An eBay Seller "Force-Shipped" My Items

Lbrokenglish on 23/03/2016 - 18:03
Last edited 25/03/2016 - 14:39 by 1 other user

WARNING: this is a very long post

TL;DR by Ikitasa here

Here is a concise summary of the main discussion in this thread by JmanNick

For those veteran eBay users, who know all of the unwritten and unspoken rules of eBay, believing that pickup MUST be paid by cash regardless of what the listing says, or what eBay has made available to the buyers
This legend took his/her time looking into eBay policies, thanks :)

Lesson for newbie eBay buyers:
If you are just following eBay transaction procedure when purchasing an item
You are making mistakes, you are annoying, you have a lot of problems, and you are the worst scum there is
Don't make the same mistakes I did by not reading into the hidden hints ;)

Reminder from El Grande for eBay sellers who are still willing to learn/re-learn

Story starts here

Today I bought three electric winches amounting $897
I really need this item like Monday 28 March, but their express shipping only guarantees delivery on the 29th.
Therefore I chose to pick up the item and paid via PayPal.

(At this time, I went on with my life as per normal, not knowing the ugly situation waiting for me)

…

Minutes later (I was driving) seller sent me a message saying:

13:10 "Sorry, pickups are for cash only. If you paid with Paypal we have to ship, you cannot pick up"

I was like what the heck? (I started going nuts here because there was nothing on the listing that states what the seller claims)

I pulled over and immediately replied to them to cancel the order and get a refund:

13:28 "We need the items to arrive by Monday. All of your shipping options only guarantee shipment next Tuesday. Please cancel our order, thanks."

You know what?

13:49 eBay notification arrived: Hi XXX - Your order has been shipped to YYY.

!@#$%^&*()!!!!!

Seller replied:

14:18 "Sorry, not much we can do now, items were already dispatched"

Yeah right…

I said to them:

14:46 "By the time this item arrived, we won't need it anymore.
I've already told you we want to pick up and won't accept shipment.
And you guys just shipped it anyway without any confirmation.
What a bunch of scammers."

^ Well, this is a very bad lesson, don't learn from me

At this stage, I called eBay for help. All eBay said to me was: contact the seller, only they can process the refund
…right…

I sent the seller another one:

15:06 "I demand a refund!
We never wanted the items to be shipped in the first place.
Why did you guys just ship the item anyway?
Did you guys even ask for a confirmation?
We already told you before you shipped the items that your shipping is taking too long and we won't need them by the time they arrive.
Please respond.
Hello?"

Seller said:

15:54 "Scammers ? We did nothing wrong, quite the opposite
Not only our listing clearly states – cash only for pick up but you didn’t even selected pick-ups at check out. If you would, you cannot pay for them.
All purchases are processed and shipped automatically"

I replied (responding to their every sentence):

16:04 "Scammers ? We did nothing wrong, quite the opposite
- Are you guys serious? Before you shipped the item, I told you guys I want to cancel my order if I can't pick the item up!
- I don't need these winches by the time they arrive because the delivery is taking too long! Which part of this did you guys not understand?
Not only our listing clearly states – cash only for pick up but you didn’t even selected pick-ups at check out. If you would, you cannot pay for them.
- We clearly did select Pickup (see attached photo).
- Where in your listing states "cash only for pickup?" Show me.
- Then instead of putting the item on hold, you just ship them anyway?
- I clearly paid via PayPal and chose Pickup didn't I?
All purchases are processed and shipped automatically
- Automatically? So the items just flew from your warehouse to AusPost? Seriously? Come on man.
Please refund me my money!"

I made this order through work computer, which snapshots every second of my session.
I sent them screenshots of evidence that I chose PayPal and Pickup (which they claim is not possible)

Seems like the seller doesn't understand a thing I said to them?

Final message from seller:

16:37 "Yes, correct only you DID not select local pick up. You selected Paypal
And your items were shipped BEFORE you said you want to cancel.
I think this discussion is over."

Which part of it is correct? OMG, I just want to cry

All I want is just my money back (well it's my employer's)
All I want is just to pickup my item. If I can't pickup my item, I want my money back (well it's my employer's)
I have already opened a PayPal dispute, but I can't escalate it until 31 March.
My client is waiting for me to install these winches on Monday 28 Mar (the winches definitely won't arrive before then)
Which means I have to buy another set of winches that I can pickup from a more reputable seller and do my job.
Which also means the delivered winches won't be of use to me when they arrive.

What do you think?
Is it my fault? Theirs?
Will PayPal side with me when the time comes?
Should I cancel this transaction through my bank instead?
Will this affect my PayPal account reputation?

