Lesson learned...the hard way! (eBay)

[Kenn K]

Got into WheelHorse's last year, just had to have a few to tinker with....got ahold of a '64 704, and then another '64 704............and then, on ebay was a '64 654, one owner, bought new, serviced by one outfit for it's entire life, owner had died, and grand son was selling......we exchanged a few emails, and he took it off auction, and I PayPal'ed him $350.00 for this jewel. His parents live in Arkansas, and he said he'd be going down there in the Spring of '07 and I'd meet him there, and pick up the tractor..........shipping it was out of the question due to costs, meanwhile fuel prices were going through the roof, so we agreed, we'd meet in Arkansas in the Spring and do the transfer.....well, months go by, he doesn't make the trip, we talk a few times, and agree, he'll refund the $350.00, and re-list the tractor on ebay.......well, that was months ago, more emails, more phone calls, he's never home say's the wife and kids, can't find the 654 listed on ebay anywhere, Paypal won't assist in a refund, nor will ebay, since they don't go beyond 60 days........btw, one of my budd's here on Stak even drove by this guys place in Toledo........report is, he live's good, has lots of toys ( he deals in Corvette parts, and performance Camaro stuff ), nice pole barn, etc. etc. etc.........so, although I have several emails from him stating he'll refund the $$$$$......guess what............he hasn't, and probably isn't going to !!!!!......so, next step is the legal route, which isn't going to be fun for either of us, but I'm not walking from my $350.00 that easy.........so he's going to pay a lawyer, or a bail bondsman, it doesn't cost me a penny to file "theft" charges, and it looks like that's where we're headed............so the lesson is............don't buy anything on ebay that you can't get shipped at a reasonable rate, and don't go outside the 60 day limit from ebay, cause you are on your own after that !!!! Oh, if anyone lives in Toledo and cares to "get involved"........step up, and get amongst all this joy and jubilation !!!.........yes, I learned another life lesson..........you never stop do you?

[Douglas]

I hate people who don't follow threw on a promiss.

[HBurk]

Just lost $310 on a box mounted corn sheller. But like you, I ain't through.

[Motormowers]

I would say contact the office of consumer affairs in the attorney generals office in his state and let them get in on it too. Hopefully you saved those emails or auction and printed them out before they disappeared?

I just had a real bad experiance on ebay when I sent a second chance offer for the first time. I didnt sell my 1929 Moto-Mower so I emailed the second highest bidder as the first had passed. I sent a second chance offer to him (his highest bid was $350.00) and in the message box I stated the reserve was $500.00 and I was wondering if he was still interested. This was plain as day in the email and you couldnt miss it as I didnt want any confusion. Well I guess the way the email goes through it says congratulation you can buy the item for $350.00!! I sent him two more emails asking if he understood that wasnt the price but if he wanted it for the reserve what I would have done was create a new auction for him with a buy it now of $500.00 to keep things above board. He never replied back and went ahead and used the buy it now for $350.00!!!!!! I called him and explained things. Whether he didnt read the entire email or was trying to pull a fast one I dont know. He was a little miffed but understood and said all it takes is one pr!ck to turn you into ebay for that. So we hung up and I thought it was all taken care of. Then he goes and leaves negative feedback and makes a complaint to ebay then starts emailing me again demanding the mower and he's coming for it. I told him flat out he wasnt getting it for the $350.00 and that was that!! Ebay contacted me and I explained what happened but its a lost cause with them. I got burned on a $5000.00 car I sold and they didnt want to get involved with the deadbeat bidder. Lesson learned, dont send a second chance offer. Not worth the trouble with idiots who dont read an entire email or think they can pull a fast one.

Nobody asked my opinion but here it goes.

