Post by: Terry on March 14, 2021, 01:59:09 PM
I'll start:
Quote
Suspicious buyer for item
Hello Terry,
We had to cancel bids for the buyer, fehend-99, because they aren't registered on eBay:
We've also made it easy to relist your item if it was removed. Although the item is no longer available in search listings, you will find it in the Sold section of My eBay.
That's a message I just got this morning on a $475 sale from 4 days ago. Looks like the guy created the account just to harrase me. I had a Yahoo doing this last year for three months.
There's no way to block zero feedback accounts.
Post by: early0electric on March 15, 2021, 03:22:21 PM
Post by: Terry on March 15, 2021, 04:33:29 PM
Post by: pjdog350 on March 18, 2021, 12:33:11 PM
I think 7208harry sold something he does not have. He’s ordered it but can’t ship it until he receives it.
EBay has gone to hell! Not like the old days when someone’s name meant something!
Post by: Terry on March 18, 2021, 12:57:50 PM
I have bags of 224 valve rods.
Maybe we should start a simple parts request thread in the classifieds? I'll do that now. That way we can ask for what we need and maybe get it from each other.
Post by: pjdog350 on March 18, 2021, 04:06:55 PM
At first 7208Harry was answering my questions but now he is real quite?
As luck would have it S & W parts came today and to my surprise everything was in there E-Unit fingers & drums, eccentric crank assembly, and a New (probably Repo) 224E rear truck assembly. I ordered all these a month ago but Bill lost the request. Bill is a super good guy and his prices are very good. An e-unit for 30 bucks (New)? I rest my case!!!
I thought S&W was done so I ordered everything again after talking to bill just in case cause I want the 224 done. By the way the two 224’s run very well. Smooth. They run like a new 229!
Post by: pjdog350 on March 21, 2021, 08:06:48 AM
I bought them from another vendor and had them three days later. They are already on my 224. Don’t buy from 7208harry.
Post by: Terry on March 24, 2021, 09:14:21 PM
Quote
Did you notice the shipping companies raised their rates for the Christmas rush, then lowered them, then USPS raised them again.
Medium flat rate boxes:
In November: $12.80
In December: $13.20
In January $12.80
Today: $13.34
Now 2 months later it's $13.75.
Ebay also just killed off the My eBay sold and selling pages to favor the seller hub. Now there is NO WAY for me to look up if a second place bidder has won another auction. They show the eBay nickname on the second chance page and the buyer's real name on all the sold pages. If it's not a regular buyer, I can't tell.
So I can't do second chance offers to unknown buyers anymore. Geniuses.
Also, Ebay no longer refunds final value fees on partial refunds.
Post by: pjdog350 on March 25, 2021, 09:55:51 AM
I’ll not buy from them again.
Post by: early0electric on March 25, 2021, 12:47:33 PM
Post by: pjdog350 on March 25, 2021, 02:07:17 PM
Post by: starfire700 on March 28, 2021, 04:42:06 AM
Post by: Terry on March 28, 2021, 12:32:45 PM
It's a small number of people who leave negatives. My negative feedback is usually from buyers who leave lots of negs. One guy left negative feedback 80% of the time. 30-50% negatives left is normal range for these yahoos. It would be easier to just throw them off eBay.
ebay changed the my ebay pages on Tuesday. The sold page is gone. I was told on Friday that sellers are bitching about that.
I was on the phone with ebay support on friday because they removed the "Mark as local pickup" option from the my eBay pages. I have 3 buyers who are building layouts and buying lots of items from me. I lost the top rated seller discounts because there is no tracking uploaded.
The woman on the phone said she would get all the dings removed for two of the buyers. That would restore my discount.
Nope only removed one, and then patted themselves on the back for solving my problem.
When I responded to the message saying they had only removed one defect, a different eBay woman wrote me with a cut and paste message about why it is important to upload tracking information.
A description of the difference between an elephant and a kangaroo would have been as helpful.
Post by: starfire700 on March 28, 2021, 05:40:30 PM
Post by: Terry on March 31, 2021, 08:07:26 PM
I had 52 auctions end 90 minutes ago, but only see 34. I got a half dozen messages from buyers of the missing 18 items saying they can't pay. At least one of the missing 18 items was purchased by a buyer with multiple wins, and cannot be found to send a combined invoice.
I had emails from other sellers in the past month about this same problem.
The dog and I had a nice walk though.
Post by: pjdog350 on April 01, 2021, 01:43:03 AM
And the scammers are becoming a real problem. I don't even answer my land line phone anymore at all. I just use the cell. I'm even getting scammers on the cell but not near as bad. I ask one guy to please stop calling. He said not a chance!
Post by: Terry on April 01, 2021, 12:39:53 PM
On the ebay front. . . we bitch but there are some big benefits to ebay.
