shanvan Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 Background: After agonizing about what to do for curriculum, I finally decided on TOG. I found and won it on ebay. It was not a fantastic deal, but I saved some money. I was also able to buy with a no interest for several months deal on my credit card, which helps us spread out the payments. Three days ago a package from the seller was delivered with only unit 4. The taping on the package seemed odd, but often people reuse boxes, so I didn't really think anything of it. My 11 yr old son was able to take the box apart with just his hands and no scissors. Still I didn't think anything of it because he is sometimes a little rough. I double checked and auction was for all 4 units and loom. I have e mailed the seller (who has 100% positive feedback) about 4 times to ask if perhaps she sent the rest in another package.....no response. Maybe she is on vacation? I don't know, but I was planning to start with unit 2 after my spring break. I was using spring break for planning and getting started. DH tells me not to worry because we are protected by our credit card in this case (he checked paperwork, but we haven't called the credit card company). I want to get confirmation from the seller that there was indeed only one package before contacting the company. DH and I looked at the box and we think the rest of the units fell out and the PO just taped up what was left. I clicked on the paypal link to track the package and ther is only one package listed and it shows it as being delivered. I want to go ahead and just order it all from TOG so I can get started! We can deal with the rest of the mess, contacting credit card company, etc later. What would you do? I know I'm really hyper about all this and I need to give the seller time to respond, but I'm eager to get started. Anyone ever have something like this happen? Please don't post any horror stories about never getting money back...I'm upset enough as it is! Shannon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom4him Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 Take a deep breath, look in a mirror and tell yourself, "It is going to be ok." I have received one item that was damaged when I got it. The outside package was not tamaged nor was the original box but the item itself was. I emailed the seller and explained what I had receive. He responded fairly fast telling me that he was refunding the amount and to just through the item away. I received my money back with no problem. I also received an item that was homeschool that had missing parts. She also refunded my money speedily. If your husband is in agreement with going ahead and ordering it directly from the company, that is what I would do. Sometimes you can get really good deals through ebay and then other times it is just waisted time. Also, some of the sellers will have on the listing that once it leaves their hands if you don't get insurance they are not responcible. Have you looked at any of the yahoo group curriculum sales groups? I have gotten several things a lot cheaper this way. You do have to spend the time looking and then asking questions sometimes if the discription isn't totally clear. Many times they will include shipping in the price. Not new but generally good usable products. Hope you get it resolved with this ebay seller quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 If you paid through paypal, you're covered but you should start the dispute procedure as soon as possible. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted April 4, 2009 Author Share Posted April 4, 2009 She hasn't made any suggestions about how to resolve the problem. She did state that I should have bought insurance. My husband told me not to, because the Credit card would protect us. He had a problem in the past with the USPS paying up even though he did have insurance on an item he shipped. I did not file anything with paypal directly yet. I have been dealing directly with the seller. Should I continue to do it that way, or file a claim at paypal? I'm sure she is an honest seller. I don't want to make trouble for her, but still...I don't have what I paid for and I'm going to end up with a lot of aggravation. Any suggestions to resolve? TIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margo out of lurking Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 From what you've written, I don't know that there's anything to really "resolve." You believe the seller packed everything as it was sold. You opted to forego insurance. I don't believe your credit card will protect the mailing of the package. Your credit card protects your purchase, but your credit card did not have anything to do with the mailing of the package. It also doesn't seem that Paypal will provide any relief, since you opted to not purchase the insurance. But I would tell them everything and see if there is any recourse at all, and I would check with your credit card. *Someone* is going to be out the money, but since there is no insurance on the mailing, it doesn't seem that any other party would be responsible. Since the honest seller fulfulled her part of the sale, it would not be fair for her to cover any losses. Sellers should require insurance if they want to avoid this; buyers should purchase insurance for the same reason. HARD stuff. I feel for you. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Country Mouse Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 But what if the seller didn't package it properly to begin with? Insurance through the usps is huge ordeal and I have found that it takes months to even get them to determine in one's favor - let alone cut a check. