So how is the seller going to be able to veriify that the code inside the new, sealed box has been used? If it smells like fish, it probably is something fishy. My two cents...
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Stolen AppleCare, plz help! :(
- Thread starter n8236
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I was editing my last post when my ride showed up so couldn't add to it/change it... I had a look at her selling history a little more closely. She has sold quite a few .mac packages and she has major spelling difficulties. She also has very good feedback. SO, I'm thinking this is probably pretty innocuous. I don't think the seller is handling the problem in a logical or reasonable way, but the world ain't perfect
. The problem is that because she is going about it in such a cackhanded way, us MR paranoids are getting high blood pressure.My vote is: give her the info she needs and see what happens. Also, I don't know how things are where you (OP) lives, but here a talk with my mailman would have probably cleared up quite a lot. He usually remembers when special packages come (at least for a few days). He certainly would have been able to tell me if he delivered largish package with a delivery confirmation on it.
Also, this should be a lesson to her. I insure everything I sell on ebay. It is cheap and is easily factored into shipping costs.. I don't really understand why she didn't, especially for an item with a value that she has no desire to make up out of pocket.
good luck to the both of you.
YT
i have purchased Applecare off eBay with perfect success. One time, the seller was not an apple person, sold me a used number and reimbursed me when it was discovered.
What the posters on MR don't get is that THE POST OFFICE DELIVERED THE PACKAGE to SOMEONE in his zip code.
That's why the seller is freaking. THIS IS A POST OFFICE PROBLEM.
The OP needs to track down the mail carrier that day who delivered the Applecare, and fight the Post office. Very weird but do not buy anything over a hundred dollars without full insurance and delvery confirmation. The seller just wants to see if the OP has used the Applecare.
My question is: how was it delivered? Was it tracked? Was it insured? It was probably delivered to the wrong address or outright stolen by either a mail carrier (it does happen) or by a neighbor.
LESSON: Always insure. Always get delivery confirmation (free if seller does it through PayPal).
Ok, here's the bottom line.
1. Your seller wants your personal information to check to see if the AppleCare has been activated. She already said she does not have the AppleCare Activation Number. If she doesn't have this and she's wanting to investigate, she doesn't have a leg to stand on AFAIK.
2. She says the package was delivered. You didn't get it. You paid with PayPal. File a claim with them; once again, AFAIK, they will refund your money. If she can prove that she did send it to the right address (IE, if she paid for the shipping label online they keep a record for six months), then she may not be liable either, and they'll write off the $250 as a loss.
3. USPS says they delivered it. You need to be talking to them asking where it is. You have a delivery confirmation number (I hope) that says it was delivered to you. Take the number in and ask them where it is.
4. Assuming you haven't gotten a delivery confirmation number, eBay has a complain option to say "I Never Received The Item." Fill it out. If she won't give them the number, she's in big trouble.
Edit: I had a problem once with USPS delivering something I shipped to the wrong address. The buyer called the USPS, they found it, and the problem was resolved.
I've also had problems with an eBay seller never delivering goods (they posted the item for sale, and apparently never came back online ever.) It took me forever, but eBay eventually ruled in my favor, and I got my money back.
1. Your seller wants your personal information to check to see if the AppleCare has been activated. She already said she does not have the AppleCare Activation Number. If she doesn't have this and she's wanting to investigate, she doesn't have a leg to stand on AFAIK.
2. She says the package was delivered. You didn't get it. You paid with PayPal. File a claim with them; once again, AFAIK, they will refund your money. If she can prove that she did send it to the right address (IE, if she paid for the shipping label online they keep a record for six months), then she may not be liable either, and they'll write off the $250 as a loss.
3. USPS says they delivered it. You need to be talking to them asking where it is. You have a delivery confirmation number (I hope) that says it was delivered to you. Take the number in and ask them where it is.
4. Assuming you haven't gotten a delivery confirmation number, eBay has a complain option to say "I Never Received The Item." Fill it out. If she won't give them the number, she's in big trouble.
Edit: I had a problem once with USPS delivering something I shipped to the wrong address. The buyer called the USPS, they found it, and the problem was resolved.
I've also had problems with an eBay seller never delivering goods (they posted the item for sale, and apparently never came back online ever.) It took me forever, but eBay eventually ruled in my favor, and I got my money back.
