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Sold iPhone 3GS on eBay - Buyer disputes, now what?

I have been buying and selling on e-bay for a while now with very little problems.

Someone just bought my 3GS on ebay a few hours ago.

According to the PayPal email, his money is with them and once he receives the phone, I get the money.

I made everything about the phone crystal clear in my auction so I have no worries.


Mind putting this guys name up so we can know to stay away if he is in fact trying to scam you?
 
mloffa said:
I have been buying and selling on e-bay for a while now with very little problems.

Someone just bought my 3GS on ebay a few hours ago.

According to the PayPal email, his money is with them and once he receives the phone, I get the money.

I made everything about the phone crystal clear in my auction so I have no worries.


Mind putting this guys name up so we can know to stay away if he is in fact trying to scam you?
Click to expand...

Whoa...eBay put the restrictions on iPhone auctions again? I knew that if you were a new seller or didn't meet requirements, they could hold funds.

Is it still like this now??

Also +1 for providing buyer's eBay name so we can block him from our auctions.
 
truciet said:
Whoa...eBay put the restrictions on iPhone auctions again? I knew that if you were a new seller or didn't meet requirements, they could hold funds.

Is it still like this now??

Also +1 for providing buyer's eBay name so we can block him from our auctions.
Click to expand...

I mostly buy so I very well may be considered a "new seller" in e-bays eyes.
I have sold 4-5 things?
 
mloffa said:
I have been buying and selling on e-bay for a while now with very little problems.

Someone just bought my 3GS on ebay a few hours ago.

According to the PayPal email, his money is with them and once he receives the phone, I get the money.

I made everything about the phone crystal clear in my auction so I have no worries.


Mind putting this guys name up so we can know to stay away if he is in fact trying to scam you?
Click to expand...

The guys ebay name is "ipods-express". Mohamad Hasan is his name.. You'd think with an ebay name like that he'd know what he was doing..
 
mloffa said:
I mostly buy so I very well may be considered a "new seller" in e-bays eyes.
I have sold 4-5 things?
Click to expand...

Yeah that explains it. Hmm...I will find out myself on June 24th after I get my iPhone 4's and list our 3G/3GS's.
 
truciet said:
Whoa...eBay put the restrictions on iPhone auctions again? I knew that if you were a new seller or didn't meet requirements, they could hold funds.

Is it still like this now??

Also +1 for providing buyer's eBay name so we can block him from our auctions.
Click to expand...

I've had my eBay account for about ten years but I've only got 31 positive feedbacks.. 100% positive.
 
truciet said:
Whoa...eBay put the restrictions on iPhone auctions again? I knew that if you were a new seller or didn't meet requirements, they could hold funds.

Is it still like this now??

Also +1 for providing buyer's eBay name so we can block him from our auctions.
Click to expand...

paypal has always been that way. there are no new iphone restrictions. it does show you received the payment to your paypal account but you do not have the ability to transfer it to your bank account till the buyer notes the item as received. that way if never received ;) money goes back.
 
jtp098 said:
paypal has always been that way. there are no new iphone restrictions. it does show you received the payment to your paypal account but you do not have the ability to transfer it to your bank account till the buyer notes the item as received. that way if never received ;) money goes back.
Click to expand...

Uhhh. PayPal has never worked that way. Ever.

The buyer doesn’t have to note the item is received. PayPal assumes it is received unless the buyer files a complaint. The buyer’s payment method just has to clear. Otherwise, the buyer’s payment will be pending (e-check, etc).

OP, if you followed all of PayPal’s Seller Protection Policy requirements, PayPal will eventually side with you. If you didn’t, you’re screwed. I have been through the dispute process three or four times now with deadbeat buyers. It’s a hassle for the seller, but PayPal has never sided with the buyer because I follow PayPal’s policies exactly (ship within 2-3 days, confirmed address, trackable shipment method, require signature if over certain amount, accurate description, auction disclaimers, etc).

DjAmTraX said:
Pay Pal dispute is not the worst. You should be happy he didn't file a "charge back" with his credit card company. Then you are really screwed. Pay Pal does not protect sellers from charge backs. It really SUCKS.
Click to expand...

