Help!! What can i do about abusive & thretening seller?

[dewdrop24me]

My mum bought a necklace, that arrived in 4 pieces and couldn't be fixed up. Contacted seller, and is now being barraged by abusive, profanity filled emails. HOW can she stop their contact?

You go to the Ebay Help page - Reporting a member who is harassing you - yet it says you do NOT have the option to contact Ebay by phone or email about this. Then HOW are you supposed to report a member? He has even said - I know you're address, you don't mine.

My mum only occassionally buys items, but now she is really scared. any one give some advice?

[lyndal1838]

If the messages are coming through the ebay system there is a Report this email at the bottom of every message.

If it is coming to her private email address report to the senders ISP.

[digital*ghost]

Online abuse and harrassment like this can also be reported to the ACORN. http://www.acorn.gov.au/

However, even if vague, threats to personal safety are probably best reported directly to the police.

Recently, the 'report message' option seems to have disappeared for many, but if you click on the 'Help & Contact' link then follow the prompts, you should be provided with up to 3 options (email, call, or call me - the last one eBay will automatically call back at your registered phone number, but you'll still be on hold for a while). 

I personally would not engage any further with this person. If you need to file a dispute for not as described, keep any communication simple, to the point and factual. (Obviously the seller doesn't realise you can get their address with the click of the button, and in cases of item not as described requests via eBay, one has to be provided as the return address, which also has to match the item location and if it doesn't, you may not even be required to return it). 

[dewdrop24me]

Firstly, as you say, the option to report a message (received through Ebay) - seems to have been dropped off. So cannot report seller via this medium.

Secondly - no - we have not replied to any of these messages, and won't be.  I think it is wrong that Ebay cannot stop this - they can see the email trail for confirmation.

Thirdly - going to the police was useless. All they said is the usual - complain to ebay, and if you have any concerns at home, call us. (so wait until something happens)

Going through the Help Centre - one of the section options is clearly marked - Report a Member. BUT surprisingly, you cannot contact Ebay going through this. You have to use a different heading. Seems a bit pointless - I would think reporting an abusive member would be a high priority.

I myself have had a similar situation - left negative feedback for an overseas seller, who rang me TWICE on my private number, in the middle of the night. Both my mum and I have really curtailed our Ebay purchases, and after this latest episode, will not be buying anything further, unless from name brands, with huge feedback numbers.

This has been extremely frightening, and made us very cautious. And all over a $20 necklace!!

[digital*ghost]

The only other option I can suggest is to add the seller's ID to your own blocked buyer list, and then check the box to stop blocked buyers from being able to contact you.

This won't end the current message thread, as members can communicate with you for 90 days following a transaction, but it will help limit the ways in which they might be able to make a pest of themselves in the future. 

For a bit more info about blocking buyers: http://pages.ebay.com.au/help/sell/manage_bidders_ov.html

Edit: And definitely make a report to ACORN regarding the harassment. Not all reports are handed over for investigation, but provide as much info as you can about the person in question so there is a documented record, in case this person makes a habit out of this kind of behaviour. 

[imastawka]

Got it wrong way around dg

OP is the buyer.

Seller is threatening her mum

[digital*ghost]

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@imastawka wrote:

Got it wrong way around dg

OP is the buyer.

Seller is threatening her mum

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I know, I just mentioned it as an option to help curb any possible interference in the future. 

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

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@dewdrop24me wrote:

Thirdly - going to the police was useless. All they said is the usual - complain to ebay, and if you have any concerns at home, call us. (so wait until something happens)

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I'd be printing off the messages, going back to the Police with the printed copies and asking that a complaint be logged (not lodged, logged i.e. a paper trail of the complaint) and asking for a report number for the complaint, even if they are not able to do anything at this time.  At the very least, ask that the officer you speak to make notes in his official notebook.

If you need to contact the Police about this again you can supply a report number for them to read so they can get up to speed immediately without having to go through it all again.

[harley_babes_hoard]

 Even though the report the email option has been dropped there is a help and contact link on the bottom of each email. Click on it and go through topics until you find report seller.

I think i pressed buying>rules and policies>reporting a seller then you are given a list of options including profanity and innappropriate communications. take ya pick, scroll down and hit the big blue contact us button.

personally I just think the seller is blowing off stream.

[phorum_junkie*]

If you can't find a number to call just choose one of the other options in help and use the call me back option.

Personally I would just ignore them, if they were actually going to do any physical harm they would not tell you about it, they would just do it. I would delete the emails without reading them so the nut job is only wasting their own time.