Literally Insane eBay Seller

Discussion in 'Marketplace Discussions' started by Oatsdad, Nov 3, 2017.

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  1. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever Thread Starter

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    Gort Gary said it'd be okay for me to run this thread as long as I didn't name names.

    I bought 2 Elton John CDs from an overseas seller. They were listed as being in "Very Good" shape but weren't - they had large scuffs/scratches on them.

    I expressed disappointment to seller and he denied there was any damage at all to CDs.

    Sent a picture of the marks and he said it didn't matter because the marks were on the playback side. (There are obvious scratches on playback side of CDs too, but the most blatant damage is on the front.)

    He said damage didn't matter because CDs played. I told him that as a collector, I want CDs in good shape and these clearly weren't "Very Good".

    He offered no compromise in terms of a partial refund so I pursued return through eBay's system.

    Then all hell broke less.

    He went literally crazy. This started slowly, with simple "I REFUSE THIS RETURN" emails, but Wednesday night, he went on a rampage and sent me twelve incoherent, rambling emails in a span of 12 hours.

    Sample:

    "Both CDS, you said THEY DO PLAY FINE THEY DO PLAY FINE THEY DO PLAY FINE THEY DO PLAY FINE THEY DO PLAY FINE THEY DO PLAY FINE THEY DO PLAY FINE THEY DO PLAY FINE THEY DO PLAY FINE THEY DO PLAY FINE THEY DO PLAY FINE THEY DO PLAY FINE THEY DO PLAY FINE your words... ... THEY DO PLAY FINE.. . if they do play fine, making claims that the cds, are heavily scratched, damaged, numerous scratches, massive scratches, and so forth is DECEIVING, MISLEADING, customer service people, ... ...making the impression that they don't play is just, REVOLTING.. my stomach cant stand it."

    I reported the harassment to eBay and they've been helpful.

    Today I got THIS email from him:

    "===TOUCH MY MONEY AND I'LL REPORT THIS TO THE POLICE=="

    Yeah, because police continents away are gonna go after $20 from a guy in the US! :laugh:

    The case was supposed to "escalate" today - and the seller apparently filed a countercomplaint/claim against me last night - but I chatted with eBay today and they promised to shut it down and get me the refund.

    I've been on eBay for decades and never experience a seller as unhinged as this guy!

    Anyone else have anything like this happen to them?
     
  2. eddiel

    eddiel Senior Member

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    Wow. Well not as bad as that many emails but I did once have a seller mention that "I was lucky we did not live in the same city" when he took issue with my request to return an lp due to non-fill which caused skipping (and was the last straw that broke my needle's back, or rather tip, but that's another story).

    Your seller was nuts to send all those messages through the eBay system because they can easily access them.

    You did the right thing though. You kept calm via the messaging system and called eBay to discuss the issue. When I get into tense situations with returns either via eBay or Paypal, I tend to call them. It really does help, especially if the other party is acting nuts.
     
    zinan, melstapler, CrazyCatz and 2 others like this.
  3. konut

    konut Prodigious Member. Thank you.

    Location:
    Whatcom County, WA
     
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  4. Hallogallo

    Hallogallo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Behind you
    So, how do the cds play?
     
  5. BluesOvertookMe

    BluesOvertookMe Forum Resident

    Location:
    Houston, TX, USA
    Can you tell us what country he's from?
     
  6. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever Thread Starter

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    I'd be DOWN with telling you that, but I don't want to be UNDER complaints for revealing too much about the seller... ;)
     
  7. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever Thread Starter

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    FINE!!!! :laugh:

    I tried patiently to explain to seller that I didn't buy the CDs to listen to them - I already own multiple copies of both. I bought them because they were harder to find pressings.

    Didn't matter - he seems to think condition doesn't matter as long as they play...
     
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  8. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever Thread Starter

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    I'm very happy this seller lives continents away, as I would be concerned that he'd pursue me in person if he lived in the US. Someone this deranged can't be trusted.

    I mean, how insane do you have to be to think you can report an eBay refund to the police? For a guy many 1000s of miles away???