Yes, they do if you follow their seller protection policy. That’s how most disputes are initially started. Most buyers don’t bother with PayPal’s in-house dispute system.
 
jshort said:
I've had something go wrong the last few times I've tried to sell ANYthing on eBay.. the buyer has all the power. Even when it comes to feedback.. if your auction says something like "payment must be received in 24 hrs, must have at least 10 feedback scores, etc" and the buyer takes 5 days to pay.. you still can't even leave him negative feedback. Your options are neutral and positive.. and it all but makes you click positive.

eBay wonders why their business continues to decline.. it would seem they need to get their act together with a quickness

http://www.internetretailer.com/2010/02/12/ebay-s-year-over-year-traffic-continues-to-decline
Click to expand...

Well, according to eBay a buyer has around 3 days to pay for an item. If you specify a different time, so what. The buyer doesn't have to abide by what you state. eBay rules - rule. If you want your money in 24 hours, use Craigslist.

It's funny that people take more time and put more energy into writing stipulations for their auctions than actually telling me about the item they are selling. When I look at an auction and see a 3 page memorandum about rules, your shipping schedule, this and that and about 1 sentence describing your STOCK photo - find a new line of work. Please :)
 
jtp098 said:
paypal has always been that way. there are no new iphone restrictions. it does show you received the payment to your paypal account but you do not have the ability to transfer it to your bank account till the buyer notes the item as received. that way if never received ;) money goes back.
Click to expand...

Nope. It depends how often you sell and how much you sell. Example would be if you sell below $100 most of the time and never above $100, they will restrict you.

I've sold many phones and high dollar items. Once I get paid through paypal, I ALWAYS withdraw immediately and pay for shipping with my credit card.
 
jaw04005 said:
Uhhh. PayPal has never worked that way. Ever.

The buyer doesn’t have to note the item is received. PayPal assumes it is received unless the buyer files a complaint. The buyer’s payment method just has to clear. Otherwise, the buyer’s payment will be pending (e-check, etc).

OP, if you followed all of PayPal’s Seller Protection Policy requirements, PayPal will eventually side with you. If you didn’t, you’re screwed. I have been through the dispute process three or four times now with deadbeat buyers. It’s a hassle for the seller, but PayPal has never sided with the buyer because I follow PayPal’s policies exactly (ship within 2-3 days, confirmed address, trackable shipment method, require signature if over certain amount, accurate description, auction disclaimers, etc).



Yes, they do if you follow their seller protection policy. That’s how most disputes are initially started. Most buyers don’t bother with PayPal’s in-house dispute system.
Click to expand...

my bad. i am confusing myself :p i'll just read. i thought one does work this way :S hmm forgot there is no escrow on neither. sorry for posting the wrong info.
 
AbSoluTc said:
Well, according to eBay a buyer has around 3 days to pay for an item. If you specify a different time, so what. The buyer doesn't have to abide by what you state. eBay rules - rule. If you want your money in 24 hours, use Craigslist.

It's funny that people take more time and put more energy into writing stipulations for their auctions than actually telling me about the item they are selling. When I look at an auction and see a 3 page memorandum about rules, your shipping schedule, this and that and about 1 sentence describing your STOCK photo - find a new line of work. Please :)
Click to expand...

Sellers are free to dictate their own payment due terms. If you don’t like their terms (that were likely only included because they had problems before with other buyers), don’t bid on their auctions.

Sellers just don’t have access to eBay’s non-paying bidder reminder and complaint systems until three to four days after an auction close.

From eBay’s FAQ:

When should I pay?

All sellers appreciate quick payment and most ship after receiving payment, so it's good to pay as soon as you win or buy an item. You can pay by clicking the Pay Now button in the email notification or in the listing. The seller will be paid and know to ship your item immediately. Otherwise, we recommend paying within 3 days of the sale. Some sellers include information on when they expect to be paid in their listings.

http://pages.ebay.com/help/pay/pay-on-ebay.html
 
If he took money from account kill yourself there is nothing you can do. otherwise make sure to follow up with paypal, but usually what happens PayPal makes buyer send goods back. The problem is that buyer can switch your phones with some crap ... I hope you have your serial number to check if its your phone. Good luck
 
jshort said:
The guys ebay name is "ipods-express". Mohamad Hasan is his name..
Click to expand...

That explains it.
I've been in business for over 20 years and I hate to stereotype people but all my problem transactions have always been with middle eastern people.
I'm not saying all middle eastern people are like this but the ones that I've had issues have ALWAYS been the case.
 
I decided to forgo the headache and end my auction on eBay!

I decided that it would be less of a headache to go without a phone for ten days and trade it in at Best Buy where I bought it.

I would not receive anymore for the phone on eBay after shipping, eBay fees and PayPal fees.

I can trade it in at Best Buy for $237.00 and receive a gift card.

