How Do Companies Like PayPal Handle Customer Disputes?

[GCT]

Have any of you ever came across a company that has an utter degree of disregard for its customers? You have a problem with a business transaction and then you go to the claims department or some kind of an arbitration department and they are just unresponsive? What happens when you come across such a company ... who simply ignores your concerns? Or feign interest by giving you generalized answers that don't address your concern?

I recently conducted an Ebay transaction with Paypal. The item was not as described so I filed a dispute within the claims department. I found out soon that this claims department is all but nonexistent. The claims specialist never contacted me one time to discuss the item. The customer representatives responded to my concerns with generalized answers that did not address my original question. The result was in favor of the seller , no explanations , case closed. I logged into the Paypal site after this result and the documents that I had sent via faxes were in the still to be reviewed state.

I called Paypal and actually got to converse with a supervisor at the claims department ... he gave me a generalized explanation , something along the lines of

" Paypal has a claims department ... like it or not , this is what you are going to get "

And then he hung up on me.

The common theme throughout the dispute ordeal was

" we have our way , if you have a separate opinion or concern we are not going to address it "

They give you " answers " but this could be any type of an answer , they address your concern superficially but don't even mention or address your concern , it is like you are not even there ...

I never had one Paypal representative actually answer my question until this moment. Anyone else here find this incredibly annoying? Has anyone had the same issue with Paypal? Any other companies that exhibited this type of behavior? Do these companies have any accountability - any way to have them to be responsible - or is the arbitration centers at each of these companies all a image charade to fool the customers?

 

[Evo]

What was your question to Paypal? It seems that your dispute would be with the seller. What did Paypal do wrong?

Did you file a complaint against the seller with ebay? It sounds like you are complaining to the bank about an item you purchased at a store with your debit card. The bank is not responsible for the quality of the item you purchased and they can't take the money back from the seller. That is between you and the seller. Same as if you had paid the seller with a check and the check was cashed. The bank does not get the money back from the person that cashed your check because you don't like the merchandise.

 

[GCT]

What was your question to Paypal? It seems that your dispute would be with the seller. What did Paypal do wrong?

Did you file a complaint against the seller with ebay? It sounds like you are complaining to the bank about an item you purchased at a store with your debit card. The bank is not responsible for the quality of the item you purchased and they can't take the money back from the seller. That is between you and the seller. Same as if you had paid the seller with a check and the check was cashed. The bank does not get the money back from the person that cashed your check because you don't like the merchandise.

Paypal has this " Buyer Protection Plan " , the item in reality was not nearly the same as advertised , I filed a dispute at their claims center. I bought this item with Paypal because of this plan of theirs. The dispute was eventually in favor of the seller. If it were in my favor , I would be able to get a refund.

Ebay and Paypal have some degree of responsibility on the products that are displayed on their website since they are getting money off of the sales of these items. It's similar to buying something at Radio Shack , the products are originally from various companies , however if the product is a scam or a defect , a good company needs to take accountability for it.

I really don't know who would buy from a store that would take no accountability for the products that they sell and make a profit off of. Theoretically each company may be able to reference you to a chain of links to who is responsible , even the production line may refer you to someone else and so on. And that is why most companies have some kind of accountability or customer satisfaction team ... it is when these sectors are displaying disregard for the customers that there is a need for some kind of sense into what is happening and who is able to have these companies be responsible.

 

[Evo]

If your purchase through Paypal had a "buyer protection plan", what does it specifically offer? It sounds like you are expecting a refund. What are the conditions you would have to meet in order to get a refund, and did you meet them?

Sorry, just trying to figure out what happened.

I found this site https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_pbp-info-outside

Was the item you purchased listed as an eligible item?

The Paypal policy also says "Significantly not as described", how was the item you received different from how it was described?

13.6 SNAD Definition

What is Significantly Not as Described (SNAD)?

An item is Significantly Not as Described if it is materially different than what the seller described in the item listing. Here are some examples:

You received a completely different item. Example: You purchased a book and received a DVD or an empty box.

The condition of the item was misrepresented. Example: The listing said "new" and the item was used.

The item was advertised as authentic but is not authentic.

