ebay woes ("unpaid" item and very suspicious sellers)

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I've been bitten by a not very faithful seller for a 2nd time.

First one I had a huge item collected in person, paid cash and they somehow managed to convince ebay to open unpaid item case and award it in their favour.

Now I "won" an auction for a van. Great, I offered to collect the very next day, but they (business seller by the looks of it - lots of vans and busses sold that day) wouldn't give their address and start demanding BT 300gbp. I obviously refused and doubled down to come and settle the balance on site. On a second look it turns out they used same photos on many listings. So the camper may not even exist or perhaps is damaged or broken down as far as I am concerned. I even told them this smells of scam but they did nothing to prove otherwise.
So they refuse to talk to me in person and give me a case. Wonderful.

Now what? Will I have to stop using ebay because of such cons except very small purchases or well-known outlets? Do cases even matter or am I supposed to do something?
 
I haven't used ebay for a while now - too many dodgy sellers on there.
 
Quite a few scams on eBay for camper vans, usual prices for these are between £4K and £6k, mostly in or around London at the moment and seller has a 0 feedback.
Your van "purchase" sounds like some sort of scam unless they were asking for a deposit, but that should have been mentioned in the listing.
We are currently looking for another campervan so come across these scam sellers quite often.
 
First one I had a huge item collected in person, paid cash and they somehow managed to convince ebay to open unpaid item case and award it in their favour.
Pay through Paypal and then they can't dispute that payment has been made? If they won't accept Paypal then find another seller.
 
Pay through Paypal and then they can't dispute that payment has been made? If they won't accept Paypal then find another seller.

Most sellers won’t accept Paypal for collection items, too many dodgy buyers who then claim non-delivery and get a refund as the seller can’t prove delivery.
 
Most sellers won’t accept Paypal for collection items, too many dodgy buyers who then claim non-delivery and get a refund as the seller can’t prove delivery.
Spot on. Never accept PayPal for collection items. If the buyer claims non delivery your well and truly fu$%ed.
 
The doddgy seller is ebay. They withhold the address of people who are in breach of legally binding contracts and many who are up to no good.

For nearly 20 yrs they acted against the distance selling regs insiting buyers pay return postage. Now rectified.
 
I'd never had a problem on ebay until recently when the seller of something I bought didn't seem to want to actually send the stuff I'd bought. First he claimed there had been a family bereavement, then it was supposedly sent, but never arrived as it was damaged by the couriers and returned to him, so he refunded me. Then he contacted me saying it was only the packaging that was damaged, so I paid him again. Then he was on holiday, then it was sent but the couriers couldn't deliver as I wasn't in (despite no delivery slip being left by the alleged couriers). Then he stopped responding to emails. In the end, I escalated it to PayPal who contacted him and got him to issue a refund. Complete timewaster, why advertise and sell something you don't want to sell?
 
Most sellers won’t accept Paypal for collection items, too many dodgy buyers who then claim non-delivery and get a refund as the seller can’t prove delivery.
So, if cash on collection is the way to go, how do you prove to Ebay that the item was collected? A signature could always be claimed to have been forged, so a photograph? Any other way less up-front than 'I don't trust you'?
 
So, if cash on collection is the way to go, how do you prove to Ebay that the item was collected? A signature could always be claimed to have been forged, so a photograph? Any other way less up-front than 'I don't trust you'?

Think about what you just said.

I can just hear it now..... yes I handed over £100's to some random for nothing
 
So, if cash on collection is the way to go, how do you prove to Ebay that the item was collected? A signature could always be claimed to have been forged, so a photograph? Any other way less up-front than 'I don't trust you'?
I don't see the point here other than (which is my gripe) fleabay have the final say on everything even if it's not in accordance with UK law.
 
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Ignore my comment above. Brain fade conflating the OP's comments and those just above my responses into garbage.
 
So the seller files an unpaid item dispute. So what? You've paid and I assume you have the goods.

that's my question. When does it, if ever, become a problem? Or is it just to make you feel bad?
 
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By the way is it acceptable on ebay to demand BT deposits at all? i.e. What if the listing is fraud?
I'd happily report a bunch of them. I appreciate where you arrange collection at a later date, verify and pay a holding fee - that's different IMHO.
 
I'd never had a problem on ebay until recently when the seller of something I bought didn't seem to want to actually send the stuff I'd bought. First he claimed there had been a family bereavement, then it was supposedly sent, but never arrived as it was damaged by the couriers and returned to him, so he refunded me. Then he contacted me saying it was only the packaging that was damaged, so I paid him again. Then he was on holiday, then it was sent but the couriers couldn't deliver as I wasn't in (despite no delivery slip being left by the alleged couriers). Then he stopped responding to emails. In the end, I escalated it to PayPal who contacted him and got him to issue a refund. Complete timewaster, why advertise and sell something you don't want to sell?

Further to my earlier post, I've just found out that the seller has realised the item. I bought it for £175, but he's relisted it for £475!!!! No wonder he didn't want to send it to me!!!!
 
The camper van scam was recently on TV as part of the Met Police documentary series
 
Was it auction or buy it now?

Auction originally. No one else bid, so I bought it at the starting price. It's now buy it now. He originally had it up for auction at a start of £275 but had no bids when the auction ended, so he relisted it at £175 and that's the auction I won as no one else bid.

Not sure why he now thinks he can get £475 for it, but to be fair, he doesn't seem overly blessed with intelligence.
 
If its' auction he is legal obliged to sell to you at the price you bid. Have you got his name and address?
 
If its' auction he is legal obliged to sell to you at the price you bid. Have you got his name and address?

He did sell it to me, he just didn't actually get round to sending me the goods (a painting). In the end I got all my money back, but I'd have preferred the painting. I ain't paying the newly advertised £475 for it though, and I'm not dealing with that cretin of a seller either.
 
He did sell it to me, he just didn't actually get round to sending me the goods (a painting). In the end I got all my money back, but I'd have preferred the painting. I ain't paying the newly advertised £475 for it though, and I'm not dealing with that cretin of a seller either.
Obliged to supply the item might be a better term and have you got his name and address?
 
My wife bid on a pair of Nike trainers for my son.... 2 day listing... won them .... seller said she'd put it on a 7 day listing and eBay had messed up! Cancelled the sell and said item was not for sale! Then she put them back on and obviously thought they were worth more..... I watched from a distance and they sold for less! She then offered them back to me for what I'd won them for before! They were told to clear off!
 
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