I can see a few things wrong here, for one, it's not wise to end the auction during the middle of a bidding session and at one time, i beleive it was against one of ebays rules, and i think it still is. even if you are the only bidder on that item and the seller agree's to let go of the tractor or what not, at that standing price, INLESS it is a "buy it now" auction, and the auction officialy ends becouse you baught it outright using "buy it now" that way you have PROOF that the auction did end and you did oficially win the auction and you have that ticket ebay sends you in there email at the end of an auction saying that you are or about to be the new owner (so to speak) of the item of which you bid and won. two, never EVER pay for an auction that you dont oficially have proof from ebay in that email ebay sends you that you officially won. even if it is electronic (by computer) it still is a legal binding document for an auction and if anything goes bad in a deal, by law, ebay is licenced, so it really dont matter how old the auction is in my opinion, becouse you cant controll "how long" it's going to take to end a deal, bad or good, so they shouldnt put limits on auctions like that and should atleast attempt to help you resolve the "bad deal" ofcource they wont do that if the auction wasn't official meaning, not running it's cource to the end, and im not sure they try very hard in the beggining but thats another debate.
three, never ever pre-pay something you cant pick up or have picked up in person. there are honest people still out there but greed has taken over mostly so it's not really unlikely for a stranger nowa days, to take the money and run without you as the rightfull new owner, obtaining what is now rightfully yours. on the other hand as many others probably know you have the little auctions that CAN be shipped or crated and boxed and you have to rely on there feedback and your jugement to decide how the auction deal is going to go, and you still have bad deals that way but thats another debate aswell but yet...so simular. Among all the confusion, what im trying to say is, avoid the obveous mistakes. doing a deal thats far away, before you pre-pay, think...is this guy being ohnest? or does he seem kinda squirly? does he have a good ebay reputation or bad reputation? can i talk and conversate with this individual easily or does he provide little contact info and doesnt even respond to emails (red flag) (sometimes you cant even go by that) but what ever it is, never pre-pay for something you cant pick-up in person with that big of a sum, that isn't exactly chump change. there's just way to much greed and disohnesty out there anymore and it's very rare that you can do a deal nowa days with a simple gentlmans handshake...mosly a simple handshake anymore is like a fart in the wind, today. it just dont mean much of anything like it use to. im not setting here typing just to type, and im far from "wanting" to start a big explosion or contest, im just trying to say, avoid the obveous. thats all.

a good example of what i just said. I had some help with my go-cart auction recently, someone bid on it but had zero feedback and is less then 30 days old...they bid...i saw zero feedback, i though OH BOY...zero feedback...i bet they dont pay....ofcource i was being sarcastic but then i gave them the benifit of the doubt becouse i know everybody including me had to start somewere so i thought, well, im being sarcastic..they'll pay and everything's gonna be peachy and fine...but 2 weeks later...no pay...plenty of email notices...no responce....no pay......like they droped off the face of the earth...no longer there...so i wasnt really surprised that they DIDNT pay even if i was being sarcastic....bit it's just one of many examples there is.

[T.R.W.]

Hey Ken, you might check into filling an action against him in a Tx Federal court. Tx allows triple penalty if you can show intent.

[Kenn K]

Well, that's handy information !!!!...........doubt it will go Federal, but some folks need to learn lessons the hard way !!!

[Redwing]

Sky is right,

I had few times problems with sellers with slow or never shipped, I got all proofs, report to ebay & paypal can be automatic force refund to me - must report less than 30 days on seller and watch on seller until up to 90days from ended auction or sooner. NEVER ever outside emails or 3rd party! must use thru ebay (question/answer emails as ebay has records proofs and best way easiest automatic refund fully without lose a penny.

[Beth V]

Originally Posted by Kenn K

Oh, if anyone lives in Toledo and cares to "get involved"........step up, and get amongst all this joy and jubilation !!!.........yes, I learned another life lesson..........you never stop do you?

Kenn,

Sounds like a problem. May I suggest you contact the Toledo Police and provide them with your documentation-emails, receipts, etc. You may be able to file in small claims court, but jurisdiction is the key--TX or OH?

JBoogie lives in Toledo & might be of additional assistance. Send him a PM.

Good Luck
Beth

[Motormowers]

Its too bad you didnt send him a U.S. postal M/O. Then the feds could get him for mail fraud. I always pay that way and ask people to pay me that same way as I dont trust checks or bank M/O these days as its easy to cancel them.