Issue with Overseas Sale - Advice

Ljohn2832 on 25/11/2018 - 09:43
Last edited 25/11/2018 - 09:44

Hi All,

This is a strange one. Basically I made contact with an ebay buyer a few weeks ago to discuss an item worth a few hundred dollars (very large and bulky item). The seller is based on the other side of the world. He gave me his email address and we communicated over direct email (private sale - no ebay). We drafted up an email stating the price of the item, shipping address and what the product was and condition. I then I then asked him to confirm the details in the email were correct, and for him to provide me with his details and information. The cost of the item is a few hundred dollars.

At this point, 6 days goes by and I get no contact from the seller, nor did he send me any confirmation of the details I asked for, so naturally I assume he's gone AWOL or sold it to someone else or a scammer or whatever and I forget about it. I've since purchased the item elsewhere. After about 6 days I get one email from him saying he was on holidays and sends me the tracking number saying it has been shipped and for me to send him payment. The item arrives at my door from him.

Now the item is far too costly to ship back (probably $150-$200) due to size and I don't feel it's my responsibility at this point. I never made payment and I never asked him to ship the item to me after a week of no contact (or confirming the details I asked for) and without any payment being made from me.

What do I do now? I'm sure legally I could keep the item and forget about it, but I know that's not a nice thing to do.

General Discussion

Comments

  • amazonaddict on 25/11/2018 - 10:16
    +6

    He must be some naive fellow to send something that expensive & big without a seeing single penny.
    If you keep the item without paying him, it is bad karma.
    May be send him the picture of the item you have already bought and tell him that you will try to sell one or the other and get his money asap.
    If you couldn't sell, invest $200 in karma and send back the item.

    First make him not worried and think good of us who live in Australia. ;)

  • BOGOF on 25/11/2018 - 10:50
    +8

    If it was me I would pay him, then sell one of the items. He did ship it in good faith, there's no suggestion of a scam.

  • [Deactivated] on 25/11/2018 - 12:01
    +3

    It's easy to be a good bloke when it is cheap to do so.

    In this case, it'll cost you a bit but everything was done in good faith so ball's in your court.

    Are you going to be a gentleman or the average Joe?

  • djkelly69 on 25/11/2018 - 12:17
    +1

    Check that is is in the condition you were expecting it to be in (as detailed in your email). If it is, pay him the agreed amount. If not, let him know, and negotiate from there.

  • eggles01 on 25/11/2018 - 14:54

    Firstly I would have sent him an email that if I did not receive confirmation that you requested within a period of what seemed "reasonable" time you will cancel the order and look else where,you should have stayed with the Ebay deal and offer to pay at least 50% of his PayPal fees,which for the security of the transaction would not have been much,I have used that system and found that the item arrived in record time although shipping time stated around 30 days or more,it is called "appreciation" of the transaction,

  • Savas on 25/11/2018 - 15:02

    Seems confusing if you never asked him to send the item but for some reason you sent him your address.

    • eggles01 on 25/11/2018 - 15:37
      +1

      the seller probably needed his address to work out the shipping costs,whereas by using either Ebay or PayPal they use the registered address

  • Quantumcat on 25/11/2018 - 21:33

    I would tell them you'll sell one of them and pay him whatever you get for it. That way you're not out of pocket and he still gets something for the item.

  • [Deactivated] on 26/11/2018 - 10:56
    +3

    so naturally I assume he's gone AWOL or sold it to someone else or a scammer or whatever and I forget about it. I've since purchased the item elsewhere

    And I assume before you bought the other product you emailed the original guy saying you hadn't heard from him so no longer wanted to go ahead with the purchase?

  • john2832 on 28/11/2018 - 10:48
    +1

    Hi All,

    I want to provide an update. I won't lie I did have the temptation to just keep the item and go AWOL, but that's bad karma and I wouldn't have liked that happen to me so here is what happened.

    1. I contacted the seller and re-assured him that the item is delivered, but there is a mix up as he sent it without payment and confirming the sale, and I already purchased elsewhere.
    2. I explained to him to never send an item without payment first in the future, especially for something this expensive as legally I can keep the item and not respond to him, but I won't do that.
    3. It is too expensive to send back (more than half the cost of the item)

    I then offered him one of two options:

    1. I can sell the item but it may take a few weeks perhaps longer as I work full time and he needs to be patient. It is a niche item so it will take time to find a buyer and I'll try get him as much money as I can without me taking any commission/fees (as close to the original purchase price), OR
    2. I will buy the item from him now but at a reduced price and he can have the money now. The original price of the sale was $420 USD, I offered him $200. I did not want to do this option as money is tight, but I wanted to help him as much as I can.

    He originally declined option 2, but then settled at $225 USD. I think he was happy to get some money realizing his mistake, and he was probably worried that I would just disappear if he chose Option 1 (which I reassured him I wouldn't and I was pushing him towards Option 1)

    So I've sent him $225 USD and the transaction has been resolved.

    • Nutrino on 28/11/2018 - 19:00
      -1

      Dunno why you were negged. Fixed.

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