Suspicious and Unfriendly Behaviour of a Reputable eBay Buyer

Last week I put an expensive discontinued perfume for sale and a perfume dealer bid on it (had a 6000+) 100% feedback. He took his sweet time not paying and not replying to my message until ebay automatically opened an unpaid case on him after 96 hours/4 days (I did not open it). AND THEN he paid for it immediately.

It is really a jerk move on his behalf. Now the ball is in my court and I'll have to ship it. I thought about canceling if he didn't pay because I feel like this guy is untrustworthy and might scam me.

Is there anything I can do to protect myself as a seller if he decides to scam me? Once again, he's a perfume reseller. He could flat out lie to ebay and say I not send the right item and ebay being heavily favouring the buyer, it's not giving me any confidence. Much appreciated any suggestion how to handle this.

Comments

  • +6

    Is there anything I can do to protect myself as a seller if he decides to scam me?

    Very little, especially if they use PayPal.

    I've stopped selling on eBay, too many scammers, and when I sell on line now it's only cash on pickup.

    • -1

      I stopped selling on eBay for exactly the same reason. It was like gambling if you sent the item out and if you were going to get negged and SNSD or never received refunded against…

  • +8

    Did those four days include the weekend?

  • +28

    He's paid you for an item. Give it to him.
    If you don't have the stomach for this sort of thing you shouldn't have listed it.

  • +9

    until ebay automatically opened an unpaid case on him after 96 hours/4 days (I did not open it).

    Well you kinda did, its a setting in your selling account.

    AND THEN he paid for it immediately.

    Ok, isn't this what you wanted to happen? unpaid strikes get buyers attention.

    It is really a jerk move on his behalf.

    Because they bidded on an item and then days later 'won' it, and didn't pay straight away?

    I thought about canceling if he didn't pay because I feel like this guy is untrustworthy and might scam me.

    WOW because someone hasn't paid straight away they are now scamming you.

    Out of interest, those 4 days, how many had been the weekend?

  • +7

    Make a start-to-finish video recording of you inspecting the item (including showing the condition/sealed status), followed by placing it on a scale, then into the pre-labelled postal box/satchel (preferably already with tracking number on it), sealing up the box/satchel, zooming in on the address and tracking number, and then finally weighing the entire package.

    You could go to the next level of placing tamper-proof tape on the package, but doing what I mentioned was enough to fight off fraudulent PayPal claims.

    • Has anyone ever done this and found the video useful? Who are you expecting to view it?

      • +1

        paypal in the event of a item not as described or not delivered dispute. although from what i've read, i still don't like your chances even after all this.

        • +3

          Yeah, I do not have faith that PayPal would even watch the video. I see a lot of advice telling people to do this but I don't think it will protect you.

      • +2

        I was selling high-end perfume (funnily enough) and did this with every parcel. I had 2 people attempt to claim I sent fraudulent or used items. In the process of responding to their comments, in the PayPal claims, I advised them that I had a full recording of the packing process which I would happily provide to PayPal.

        One didn’t reply, and dropped the case. The other miraculously realised that it wasn’t a counterfeit product, only after mentioning the video.

  • +1

    Note that perfumes may fall under dangerous and prohibited goods (flammable liquids) if you're thinking of posting it.

    • +4

      Almost definitely yes under UN1266 classification
      I used to work for a Perfumery and sending out samples took forever to package up.
      Bubble wrap the bottle, zip lock bag it, Double zip lock bag it with Vermiculite in the second bag to absorb any spills, Bubble wrap the second bag, pack into box and then into another box with foam filler.
      After that you had to fill out a lengthy declaration form.
      There was absolutely no way the bottle could break without being driven over by a truck and even then, it would have had a decent chance.

  • -1

    Ebay: same old stories.

    I've had seller that took weeks for products to go out, then never arrive.

  • -4

    lols. y'all pretty savage. I know how he felt when a buyer is a bit suspicious and he was at his right to have this suspicions.

    Agree with @Strahany I'd take a good and proper delivery exercise that include full video, good documentation of what's inside, receipt of delivery and tracking. That would be at least your due diligence. If eBay still dispute this, then at least you have a good case.

    • +1

      WOW not paying instantly when you win an item at auction is suspicious these days…… Yikes

      • -3

        not reading the whole story…. YIKES

        • +2

          not reading the whole story…. YIKES

          I read the whole story by the OP and your comment, OP freaking out as someone bidded at a auction and 'won' days later, but didn't pay instantly. GASP the horror of someone not jumping instantly for the OP, what has the world come to.

          This isn't suspicious, this is what happens when you sell things at auction on ebay. Not sure how someone not paying for a few days = scammer. I've been buying and selling on ebay for years, its how it works.

          • -4

            @JimmyF: Hmmmm… I think… it's not worth arguing! :)

  • Was it an auction or buy it now?

    • -1

      and a perfume dealer bid on it

      Sounds like a auction to me……

      • +2

        I forget about stuff I bid on..

        For buy it now, I pay asap otherwise I forget to.

  • +1

    It is really a jerk move on his behalf.

    How is it a jerk move? From his POV, he might have just forgotten about it, might have been waiting on funds from another transaction…etc.

    Is there anything I can do to protect myself as a seller if he decides to scam me?

    Cancel the transaction and move on.

  • +4

    I'm confused - 4 days after the auction ended? That doesn't seem bad at all. I've waited a week or so sometimes for payments before. Granted, they did reply to my emails/say they needed to wait for money, but 4 days seems completely reasonable.

    I've definitely taken some time to pay before - just had other stuff come up/got distracted.

  • +5

    The 4 days included the weekend…lol OP

    • +3

      Yep, this entire thread is useless.

      OP is being a bit paranoid.

      If you sell anything on eBay you have to factor in the costs of selling. eBay fees, PayPal fees, and the chance of getting scammed.

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