STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

eek.. that totally sucks.  i've been there, and i totally feel for you.

but the good news is that if you paid with paypal, ebay/paypal almost always sides with the buyer, even to the detriment of sellers. 

when i got an item that didn't match a description, i made sure all my messages were through the ebay message center for thorough documentation. after a couple of weeks of the seller not budging, i went ahead and filed a paypal claim for 'item not as described,' and the seller refunded me plus shipping.  the kicker is that since i never left feedback, she was afraid to leave negative feedback first!!

Kitty wrote:

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Thanks squishy!!

How long did you wait before filing the 'item not as described' form? Did you pay through paypal?

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i had the added bonus of having a lazyass seller who shipped out 2 weeks late. i filed the claim 7 days after i received the item.  i'm not sure how familiar you are with the process, but once you file the claim, paypal gives the seller a week (not sure of the exact time frame) to respond. if he/she doesn't, then you automatically 'win' (yay!) and you get your refund.  i've never made it past that stage, since the seller promptly refunded me so i dropped the.. um.. case.

and yea, i paid through paypal.  this procedure will only be applicable to you if you paid through them.

and also, your time-frame to file this claim is 1 month after the auction closes, i think. so if you're going to file, file soon!!

i'd wait, since paypal wants to do as little as possible and wants you and the seller to duke it out.  to them, a claim should be a 'last resort.' if you don't wait, it's easier for paypal to dismiss your case and write you off as being unfair to the seller, you know?

in my case, i waited a week just so i could say i waited a week. if your seller doesn't respond in 2 days, i'd write back, setting some sort of ultimatum (repeat your issues, and add "i will be expecting a response within x days" or something like that). if there's still no response, then i'd go ahead with filing a claim.

eta: i'd also save the text/pictures she uploaded for her auction, too, just in case she decides to get sneaky.  i'm so totally paranoid.

twinkle wrote:

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Actually, not to be a downer, but it's not always true that paypal sides w/the buyer.

A few weeks ago I bought a top that was described as NWT; it came, had no tags, and clearly had been worn. The seller basically told me too bad and wouldn't take it back; I filed an "item not as described" claim and ebay told me that I needed to send them a letter from the manufacturer to back up my claim. Can you imagine??? I faxed them pictures of the item but it really didn't show much; and paypal closed the case in the seller's favor and didn't do anything for me.

I hate paypal!

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ew! that beyond sucks.  crappy ebayers should have a space reserved in purgatory.

and you're not alone in your paypal-hate. paypalsucks.com!!

Kitty wrote:

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The seller thinks i'm lying about the lining being torn. She thinks it's just how the shoe is made - okay, whatever. BUT, she agreed to take them back since I haven't altered them or anything. So, that's good. I only have to eat shipping costs.

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is she stupid? who makes shoes with torn lining?!

either way, the asshole in me would've fought for shipping too (those boots aren't light, i'm assuming).

good thing she's willing to take them back tho.