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3littlekeets Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 From what you've written, I don't know that there's anything to really "resolve." You believe the seller packed everything as it was sold. You opted to forego insurance. I don't believe your credit card will protect the mailing of the package. Your credit card protects your purchase, but your credit card did not have anything to do with the mailing of the package. It also doesn't seem that Paypal will provide any relief, since you opted to not purchase the insurance. But I would tell them everything and see if there is any recourse at all, and I would check with your credit card. *Someone* is going to be out the money, but since there is no insurance on the mailing, it doesn't seem that any other party would be responsible. Since the honest seller fulfulled her part of the sale, it would not be fair for her to cover any losses. Sellers should require insurance if they want to avoid this; buyers should purchase insurance for the same reason. HARD stuff. I feel for you. :( Sorry, Ebay doesn't work like that. In a dispute, the seller is always on the hook. Insurance is never mandatory for the buyer because ebay makes it clear to all sellers that until the buyer is happy -- you are responsible. The buyer will win with Ebay and with Paypal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3littlekeets Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 (edited) She hasn't made any suggestions about how to resolve the problem. She did state that I should have bought insurance. My husband told me not to, because the Credit card would protect us. He had a problem in the past with the USPS paying up even though he did have insurance on an item he shipped. I did not file anything with paypal directly yet. I have been dealing directly with the seller. Should I continue to do it that way, or file a claim at paypal? I'm sure she is an honest seller. I don't want to make trouble for her, but still...I don't have what I paid for and I'm going to end up with a lot of aggravation. Any suggestions to resolve? TIA As an ebay seller, file with ebay and paypal immediately. You never have an obligation to buy insurance, regardless of a seller's claim. We are on the hook, which is why I offer insurance -- hoping people will buy it, but do regardless b/c it's my tush on the line :-). http://forums.ebay.com/db2/topic/Seller-Central/20-Most-Frequently/2000345854 Edited April 4, 2009 by 3littlekeets Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandalwood Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 She hasn't made any suggestions about how to resolve the problem. She did state that I should have bought insurance. My husband told me not to, because the Credit card would protect us. He had a problem in the past with the USPS paying up even though he did have insurance on an item he shipped. I did not file anything with paypal directly yet. I have been dealing directly with the seller. Should I continue to do it that way, or file a claim at paypal? I'm sure she is an honest seller. I don't want to make trouble for her, but still...I don't have what I paid for and I'm going to end up with a lot of aggravation. Any suggestions to resolve? TIA Long time ebay seller here... as someone else stated above the seller is on the hook to get the product to you safely and as described. The insurance is for the *seller* not the buyer. The seller has to get it to you safely, no matter what. They may put disclaimers otherwise in their auction but it does not fly with ebay. You did not get what you paid for plain and simple. And, the seller is trying to get rid of you by saying you should have purchased insurance. File a dispute immediately through paypal (you should be able to do it through "my ebay"). The seller will either respond to the dispute or not.... but they should rule in your favor. And, your hubby is right. You can always file with your credit card. But, somewhere on ebay's site and in the selling rules it plainly states they have to get it to you as described. I always put insurance on something I'd rather not "eat" if it got lost. I'd file dispute. I've had to do it myself (only 2 times over many years). Sorry you had a bad experience. Don't let the seller bully you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2cents Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 Buying the postal insurance doesn't matter. What matters is that you purchased via Paypal and that is a good thing. If the seller doesn't respond to you then file a claim with Paypal. I have done Ebay as both a seller and buyer for years and have refunded a couple of times for Postal damage. It is the responsibility of the seller to make things right if the postal service loses or damages the item and the seller is reasonably sure that no buyer fraud is involved (not in your case). You need to contact the seller. Give her 5-7 days to respond and if no response you will need to file a claim with Paypal within 30 of auction close. Watch your dates so that you have time to file a claim. Beware that sellers that are a little fraudulent will try to stall you until you miss your 30 day claim file limit. Just file the claim and tell the seller you have a claim pending and will ONLY void the claim (you can only file once for each case) upon satisfactory settlement. DO NOT pull the claim until you are satisfied or you won't be able to re-file. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindyg Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 Three days ago a package from the seller was delivered with only unit 4. I still don't understand what you and the seller think happen to Units 1-3. Is the seller claiming all four units were in the box when she shipped it? You didn't report that she said this. Was the box in bad enough shape for three units to fall out? Insurance doesn't protect you (or the seller) from the seller not putting the product in the box. ?? I agree with everyone else. If you file a claim with PayPal, you will get your money back. As soon as you begin the dispute, PayPal will take the money out of her account. And if she doesn't have enough money in her PayPal account, they will take it out of her bank account if they have that number. This is why I'll never sell via PayPal again. You have to know when you list an item that you are vulnerable to the seller. But I am curious what this seller thinks happened to Units 1-3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sleepy Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 Long time ebay seller here... as someone else stated above the seller is on the hook to get the product to you safely and as described. The insurance is for the *seller* not the buyer. The seller has to get it to you safely, no matter