Two weeks ago a woman gave me a box of books and small tools after I'd packed the trains I bought from her into the van. I sold a 1930s drafting tool from the box for $100 last night. Before ebay I could never have sold it for that much. I don't know how I'd have sold it at all. Maybe a pawn shop?
Earlier this week I bought trains from a woman and she threw in a Cox car and a few lanterns. (I got a 1945 Coleman lantern for my growing collection!) 25 years ago I would have known the Cox car was desriable but would have had no way to research it. Now with ebay I can have it gone for a good price in 10 days.
Post by: pjdog350 on April 01, 2021, 02:16:14 PM
In the early 80’s I was on my way to work and noticed a piece old Lionel track sticking out of a big black trash. I stopped and knocked on the door of the house to ask if I could have the track. The women that answered the door said that two black bags had old trains in them. In Louisiana it’s against the law to take someone’s trash without asking. When I got home I had made a big find of nice postwar trains. Today those trains are put on ebay rather than the trash?
Post by: Terry on April 05, 2021, 02:14:11 PM
The way we read it, sounds like it applies to both sides.
Jim was right. . . I just had my first book length feedback from a buyer.
Post by: starfire700 on April 06, 2021, 04:02:27 AM
Post by: Terry on April 29, 2021, 11:18:22 AM
Here's what was wrong. . . I had my seller account as a "Sole Proprietor/LLC" with the money going into a bank account in the LLC's name.
I had to change the account type from "Sole Proprietor/LLC" to "Sole Proprietor/LLC." Then I had to delete all the business information except the EIN which is the business's number like a social security number. Then aim the money at my personal bank account.
None of it makes sense.
The other account is and was set up the same way as an Sole Prop/LLC with the LLC bank account and the EIN without a single problem. The only difference is the account without problems has 15 times the sales volume and gets serviced by eBay in the US.
On a good note, I've been enjoying my extra free time.
One other point - I think I forgot to buy the "free" store boxes last quarter with the coupon. I get
twenty-five 16 X 12 X 8 inch boxes which after the coupon costs me about $6. I use enough of them that they are in the house rather than the garage.
Post by: CNJRR on May 05, 2021, 11:15:07 AM
I bought 224E-13 & 13 on 3/12/2021. They just arrived today. The 25th. That’s 13 days. USPS showed that the seller (Henningstrains) listed something they didn’t have. Bought a shipping label on the 12th but tracking never showed that USPS had the package? USPS was waiting fore the package to arrive at there site. Hennings trains ordered them from someone else then mailed them to me? That’s OK if they let you know that’s how they do business. I think it sucks to have a customer waiting for 13days to get restoration parts.
I’ll not buy from them again.
Henning's been in business for a long time since 1939 I think it is. They are up there along with my local train store which opened in 1934.
They don't stay in business that long doing what you say.
A lot of the problems are the USPS itself! And they will try to cover up their mistakes!
I won an auction on 4/20/21 the tracking showed the same as you describe. I track all of my things, USPS is the worst!
My seller had to open a search for the item on USPS, shipped out of St Louis, the tracking showed what yours did. They finally found it in Tennessee!
Well it made Jersey city NJ 4 days ago, I am STILL waiting for it to move.
I know someone who hangs out at Henning's, good friends with the owner. If I had known about your problem, he might have been able to help sorting it out.
All in all, in the end, I would blame the USPS 99% of the time, not the seller.
USPS s ucks, no wonder they are struggling to keep alive. ::)
Post by: pjdog350 on May 05, 2021, 01:48:01 PM
Post by: starfire700 on May 29, 2021, 04:38:53 AM
Ebay automatically approves the return, he will return it in who knows what condition. We will not only lose the sale, but the cost of shipping and repairs so it can be sold again.
Many aspects of the Ebay system are seriously flawed and biased towards the buyer, especially to buyers who are dishonest, ignorant or otherwise do not follow basic rules of common sense.
Reviewing his low feed-back, shows that he has done this to other sellers. It is likely his feedback number is low because he was blocked by so many sellers that he had to come back with another ebay name. Ebay has his address and info, why do they allow this?
Most of our transactions are good, but the occasional A-hole like this makes me wonder why we put ourselves through this torture.
Post by: pjdog350 on May 29, 2021, 05:07:02 AM
Post by: Terry on May 29, 2021, 07:31:27 AM
There is a point where you describe the loco as being so poor so you don't have to take it back that you end up getting no money for it.
The problems with the MTH locos were so bad I now buy them with the intention of selling them as "Untested - for repair." I'm basically giving them away, but I buy them to sell for nothing.
With that said, there is no other option. I get good prices on a lot of my eBay sales. Rather than obsessing on the few bad apples, I try to remember that most of my buyers just want trains to play with.
I don't even get upset about the poor feedback anymore. I have ebay remove some of it, but I think having a few negatives warns off some of the game players.
