Buying a router from Ebay - fate or just bad luck?

[Benchwayze]

Blame eBay and PayPal (One and the same anyhow) for most of the bum deals ...

I have finished with them myself except for buying items I can collect thereby seeing before buying. If I don't like, I don't have to hand over my cash and to heck with the infantile, sycophantic feedback system.

John
:twisted:

 

[SPinonit]

I've bought quite a lot and sold a few items on ebay, most of it went very well but one in particular was a bit of a nightmare.

A new set of TaylorMade golf clubs from the US, which was less than half price in the shops over here - but they were a new range and not yet even on sale in the UK. Too good to be true - yup you bet they were.

After ages of trying to contact the seller in the US, I filed a complaint, which I had to chase up via Visa as Paypal were less than useless. I finally received a set of clubs but they didn't appear right, so I took them to my local golf pro shop. He instantly said they were fake and helped me get in touch with TaylorMade (TM). TM sent a courier to pick up the clubs and then sent me a letter saying they were fake and could I help with their investigations into fake imports.

The TM letter helped me to get a full and instant refund from Visa, whilst they began to try and recover the money from the US seller. A few days later, I received a phone call from a US attorney, who said he was working with the FBI and the seller I had bought the clubs from was already under investigation. I verified this seemingly far fetched story with TM, who confirmed that it was absolutely true.

I heped them with some new information, as I got the seller's mother's home address - something they had not had before. Under US law, your family (parents at least) are also liable for your debts.

To cut a long story short, the guy was caught and prosecuted by the FBI and his mother's house was repossesed. I got a brand new stand-bag from TaylorMade as a thankyou - at that time still not yet released over here and I bought a genuine set of clubs.

Other than that, I think I've been pretty lucky, but I never buy from someone with less that about 98% feedback and a couple of times I have asked previous buyers what the item/service was like, before I commit to buy.

 

[mailee]

I have bought lots of tools and machines on E-bay without a hitch. Only time I had a problem was buying a set of chisels which didn't arrive. i did get my money back through pay pal so no problem really. I always check the feedback first and never buy a machine without looking it over first. :wink:

 

[Mike.C]

I've bought quite a lot and sold a few items on ebay, most of it went very well but one in particular was a bit of a nightmare.

A new set of TaylorMade golf clubs from the US, which was less than half price in the shops over here - but they were a new range and not yet even on sale in the UK. Too good to be true - yup you bet they were.

After ages of trying to contact the seller in the US, I filed a complaint, which I had to chase up via Visa as Paypal were less than useless. I finally received a set of clubs but they didn't appear right, so I took them to my local golf pro shop. He instantly said they were fake and helped me get in touch with TaylorMade (TM). TM sent a courier to pick up the clubs and then sent me a letter saying they were fake and could I help with their investigations into fake imports.

The TM letter helped me to get a full and instant refund from Visa, whilst they began to try and recover the money from the US seller. A few days later, I received a phone call from a US attorney, who said he was working with the FBI and the seller I had bought the clubs from was already under investigation. I verified this seemingly far fetched story with TM, who confirmed that it was absolutely true.

I heped them with some new information, as I got the seller's mother's home address - something they had not had before. Under US law, your family (parents at least) are also liable for your debts.

To cut a long story short, the guy was caught and prosecuted by the FBI and his mother's house was repossesed. I got a brand new stand-bag from TaylorMade as a thankyou - at that time still not yet released over here and I bought a genuine set of clubs.

Other than that, I think I've been pretty lucky, but I never buy from someone with less that about 98% feedback and a couple of times I have asked previous buyers what the item/service was like, before I commit to buy.

Sorry to change the subject but that is F-ing disgusting. What the hell has the parents got to do with some scumbag who rips people off? If it can be proved that they knew or were someway involved thats fair enough, but from what you are saying anyones parents are liable for their childrens debt. If this is true then it is way out of order.

Cheers

Mike

 

[andycktm]

Just curious karl why did you not reply to Tony's emails?
Does ebay give the impression never to trust the buyer?
Even though its usually ebay at fault?

 

[SPinonit]

If it can be proved that they knew or were someway involved thats fair enough, but from what you are saying anyones parents are liable for their childrens debt. If this is true then it is way out of order.