UPDATE
Screenshot 1 Screenshot 2 Screenshot 3

UPDATE 2
Thanks for everyone's response :)

After one final call to PayPal, eBay, and the bank, my options are:
1. Postpone installation for another day, acknowledge the "goodwill" of the seller, accept the item when it arrives (hopefully)
2. Escalate PayPal dispute, which I can do right now without having to wait 7 days, but PayPal advised me there's a high chance PayPal will side with the seller because eBay Buyer Protection does not cover Pickup (which I wanted so vehemently) even though the seller did ship the item without my confirmation
3. Go to the bank for the dispute - this will take 60-75 days for the transaction to be reviewed and then refunded

Anyone with rational mind would go with option 1…in which I need to prepare myself for my manager's wrath (and maybe client, for breaking the contract)

UPDATE 3 - 24 Mar 10:47
Still in the dark :(
Tracking code still isn't working :(
Not sure if I should get my hopes up and expect even a delivery.
I've bought another set of winches from another seller.
Will return the shipped item if it ever arrives.
Fingers crossed for them to refund my money after I called them scammers X_X

General Discussion

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Comments

    • brokenglish on 26/03/2016 - 09:34

      It's shown there by default on eBay, can't remove it (or can I? I didn't check)
      Hahaha, you are very evil. Those would be my last resort though.

      • tomsco on 07/04/2016 - 09:37

        Any update?

  • Jabba the Hutt on 26/03/2016 - 09:34
    +2

    OP is in the right. eBay lets them choose PayPal, eBay lets them choose pickup.

    Meanwhile, seller is in the right to the extent they're trying to avoid that absurdly risky combination.

    In this respect, the problem is eBay.

    Perhaps a seller who doesn't like it should opt not to use eBay or not allow pickups at all, but sometimes the least bad way to deal with an imperfect company is to work around its quirks. Perhaps this seller should improve their communication and item descriptions, but I don't fault them for trying to avoid the PayPal pickup combination. EDIT: I do fault them for going ahead and shipping the item despite pick up being specified - they needed to check properly with the buyer then ship or cancel and refund if required.

  • peter on 26/03/2016 - 10:36

    Thought for the day: Tired of eBay bullshit? Don't try and reason with eBay; eBay is NOT your friend, it is a business.

  • adam149 on 26/03/2016 - 13:02
    +2

    Pickup would not have guaranteed the item would have been available by Monday 28th even if the seller allowed it. Most sellers require at least 24-48 hours notice even for pickup. Ordering late on a Wednesday was not giving the seller enough time. Friday= public holiday, Saturday/Sunday closed, Monday public holiday. The OP is not good at running a business and is disorganised and waited until the last minute to order stock.

    • takutox on 26/03/2016 - 13:42
      +2

      not only that. he never messaged the seller saying when he needed the item by, either before or a reasonable time after the transaction.

      he just purchased the item and went off driving. only replied one hour later because the seller messaged him first - that was the first time he told the seller when he needed it by. who knows if he was ever going to tell the seller - probably just was going to wait and hope for the best and 'assume' pickup would be ready within a day.

  • virtuousd on 26/03/2016 - 16:15
    +1

    The right approach would have been to message the seller if you can pick it up on the same day before completing the purchase. NOT order, pay and then expecting to pick it up on same day. Actually, a lot of sellers would prefer that you come to their store/warehouse and pay there.

  • hamwhisperer on 26/03/2016 - 16:36
    +3

    I've only read 1/3 of your post, sorry but as a frequent seller IF it said "CASH ONLY ON PICKUP" then … well it's very clear.
    ALSO the unspoken rules of selling and buying is if you're doing an IN PERSON transaction it's CASH ONLY to not !@#$ the seller on bastard stupid fees. You ALWAYS do cash for in person transactions.

    When you bought it you should have messaged, NOT paid via paypal and confirmed.

    Paypal for an in person thing? Honestly, that's evil of you, those goddamn fees are a nightmare. Just give people cash in person.

    • JimmyF on 26/03/2016 - 19:32
      +3

      cause people like this guy want the 'paypal' protection and the credit card points, but yes….. pickups are CASH only, unless agreed otherwise.

  • [Deactivated] on 26/03/2016 - 17:47

    What bank you with? I receive the funds back instantly while they review it with my bank.

    • brokenglish on 26/03/2016 - 18:45

      Westpac

      • [Deactivated] on 27/03/2016 - 00:08

        Yep, WestPac do temporary available fund increases equal to the disputed amount.

        In other words, if you file a dispute you'll receive a payment equal to the disputed amount from WestPac which is usable instantly. WestPac's dispute department will then proceed to sort things out on your behalf. Once the money's recovered it will go to their dispute department and you keep the amount they sent you. If they fail to recover it (or another agreement with the merchant is sorted out) WestPac takes back the temporary amount sent to you.

        Edit: can't overly recommend this with PayPal, though it's the only way you'll have the funds accessible instantly. PayPal tends to try and take the money out again over and over after a chargeback/dishonored transaction. Maybe best bet is calling the courier and hoping you can get it from the local depo?

  • nikkirose on 26/03/2016 - 20:44
    +5

    If you paid me by paypal, I would ship as to cover my ass. If I register the tracking number with paypal, I am then protected against you saying you did not recieve the item and freezing my paypla funds until the issue is cleared. I follow the ebay procedure, I am covered and safe, people like you who try to work outside the rules that cover both of us as annoying AF.

