What to do if you get ripped off on eBay?

[2FastLX]

I haven't actually been ripped off yet, but I'm just wondering if it's legal to drive to the person's house and take out a little frustration on them with a 2x4. I have a couple hundred bucks sent out and am not getting the email response like I should so I'm ready to start planning a road trip. For $200 I'd drive to California.

I used a postal money order and sent it registered mail so I have the returned ticket showing he signed for the envelope. I also have a copy of the receipt for the money order. Mail fraud becomes a Federal offense when a postal money order is used and is handled through US mail so I may go contact my local post office and turn this guy in if I don't hear something real soon.

If nothing else I guess I've always wanted to see the ocean. Perhaps a drive there in the new Focus would be fun. My wife is always telling me we need to take a trip that doesn't involve buying or selling Stang parts, so maybe I could take one for the simple purpose of finding this guy and smacking him around for awhile.

Anyone solve a similar problem?

[2FastLX]

Oh yeah, using my exceptional Internet abilities I managed to verify that he does live at the address he gave me, and I found his home phone number, the names, addresses, and phone numbers of his closest neighbors, and am now trying to find what time he goes to the john. Once I find out the license plate number of his car, and what his dog's name is I think I'll be ready to load up the car.

Anyone want to go to Connecticut?

[Old Guy with 87 GT]

dude that sucks .....i'd be patient and make certian that your getting ripped off .........then show up on the guy's door step with a large blunt object....j/k ......i'd find out if there's anything that could be done through e-bay and if not then show up on the guy's doorstep.....to "discuss the situation"

if that don't work then introduce this guy to the laws of inertia .....with a 2x4

[HiFlow5 0]

Originally posted by 2FastLX
Anyone want to go to Connecticut?

Where in Connecticut? I'm right over the Conn boarder. Let me know if you need some support!

[WADS56]

Originally posted by 2FastLX
Oh yeah, using my exceptional Internet abilities I managed to verify that he does live at the address he gave me, and I found his home phone number, the names, addresses, and phone numbers of his closest neighbors, and am now trying to find what time he goes to the john. Once I find out the license plate number of his car, and what his dog's name is I think I'll be ready to load up the car.

Anyone want to go to Connecticut?

LOL Thats sweet! The internet is a great thing.

[PKRWUD]

I've been doing the "eBay thing" for a couple years now (feedback rating over 400), and I live in California. Bottom line: I can probably help you. PM me with the details and I'll see what I can do.

Take care,
-Chris

P.S. You should make a trip out here anyway! Be forewarned, though, you might not want to go back! Skyman lives about 15 minutes from me, and between us, we'd show you a good time.

[fiveohpatrol]

I wanna go too!!!

stop by my place and get me before you head out, i wanna meet PKRWUD and Skyman, then we could all go "talk" to this guy

[2FastLX]

I guess I kinda misled you guys into thinking the guy was from California. I was just using California as an example of how far I'd drive to kick this guy's butt. I didn't really want to say where he is from in case he's a regular visiter here at MW. I want him to be surprized.

I'll send ya a msg after I get off the phone with the guy Chris.

Thanks.

[Mercury]

My mom was going to get me a hood scoop for my 2000 GT for X-mas until she saw the negative feed back from the guy selling like 90% of the hood scoops on e-bay.

If he lives in NC, drop me a line. I'm up for demonstrating physics with a rather large piece of wood. Or even without a rather large piece of wood.

Rip off artists suck.

[Dark_5.0]

I have seen it.........................

On Yahoos auction section

There was a guy selling superchargers for LS1's and 5.0's

I noticed he had 10 sells but no feedback so I was suspicious to start with. I was bidding on an S-trim for my stang and got beat out at the last second I was pissed until I found out he was fraud

10 people lost there cash

[andy669]

Whats this guys feedback rating? If it is good Im sure you are over reacting. I have 32 feedbacks on my fleabay profile, they are all positive. Just because someone doesnt answer emails like you'd like, that doesnt make them a fraud. How long has it been since you've paid and not received the parts? 2 weeks is normal, if it gets close to 3 weeks thats when I get nervous. So instead of that person getting a postive from me, they will get nothing. BTW, the Ebay message forums are full of smart "Ebayers" with very good advice. I have had good luck there.
andy

[Mustangbelle306]

Fleabay hehehe

I had an online fraud experience, but it was through Stangnet. What was sad is that me and this CREEP orginally started talking through AIM about some parts,and didn't end up doing the deal, and chatted off and on for months. When I finally paid him $400 for a GT40 and 70 mm TB, the parts never showed up. I repeatedly IMed him, and the little louse thoight he could just jerk me around saying that he was sending them out, telling me his friends would come to MY house in VA from OK, more kiddie stuff etc. I suppose he thought I wouldn't do anything about it. Well, I did.

First, I reported him to Paypal, and they immediately CLOSED his account, and once he could furnish NO proof of shipping, they attempted to refund my money....too bad the loser had withdrawn it pretty darn quickly...wonder why GET THIS: he then had the unmitigated GALL to send ME a request for the money, saying he had sent the parts...man I'm getting burned up just typing this...so by now I've gotten $20 back...

