Seller sending a local debt collection agency after eBay refunded on an item.

[geek.qld]

Hi All,

I bought couple of games from a seller and only received one. both items purchased at same time. but seller sent only one item.

 After not receiving the second item I opened a dispute, requested for money back. seller got very angry and start threatening me. Soon after that he updates the both items with same tracking number. I told him this is not correct for second item.

Finally, eBay refunded in full as seller was not able to provide a valid tracking details to eBay.

Seller started to send me SMS via mobile network. I told him this is a privacy issue and he should never contact me out of eBay platform. He didn’t listen.

Just today received a letter from somewhere! (no physical address or agency name in the letter, with a ordinary envelop) saying I was involved a online fraud and they are investigating.

That is all about $42.!

So what is my options here please if anyone can help? Can seller provide my personal information to a non-government agency like debt collector? Is this not a privacy violence?

[countessalmirena]

Spoiler

edit. grammar (typ. err. grammer)

[brerrabbit585]

No details of who sent it is a dead give-away but if that wasn't enough, nobody who does surveillance tells the person involved that they're under surveillance.

[digital*ghost]

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@geek.qld wrote:

Can seller provide my personal information to a non-government agency like debt collector? Is this not a privacy violence?

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Others have already addressed the most pressing issue, but I think it's important to answer this question specifically.

In a nutshell - yes the seller can provide your information to a debt collector, and no it's not a privacy violation. Buyers enter a financial contract with sellers when they purchase online, and the seller has a legal right to recovery if the buyer obtains an unlawful refund. (This would only be applicable if - when you say you received a "full refund", that meant you were refunded for both items instead of just the missing one). 

Sellers are able to do whatever is legal with the information you provide, and that includes contracting debt collectors for legitimate debts - the debt collection industry is regulated, and they have obligations to uphold, eg they need to be able to confirm the legitimacy of the debt, and the identity of the debtor,  and they have obligations re: privacy as well. 

The seller's elevator clearly doesn't go to the top floor - the entire letter, apart from being atrociously laughable, reads like a form letter that is sent to any buyer they dispute with....and yet, while it attempts to scare people, it's not prompting them to actually do anything - eg no "pay your debt and this will all go away", or anything, which - amongst other things - is just ....

[phorum_junkie*]

As a parting shot you could always add that your motorbike riding friends who enjoy a game of baseball now and again are bigger and meaner than your debt collectors.

[davewil1964]

The grammar isn't that bad. It's the total lack of punctuation.

[joztamps]

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@imastawka wrote:

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Never gets stale.

[*tippy*toes*]

As the others have said, it's all shat. Last year I accidentally got behind in my land rates. I received a very official looking envelope, with a window and an address on the top. Inside was a very official letter, with the debt collection agency's logo across the top. It addressed us by name, it was short and not so sweet. Basically pay up within 7 days, or they would take us to court, which could cost thousands of $$. They signed off with a signature and a name. At the bottom of the page was printed their address, and all their contact details (phone numbers, email addresses etc).

Of course, I had an absolute heart attack wondering how we'd forgotten to pay those damned rates, so of course I paid the debt immediately! I never heard from them again.

Ignore it, it's all bluff and hot air. 

[the4masters2013]

Absolutely brilliant!!

[annieoakley2000]

It is obvious that letter did not come from a collection agency or any other investigative power !

It is an anonymous "to whom it may concern", almost comedy sketch worthy letter, to get you to sweat and worry !!

Of course you have no definite proof it came from your irate seller, so you just have to let it go ........

If the seller keeps baiting you about the refund you received from E-Bay (and the subsequent negative feedback you left for him), it is best to just ignore him as replying will only fuel the fire and the transaction with him has long been completed ..........