The item is missing major parts or features which were not disclosed in the listing.

You purchased three items from a seller but only received two.

An item is not Significantly Not as Described if it is materially similar to the seller’s item listing description. Here are some examples:

The defect in the item was correctly described by the seller.

The item was properly described but you didn't want it after you received it.

The item was properly described but did not meet your expectations.

The item has minor scratches and was listed as used condition.

Also this disclaimer sounds like they don't have to do anything.

What happens if I am unable to resolve the Dispute directly with the seller?

You may escalate the Dispute to a Claim within 20 days of the date you filed the Dispute. PayPal will make a final decision for some - but not all - Claims.

PayPal will generally make a final decision for an Item Not Received (INR) Claim, but will not make a final decision for a Significantly Not as Described (SNAD) Claim, or Claims involving the following purchases: intangible items, licenses, airline flight tickets, services, vehicles, live auctions, real estate, classified ads on eBay, or other items as determined by PayPal (collectively “Ineligible Items”). This means that unless the seller voluntarily refunds your money, you will not recover any amounts for a SNAD Claim or a Claim for an Ineligible Item filed under the Buyer Complaint Policy.

https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=p/gen/ua/policy_pbp-outside#pbp-policy

 

[WarPhalange]

Yup. I ordered from bikepartsusa.com

I ordered some things all at once, and the minor things came but the tires never did. I called, and they said "Oh, okay, we'll send them". I did this twice, and nothing. I'm out $40. I talked to Paypal and the guy said "We can't do anything. You got half the package, so they'll just say the tires were there." When the UPS order tracker clearly had a weight marked on the package that was less than the tires by themselves, not including other things.

So I'm F-ed. And really mad about it. But there is nothing I can do but build up the anger in hopes that some day I'll see Morgan Steel and just tear into his face.

 

[GCT]

If your purchase through Paypal had a "buyer protection plan", what does it specifically offer? It sounds like you are expecting a refund. What are the conditions you would have to meet in order to get a refund, and did you meet them?

Sorry, just trying to figure out what happened.

I found this site https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_pbp-info-outside

Was the item you purchased listed as an eligible item?

Yeah , under their SNAD claim - Significantly Not As Described. I had three clear cut issues

- I asked the seller about a feature of the item , he gave me an answer , when I got the item his statements were lies

- It had all sorts of additional damages. External and Internal.

As for this latter claim , the supervisor of the claims department explained that ( this was his sole " human " explanation by the way , yes he actually responded )

as long as the original Ebay site mentions " damages " then the issue of additional damages are not relevant.

The seller mentioned a couple of damages , there were lots more , the item was trash.

 

[Evo]

The Paypal guarantee is so vague and so full of loopholes that I doubt they pay on claims very often. I am assuming that the seller refused to let you return the item?

If they are a one time ebay seller, then you are probably SOL. If they are a repeat seller, then can't you post what happened on their profile?

 

[GCT]

Yup. I ordered from bikepartsusa.com

I ordered some things all at once, and the minor things came but the tires never did. I called, and they said "Oh, okay, we'll send them". I did this twice, and nothing. I'm out $40. I talked to Paypal and the guy said "We can't do anything. You got half the package, so they'll just say the tires were there." When the UPS order tracker clearly had a weight marked on the package that was less than the tires by themselves, not including other things.

So I'm F-ed. And really mad about it. But there is nothing I can do but build up the anger in hopes that some day I'll see Morgan Steel and just tear into his face.

It seems that a lot of these " departments " at Ebay are just for display. Afterall , they were created after a couple of scandals surfaced , they just want to encourage people to shop on Ebay since big brother Paypal is going to make certain that you are not going to get scammed.

As I explained earlier , Ebay has to be actually responsible for what products are on their site that they earn profit off of ... all stores represent various company brands , a good company is responsible for the stuff that they have. Walmart refunds your purchases if they are defective for example.

Who wants to buy from a store that sells defective products even more one that does not take accountability for making profit off of them? Most stores have the trusted brands ...

Ebay is not one of these stores. Anyone is able to sell anything on Ebay.

