You got it reversed. It's quite safe to buy on ebay. Not so much when it comes to selling.
There's more to the ebay buyer horror story than the guy is telling us as ebay doesn't always let scamming buyers off the hook.
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Is this an iPhone scam? If so, how does it work?
- Thread starter Phrasikleia
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You got it reversed. It's quite safe to buy on ebay. Not so much when it comes to selling.
There's more to the ebay buyer horror story than the guy is telling us as ebay doesn't always let scamming buyers off the hook.
Remember one thing about the dent and scratch... That tends to void any warranty the phone may have had.
If you were expecting a phone still covered by warranty, return it for a refund.
Yes, sounds like he's dragging his feet. You'll have no choice but to conclude something fishy is going on and to return the item. Trusted sellers know better to follow ebay/paypal's procedures to the T.
No, bad advice. ebay will likely not consider it as all correspondences must be through ebay and it's also unnecessary.
It is a tough call to make when the seller wants you to call. (no pun intended). I would certainly maintain communication through e-mail and advise him that you would be more comfortable resolving this in that manner.
I completely get why you're wiggly. This guy hasn't given you much hope for resolve. If I reply and say I need to regroup then it is not to an e-mail where $475 is on the line. It is usually an e-mail where I'm just catching up with someone and I don't have the time to really give to a good reply. If there is money on the line, you can bet I am responding as immediately as possible. I don't care if I am the buyer or seller. I've been in both shoes where some additional hand holding is required (transferring a TiVo and service to a new person for example).
Either way, I would just let him know that he needs to handle this in such a way that allows you to get into the phone. That the basic steps of preparing an iPhone for sale were not taken and you simply need him to carry out whatever steps are necessary now in order for you to have a working phone. Until then, the phone is inoperable. I would use that term for sure, inoperable. Unfortunately, you have to be on the defense.
I'm a jerk face, this I know, but even I would not be the person telling the OP to grow a pair or anyone who is suggesting anything short of pursuing resolve with a higher level of urgency is off base. Of course, there is a limit to how far the OP needs to push before a response is received, but posting a thread after only 4 hours to discuss possible issues on the horizon isn't terrible. It's not as though she was all ready to file a charge back or whatever she had to. That would have tied up funds and really made matters worse.
Good luck Phrasikleia.
PS who cares what model was bought and for how much? I wondered why there was half a page of discussion surrounding that in the first place.
I completely get why you're wiggly. This guy hasn't given you much hope for resolve. If I reply and say I need to regroup then it is not to an e-mail where $475 is on the line. It is usually an e-mail where I'm just catching up with someone and I don't have the time to really give to a good reply. If there is money on the line, you can bet I am responding as immediately as possible. I don't care if I am the buyer or seller. I've been in both shoes where some additional hand holding is required (transferring a TiVo and service to a new person for example).
Either way, I would just let him know that he needs to handle this in such a way that allows you to get into the phone. That the basic steps of preparing an iPhone for sale were not taken and you simply need him to carry out whatever steps are necessary now in order for you to have a working phone. Until then, the phone is inoperable. I would use that term for sure, inoperable. Unfortunately, you have to be on the defense.
I'm a jerk face, this I know, but even I would not be the person telling the OP to grow a pair or anyone who is suggesting anything short of pursuing resolve with a higher level of urgency is off base. Of course, there is a limit to how far the OP needs to push before a response is received, but posting a thread after only 4 hours to discuss possible issues on the horizon isn't terrible. It's not as though she was all ready to file a charge back or whatever she had to. That would have tied up funds and really made matters worse.
Good luck Phrasikleia.
PS who cares what model was bought and for how much? I wondered why there was half a page of discussion surrounding that in the first place.
^^Thanks for that, GoCubsGo. I appreciate your comments very much.
I've just had a couple of more back-and-forths with this guy through eBay. Again he tried to get me to call him. Now he says that he can't release the phone because he's not near his laptop, and he can't do it on his phone. Is that true? He can't make the necessary changes in iCloud with his phone?