    Yeah, I'm honestly not sure if I would've "won" this case without those emails. Probably, but the fact he sent such demented emails and so many of them, some with implied threats, sealed the deal. EBay had no choice but to side with me in the face of the relenetless harassment...

    Agree!

    I got back a refund for 1 of the 2 CDs because I screwed up with the other one. I started a claim but cancelled it because I misunderstood the system - I saw that the claim went to the seller, whereas I wanted to deal only with eBay.

    So I cancelled it and thought I'd be able to reopen it directly with eBay, but I couldn't - once it was cancelled, it was closed and not "reopenable".

    I had planned to go to Paypal for a refund on the other one, but now I think I'll leave well enough alone. I don't need the stress of dealing with this lunatic again - and in truth, the "half-refund" is probably fair.

    While I'm not happy with the condition of the CDs, I can swallow their damage better when they cost me $11 each (including shipping) vs. $22 each.

    And if this seller had been cooperative, I would've gladly agreed to that compromise in the first place.

    I'm tempted to pursue through Paypal because I'm so upset with this seller, but I'm already stressed enough from the eBay process, so I think I'll just take my half refund and move on with my life...
     
  9. eddiel

    eddiel Senior Member

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    Exactly! I'll make a lot of allowances for someone who's will to cooperate.
     
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  10. dkmonroe

    dkmonroe A completely self-taught idiot

    Location:
    Atlanta
    Reminds me of another situation several years ago when a member was literally sold the wrong CD by an eBay seller - the seller had the description of one edition of a CD and shipped an entirely different one; same title but different pressing - and when the buyer protested the seller went nuts, not only leaving crazy negative feedback but was harassing the buyer in POSITIVE feedback he left for other people! Then he showed up here and started to argue with the buyer in his thread! The thread got deleted, unfortunately. It was an entertaining hot mess.

    I looked at that seller's feedback profile at the time and it was a pattern with him. He had many neutrals and negatives and in his own feedback he would often try to respond kindly and rationally (although his excuses were poor) but then he would leave poisonous negative feedback in the buyer's profile. He left retaliatory negative feedback for buyers who even just left him a neutral. It's the kind of thing that makes you not want to buy from eBay unless it's a legitimate business.
     
  11. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever Thread Starter

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    Yeah, I never expected a full refund or to go to the trouble/expense of mailing the CDs back to him. While I never would've purchased the CDs if I'd realized they were as scuffed as they are, I still would've been fine with a partial refund.

    This guy just wasn't gonna have it, though. He went on the offensive immediately, claiming I lied about the scratches and whatnot.

    Ironically, he accused me of creating drama - the guy who sent 12 insane emails in 12 hours! :laugh:

    I'm girding myself for more emails/threats, as I don't think eBay was able to completely block him from contact with me. Clearly he's going to be very unhappy that eBay "touched his money"!
     
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  12. GentleSenator

    GentleSenator what if

    Location:
    Aloha, OR
    I've experienced this several times in 17 years of active eBay use. The last real zinger was a maniac seller wished death and illness upon me and then requested my contact information. He then called my phone and left me messages filled with homophobic and racist slurs.

    I'm starting to understand why someone might want to use a PO Box. :p
     
  13. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever Thread Starter

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    Woof - that's worse than my case - you win! :D

    So far, so good in terms of contact from this nutbag - maybe eBay did completely block him from contact?
     
  14. Dillydipper

    Dillydipper Space-Age luddite

    Location:
    Central PA
    That's what mediators are for..so people can trust the system even if they have no reason to trust the person on the other side of the transaction.

    You lose that trust, your whole business plan goes kaput. So I don't feel one whit of sympathy for eBay, but I do respect the situation they are in, and how some days it's probably a fine line for them between loving the business, and wishing it would all go under.
     
  15. Jrr

    Jrr Forum Resident

    I own a retail business. In rare instances you do run into this kind of thing. I've learned sometimes it's just better to move on, which is what you have wisely done. It just isn't worth it...this guy is a lunatic and so very unpredictable. The stress of simply reading email like that isn't worth the refund! I think you handled it beautifully.
     