 

[GCT]

The Paypal guarantee is so vague and so full of loopholes that I doubt they pay on claims very often. I am assuming that the seller refused to let you return the item?

If they are a one time ebay seller, then you are probably SOL. If they are a repeat seller, then can't you post what happened on their profile?

No he is not going to refund the item ... no longer responds to my email. I plan to post the event on his profile pretty soon. Are there any organizations out there that are Anti-Paypal , if so count me in.

Scam artists are everywhere and Paypal does not give a hoot because they are actually earning their share of money off of it.

 

[GCT]

What happens if I am unable to resolve the Dispute directly with the seller?

You may escalate the Dispute to a Claim within 20 days of the date you filed the Dispute. PayPal will make a final decision for some - but not all - Claims.

PayPal will generally make a final decision for an Item Not Received (INR) Claim, but will not make a final decision for a Significantly Not as Described (SNAD) Claim, or Claims involving the following purchases: intangible items, licenses, airline flight tickets, services, vehicles, live auctions, real estate, classified ads on eBay, or other items as determined by PayPal (collectively “Ineligible Items”). This means that unless the seller voluntarily refunds your money, you will not recover any amounts for a SNAD Claim or a Claim for an Ineligible Item filed under the Buyer Complaint Policy.

This is confusing , it informs that they are able to make the final decision for the SNAD claims , then how were they able to do so for my case? I filed this case with Ebay also and they sent it over to Paypal.

 

[Evo]

I knew people that tried to start up a company that would hold the money in an "escrow" account. They wouldn't release your payment to the seller until the buyer received the item and approved it. Needless to say their offer to ebay was refused and Paypal was selected. The company that lost was started by a former UPS exec. They no longer exist.

 

[GCT]

I knew people that tried to start up a company that would hold the money in an "escrow" account. They wouldn't release your payment to the seller until the buyer received the item and approved it. Needless to say their offer to ebay was refused and Paypal was selected. The company that lost was started by a former UPS exec. They no longer exist.

Interesting ... I wonder how many people really work at Paypal.

Wow , just google " anti Paypal " ( with a space in between ) , it seems that cases like are common.

 

[WarPhalange]

It seems that a lot of these " departments " at Ebay are just for display. Afterall , they were created after a couple of scandals surfaced , they just want to encourage people to shop on Ebay since big brother Paypal is going to make certain that you are not going to get scammed.

As I explained earlier , Ebay has to be actually responsible for what products are on their site that they earn profit off of ... all stores represent various company brands , a good company is responsible for the stuff that they have. Walmart refunds your purchases if they are defective for example.

Who wants to buy from a store that sells defective products even more one that does not take accountability for making profit off of them? Most stores have the trusted brands ...

Ebay is not one of these stores. Anyone is able to sell anything on Ebay.

This wasn't eBay. This was just a store that used PayPal. After I realized I got shafted, I googled the company name and got a lot of complaints similar to mine, especially with regards to tires.

I used the "contact seller directly" option from Paypal and didn't get a reply. I escalated to a dispute and they shut it down within 10 minutes saying they can't do anything about it, even though I never received half my order.

I called them up and the guy basically told me I was SOL and that Paypal can't do anything. Great.

Free market wins again!

 

[wolram]

Is there no trade description act? it may be impossible to apply if the seller is on foreign soil, but if the seller is native then i would think you have the means to get your money back.

 

[WarPhalange]

Of course I do. It's called small claims court. I'd have to miss a day of school to fight for $40. If I was working, it would be a day of work I'd have to miss.

The system is broken. If you need to file for a small claim or dispute a ticket, you have to waste a day of work to do so. If the amount of money you would earn at work surpasses that which you are disputing, then it's not worth it to go to court for you and you are forced to let the scammer off the hook or let the cop feel better about himself for slapping you with a bad ticket.

 

[GCT]

This wasn't eBay. This was just a store that used PayPal. After I realized I got shafted, I googled the company name and got a lot of complaints similar to mine, especially with regards to tires.

I used the "contact seller directly" option from Paypal and didn't get a reply. I escalated to a dispute and they shut it down within 10 minutes saying they can't do anything about it, even though I never received half my order.