I've just had a couple of more back-and-forths with this guy through eBay. Again he tried to get me to call him. Now he says that he can't release the phone because he's not near his laptop, and he can't do it on his phone. Is that true? He can't make the necessary changes in iCloud with his phone?
Rofl no, it would definitely work as proof because I did it before in the form of sending screenshots of an email conversation totally outside eBay and they took it as proof. The correspondences rule is a formality and is there for them to have a record of all exchanges between you and the seller, but it doesn't mean anything outside eBay will be discounted as proof.
It's good advice and I used it before to get my money back.
Still bad advice. Why go outside of ebay when you can communicate through it and they automatically have records of your correspondences? A seller on here once lost a case because he had proof of delivery on paper but it wasn't visible or accessible online for some reason and ebay/paypal wouldn't accept the physical proof. Never assume they'll accept anything outside of procedure.
Uh because most sellers will be less wary of what they say outside eBay given that they assume they're not being recorded. Common sense, frankly. A digital recording will be accessible online and that guy with the proof of delivery should have scanned it into a PDF.
I won a lot of these cases by gathering evidence outside of eBay. Like I said, sellers are more comfortable speaking their mind when they're not directly on eBay.
And what would I have to gain from him speaking his mind? I just want him to release the phone. I don't understand why he can't just use the Find iPhone app to do that.
I disagree.
If the seller has nothing to hide, he shouldn't care where he's communicating.
OK, I think it's time to try to get a refund out of this guy. Is there any reason why that might be a bad idea?
The device has been erased and given that the previous owner isn't present, he'd need to log onto icloud on a computer per http://support.apple.com/kb/TS4515
Great. So if I hadn't done that DFU restore, then he could have used his phone to release the device? :::sigh::: Of course that assumes that he really did try to use iCloud.
So what's the worst thing that could happen if I get him to issue a refund?
What makes you think he tried to use iCloud? He gave you the excuse he wasn't near a computer so he hasn't done that.
You go shopping for a new iPhone.
Phrasikleia, it's time for an ultimatum. I would tell him to either release the phone within the next two hours, or give you a full refund. Your time and sanity have worth and he has clearly exploited both.
Plus, the screen is scratched and the aluminum dented. And you didn't really get a bargain.
I wouldn't want the phone at this point, even if pristine. His skank and bad karma is all over it.
Plus, the screen is scratched and the aluminum dented. And you didn't really get a bargain.
I wouldn't want the phone at this point, even if pristine. His skank and bad karma is all over it.
I think you guys are right. So if I ask for refund "right away", how does that work? He doesn't actually have to issue it until he acknowledges receipt of the return, right?
EDIT: I should add that he mentioned in one of his messages that he will be leaving the country tomorrow. Does that mean I'm screwed for a return? Does he have to receive the phone before I can get my money back?
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He said he tried on his phone and couldn't do it.
EDIT: I should add that he mentioned in one of his messages that he will be leaving the country tomorrow. Does that mean I'm screwed for a return? Does he have to receive the phone before I can get my money back?
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He said he tried on his phone and couldn't do it.
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Yeah, so I just tried to request a refund, and eBay says that I have to contact the seller for "instructions." The guy is leaving the country tomorrow. Now what?
By the way, this thread has me really worried:
http://forums.imore.com/iphone-5s/268387-activation-locked-iphone-dfu-mode.html
A guy in the same boat, and he LOST the case with eBay!
The OP of that thread only posted 7 messages, thus it's probably unreliable.
Buyers usually win eBay cases.
He can STILL release the device with regular restore. Not sure about DFU restore. You should not have done that.
You absolutely should call him. In fact, part of the eBay grievance process is communication and eBay encourages you to contact/call him (they even have you provide your phone number so both parties may do so).
A phone call will probably resolve your issues.
A phone call will probably resolve your issues.
OK, I'm just exhausted at this point, so I called him. There was no answer, so I left a voicemail.
I don't think it matters. All the seller needs to do is go to www.icloud.com/find (on an actual computer) and remove the device from his account. The OP reboots the iPhone and it's now his.