Jim - you should talk to an eBay rep in the morning about this. MORNING calls are taken by US based representatives and they are more agreeable than the off shore reps. I've had eBay give me the money in these situations and remove the feedback. It's worth the 15 minutes on the phone.
The last time I got money like this it was a buyer who bought an HO train to run on Lionel O gauge track and then complained it wouldn't run on her track. She wanted to send it back at my cost. Ebay forced me to take it back, and when I talked to a rep in Texas because I wanted the round trip shipping, the rep gave me the entire transaction amount and credited me the return shipping. I got to sell the train again.
Ebay moved the "have a rep call you" link into the bottom of the automated agent bar.
Post by: early0electric on May 29, 2021, 08:39:32 PM
Post by: Terry on June 21, 2021, 02:05:29 PM
The Medium flat rate box is now $13.34. It was $13.75 last Thursday.
Also, I got a note from eBay saying they overcharged me and had credited my account:
Quote
Dear Terry,
Between June 2-3, 2021, we experienced a temporary billing issue that resulted in you being charged an incorrect final value fee for select items you sold on eBay.
We have resolved the billing issue and apologize for any inconvenience. A credit for incorrect final value fees will appear on the Payments tab in Seller Hub.
Thank you for your understanding.
The eBay Selling Team
I don't see any credits in the past few days.
Post by: Terry on July 30, 2021, 01:58:40 PM
I put this picture in my listings a few weeks ago, and thought it had cut down on the BS questions:
But now I'm thinking ebay's message system is screwed up. I have a buyer now who paid but provided a PO box even though he selected shipment by fedex. Ebay used to prevent buyers from paying with a PO box for fedex shipments, but lately that function is only working sometimes.
To send the buyer a message, I can't just click on the contact buyer link in the auction page or order details page. Those links open the ebay message center. To send a message I have to go to the buyer's feedback page, and use that.
I was trying to buy something last week and never got a reply to my messages. I thought the seller was ignoring me. Maybe he just never got the messages?
Post by: Terry on March 06, 2022, 04:53:16 PM
I told him the headlight is a 35 cent grain of wheat bulb and he needs to take the boiler off to change it.
Here's his reply today:
Quote
copied from listing:
Nice Brass loco and tedner in boxes. This is Japanese by Tenshodo. the loco runs on my tester. This spent it's life in a display case. Loco has some paint nicks on the original factory paint otherwise it's gorgeous. Boxes are alos gorgeous with original inner padding and paperwork. This is a fantastic pair.PARAGRAPH COPIED FROM THE ORIGINAL LISTING:
This listing was advertised as gorgeous:
Loco has some paint nicks on the original factory paint otherwise it's gorgeous.
But in reality it is not because: 1.) runs poorly & 2.) headlight doesn't work.
I've try to explain that I am not a young man, and don't feel comfortable making these repairs, probably do more damage than good;
The main reason that I bid on this loco was: it was ready to run without having to make any repairs, it just had some minor scratches to the paint. I did some research into seeing if there was any local hobby shops that made repairs to ho brass locos, to my surprise, all the hobby shops in my immediate area are gone, forced to close because of the internet sales!I goggled locals hobby shops in my area, I found only one that was still in business, located about 10 miles from my home, after researching their website and making a telephone call to talk about having repairs made, I was shocked to find out that they have a set $$$$ fee to just bring the loco in before that actually do any repairs. $90.00 + $45.00 per hour + parts + pa tax = $144.45, more than I paid for loco/shipping. So I feel it's your responsibility to make the proper repairs to make it gorgeous, so with all that's been said please issue me a prepaid shipping label so I can ship loco back to you, only with the true intention of you making repairs & sending loco back my to me, thank you, Dennis
This old guy bought a 60-year old brass loco, and now wants me to pay to have it shipped back to me so hI can change the light bulb and send it back to him.
I'm going to fight this, but I bet eBay makes me take it back.
Added:
I checked this guy's feedback and eBay listings. Turns out he sells used HO trains and buys and sells brass trains.
He comes across as some old infirm guy who bought an old train thinking it would be like a new one, but is actually a Yahoo who bought a $100 loco for 135 and now wants to find a reason to send it back.
Post by: starfire700 on March 07, 2022, 04:07:15 AM
We tell such buyers that the only options are return for refund or keep it and be happy.
The internet is faceless, so has encouraged certain buyers to run their scams and get whatever they can from sellers. After all, it is obvious that the stuff we sell just fell out of a tree, not like we had to pay anything for it, right???
We have had dismal sales for a few weeks, few sales and average sale $20.
Last week I sold a Min-I-Scale Hudson for $460, and BINGO, we suddenly had 12 or 13 other items sell overnight, including some old numbers............