I called them up and the guy basically told me I was SOL and that Paypal can't do anything. Great.

Free market wins again!

You know what , I am going to post an auction on Ebay and have the buyer pay for it , after this I am going to delete my account. Free money , thanks Paypal!

It seems that the connection between Ebay , Paypal and the banks is that of a fuzzy one while I had believed that they had some type of an official partnership.

Paypal and Ebay seem to believe that as long as the majority of the people - majority as in 70 percent perhaps - are good natured that it is a legitimate company ... the sun is shining as long as the majority of these buyers don't get ****ed.

So what really is the distinction between some kind of hacker or scam artist who builds a website to fool people and Paypal who have these scums do it for them? What is Paypal's distinction from that of a really sleazy store that exists to rip customers off? Right , Paypal is the parent of these companies who do their business on Paypal , wow what a great company.

In a sense it is these type of companies that Paypal secures while not securing the buyer. How ... utterly sickening.

 

[Cyrus]

The US Post office.

The Maryland State Department of Motor Vehicle Services.

 

[Moonbear]

No he is not going to refund the item ... no longer responds to my email. I plan to post the event on his profile pretty soon. Are there any organizations out there that are Anti-Paypal , if so count me in.

Scam artists are everywhere and Paypal does not give a hoot because they are actually earning their share of money off of it.

If you can't get the issue resolved through eBay and PayPal, and if it's enough money for you to feel it's worth your time and court costs, you can still sue the seller in small claims court if they won't give you a refund for an item that was misrepresented.

But, your situation is a perfect example of why I won't buy anything on eBay. It's worse than a garage sale, because you don't even get to look at the item before you buy. There are things I wouldn't buy at a garage sale either, like electronics, unless someone there let me plug it in and see if it actually worked before I bought.

Ooh, Cyrus' post made me think of something else. If they mailed the item to you by regular USPS mail, and not through some other courier service, you could file a complaint with the postal service. It might not get very far either, but it would fall under the category of mail fraud. If they're a one-time seller on eBay, it might not add up to enough for any action to be taken, but if they have one of those eBay stores that sells a lot through them, you never know, there might be a big fat file about them with the Postal Inspectors.

 

[Evo]

Ooh, Cyrus' post made me think of something else. If they mailed the item to you by regular USPS mail, and not through some other courier service, you could file a complaint with the postal service.

Oh, good one MB! Just the worry of being inspected for mail fraud would serve them right.

 

[russ_watters]

I really don't know who would buy from a store that would take no accountability for the products that they sell and make a profit off of.

Ebay is not a store, it is an auction site. What you are saying is not like going after Radio Shack for an item they stock, it is going after the mall for what you bought at the Radio Shack at the mall. The mall is just a market place. It isn't responsible for what the stores in it are doing.

Now the Paypal buyer protection program sounds a lot like what credit card companies do (and paypal is similar to a credit card company). But they have to strike a balance and dispute resolution is difficult. It is tough to know if your claim was reasonable or not based on what you've said.

Now your general treatment by Paypal - that's a common one. Poor customer service comes from not spending enough money on good customer service. Ultimately, companies weigh the quality of service against the cost and this is what you get.

Also - if you paid for the item on Paypal via a credit card, you may want to see if your credit card company has some dispute resolution mechanism that can help you. They often do. Unlike Paypal, which must strike a balance between buyer and seller, credit card companies are biased in your favor because they live or die based on your willingness to use their card.

 

[GCT]

Ebay is not a store, it is an auction site. What you are saying is not like going after Radio Shack for an item they stock, it is going after the mall for what you bought at the Radio Shack at the mall. The mall is just a market place. It isn't responsible for what the stores in it are doing.

Christ , it's a breeding ground for scums and they are not responsible for the fact that people bid on the site due to their fostered trust of Ebay's image?

I'm going to explain what I mean by " image " a bit further

- All of the security centers that are located throughout the homepage as well as on the MyEbay page. Giving reassurance and confidence for the prospective buyer to bid.

- All of the emails that I get that want my opinion on customer satisfaction. This gives me the impression that Ebay has a direct role in operations that concern the buyer and that they on a roll with improving this aspect ... in seeming contradiction to your claim.