I don't get it... people were bidding on phones with cracked screens and water damage that were exceeding my price of a mint condition iPhone?

Oh well... looking forward to the new iPhone4!
 
drober30 said:
I decided to forgo the headache and end my auction on eBay!

I decided that it would be less of a headache to go without a phone for ten days and trade it in at Best Buy where I bought it.

I would not receive anymore for the phone on eBay after shipping, eBay fees and PayPal fees.

I can trade it in at Best Buy for $237.00 and receive a gift card.

I don't get it... people were bidding on phones with cracked screens and water damage that were exceeding my price of a mint condition iPhone?

Oh well... looking forward to the new iPhone4!
Click to expand...

My mint iPhone 3gs went up $200 in the last 15 mins of the auction just as a side note... so most people DO get more than what you'll get on trade in. But I may avoid the ebay/paypal headache next year by going this route.
 
I am very sorry!
After my last eBay experience, I am never selling anything of high value on eBay again!!
So, I sold my brand new, sealed in box, iPhone 3GS. It was never opened, direct from Apple factory replacement. The buyer was a 100% feedback, no issues at all.
I took detailed pictures showing the sealed box, etc. When I shipped it out, I took pictures of the packaging and everything because I had a weird gut feeling something might be wrong. Lastly, I shipped with UPS ground requiring an adult signature.
Fast forward a couple days later after delivery, he left me positive feedback, then later, I receive a Paypal dispute with a chargeback of $600+ bucks. I freaked out, this never happened to me at all before. I called paypal and asked what happened? The buyer said the iPhone will not hold a charge.
Luckily, while I was on the phone, the Paypal representative looked at my auction and could see the phone being brand new and sealed. He reasoned there was no way something was wrong with the item and that if there was, he could have taken it in to Apple! He canceled his reverse charge and thanked me for being a loyal and good eBay seller.

The new problem with eBay is that buyers will always receive positive feedback. Even if things went wrong, sellers cannot leave negative feedback for buyers. This leaves a skewed feedback rating which makes the potential buyer better and more reliable than he looks.
Lesson learned: I will never sell anything valuable, aka expensive, on eBay, will only deal with local cash only sales...(cragislist)

BTW: the scam artist on ebay is named: sundea2006
 
I've never had a problem while selling that I haven't had resolved To my liking. My question is how does paypal give your money back to them? Whenever I sell something and I get paypal'd I always wait for the funds to be sent and cleared in my bank account before ship the item. Can they just reach into your account and take it?
 
OceanView said:
That explains it.
I've been in business for over 20 years and I hate to stereotype people but all my problem transactions have always been with middle eastern people.
I'm not saying all middle eastern people are like this but the ones that I've had issues have ALWAYS been the case.
Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more.. I was going to start the thread with that information but figured I'd let it out.
 
jshort said:
I sold my flawless, perfectly functional iPhone 3GS on eBay the day before WWDC started. I've probably sold 10 personal phones on eBay.. 3 of which were iPhones. I pulled the SIM did a hard reset, etc so that upon turning the phone on it would seek iTunes like it's supposed to, etc.

For whatever reason the buyer can't seem to get the phone up and running and rather than respond to any of my attempts to help him with it.. he's filed a dispute on PayPal. So there goes my money AND he's got my iPhone 3GS. :mad:


Now what!?! I've never been through one of these disputes before, does PayPal usually side with the buyer? Can they force a refund and still allow to keep my phone?
Click to expand...

I hate to say and feel sorry for you but I hoped you learned your lesson like so many other people... do NOT use paypal! Its illegal what they do under EU law.... thats why they are based in Luxemburg. As ebay makes paypal pretty mandatory I stopped using ebay too.
 
For paypal seller protection you need to use a delivery service with signature conformation for any item over $200 (for less just need delivery conformation).

I've had a person try to screw me over before, but since I had signature proof the item was delivered to the buyer's confirmed address, paypal sided with me.
 
I haven't yet read all of the responses but have heard of a scam where people buy stuff like this, file a dispute, send the item back but the item is obviously not the one you sent. :( It'll have cracks on it or whatever. I hope this works out well for you...
 
This is why I will probably just hold on to my 3GS for now. I have had nothing but spam from Craigslist and even though I am well versed with eBay, I don't feel like dealing with deadbeats. It's not worth my time and it's certainly not worth the little money I will make.

It's terrible this year. I have had only 1 call about my phone. That's it. I will probably do better waiting for the rush to subside.
 
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