Should I open up a dispute, or just sit back?

TanG411

This question is for regular eBay buyers and sellers.

I won my first item on eBay a week ago today from a buyer with good reputation. (feedback 98.8%, score 311). It cost me about €61 which I sent through PayPal the following morning.

Since then, I've heard nothing from the seller yet. Everyday, her feedback is still rising with various buyers being pleased with the items she sells. Also, she left feedback on some people on the 19th of April and the 21st - several days after I sent messages to her. So she has been online and would have received my messages.

So, should I open up a dispute with her, or should I wait a couple more days?.

I'm just a little anxious considering it was the first time I used eBay.

Thanks

Oh, the last time I messaged her was three days ago, just to ask for some sort of a reply.

Nolimits

If you have already emailed her and she has not responded then your entitled to raise a dispute in my opinion. All that will do is inform paypal that there is a problem and paypal will in turn contact the seller. It could be the seller was just overlooking your emails and it's an innocent mistake maybe he/she simply wasn't keeping up with the news and assumed you would have it already. If the seller ignores the paypal email as he/she has ignored yours then as the account is so active paypal should hopefully just be able to refund you easily enough.

TanG411

I emailed her again yesterday saying it has been one week since I won the bid, please reply etc.

I also said I don't want to open up dispute or leave negative feedback, and also mentioned the volcano incident so she should try to send it as quickly as she can.

She then replied to me at 8 this morning . She said she sent the item yesterday.

So all is good now - unless the item doesn't arrive :O

eightyfish

Check the postmark when it arrives to confirm it was sent on the day she said, if not give neutral feedback.

ttm

eightyfish wrote: »

Check the postmark when it arrives to confirm it was sent on the day she said, if not give neutral feedback.

I wish every package did have a postmark! At least half the ones I get, from as far a field as UK and HK have no postmark and No date. Anything posted over a week after I've paid would get a negative unless the seller had either mentioned it in the listing or sent me an email explaining, but half the time I have no proof:(

TanG411

The item still hasn't arrived which makes it seven business days since she 'sent' it. If it is not here tomorrow then I am opening up a dispute through PayPal. It has been over two weeks afterall.

There was another game that I won on the 17th, and it arrived on the 22nd. Then again, the seller has 100% feedback.

moonshadow

Where is it being sent from,ive often waited 14 days for stuff from HK.

TanG411

It's being sent from Wales.

moonshadow

Well then open dispute,you will probably get the item,but the seller is probably waiting for it to arrive from HK:rolleyes:

TanG411

It's a seller who is selling their own personal items, not stock that is shipped from abroad. I never mentioned HK in the first place.

eightyfish

Larkin91 wrote: »

It's a seller who is selling their own personal items, not stock that is shipped from abroad. I never mentioned HK in the first place.

Give it 14 days, then open a dispute. If you get it, and the postmark is later than the send-by-date, neg.

TanG411

It has been 14 days since the seller reportedly posted it, and it still did not arrive. So I have opened up a dispute through PayPal.

My only concern is our feedback ratings. Since I am new to eBay, I only have 1 feedback point and it is positive. She on the other hand has a feedback score of 346 with 98.1% positive. Also the item was through standard post so there is no signing required or any tracking.

Here's hoping I get my money back. :mad:

Max Power1

Larkin91 wrote: »

It has been 14 days since the seller reportedly posted it, and it still did not arrive. So I have opened up a dispute through PayPal.

My only concern is our feedback ratings. Since I am new to eBay, I only have 1 feedback point and it is positive. She on the other hand has a feedback score of 346 with 98.1% positive. Also the item was through standard post so there is no signing required or any tracking.

Here's hoping I get my money back. :mad:

Then youll get a refund for sure, the onus is on the seller to prove delivery

TanG411

Max Power1 wrote: »

Then youll get a refund for sure, the onus is on the seller to prove delivery

Well that's a weight off my back

Is that to say that all postage should be done through registered post if it's from one country to another? I suppose for the extra money it is worth it, just to have even a tracking ID at least.

eightyfish

Larkin91 wrote: »

Is that to say that all postage should be done through registered post if it's from one country to another? I suppose for the extra money it is worth it, just to have even a tracking ID at least.

I only ever send by registered post when I sell on eBay. You should have no problem getting your money back. Let us know how you get on.

TanG411

As I said, I opened a dispute yesterday.

Then this morning I got an email saying from PayPal that the dispute is now closed??? She didn't even reply to the dispute, but the automated messgae says ''It's either been open for 20 days, or I had reached an agreement''.

Surely only I can close a dispute? Can the seller also end one?.

EDIT: Just checked my PayPal account and it says I got a refund from the seller. It says it has been put on my credit card, but I used a 3V card to pay. I assume it means the money is put on my 3V card?

jor el

Only Paypal or the person who opened the dispute can close it. Looks like Paypal closed it for some reason.

TanG411

jor el wrote: »

Only Paypal or the person who opened the dispute can close it. Looks like Paypal closed it for some reason.

I just edited my post to say PayPal refunded me.

TanG411

Checking my eBay account, it now says I must pay for one item (The one I disputed against).

Anyway, I will leave negative feedback. Reason being she said she sent it and it never arrived. Also seemed to get my money back instantly.

eightyfish

Neg away, since you had to go through paypal to get your money back. Ignore the notice on ebay that's normal.

ttm

eightyfish wrote: »

Neg away, since you had to go through paypal to get your money back. Ignore the notice on ebay that's normal.

If its not been changed yet that notice can cause more problems but you still can't do anything more than ignore it for now.

Because eBay now reckons you havn't paid for the item the next bit of eBay stupidity is that the seller can try and get their eBay listing fees back by claiming you havn't paid. Don't bother telling me thats stupid I've told eBay and PayPal that a few times, very annoying.

To get there fees back the seller has to either get your agreement to cancel the sale or claim you haven't paid. You win in the end but its just a pain to sort out if it happens and you shouldn't have to bother.

Its happened to me with a couple of HK sellers when goods didn't arrive, I got money back from PayPal and they claimed none payment to get fees back, each time I had to send an email explaining it to get out of a non paying strike.

TanG411

She disputed the negative feedback quoting "Dispute was not required, could have sorted it through private messages".

My response was simply saying she said she sent the item, so there was no need for more communication until the item was received. If she was willing to renegotiate, it means she never sent it in the first place.

eightyfish

ttm- interesting, haven't had that happen to me yet.

OP- didn't you email her and get no response?

TanG411

eightyfish wrote: »

ttm- interesting, haven't had that happen to me yet.

OP- didn't you email her and get no response?

She replied 8 days after I won the item (check post #3 above). She said she sent it on the 21st of April. I responded saying ''That's great. I'll give you feedback when it arrives''.

Now it's over two weeks and there's still no sign of it, so I opened a dispute yesterday through PayPal and got a refund this morning. She wrote this morning that we I didn't give her any chance of writing to me. (She's quick to write when she has negative feedback). I replied saying ''You reportedly sent it. Didn't arrive. If you're renegotiating, it means you never sent it in the first place.''

eightyfish

Yeah, she lied so the neg is justified IMO. Now forget about it- she can't neg you back so no worries.

TanG411

She said mentioning PayPal in feedback is a breach of eBay policy? I read eBay's policy and have not seen that mentioned.

ttm

Larkin91 wrote: »

She said mentioning PayPal in feedback is a breach of eBay policy? I read eBay's policy and have not seen that mentioned.

No its not, stuff like "Never arrived, got money back through PayPal" would be quite a common form of negative feedback. If its not allowed then a lot of people do it.