So , if your claim is true , I wonder if they are doing all of these customer improvement projects due to increasing dissent over Paypal and Ebay and their atrocities.

If Ebay really has no responsibility for what the stores in it are doing then it is merely a haven for scam artists , it is playing the " I don't know game " while people all over are getting fooled simply because they are earning money off of it. There are so many sick people out there that set up businesses on Ebay since they are not able to do so in public ...

By logic if Ebay has no role in securing their own buyers then it exists to secure these sickos - all for the sake of earning money for themselves. This makes Ebay a truly dark and dispicable company.

I have arrived at an ephiphany.

 

[russ_watters]

Christ , it's a breeding ground for scums and they are not responsible for the fact that people bid on the site due to their fostered trust of Ebay's image?

That's just naive. Are you not at all familiar with the concept of an auction? A garage sale? A swap meet? An open-air flea market? That said:

I'm going to explain what I mean by " image " a bit further

- All of the security centers that are located throughout the homepage as well as on the MyEbay page. Giving reassurance and confidence for the prospective buyer to bid.

Ebay most certainly wants to make peoples' experiences positive on their site. They do make an effort to ensure integrity. All I'm saying is that there is a limit to what they can do in that regard due to the nature of their business.

- All of the emails that I get that want my opinion on customer satisfaction. This gives me the impression that Ebay has a direct role in operations that concern the buyer and that they on a roll with improving this aspect ... in seeming contradiction to your claim.

So , if your claim is true , I wonder if they are doing all of these customer improvement projects due to increasing dissent over Paypal and Ebay and their atrocities.

I'm not sure what claim you think that contradicts. Perhaps:

If Ebay really has no responsibility for what the stores in it are doing then it is merely a haven for scam artists , it is playing the " I don't know game " while people all over are getting fooled simply because they are earning money off of it. There are so many sick people out there that set up businesses on Ebay since they are not able to do so in public ...

You are confusing responsibility with interest. They have an interest in maintaining a quality site. They do not have much in the way of responsibility.

By logic if Ebay has no role in securing their own buyers then it exists to secure these sickos - all for the sake of earning money for themselves. This makes Ebay a truly dark and dispicable company.

I have arrived at an ephiphany.

I see no logic there at all. You start with false premises and draw conclusions that aren't even connected to them anyway.

 

[WarPhalange]

You are confusing responsibility with interest. They have an interest in maintaining a quality site. They do not have much in the way of responsibility.

Didn't you just agree with him? He said they have no responsibility to do X, and you said the same thing. That's what he's saying...

 

[russ_watters]

Where did he say that? In post 3, he said:

Ebay and Paypal have some degree of responsibility on the products that are displayed on their website since they are getting money off of the sales of these items.

And in that last post:

If Ebay really has no responsibility for what the stores in it are doing...

He said "if" to highlight what he considers a flaw in my position.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

I have been dealing with a particular sort of business lately. All of their customers are there because they have to be and due to this they do not care how they treat them. I have been made to pay extra because one of their employees gave me false information. I have been made to sit and wait for an hour and a half while others who came after me were helped before me. I've had to argue for several minutes to get a schedule change before they finally took a look at the schedule and fit me right in without a problem. I've been ignored and had doors slammed in my face. And while I can't prove it I believe they have made me do the things they wish of me by claiming it is the law even though it is not.

 

[GCT]

We've had this type of conversation before and yes I admit that I needed to have been more acute when dealing with particular customers on Ebay as others have noted also. However there are particular points that needs to be addressed in your previous post.

That's just naive. Are you not at all familiar with the concept of an auction? A garage sale? A swap meet? An open-air flea market?

As I mentioned these are public venues , Ebay is online , anyone with any kind of a business is able to setup a " legitimate business " on Ebay ... and many of them do , a lot with intentions of scamming people to pay up and then these scam artists simply close the account. Ebay does not have a responsibility here either , there are many horror stories related to such methods. The simple fact of the matter is

It is easier to get away with a scam on Ebay then it is anywhere else.