what. :iagree: You did not receive the items you paid for. The seller either needs to rectify that or refund your money. Give her a reasonable amount of time, and then file a report with paypal if you have to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted April 6, 2009 Author Share Posted April 6, 2009 and they did rule in my favor. Those who responded that the seller is *on the hook* were correct. I think the items fell out because the box was not sufficient to withstand shipping. Seller just would not deal with me. She even told me she alread spent my money on her son's curriculum so I was out of luck. Now I just have to wait for the refund. This was a horrible experience which I hope never to repeat. As one poster stated trying to claim on postal insurance is a huge ordeal. My husband has had past experience with damages to his paintings in shipping to galleries and he was never really able to collect what it cost to fix damages. Anyway, thanks again. I am glad this is finally over (almost)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pajama Mama Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 "She even told me she already spent my money on her son's curriculum so I was out of luck." Nuh-uh! She did not say that-did she?! *You're out of luck* I used to sell on e*ay alot in the past. I would have never been that cavalier about something that I sold to someone else. I would have refunded if the person didn't receive it. Of course, I always taped the heck out of my packages and included on insurance for anything over $25. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted April 7, 2009 Author Share Posted April 7, 2009 "She even told me she already spent my money on her son's curriculum so I was out of luck." Nuh-uh! She did not say that-did she?! *You're out of luck* I used to sell on e*ay alot in the past. I would have never been that cavalier about something that I sold to someone else. I would have refunded if the person didn't receive it. Of course, I always taped the heck out of my packages and included on insurance for anything over $25. She did not actually use the phrase "out of luck" it was the general tone of the e mail...not the actual words. Yes, she did say she already used my money and had none left to give a refund. Wording was something like "there was nothing she could do about it". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klmama Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 and they did rule in my favor. That was fast! I had no idea they would rule so quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 That was fast! I had no idea they would rule so quickly. I'm waiting on Paypal to finish investigating non-delivery of an item I bought off eBay in February. The last I heard from the seller was shortly after the auction and there was no delivery confirmation. I've gone through the whole process without a single word from the seller to me or Paypal. Tomorrow is the deadline for the seller to respond, and then I hope to get my money back. This whole thing will probably take two months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted April 7, 2009 Author Share Posted April 7, 2009 maybe because I was on the phone with customer service several times. Maybe it was because the seller so oviously would not cooperate? We had already e mailed back and forth many times. GVA ~ hope your wait is over and you get your money back. Have you tried calling the customer service number? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 maybe because I was on the phone with customer service several times. Maybe it was because the seller so oviously would not cooperate? We had already e mailed back and forth many times. GVA ~ hope your wait is over and you get your money back. Have you tried calling the customer service number? All I had was a single email after the auction that she was going to mail it the next day. No replies when I wanted to confirm that she had actually shipped it, no replies when I asked if she had tracked it, no replies when I asked where it was after two weeks (supposedly shipped First Class), no replies...no replies...no replies. I also used a Paypal balance, not a credit card. Paypal does to some extent protect the seller too. If she doesn't reply to Paypal's emails today or tomorrow with a different story, that will be it though. Thankfully it was just $13, but I'm irritated about it of course. It was an item that rarely comes for sale and good deal. Maybe too good a deal... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angieathome Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 Have you weighed the package to see if the amount of postage is consistent with the weight you received or if the package is "light?" The weight may be on the postage label, but the amount paid is almost always on the lablel. If it isn't you could ask the seller for a copy of her postal receipt. That way you will know if weight was reduced after the package left the post office. Also, you can calculate the approximate weight of the package you should have received if all materials had been included. Then you can tell whether or not the seller had the correct items an weight from the beginning. Does this make sense? Hope it helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angieathome Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 I did not catch up that your situation was resolved. That was great and so fast. Sorry to bother you with the weighing comment. I use weight to confirm package contents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeefreak Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 That was a fast resolution! It might have been that she manually refunded your money and told paypal and that's why it was resolved. I had a dispute that went on for a couple of weeks because she kept responding to paypal that she would only give me a partial refund and paypal tries not to get involved unless no resolution can be reached. I would have had to wait something like 30 days before they would intervene. I'm so glad you got your money back. Buying curriculum is so stressful:grouphug: Blessings!~ Dorinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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