You can't tell me that Ebay does not hide listings, punish sellers etc, then when something does miraculously sell, suddenly they show all your listings and you have sales. But it doesn't last. The next day they close the door on your store again and turn off the lights. The "Ebay way".
Also, sellers used to be able to contact non-paying bidders, and our experience was that at least 50% would pay after given a reminder. Now Ebay has changed it, so you can not contact them to remind them to pay, you can only cancel the sale......result 0% of non-pays will pay. Is that a good business model?????? That's my rant.
Post by: Terry on March 08, 2022, 01:57:01 PM
The "infirm old guy in over his head" opened a return on ebay at 12:35 today by pasting the paragraph he sent me about the stores being closed in his area into the complaint area. I didn't see it because I wasn't online.
Forty minutes later, he closed the return with no reason given. Once a return is closed it cannot be reopened.
The only thing left for him is to leave me a negative. I used to think the negatives I have from schemers would warn away other schemers, but some must think they are especially gifted at BS.
Here's a tip to game the ebay algorithm. When you sell a buy it now listing, relist something else with the same listing with the details changed. Try to keep it close, but it doesn't have to be the same. You can change the photos and description.
Ebay's system is weighted to favor sold items. When you relist something they think it has a high chance of selling so it's moved up in the rankings. I do quite well with that.
In your next slow period pull up one of your recently sold items and relist something else from the listing. Let us know what happens.
I had a guy do the BS like your caboose buyer at a show last week. He bought two G scale locos "broken - as is - for repair." These were obviously abused locos, but one had been super-detailed and had the bones to be a killer shay loco. Only Bachmann is left making G scale and a new shay runs $1200+.
One of his bargaining claims when he bought the locos was the gears get stripped and aren't available. After I gave him 50% off for buying two, he bragged that he made the gears with a 3d printer.
He came back last weekend complaining that he had to remove an old digital decoder from one to make it run - that's four wires that need to be connected differently. Lots of work there. The other loco needs pickup wipers. (brass strips)
He asked what I was going to do about it?
My response was "you beat me up on the price because the locos needed to be fixed, and now you are back complaining because you have to fix them? Enjoy your trains."
Post by: starfire700 on March 09, 2022, 04:26:49 AM
We might have better luck trying to win the lottery than sell on ebay.
Post by: Terry on March 10, 2022, 12:14:02 PM
Here's something weird. . .
I was watching a Faller building for my Marklin layout. It was $40. The seller had another building I wanted listed for $60. I sent the seller a message, and the message sent screen showed me the first building for $10. The second seller also had more buildings, and I ended up with the two buildings I wanted for $25 plus shipping.
Sure I got a deal, and the second seller sold two items, but ebay cost the first seller a $100 sale. And ebay got a lower commision.
Post by: starfire700 on March 11, 2022, 04:12:57 AM
How do you like the new listing program??????
Post by: Terry on March 11, 2022, 01:04:23 PM
I use a paid program called Sixbit for $15 a month. That way I can write listings over the course of a week and put them all up at the same time. It's quite stable and the few times I've asked for help they were quick to respond to my emails.
I'm on a short slow period for ebay listings. I went from early Nov. until the last week of Feb doing 150-200 sales a week. That's 3+ full days of ebay a week. I'm playing with the Marklin and taking the dog to see the ducks.
Post by: starfire700 on March 12, 2022, 04:15:03 AM
Ebay makes too many changes for no reason, or maybe for those who list on their I phones, seems to be their preference. Some things are broke and they don't care to fix. For months when I go to My Ebay, I have to sign-in and it gives a RED message "oops that is not a match". However one more click and it goes through, so just a glitch.
Also when relisting unsold items, it often shows NOTHING in the list selected, or if it is there, just the title with no details. I used to edit prices from that page. Irritating that we always have to find work-arounds to deal with their "improvements". Glitch-bay
Post by: Terry on March 12, 2022, 11:49:35 AM
A few weeks ago I was getting three copies of each message. Before I realized it was an ebay glitch I reamed a guy for being impatient.
Even with all the problems ebay is still worth the effort.
Who is buying the common trains? I can see collectors buying a gray 1684, but who is buying the black ones?
Post by: Terry on March 13, 2022, 06:06:32 AM
Quote
Hi Terry,
Your buyer filed a payment dispute for an order placed on Feb 23, 2022. This means that they disputed a charge directly with their payment institution. They are requesting $130.50 back and the reason for this dispute is that the buyer hasn't received their item yet.
The good news is that you’re protected for this dispute under eBay seller protection policy. We'll close this dispute once we receive the dispute outcome from the buyer’s payment institution. You're not required to take any action right now. If the buyer updates the dispute, we will let you know if any further action is required.
Delivery confirmation and him arguing with me about the train running slow put paid to his claim of not getting it.
