I need your advice: Problem with non-replying seller

Hi,

I've had only positive experience with Ebay so far, I have 70 positive and no negative feedback.

A week ago I won on Ebay Germany three CD auctions from the same german seller (280 positive feedback, 99%) on the same day, three DCC discs which I got for a reasonable price and would have allowed me to save on shipping costs.

I used the Ebay checkout of one auction to ask the seller for the combined shipping cost to Luxembourg and his bank account. Bank transfer is the seller's preferred payment method and he accepted to ship within Europe. I wrote in German.

Two days later I still had no reply, which is very unusual for my Ebay experience. I then used the checkout of one of the other auctions and asked the same question again. Yesterday I sent him an email directly to his aol.com address, reminding him of the three auctions, in a friendly manner. I still have no reply after 10 days.

In the meantime, the seller received positive feedback from three other buyers who won auctions the same day as me and the day after, praising the fast shipping. So the seller is continuing his business but seems to be deliberately ignoring the auctions I have won. If he has time to send out CDs to other buyers, he would have the time to send me an email informing me of problems that might have occurred.

What would you do in this situation?

- Should I give him negative feedback, after two weeks and sending him another email (a warning this time)?
- If he gives me negative feedback in return, will Ebay accept to delete this unjustified reaction?
- If he finally replies, would you send money (about $50) to a seller which seems so unreliable in his contact?

Thanks

 

Not sure what happens in Germany, but standard practice is to get eBay involved. Check the ebay site. Don't just bust the seller with bad feedback without eBay making an effort to make contact with the seller.

It may be long and drawn out, but it might work rather than you both giving bad feedback to each other.

 

Claude, I wouldn't be so hasty in this one. Please remember that there are virus problems right now and he may be a bit over cautious. Try sending an email directly through the auction link (ask seller a question) so he can be sure it isn't a virus loaded email. Do not rely on "check-out" to be contacting the seller. Send a direct email with the auction number in the title if the contact link doesn't work. I never rely on that stupid check-out as it has been proven unreliable in the past for me.

Let us know what happens and only give negative feedback as a very last resort.

 

True. Your domain might be on a black list from the wide attacksof MyDoom these past few days.

 

Thanks for your advice.

Suppose he didn't get my emails (it is extremely unlikely that my provider is on a black list) and he ignored the Checkout messages, would't he try to contact me? After all, I won most of his CDs that day.

BTW, the other DCCs he sold (and received positive feedback for) went for a similar or lower price than mine, so it's not likely that he wants to put my CDs on auction again.

 

His computer might be down. I would be patient.

I ordered a box set off half.com back in November and got no response back and no box set. Finally I waited out the 30-day waiting period and contacted him again. I guess he moved and I got lost in the shuffle and he sent the box set next day mail and credited me $ 20 which was awesome.

I would wait it out. With guy that has that good of feedback, you should hear from him eventually.

 

I'm with the gang on this one: relax, give it a little time....I'm not sure exactly how long I would wait, but there's no harm in continuing to send e-mails. There is a scare out there, though I've never let these things bother me, you just hope a virus doesn't nail you. That his PC might be down is a distinct possibility, though if I were a seller, I'd just find a pal, log on, and send out the info that way, rather than make customers wait, which is a no-no no matter where you're from. You could contact eBay, but methinks it might be too soon for that. A few more weeks? Different story...


ED

 

I don't think it could be PC problems on his side.

He has received positive feedback for other auctions which ended the same day and the day after mine (he has no current auctions). He received 4 messages from me on 4 different days (2 emails, 2 Checkouts) , so even if he had a hard drive crash he must have got at least one of them.

But OK, I will wait another few days.

 

Could it be that case that you did not get his emails?

Joachim

 

Thanks Joachim

Where is the "I feel so ashamed" smilie?

I just went through the delete rules of my antispam filter, and there is one called "aol.com" Everything from an aol.com address was immediately deleted from the mail server.

I never expected to receive anything important from an AOL user ...