That said: Ebay most certainly wants to make peoples' experiences positive on their site. They do make an effort to ensure integrity. All I'm saying is that there is a limit to what they can do in that regard due to the nature of their business.

I have discovered that your first sentence is also naive , this is the image that they wish to portray. Most of their customer representatives are drones who have the pretense of being concerned who constantly direct me to some other department. I have actually sent an email to complaint-response and the person who answered the email so kindly stated his understanding of my problem and advised me to email ... complaint-response. I responded to this email and mentioned this mistake and got the same type of email the next several times.

This is what I mean by unresponsiveness , and then when I am able to reach the supervisor of the claims department he basically has that tactic of giving me an " answer but not really addressing the question " as if I was not even there , he stated that the result was not going to changed without any explanation , and then hung up on me.

So you claim that they want to " ensure positive experiences " to " ensure integrity "? They seem to be doing the opposite of this , they want to portray this image however if you deal with them for a while you are going to find out that this is all for display and the reality is the opposite. I have emailed them a couple dozen times and am doing so even currently. I just want one human answer ...one explanation ...for the love of god.

I'm not sure what claim you think that contradicts. Perhaps: You are confusing responsibility with interest.

I was referring to your claim that Ebay has no responsibility for what is sold on their site and by this I was inferring that they ultimately do not need to have an interest and this may mean that they simply do not.

They have an interest in maintaining a quality site. They do not have much in the way of responsibility. I see no logic there at all. You start with false premises and draw conclusions that aren't even connected to them anyway.

No everything is there for the sole purpose of encourage bidding and increasing profits. From the recent scale up of their " customer satisfaction " program I am guessing that they are having increasing problems with dissent. I have dealt with them for a while and believe me when I claim that they are trained drones without ability for creative mental calculation.

Ebay is the number one harbor for criminals and scam artists.

They need to take responsibility to secure every seller.

If they are not securing the buyer by ruling in favor seller then they are securing the seller from being prosecuted

... since they would be jailed relatively faster and easily anywhere else. It is easier to get away with a scam on Ebay then anywhere else. Their campaign on the web and media is misleading , the majority of the buyers do not have favorable experiences when dealing with their " security center ".

You seem to have a very favorable impression of Ebay. Our opinions about Ebay are simply not the same. I am guessing that your opinions are influenced by the constant emails they send you asking for ratings of certain sellers and as well as other sectors related to customer satisfaction. This is all for encouraging you to bid. My perspective on the role that Ebay plays has changed dramatically. There is a lot of the " behind the scenes " thing happening on Ebay. They are a exclusively online company afterall.

 

[brewnog]

I agree with Russ. Your contract was with the vendor, not with eBay or Paypal. The vendor had a responsibility to describe the item or service accurately, and then to provide that service. If that didn't happen, it was down to the seller, not the medium by which the goods/service were advertised or paid for.

 

[GCT]

I agree with Russ. Your contract was with the vendor, not with eBay or Paypal. The vendor had a responsibility to describe the item or service accurately, and then to provide that service. If that didn't happen, it was down to the seller, not the medium by which the goods/service were advertised or paid for.

Yes this has been the point of our discussion thus far , to paraphrase " ... Ebay has no responsibility ... ".

So the moral of the story is

- Pay with your credit card not Paypal as Russ mentioned

- Do not buy from pages that state that the item has been damaged no matter how small the damage is ... according to Paypal this was the loophole that caused them to immediately dismiss my case , the item in actuality was TRASH and the seller lied about so many of its features.

- Actually , I don't really buy the above argument from Paypal. SIMPLY DO NOT BUY ITEMS VIA PAYPAL - Unless the item is inexpensive.

My guess is that there are many other loopholes ; the sad part is that Ebay sides with the seller and these loopholes instead of arguing for the buyer. Ebay likes these technicalities , what Russ claimed about Ebay and " balance " is nonsense , the operations at Ebay are clear cut when it comes to matters that take place behind the scenes.

Everything about the auction site and the seller ratings indicated that the item was a good deal. The seller had a + 99 rating at the time with a lot of feedback so I trusted him. I really do not know what else to point out ... your chances of getting scammed on Ebay are random , most of us personally know someone who got scammed on Ebay. The erroneous advice that they give you is to be more discerning. I am here to inform all of you that feedback ratings ( number and percentile ) , the number of pictures , the congeniality of the seller ... do not reveal whether the item is a potential scam.