Post by: starfire700 on March 13, 2022, 03:25:29 PM
Post by: Terry on March 17, 2022, 06:38:47 AM
Since ebay provided tracking information showing delivery to the card company, the buyer of the "slow switcher" has now changed from item not received to item not as described:
Quote
Details from buyer
poor packing results damage goods, seller doesn't accept returns, will be filing a claim for entire $$$$ amount $114.48
I uploaded a photo of the initial exchange with the buyer where he talks about the loco running slowly, but makes no mention of damage from poor packing.
I had a buyer years ago loose a case on ebay and then file a complaint with the credit card company claiming the 50 year old Fleischmann transformer sold as a non-operating paperweight was a counterfeit. So this man hasn't even managed to climb to the top spot yet.
Post by: starfire700 on March 17, 2022, 02:53:39 PM
Post by: Terry on March 17, 2022, 05:30:29 PM
I complained that four of the five transactions were found in my favor and I should be given the benefit of the doubt on the fifth, but was ignored.
I wrote an article about how Corey Kresse of Tower City, ND. screwed me (https://www.news.iwantcollectibles.com/ebay-seller-protection.shtml) on the Iwantcollectibles site.
Post by: Terry on April 04, 2022, 12:44:43 AM
Quote
Hi Terry,
A decision has been made about the dispute that was filed by hwlucky1313. The dispute was found in your favor. You don't have to pay anything back and no further action is needed from you.
Now he might still leave a negative feedback, but if he does, ebay should remove it since I won the case.
Post by: Terry on April 26, 2022, 07:43:18 PM
I got a message from a buyer with a "corrected" address at 17:17 today. I shipped the package to NY, but now the buyer claims to be in MI. I didn't see this message until after all the messages below were sent.
A little later at 18:16 I got a "we cancelled a sale for your security message from ebay.
Quote
We wanted to let you know that a recent bid or order for the listing below was canceled because of an issue with the buyer’s account:[/quote]
ebay title and item number here.
We understand that this must be disappointing, but it’s important that we keep our marketplace safe for everyone.
Here’s what happened
All bids or orders from username’s account have been canceled and any associated fees have been credited to your account.
Here’s what you should do:
And remember, we’re here to help so please get in touch with any questions you might have.
- Don’t complete the sale or ship the item to username if you haven’t done so yet.
- Don’t communicate any further with username’s, especially if they get in touch with you outside of eBay.
- If username requests a payment or refund, don’t send any money without contacting eBay first. If payment was processed, a refund has not been issued yet just in case you’ve already shipped the item.
- If you already sent the item, contact the shipper to find out if you can stop the delivery and have the item returned to you.
- If your listing has ended, you can relist your item.
I can't get the item back. I tried that years ago and paid a fee and the box went on anyway.
Then at 18:18, eBay was back to let me know:
Quote
Our records show that you recently contacted or received messages from username through eBay's messaging system. This account was recently found to have been accessed by an unauthorized third party, who may have used the account in an attempt to defraud other members.
We've taken action to restore this account to the original owner, but wanted to let you know to be suspicious of any communication you may have received from them. Nothing is wrong with your account at this time – this message is just being sent as a precaution. If you have received any messages from username that appears suspicious, please feel free to forward them to us at spoof@ebay.com for review.
That message goes on to say how I can file a postal complaint if I was defrauded of the item, and a bunch of other templated crap.
This train set was shipped on Thursday. There's no credit in my payments page for the refunded ebay fees. Tracking information from shipping labels page shows the item is still in AZ.
I shipped this to the address on ebay so I should be OK.
Post by: Terry on September 19, 2022, 11:54:32 PM
I used to do a n scale group of listings like this weekly. - 6-10 ocos and the rest are cars all starting at $4 or less. Usually everything sells, or maybe a car doesn't.
All the locos sold. The gently used and RUNNING locos went for normal prices, the broken sold for repair locos brought lower than usual prices.
To not sell 15 of the cars is insane. The cars were basically ignored. The cars that sold had 4-8 views and few had more than one bid.
The last time I ran N scale was in July and I did well. Nothing seemed weird.
This time I figure I'm out $150-200 in profits because the bidders didn't show up.
I've been playing with my trains and doing other things and it's been hard getting back into listing two sets of auctions a week. With results like this I can see more time for the 00 layout in my future.
Post by: Terry on December 27, 2022, 05:39:58 PM
I had an ebay shopper ask me if a Lionel B unit could be motorized. I said NO. He bought it anyway.
As soon as he got it he complained that it "rattled when shaken."
