ebay advises all buyers to leave negative feedback if there was something about the sale which is worth mentioning to future customers. I believe that's why Ebay gives us the choice of leaving feedback. 

 

I believe I'd be doing fellow buyers a disservice if I didn't leave appropriate feedback or didn't leave feedback at all. I thought the seller deserved negative feedback and believe me I spent a lot of time deciding if I should leave it or not. But I decided I should and Ebay retracted it the following day. And that gives me the impression Ebay doesn't care if someone threatens and abuses a member. I would have thought they'd look into why I left the feedback and if the seller deserved it or not. Surely they don't simply retract it because a member asks them to.

Message 15 of 43
Latest reply

Re: Ebay doesn't care if a seller repeatedly threatens physical violence

If we are then talking about 2 different transactions and 2 different negs, you have twice been assailed by "foul language and threats" from sellers.

You have been dead stiff.

Message 16 of 43
Latest reply

Re: Ebay doesn't care if a seller repeatedly threatens physical violence

Whatever the hell "dead stiff" is supposed to imply. Why not use "normal" language and not local slang. Most people understand ordinary English.

 

If by chance you mean I've been unlucky, yes I have, but it doesn't stop there. I purchased a DJI Phantom from Gumtree after being told it worked perfectly and when it arrived it requires 2 new motors and 2 new electronic speed controllers. I purchased a GoPro camera which was needing a new display, after arriving I discovered it needed more than just a display. Finally I purchased a circuit board with Flight controller fitted, it never arrived and the seller was attempting to sell it 2 weeks later, also on Gumtree.

 

All of these problem buys are spread over 4 months and thankfully interspersed with normal and easily handled purchases. Obviously people here seem to enjoy digging in one's past, so I thought they'd be interested in a few facts prior to jumping to the inevitable conclusions. So if you mean by "Dead Stiff" I've been unlucky, yes it would appear I have.  The outcome of these buys has been never to use Gumtree unless the seller uses Paypal. Sadly it seems the majority of Gumtree sellers refuse to use it and to me that could only mean one of two things,

 

One: they've listened to and believed the many urban myths associated with using Paypal or

 

Two: They know that if they use Paypal and misrepresent the item they're selling they stand to lose the money they received and possibly the item as well.

 

Luckily the idiot who refused to send the item I purchased did use Paypal and I have lodged a complaint with them. I might also add the exact same thing happened to me just prior to last Christmas. Because of that problem I now refuse to use bank deposit.

 

Now that's all in the open I ask people to stick with my original post and stop going off on tangents, past buys on Ebay have nothing to do with this case.  Thank you.

Message 17 of 43
Latest reply

Re: Ebay doesn't care if a seller repeatedly threatens physical violence

"Whatever the hell "dead stiff" is supposed to imply. Why not use "normal" language and not local slang. Most people understand ordinary English."

 

 

"Luckily the idiot who refused to send the item"

 

 

Interesting reply to a poster who was merely asking a question & seeking some clarifaction...a couple of more posts may reveal what set of the seller in your OP.

 

 

 

 

" I ask people to stick with my original post and stop going off on tangents,"

 

 

I guess you reserve the right do so...that's quite ok...it is a discussion board.

 

 

 

 

 

Message 18 of 43
Latest reply

Re: Ebay doesn't care if a seller repeatedly threatens physical violence

I can count the number of threats I used to get on both my hands lol,just all hot air.

Biggest problem for OP is that he kept on reading the carp the seller sent him,why?

Curiosity perhaps or no self control?

Don't bloody read any threatening mail is the answer and then you won't need to worry about sellers with big mouths seriously.

No seller is going to turn up or get some mates to come pay a visit it's just scare mongering.

Message 19 of 43
Latest reply

Re: Ebay doesn't care if a seller repeatedly threatens physical violence


@*bmw_rider* wrote:

Whatever the hell "dead stiff" is supposed to imply. Why not use "normal" language and not local slang. Most people understand ordinary English


You must be kidding, get fair dinkum.

Message 20 of 43
Latest reply