I ended up getting all the Paypal info and reported him to my credit card company..presto 3 weeks later I've got all my money back, and I'm sure they are going to want their $400 from somewhere...my father says they will most likely sue him for the amount. I IMed him under one of my many gag names, and thanked him for the pleasure of doing business with him, and that I hoped he enjoyed recieving nasty calls from Verizon Visa...and all the waste of space said was "huh?" YEAH I GOT YOUR "HUH?" RIGHT HERE BUDDY

Anyways, the moral of this lengthy story is when unsure, USE YOUR CREDIT CARD!!! If you are cheated, you are usually responsible for nothing...sometimes $50

[88COBRA]

Well I am right in the middle of a fight so I can help some.

A guy ripped me off for $207.50. I bought two video cards and I never received them.

Anyhow here is what I did:

1) Filed with PayPal
2) Filed with EBAY
3) Filed with the US Customs (I am in Canada)
4) Filed with the US Fraud Agency
5) Filed with the FBI
6) Filed with the US Post Office
7) Filed with his state
8) Contacted his local police
9) Did a trace route on his ip address, got his host, and contacted them (they cancelled his internet)
10) After the state troopers stopped by his house, he e-mailed me saying he will send me a cheque.

Stay on the person! And keep every e-mail!

I know this may seem extreme, it is not so much the money as it is the principle! He will not get away from me!

Ian

[1969Mach1]

lol I like the way 88COBRA and how 2FastLX wants to handle it with his 2x4. lol I'll cover anyone in the Ontario region that needs a good smack in the head with a lead pipe for them to straighten up. I've sold some stuff over the net and just bought some Mustang parts off www.dallasmustang.com and www.texasmustang.com I hope some should be in tommorow this is my real first buying exeperience off the net so I'm glad to see it's going good so far. It's actually sitting where I went for dinner tonight well a airport near it. That's what UPS tells me atleast.

[speedemn]

I once bid on a cheap auction (only $25 or so) and the seller never responded to my e-mails once he received payment. I waited for months and reported him to ebay staff. They gave me this long procedure to follow and filing a thing on ebay safe harbour and stuff... but I waited... periodically sending the guy e-mails. Then like 2-3 months later, he responded back and said that he had this problem and that and he appoloized and sent me my goods, but sent me 2 sets... no shipping either. So keep on keeping on. Be persistent. E-mail the guy periodically. Keep all documentation.

But ebay actually has fraud protection insurance. I think you are insured upto a certain amount. Then they go after him because they have his credit card on file. But you have to file that whole safe harbour thing. E-mail their support people to get more details.

Good luck.

Originally posted by 2FastLX
I haven't actually been ripped off yet, but I'm just wondering if it's legal to drive to the person's house and take out a little frustration on them with a 2x4. I have a couple hundred bucks sent out and am not getting the email response like I should so I'm ready to start planning a road trip. For $200 I'd drive to California.

I used a postal money order and sent it registered mail so I have the returned ticket showing he signed for the envelope. I also have a copy of the receipt for the money order. Mail fraud becomes a Federal offense when a postal money order is used and is handled through US mail so I may go contact my local post office and turn this guy in if I don't hear something real soon.

If nothing else I guess I've always wanted to see the ocean. Perhaps a drive there in the new Focus would be fun. My wife is always telling me we need to take a trip that doesn't involve buying or selling Stang parts, so maybe I could take one for the simple purpose of finding this guy and smacking him around for awhile.

Anyone solve a similar problem?

[2FastLX]

Well, an update (not much of one though):

The agreement we had was that I would overnight the check to him and I did. He got it last Saturday. He then said he would mail the goods on Monday at the latest and would contact me with a tracking number which I requested he do. Up to that last email he sent me after receiving the check we were in contact daily. I haven't heard from him since. Strike 1.

He has a 0 feedback rating. Yeah, I know I'm stupid for buying from someone with 0 feedback, but I took a chance and gave the guy the benefit of the doubt because I really wanted this item, and like any crook would, he sent me sincere sounding emails. Strike 2.

The package was supposed to be sent Monday with a tracking number sent to me. If it was sent Monday it would have easily been here by now, unless something happened in shipment (unlikely, but possible), and he never replied with any kind of tracking information, or even to tell me it shipped. I do a lot of buying and selling via UPS so I know what it takes to get a package from damn near anywhere in the U.S. Anyway, strike 3.

One good thing I have going for me is he didn't use a fictitious name, and appears to live at home with his parents.

I'll give him time before I start turning up the heat a little, but not much time. I may be acting a little hasty, but I want to get an early start in my search for solutions just in case. All signs so far are pointing to a scam.

Ian, thanks for the info. I'll check into seeing what these agencies can do for me if it turns out this guy is ripping me off.