  16. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever Thread Starter

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    Thanks! I hate to "lose", so part of me still feels like I should pursue the other $22 or so to "stick it" to this guy, but it's just not worth it.

    I got my "victory" and I presumably no longer have to deal with threats/harassment - even though the physical distance between his home and mine makes it extremely unlikely he'd try to get to me in person, it's still unsettling to deal with someone that obsessive and unhinged.

    I also feel a little bad for the guy, as it's abundantly clear that he's not "all there" mentally. I don't think he's dumb, but he has to have psychological problems to react the way he did.

    Those emails were not the product of a rational mind!
     
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  17. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever Thread Starter

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    You know, if this guy had stated his case in a rational manner and just left it up to eBay to decide without all the harassment and threats, I would've been fine with whatever decision eBay made. Wouldn't have been happy, but would've been okay with it.

    He blew it by being psychotic. Dunno if he would've won if he'd acted sane, but he clearly doomed himself with his behavior.

    By this AM, I don't even think eBay paid attention to the merits of his case vs. mine - they saw how out of control this guy became and wanted the case settled ASAP. They certainly couldn't side with him - not after he'd threatened another member - so they wanted to get me my money to end it from their POV, too...
     
  18. John Buchanan

    John Buchanan I'm just a headphone kind of fellow. Stax Sigma

    At the risk of repeating myself.....
    I ordered an MFSL CD copy of Johnny Winter's "Second Winter" from an SHF member. NM condition. It arrived and as I opened the thinly padded envelope, bits of CD and case fell out. The bits of the CD weren't even near mint, LOL. Sent an email (with photos) to the seller suggesting a 50% refund, as it wasn't really anybody's fault, (apart from suboptimal packaging) and he basically replied "too bad - your problem". So, I sent another email asking if he remembered I had paid via Paypal and I could either get 100% refund and bad feedback, or 50% refund and no feedback. He chose the latter and gave me some flack about it. Nasty piece of work. I wasn't the only one he did this sort of stuff to, apparently.
     
  19. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever Thread Starter

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    Someone HERE did that? I'm honestly shocked!

    Seems like that sort of behavior here has even greater repercussions than on eBay, as we're a community of sorts and your bad behavior will potentially follow you in a way it wouldn't on eBay.

    BTW, I've not left feedback for this crazy seller on eBay - not sure if I will. He has otherwise strong feedback and they don't leave you much room to explain, so I'm not sure the ding in his rating will do what I want: tell potential buyers to beware!
     
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  20. Jrr

    Jrr Forum Resident

    Well, and usually people bent on actually doing something like he was threatening isn't going to post a sign ahead of time! The more bluster the less you have to worry about imo. But it is none the less unsettling and it's worth losing a few dollars not raising the blood pressure! I think we can all say most of the time on line transactions go well, and around here it's been 100% perfect so far. I have had a few issues lately on ebay but it's always been resolved. And so far no one has shown up at my door!
     
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  21. Jrr

    Jrr Forum Resident

    Wow. Sorry to hear that. I am more than impressed so far by all the fabulous treatment I have received from sellers here so far. I just spent $1500 today with two sellers here and I'm not the least bit worried about it. Sorry you had to go through that but at least that was a rare exception based on my experience, and probably yours too.
     
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  22. LEONPROFF

    LEONPROFF Forum Resident

    I admit I was skeptical when I read “literally” in the title, but his e-mails are scary. There are times it is best to just let it go.
     
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  23. Dave S

    Dave S Forum Resident

    That crosses a line where you might want to contact the relevant authorities. Certainly ebay. Of course, such auction carries a risk. For most people, it would be a wake-up call, realising their behaviour is not acceptable. But there's a tiny minority out there who would just blow-up and get more dangerous. You'll be surprised at the reactions some people have when getting banned from forums such as this one.
     
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  24. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever Thread Starter

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    Yeah, I don't use "literally" lightly - I think it really applies in this case. Someone in their right frame of mind doesn't act like this guy did!
     
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  25. Gaslight

    Gaslight ⎧⚍⎫⚑

    Location:
    Northeast USA
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