Quote
Just OPEN ITEM! THE LOCOMOTIVE HAVE PARTS RATTLING INSIDE! IT'S STILL IN PLASTIC BAG. IAM GETTING TIRED OF RECEIVING DAMAGED ITEMS FROM THESE EBAY SELLERS! DON'T HAVE THESE ISSUES WITH AMAZON! NOW I HAVE TO USE MY TIME/GAS TO SHIP THE ITEM BACK! VERY DISSATISFIED WITH SELLER PUSHING OFF DEFECTIVE ITEMS! THEIR ARE BE SHIPPINED BAD AND THE SELLER'S KNOW IT! YOURS TRULY Ben Tripp Covington GA 🤬
I told him to take the top off and send me a picture of what was rattling. (Two screws hold the top on - and there is NOTHING inside the unit.)
Quote
What do you mean! The UNIT HAS SOMETHING IN THE INSIDE THAT'S IS DISCONNECTED/DAMAGED. HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO SEND YOU A PICTURE OF SEALED LOCOMOTIVE LOSS PARTS? BOTTOM LINE I DON'T WANT THE ITEM! IT WAS SHIPPED DAMAGED/OR IN SHIPPING! EBAY HAS A PICTURE OF THE LOCOMOTIVE. IT FRESH OUT OF THE BOX. RATTLING INSIDE THE LOCOMOTIVE YOURS TRULY BZ60-18
I replied:
Quote
There is nothing inside it. Maybe a light bulb came loose or one of the side windows? You can easily put either back together. YOU ASKED ME IF THIS COULD BE MOTORIZED. I TOLD YOU NO. YOU BOUGHT IT ANYWAY AND NOW COMPLAIN THAT SOMETHING IS RATTLING SO YOU HAVE AN EXCUSE TO RETURN IT AT MY EXPENSE. SHOW ME THE DAMAGE OR KEEP IT. NOTE: YOU HAVE SENT ME TWO MESSAGES WITH NO CLAIMS OF EXTERIOR DAMAGE. DO NOT BREAK IT NOW SO YOU CAN RETURN IT.
Then I looked at his feedback and sent the following messages so eBay would see them:
Quote
You have feedback from other sellers saying you claimed items were defective and they were not. "Train not defective. Was returned and fully refunded. Taken to Train Store where it was tested (again, as it was before it was listed) and it ran perfectly. Buyer did not know how to operate it properly." HMMM. IS THIS A PATTERN? I bet it is.
A few minutes later again so ebay would see it:
Quote
In three years you've filed HOW MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT ITEMS BEING DAMAGED IN THE MAIL? Of 75 feedbacks you left in 3 years you have made at least 5 claims of damaged items. THAT'S A PATTERN OF ABUSE.
He replied with:
Quote
You Got that Right! I don't buy Freaking Junk! IF I GO TO A LOCOMOTIVE RETAILERS AND I SEE AND FEEL SOMETHING LOSE/ RATTLING IAM NOT BUYING IT! YOU NEED TO WORRY BUDDY I WANT BE BUYING FROM YOU AGAIN! JUST LIKE SOME OF THE OTHER SELLER PUSHING OFF USED JUNK! WHICH SUFFERED THE SAME (FAITH)! I HAVE BOUGHT FROM DIFFERENT SELLER'S NO PROBLEM! WITH GOOD LOCOMOTIVE! WHY WOULD I LIE ABOUT $100 USED ENGINE, WHEN I HAVE PURCHASED LOCOMOTIVE COSTING 10×. THIS, GET REAL! YOURS TRULY BZ60-18 🤬
My reply:
Quote
The shell of that is held on by two screws - one on each end inside the door frame. Why would you refuse to open the item up and see what is rattling unless you were fabricating an excuse to return the train? YOU HAVE OPENED AT LEAST FIVE COMPLAINTS IN THE PAST 3 YEARS. THIS IS A HISTORY OF ABUSE. Shame on you.
He came back with more tirad:
Quote
I DON'T WANT IT! YOU SAID I TAMPERED WITH THE LOCOMOTIVE! WHICH IS A FLAT OUT LIE! OUT OF 3YRS I ONLY RETURN 5. JUNK ITEMS BACK TO SELLER'S! WHAT THAT SAY ABOUT YOU/ITEM! SEEMS LIKE I GOT A GOOD REP/BUYING RECORD. (GOLDEN RULE) THE CUSTOMERS IS ALWAYS RIGHT! YOU WILL STAY IN BUSINESS! HAVE A GOOD EVENING. YOURS TRULY Ben Tripp Covington GA
At this point I've had enough:
Quote
YOU HAVE SPENT MORE TIME WHINING AND COMPLAINING THAN IT WOULD TAKE TO OPEN THE TRAIN AND SEE WHAT IS LOOSE. This means you're a scammer because someone who wanted it would have checked it. BASED ON YOUR FEEDBACK LEFT, YOU HAVE FILED AT LEAST FIVE COMPLAINTS ABOUT DAMAGED ITEMS IN THE PAST 75 TRANSACTIONS. THOSE SELLERS SAY YOU WERE LYING. THAT SHOUTS SCAMMER TO ME.