[PKRWUD]

I do understand what you're feeling (been there several times), and you may be right. But, like I said in my PM, it's only been a week. Unexpected things do happen. For example, let's say the guy you were buying the parts from was MustangDani's boyfriend's son. He was arrested last week, and hasn't been able to come up with the high bail. He wouldn't be able to contact you from jail, and quite honestly, probably hasn't given you a second thought since the handcuffs went on. If he were more responsible, he would see to it that you were contacted, and the items sent. Then again, if he were more responsible, he wouldn't be in jail. I'm not saying this is the case. I'm not saying you are wrong. I just want you to think about other possibilities that really do happen. You seem to be getting really wound up over this, and you're worrying me. If it makes you feel better, continue to do what ever research you can, and prepare evidence so that it will be all ready to present when the time arrives. Remember, though, eBay won't even let you file a complaint until 30 days after the end of the auction, and the odds are that no one else will pursue this either until at the least, a complaint has been filed with eBay. Kind of a catch-22.

I have purchased at least 450 items on ebay, and have sold upwards of 100. I always pay with PayPal when it's an option, or with cash when it's not. I have only been stiffed by a seller one time. He had a feedback rating of 50 or 60, but mostly bought items. I paid him $30, which included $5 shipping, through PayPal. I never received as much as a single email from him, which made me nervous. It seemed like it took forever for the 30 days to pass so that eBay would start an investigation. Long before that, he started to receive negative feedback from people, myself included, who he had burned during a week long period. I was lucky. PayPal refunded my money. There was one or two guys who lost a couple hundred. eBay revoked his privledges, and PayPal filed suit against him. I never heard anymore than that. Then there was last month. I won an auction for a couple HTF Ford factory service manuals for $5. The auction ended December 5th, and I used PayPal to pay him. Since they were books, I expected them to be sent via Media Mail, which is an extremely cheap service the Post Office offers that takes forever to get where it's going. That, combined with me getting ready to fly to Florida for Christmas, made me actually forget all about it. Two weeks ago I was going through my mailboxes, throwing away old files, and I came across the email I received from eBay after that auction had ended. I pulled it up on eBay, and had to really think if I had received them or not. When I figured I hadn't, I emailled the guy. A week went by without a reply, so I filed a complaint with eBay. The next day I received an email from him telling me some personal horror story, and begging my forgiveness. Neither one of us remembered exactly which two manuals I had won (they had only been specifically identified by the pictures that accompanied the auction, which by now were long gone), but he said he still had 5 left, and would send me all 5 as his way of saying he was sorry. They arrived a few days ago, and have a market value of over $500. They included a GM service manual for 4 wheel and rear wheel anti-lock brake systems covering '88-'90 trucks and vans. This one I didn't know he was selling, but is a manual I priced at the local Chevy dealer due to a yitload of related problems recently. They wanted $110.49 for it. That one alone made it all worth it, but I also got 4 others, including a Ford Service Technician Specialty Training manual from 1996 covering electrical parts and components, a Mitchell Electrical Component Locator for 1987 Imports, A Chrysler speed control and charging system diagnostic procedure manual (300 pages on nothing but cruise control and charging systems), and a 1987 Ford Training manual on "engine, emission and related systems".

Honestly, I would say that at least half of the items I've won have taken 3 weeks or longer to reach me, and I always send the payment out within 24 hours of the auction ending.

From the other side, selling stuff can be a royal pain too, but that's another story for another day.

My advice to you is to gather the necessary information, including emails, receipts, etc., as well as who you need to give them all to. Make several copies. Also, while you can't file a complaint with eBay yet, you can contact the other people who won this guys other auctions. When I pulled up his completed auctions, he had several different winners. Looked like he was parting out his Mustang. Send an email to each of the other winners, asking them if they've had any trouble. Don't accuse him of anything, because there's no sense getting a bunch of people worked up yet, but just ask if they've had any communication problems with him. If the general concensus is that no one has heard from him since last Saturday, then the odds are heavy that something unexpected has happened to him. If other people have heard from him since Saturday, then he has been avoiding you, which would justify your feelings and concerns.

Keep me posted, and if you have any questions, just PM me again.

Take care,
-Chris

[88COBRA]

2Fast: No problem.

Now I must say I did not send the troopers to this guys house within the first week. I have been waiting for 62 days. The troopers were called after a 45 day wait.

If it does get that far, hopefully you will scare him into sending the money.

If he lives with Mom and Dad, give him a call, a very friendly "reminder"

As for me, I still do not have a refund, last I heard, he was going to send me a money order as a refund. We will see

Ian

[2FastLX]

I realize something could have happened. And in my email to him I stated I hope that is the case. In the meantime I'm gathering my weapons so to speak.

I didn't realize he had other auctions because I hadn't done a search on him yet. I clicked "view sellers other auctions" and didn't see any so I assumed that was it. I never thought to do a search =P I'm emailing everyone who has won his auctions to see what they know. Thanks Chris.

[2FastLX]

Well, still no door panels. And I've found some pretty scummy info on this guy from other eBay members.

Watch out for darleenb@aol.com, CT5LITER@aol.com, Saleen90, and 82mustanggt302 on eBay. They are all supposedly the same guy.

I guess I'll finally get to see the ocean because I'll be driving up to Connecticut in a couple weeks it looks like.