If you buy from Ebay just hope that the seller does not have an intent to trick you. The notion that Ebay has an interest in securing the buyer needs to be dispelled. The notion of Ebay as an authoratative figure in prosecuting the seller needs to be dispelled. The latter two do not really exist.

 

[Cyrus]

I've never had any problems with ebay before. I've sold over 60 items. Usually I set the shipping price ridiculously high because ebay always under estimates the price and then I tell them to HOLD off paying until I get their address and visit the post office.

They ALWAYS pay without thinking and say, hey why is shipping 60 bucks!? And I said, I told you to wait. After I ship it, I refund them the difference that they over-paid on shipping and they are happy as can be.

Before I did this, I had to ask people to pay for the adjustment between ebay and what the post office wanted (usually like $5-9 difference). If they complained I told them look, I said to wait and you didnt wait. Now I have a copy of the receipt I can email to you, and you can see for yourself what the cost is, but I'm not paying out of my own pocket for the shipping.

I really wish ebay would fix that damn shipping calculator or let me just put in my own value because I know how much it typically costs.

Only one time this guy kept insisting shipping should cost around $11.00. I told him the post office told me $23. (They did tell me 23). So I told him you need to pony up 12 bucks. He said, no its $11.00 I just got something similar and it was $11.00. I told him, well it depends on the location its being sent. The guy told me $23.00, there's nothing I can do to change his mind at the post office. So he paid it and said, you already got 11.00 of my money, you are trying to cheat me.

So I went to the post office, and the stupid SOB says, you're total is $11.00...MOTHER F****er. I asked him, why did you tell me $23.00 last time!? Me and this guy on ebay went back and forth for nearly a month and a half before I shipped it.

So I told him, the a-hole at the post office said it was $11.00 this time. Since I held you from getting it for over a month, the shipping is free. I refunded him all the shipping (which cost as much as the item). He left positive feedback and said 'in the end it all worked out great!'

F**** Post office.

Another thing I sent to the post office from ebay was in a BRAND NEW BOX. When it got to the guy it was labeled 'damaged' and was torn. Luckily nothing was missing though.

And I asked the post office, why can't I track my package? 'You can only do that if you send it premium service'.

EVERY package I send via FEDEX ground 3-5 day, is trackable.

I'm NEVER using the post office for anything ever again.

I can see why people shoot up post offices when they go crazy. There a bunch of stupid idiots who don't send things properly and have horrible customer service.

 

[miamiguy]

Yup. I ordered from bikepartsusa.com

I ordered some things all at once, and the minor things came but the tires never did. I called, and they said "Oh, okay, we'll send them". I did this twice, and nothing. I'm out $40. I talked to Paypal and the guy said "We can't do anything. You got half the package, so they'll just say the tires were there." When the UPS order tracker clearly had a weight marked on the package that was less than the tires by themselves, not including other things.

So I'm F-ed. And really mad about it. But there is nothing I can do but build up the anger in hopes that some day I'll see Morgan Steel and just tear into his face.

Same thing happened to me with bikepartsusa.com. $100 worth of tires were never shipped. Morgan Steel said he was going to refund my money for them and he never did. I also ordered over $100 worth of wheels and inner tubes and he sent all the wrong sizes. He said he would email me a UPS calltag so I could return them and never did that either. His company has an F rating with the Better Business Bureau. I finally just reversed the charges with my bank so I got lucky that my debit card included buyer protection. This guy is a real douche. He needs to spend some time in prison for all his fraudulent behavior. I'm sure the IRS may be interested in him because he doesn't strike me as the type that would pay his legitimate share of taxes. He's also charging sales tax to Florida residents for items he's not even shipping!

 

[NeoDevin]

Regarding small claims court, and missing a day of work:

Often the other person will feel exactly the same, and not want to miss any work, and/or decide it's not worth fighting. If you submit to them a notice to appear, they may just cave if it's not worth fighting about.