As an aside, while this was going on, I had another buyer who got an AF operating log car where a truck sideframe had come apart in the mail. I sent the AF buyer messages and using photos of parts on hand was able to instruct him on putting the car back together. This is how a normal person reacts when there is a problem. Very different from how Scammer Ben reacted to a "rattling B unit."
He's back again:
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The OTHER SELLER SOLD JUNK. SO I RETURN THE JUNK BACK TO THE RIGHT PLACE THE SELLER! 2 TO 3 LOCOMOTIVE BACK SELLER'S WHICH IS LESS THAN 5 OUT OF 3YRS. BE A RESPONSIBLE SELLER AND REFUND ME ! I GETTING MY REFUND! I HOPE YOUR SELLER PERMIT IS REVOKED! I DONE BEFORE I GO INTO MILITARY MODE! HAVE A GOOD BUSINESS CHRISTMAS 👍🙂 YOURS TRULY BEN TRIPP HA HA.
All that went down on December 15th. On December 21st Ben Tripp escalated the case to eBay and THREE MINUTES LATER eBay found in his favor and gave him a return label at my expense.
Latehr that day Ben complained to eBay that he wasn't able to use the label ebay had given him. So ebay to0ld me I had to furnish a label by December 25th or they'd give Mr. Tripp his money back and let him keep the train.
I called eBay and the support woman talked me through buying a label on the USPS website and then messaging it to Mr. Tripp.
The next day he was back again complaining he couldn't use the label. Ebay sent me the same message as before, but moved the date to the 26th. I called and uploaded the label again. The ebay support woman told me she'd marked the label as provided.
The Georgia scammer then sent me a message through ebay whining again. I think he couldn't use the label because he only has a cell phone and no printer.
This morning eBay gave Mr. Ben Tripp his money back and told him he could keep the train. I got a message:
Quote
Hi Terry,
We reviewed this case and decided to issue the buyer a full refund.
You agreed to give the buyer a refund but didn't issue it.
A refund of US $96.00 was issued on Dec 27, 2022 to the buyer. The refund includes the purchase price plus original shipping.
The refund amount will be recovered from you by eBay.
I called them on the phone and the rep in Texas - morning calls go to Texas, said I had done everything right and the second woman had failed to mark the label as given to the buyer. He put me on hold and took care of it. I got the money. I also went to the USPS website and cancelled the label I'd bought there. Ebay removed the feedback he'd left for me, but as of this writing haven't removed the feedback I left for him.
Ben Tripp got the B unit and his money back.
Shameful behaviour.
Post by: starfire700 on December 28, 2022, 03:04:36 PM
Post by: early0electric on December 29, 2022, 01:26:01 PM
Input Error
The following users were not added to your blocked buyers list:
BZ60-18: Invalid User or User not found.
Post by: Terry on December 29, 2022, 02:15:03 PM
https://www.ebay.com/fdbk/feedback_profile/bz60-18 (https://www.ebay.com/fdbk/feedback_profile/bz60-18)
Notice the feedback I left for him is still there, but ebay removed the feedback he left for me.
Post by: early0electric on December 29, 2022, 02:31:33 PM
Post by: Terry on December 29, 2022, 03:29:23 PM
Here's something neat I couldn't pass up:
Just gorgeous, and the ebay seller - (a woman) included a note in the box saying her family had enjoyed this on their mantle for decades, and she hoped I enjoy it as much.
I will!
Post by: starfire700 on December 30, 2022, 04:00:17 AM
Post by: starfire700 on December 30, 2022, 04:04:05 AM
Post by: Terry on December 30, 2022, 01:37:15 PM
That's just a Converse floor toy. No windup motor. It's missing one sign, but otherwise complete and just gorgeous. It's got a place up above the door for now.
Post by: CNJRR on January 08, 2023, 01:03:09 PM
They have either stopped selling or are looking for other ways to sell.
If a lot of sellers stop selling e bay will suffer.
S-ucks you (and others) have to go thru that.
Post by: starfire700 on January 09, 2023, 05:03:23 AM
Post by: Terry on January 09, 2023, 02:56:50 PM
Years ago I realized that the people causing problems on ebay are repeaters. I've seen ebay accounts who leave 60 and 70 percent negative feedback.
The ebay phone people told me Ben Tripp was flagged. This is the guy who couldn't print a label from last week.
If they cleared them out many of the problems would go away.
Here's a new one -- I just banned a guy who was bidding on my items on Saturday, then cancelling his bids on Sunday. Then he'd bid again on Monday just to cancel again on Tuesday. (He's bidding on cheap layout details. People sets, automobiles and such.) This is the 3rd week in a row. I woke up today to 3 messages from eBay about cancelled bids and said enough.
