Guy trying to rip me off on freight

[meclazine]

I recently purchased an item in Perth, Western Australia.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/171070912924?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

Item lists in Perth, Western Australia, and the freight charge is $125.00

When I said I would pick it up, the item's freight was reduced to $75.00

When I said I would pick it up, the item's location changed to Esperance, 729km to the south east.

I have friends who own a business in Esperance, so I asked for it to be dropped off there, but now the location of the seller has changed to Kalgoorlie 380km again to the north.

I was going to let him know I also have friends in Kalgoorlie, but the actual product is allegedly situated in Esperance.

The seller is refusing to budge saying that he will not drop the item off at my friend's business in Esperance. He can only drop off the item at a courier once I have paid him $330.

But freight from Esperance to Perth would only be around $30, so he is ripping me off $50.

My question is, how does eBay operate in a circumstance where the freight is overquoted?

It was originally quoted (and still is) in Perth, Western Australia, so for a vintage case, I need to look at it to check it's authenticity.

After reading some of the slippery comments from the seller (who had 100% feedback) it has become pretty obvious that this wont be an original case, and he does not live in Esperance.

Is eBay so perversely degraded that people actually get away with behaving so dishonestly? 

[extra-keen]

Looks like he was offering Express shipping which may be much more expensive. I can't really offer you any advice on what to do. But sounds like a bit of a nightmare to me. Have you tried contacting him by phone. I think you can apply to ebay for his details. You may get a better outcome if you can talk to the seller. You have left negative feedback I noticed, that probably should be the very last resort. As a seller myself, my hackles would have risen slightly, although I have to say I would never - ever - intentinally stuff a customer around like that. Ring a courier company and ask them the cost of shipping such an item as that, then you may get a fair idea of the real cost.

Good luck and please do come back and tell us how you went with it.

[meclazine]

Guy just wrote back to me to say (essentially)

"You have to pay me all of the money for freight because if you dont, it's outside eBay policy."

"I will now move to cancel your bid as you have not paid me"

"P.S. You are right. I dont live in Esperance."

[meclazine]

Thanks Colleen,

The negative feedback is very warranted. It is not personal, but objective.

Cannot verify the vintage status of the item, and he has avoided repeated requests to provide a name or phone number.

He simply does not exist if this turns bad. And he certainly does not exist at Esperance.

I gave him my phone number, and he has no intentions of letting me check the item in Esperance through a friend.

He just admitted in the last email that he does not actually live in Esperance, hence the avoidance to drop it off at my friend's business there.

The freight costs are therefore a simple fraud.

I checked with Pack n Send, and they said that he can drop the item off there in Esperance, and they will get it to me for around $30-40.

What we have here is an imported copy of a Fender Bass case that cannot be verified physically in Perth by myself, because I will expose a fake Fender parts business being operated.

He keeps saying that I cannot ask for this stuff, because it is outside eBay policy.

Comments like "it eBay. not Gumtree. it eBay"

[bsal6160]

But you still bid on the item fully knowing what the seller was going to charge you for shipping? SO why complain about it now?

[retailtherapist_8]

Hi

While I can understand your frustration, I cant find anywhere in this sellers listing related to "pick up"as an option.

I agree this sellers customer service values seem to have evaded him completely. However unless prior to bidding you made arrangements with the Seller to pick the item up simply by bidding you have agreed to the terms and condtitions contained in the listing.

It is not beholding upon the seller to arrange any form of pick up available to you.

My guess and its only a guess is that this Seller is maybe a consigner of these particular items and may not have them in his possession. The costs incurred in his freight charges are to get the item from the consignee to the consigner and then the end buyer. Or from the consignee direct to the consigner. This would explain the evasive and confusing responses you are getting.

Personally I would get my money back & move on to a Seller who has  more customer service based terms of sale.

Good luck.  

.

[lyndal1838]

Did you ask if inspection and pick up was allowed before you bid?

You can not just assume that the seller will allow pick up.  It would have rung alarm bells if he had refused to allow inspection before the sale.

[meclazine]

It is a vintage case located in Perth according to the description. I think it's a fairly logical assumption that you would want to check it's validity and not pay $125 postage from someone in your home town.

He has admitted lying about the location to pretend there is an actual freight cost. That is called "fraud" in this country.

Regardless,

He has just dropped me less than 12 hours after buying it and relisted it:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Fender-Bass-case-Relisted-due-to-complications-from-Buyer-Last-Auction/17...

Have not even finished negotiating its transfer. 

[meclazine]

Retailtherapist wrote:

"My guess and its only a guess is that this Seller is maybe a consigner of these particular items and may not have them in his possession. The costs incurred in his freight charges are to get the item from the consignee to the consigner and then the end buyer. Or from the consignee direct to the consigner. This would explain the evasive and confusing responses you are getting."

That probably explains it. He does not even have a case.

Just an arrangement to sell them in Perth via mail. If that is the case, and it sounds amazingly accurate given the responses, then he should never listed the item's location in Perth. 

A bit of honesty goes a long way. 

[*new2vintage]

Always check to find out if you can arrange to pick up an item before you bid or use buy it now. The seller should not have relisted the case before at least trying to cancel the transaction but he may still be able to open a non paying bidder dispute against you and after he closes it your feedback will be removed.