Cheers

Mike

Mike - I'd normally agree and I initially responded in a similar way to you. However, it appeared the parents did know about their son's illegal activities and had blocked the investigations as much as possible. The son was using their home address for much of his correspondence - I only found out about it because the golf clubs came with an address that initially looked unconnected to me, the seller or the golf clubs. At that time, I worked in police intelligence and so I used my skills to do a bit of dgging and found some connections. Before the guy was prosecuted, he had already conned quite a number of people in the UK - it seemed that he liked to advertose over here in particular, partly due to the exchange rate, but I suspect partly due to the difficulties people would have tracking him down. He was part of a multi-national fraud ring, pimorting and exporting hundreds, if not thousands of sets of fake golf clubs from China. I know for a fact that he conned thousands of pounds out of UK buyers and heaven knows how many others around the world. The FBI don't investigate small-fry and I think the scale of penalties probably well matched the scale of the crime. As they say "if you can't do the time, don't do the crime" and I'm afraid that I have little sympathy for him or his family - al of whom no doubt enjoyed a more cosy lifestyle than they should have.

Mike - nice avatar by the way.

 

[Karl]

Just curious karl why did you not reply to Tony's emails?

I did reply to all of his e-mails except his last one, as I was hoping to get a definitive answer from Paypal before reverting to him. Unfortunately I hadn't got chance to finalise the matter with Paypal before this thread was started, hence Tony's comment about me going quiet.

Cheers

Karl

 

[woodsworth]

I buy a lot off ebay sight unseen. I've only had several problems out of £20000 i've spent in the last couple of years. Part of the problem with buying equipment is even if it isn't what they say it is you've already paid for the transport, and you have to pay to get it back to them, once the math is done it makes more sense to keep the item unless you simply don't want them to get away with selling rubbish.

If your not looking at it as a gamble then you aren't going into it with the right attitude. Some times you win some times you don't. I don't bother with the feedback system as most people selling tools do not have big feed back numbers so they can easily start a new account. The longer they've been on ebay the higher their feedback number and the smarter they are. The real deals are not with them, you may as well buy from axminster and get good warranty and after sales service. The good deals are the risky ones, so if every penny you spend counts don't gamble.

The real winners on ebay are paypal and ebay to them it's a numbers game. For the rest of us it's about finding a bargain. I've done worse at car boot sales.

 

[jlawrence]

There are bargains to be had - but as has been said it is normally only from the smaller sellers.

Karl, once this is all sorted would you mind letting us know what the oddity was with Paypal ?

 

[jimi43]

I have been buying and selling on fleaBay since 1999 (when it was just a little com in the USA) and went straight to .co.uk when it opened.

I have a smallish (511) number of transactions and every single one of them has resulted in 100% feedback no matter which way they go.

You have to know how to trade on eBay both ways...it is simple and many of the tips above are omitted by most of the people either scammed or disappointed in one way or another.

I always get better deals on fleaBay than any other source...great place...nothing like it.

Yes of COURSE it costs money if you are a seller...have you been to a REAL auction lately...it is far less a rip off than their commissions and many have made serious money from that company too. It is called business costs!

Nice to see this one end in a good way...and I agree...KARL is a star!

Jim

 

[Mike.C]

If it can be proved that they knew or were someway involved thats fair enough, but from what you are saying anyones parents are liable for their childrens debt. If this is true then it is way out of order.

Cheers

Mike

Mike - I'd normally agree and I initially responded in a similar way to you. However, it appeared the parents did know about their son's illegal activities and had blocked the investigations as much as possible. The son was using their home address for much of his correspondence - I only found out about it because the golf clubs came with an address that initially looked unconnected to me, the seller or the golf clubs. At that time, I worked in police intelligence and so I used my skills to do a bit of dgging and found some connections. Before the guy was prosecuted, he had already conned quite a number of people in the UK - it seemed that he liked to advertise over here in particular, partly due to the exchange rate, but I suspect partly due to the difficulties people would have tracking him down. He was part of a multi-national fraud ring, pimorting and exporting hundreds, if not thousands of sets of fake golf clubs from China. I know for a fact that he conned thousands of pounds out of UK buyers and heaven knows how many others around the world. The FBI don't investigate small-fry and I think the scale of penalties probably well matched the scale of the crime. As they say "if you can't do the time, don't do the crime" and I'm afraid that I have little sympathy for him or his family - al of whom no doubt enjoyed a more cosy lifestyle than they should have.

Mike - nice avatar by the way.

Now that is a different story and they deserve what they get. I would have thought that the company would have given you a whole set of clubs for the work you put in, but at least you got something :twisted:

Cheers

Mike