Is it a game? Is he afraid that he might win and have to send me $30 for his purchases and money's tight for him? I don't know, but it's aggravating to me so he's gone.
Post by: starfire700 on January 11, 2023, 04:00:59 AM
Post by: Terry on January 11, 2023, 01:28:24 PM
I sold a 700E last year. The buyer got the loco and complained because I hadn't mentioned the missing chunk. I messaged back asking what he meant and he sent me a picture of a broken cab. All I could see was the last three inches of the loco from the top. No way to tell if it was the loco I shipped. It could have been a 763 or even a 773.
I sent the buyer a message saying he had to send me a picture of the entire loco, and include pictures of the missing chunk. I never heard from him again.
Post by: starfire700 on January 12, 2023, 04:22:22 AM
Post by: Terry on January 12, 2023, 03:54:33 PM
I bid $10K on each of the trains listed below just to mess with them.
This is the Macy set I sold last fall:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/204213824268
A dark green 9 in poor shape:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/204213824224
And a hudson note different backgrounds in photos:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/195555707014
Here's the seller feedback:
https://www.ebay.com/fdbk/feedback_profile/onestopbuys?filter=feedback_page%3ARECEIVED_AS_SELLER&_trksid=p2047675.m3561.l2560
Post by: starfire700 on January 13, 2023, 03:29:00 AM
Post by: early0electric on January 13, 2023, 09:40:11 AM
Post by: Terry on January 13, 2023, 01:25:24 PM
This was a real common scam back when ebay started. List an item you don't own using pictures from other ebay items and then keep the money. There was an IVES 1694 transition set that was listed over and over again.
Next time I'll grab some screen caps.
Post by: Terry on January 19, 2023, 02:54:04 PM
These weigh just over 2 pounds each when packed. The Priority mail regional A boxes are the cheapest way to ship them. Anything over 2 pounds that will fit in the regional A box is always cheaper.
Actually I should say WAS always cheaper. The post office is discontinuing the Regional Boxes next week on the 22nd. But ebay in their wisdom removed them as an option so they were not availible last night.
So I ended up loosing another $10-15 on shipping.
On a good note - I bought a DYMO thermal label printer. My 12-year old Brother died a while back and the Xerox I bought for color printing is Frustrating GARBAGE. The Dymo took 30 minutes to hook up, but
will pay for itself in 4-5 months based on a savings of about 18 cents per label.
Post by: early0electric on January 19, 2023, 03:56:56 PM
Post by: Terry on January 19, 2023, 06:47:20 PM
I had two of the Brother printers - both lasted over 10 years and 1,000 of pages printed. This recent one the drum wore out - that's at least 80K pages, and when I put the replacement in the plastic insides broke. I paid $50 for the replacement drum, and threw the printer out when I couldn't install it. The last one also got a new power supply a few years ago because the fan became noisy and bothered me.
Post by: early0electric on January 20, 2023, 09:33:31 AM
Post by: Terry on May 28, 2023, 05:15:07 PM
Post by: early0electric on May 29, 2023, 01:47:46 PM
Post by: Terry on June 01, 2023, 04:47:52 PM
There was a guy years ago in Henderson Nevada who sent an ad in to the TTOS exchange. He pocketed tens of thousands of dollars by advertising somewhat desirable trains at good prices. The stuff wasn't cheap, just really attractivly priced. Lots of people sent checks.
Here's something I saw today:
I knew the box felt smaller. I think the medium flat rate got smaller too, but I don't have any older ones.
Post by: starfire700 on June 07, 2023, 04:09:45 AM
Post by: starfire700 on June 07, 2023, 04:12:23 AM
Post by: Terry on June 11, 2023, 07:01:21 PM
They create a sense of urgency and then try to get gift cards. Gift cards as good as cash.
It sounds weird, but ~Name Removed~ called me last year because the electric utility had called her and wanted her to get them a Walmart gift card to pay her balance due. She was calling me from Walmart because they wouldn't sell her a gift card when she explained what it was for.
To make this point even harder, she pays the utility 1/12 of her expected annual bill each month automatically from her bank account. Then once a year they reconcile the payments and figure the next year's payments.
With e-gift cards you get a code number that is valid, you need nothing but the number to use them. I get Home Depot gift cards from the coin machine at the grocery store. The machine charges 10% to cash in coins, but issues gift cards for no fee. The first thing I do is take a picture of the number so I don't lose it.
I had a collect call today from someone in jail looking for bail money. I didn't recognize the name so I just hung up. THis was a common scam a few years back.
Post by: starfire700 on June 12, 2023, 04:05:17 AM
Post by: pjdog350 on September 01, 2023, 05:16:04 AM
It’s such a shame that with what we have in the world of electronics some low life folks us it to steal.
Life’s a struggle. Be safe and change your passwords often.
Jack
Post by: starfire700 on September 02, 2023, 04:42:20 AM