  • teckiwi on 26/03/2016 - 21:28

    So why not ask for their carrier and ring them/get the seller to ring and arrange pickup by you at their depot..problem solved

  • SMI7HY on 27/03/2016 - 01:32
    +1

    It sounds like a lot of people need to realise how things work with larger eBay sellers. I run a store with over 300 sales per day and very rarely am I on the eBay page itself. There are processes in place that pull all the information from the sale and push it through the rest of the system automatically i.e to be assigned to a picker, picked from the shelf, packaged and then dispatched. If you've paid for the item it will be processed asap, so it is highly likely the seller is telling the truth when he says it was already dispatched when he read your message. If you have questions/special requests about any part of the purchase, these really need to be covered before you commit to buying the item to ensure someone can respond in time before it is sent out.

    • Ikitasa on 28/03/2016 - 01:35
      +1

      I don't know how these processes work for larger eBay stores, so am interested to know, if a buyer buys an item and chooses pickup, would the processes in place automatically ship that item out?

      Or would there be a flag or some alert to say that a buyer has bought an item and paid by PayPal but chosen pickup?

      • SMI7HY on 28/03/2016 - 15:47
        +2

        You'd like to think that it would be flagged as an exception but I imagine you would still be relying on a staff member(either a picker or dispatch guy) to notice. My circumstances a little different in that we don't display a pick up option even though we do allow pick up. This forces the buyer to contact us prior to committing to sale and removes the chance of us sending it out by accident.

  • thiosuxtube on 27/03/2016 - 08:25

    Paypal generally sides with the buyer in disputes. I'd talk to them about a refund.

    • JimmyF on 27/03/2016 - 15:33

      Its a change of mind 'refund'….. due to OP not reading the ad correctly. Little rough to make the seller pay for the OPs mistake

  • spychiatrist on 27/03/2016 - 12:41
    +1

    OP made this thread asking for sympathy and when he found backers, updated his post with his backers as an FU to those who didn't find his actions amusing. To those backing the OP, the entitled buyers who keep on saying it's not in the rules, "we can PayPal and pickup the item", go ahead and sell an item then with pick up as an option. See for yourselves.

    • JimmyF on 27/03/2016 - 15:37
      +2

      Yep OP is here as part of the 'poor me' crowd, stupid people who do stupid things like this, then cry the world should protect them and no one did…..

      Cry me a river, OP read the ad to see if they could pickup, then ignored the pay on pickup only part, paid by paypal anyhow then complains. Boo…

      • doodo477 on 27/03/2016 - 16:35
        +2

        I have two feelings when reading this thread. First why am i putting myself through this! This has been the top item on the front page for all-most a week and a half. Then its reading OP comments and trying not to laugh more because its starting to hurt.

        I'm caught between crying and laughing all-most at the same time. This cannot be good for my health.

        • JimmyF on 28/03/2016 - 10:18
          +2

          Impressed you got to the end!!! I skipped a few pages in the middle, same wash, rise, repeat comments over and over. With the OP high fiving anyone who agrees with them, slamming or ignoring anyone who doesn't!

  • revolutio on 27/03/2016 - 17:56
    +4

    Wow, this thread was a complete waste of time. You're must be miserable to be around if you always act like the most put upon person in the world.

  • [Deactivated] on 27/03/2016 - 22:58

    yea they always ship even when you email them to cancel. Pretty ez to get refunds via paypal though

    • JimmyF on 28/03/2016 - 10:19

      Well stop ordering and paying for things to be shipped and then trying to cancel them!

  • QuickToThePointless on 28/03/2016 - 12:49
    +1

    TLDR….out of curiosity, was the seller Jedi or Sith?

    Once you determine that, and if paypal cant help, you can go to either the High Council or Emperors Department respectively and lodge a formal complaint

    • [Deactivated] on 29/03/2016 - 16:19
      +3

      haha, 'force' shipped

  • mirridon on 28/03/2016 - 18:47
    +1

    I bought an item from overseas, and the seller listed it as shipped only within the 'states'. The seller asked if I still wanted it, as the price to ship the item was quite high, I said no, and they cancelled the order for me.

  • [Deactivated] on 28/03/2016 - 19:49
    +2

    I hope your job went well today with the replacement winches. Good luck returning the other goods and getting a refund.

    • JimmyF on 29/03/2016 - 22:46

      have popcorn ready too….. Waiting for the OP update!

  • JimmyF on 30/03/2016 - 22:56

    So OP…… why haven't you updated us yet!?

    • tomsco on 07/04/2016 - 09:37

      Yeh OP. What's the go?

  • Deridas on 03/04/2016 - 01:11
    +1

    Wow, I finally made it to the end of the comments… OP, do let us know how things turned out :)

  • Turd on 18/04/2016 - 11:21
    +1

    OP You trolling us?? What happened to the story? I need closure.. I hate when things like this happen and no closure!

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