Bad advice. 99.5% transactions on eBay go without a hitch. Better to say, "Be careful about whatever you buy on eBay."
If you're careful and do research on eBay, you can
* pay $160-$200 for MBP AppleCare instead of $349+tax.
* pay $50-$60 for .mac instead of $99+tax
* pay $50-$60 for Tiger instead of $129+tax
and so on ...
Gosh man, who cheated you (and by how much) that you have such resentment towards eBay?
Indeed. I've bought and sold all manner of Apple stuff on eBay with no problems whatsoever. That includes one part exchange/cash deal and all manner of foreign laptop and parts purchases.
Question: What's a quick way to tell if Applecare has been activated?
I've seen Applecare for sale on Craigslist; I would want to check before buying...
So if it's "sealed" (I would think boxes could easily be resealed by a scammer),
is there no way to check the actual activation number?
FWIW, I bought Applecare for my iMac from La Computer Company for $120.00
(normally $169.00), and a friend bought it for his iBook for $179.00 (normally $250).
It's a little bit more than Ebay, but seems like a lot less stress and worry:
http://www.lacomputercompany.com/cgi-bin/rpcart/featured.cgi?group=appcare
I've seen Applecare for sale on Craigslist; I would want to check before buying...
So if it's "sealed" (I would think boxes could easily be resealed by a scammer),
is there no way to check the actual activation number?
FWIW, I bought Applecare for my iMac from La Computer Company for $120.00
(normally $169.00), and a friend bought it for his iBook for $179.00 (normally $250).
It's a little bit more than Ebay, but seems like a lot less stress and worry:
http://www.lacomputercompany.com/cgi-bin/rpcart/featured.cgi?group=appcare
(Leaving aside whether .mac is worth even $50...
)I don't have resentment towards eBay. I have sympathy - I work for the largest internet retailer in the world and regularly swap war stories with eBay employees (we have our own fraud issues, though nowhere near as bad as eBay.) I also know more than a little bit about rates of online fraud for different product categories. Apple products are at or near the top of the list every month. I guarantee that much, much more than 0.5% of completed Apple listings on eBay are fraudulent. The real number is closer to 15x that.
Fraud is killing eBay - the only thing that's keeping them from reporting real declines in revenues is their eBay Motors site (which is doing quite well.) I use eBay often - I have since the late '90s. Having access to the numbers that I do and knowing of the depth of the fraud "talent pool" on eBay, I would never buy anything Apple related on eBay.
eBay/PayPal/USPS/BBB are all looking into the case. I hope I get some results.
At the mean time I have been trying to keep communications open w/ the seller and it seems as though she is becoming more reluctant to settle this. All i'm getting are excuses of delay etc. She said no details can be disclosed with my case, advised from the postmaster etc. What kind of BS is that. I am the victim, not her.
I have already bought a new AppleCare and registered my MBP. I told her I am able to give her my information now and she has minimized communications, such BS.
BTW, AppleCare has two numbers. Outside the box is the serial number of the item itself (not item number). Then the AppleCare registration code inside the box.
At the mean time I have been trying to keep communications open w/ the seller and it seems as though she is becoming more reluctant to settle this. All i'm getting are excuses of delay etc. She said no details can be disclosed with my case, advised from the postmaster etc. What kind of BS is that. I am the victim, not her.
I have already bought a new AppleCare and registered my MBP. I told her I am able to give her my information now and she has minimized communications, such BS.
BTW, AppleCare has two numbers. Outside the box is the serial number of the item itself (not item number). Then the AppleCare registration code inside the box.
Possibly, though possibly otherwise.
Perhaps the seller sent an empty package to a different address in the same postcode as the buyer. The buyer complains when he doesn't receive anything, but the seller now has tracking proof of a package delivered - that might be enough to fool a lot of people.
That's the problem with transactions like eBay, you just don't know. I'm still curious how the seller claims to be able to track who uses the Applecare number - can you find this out with just the serial number off the Applecare box?
I don't know how AppleCare works because I've never activated it before myself, but be aware that this scammer may try to get your info now, see you activated AppleCare on it, and then cry foul and say "see, you have AppleCare so you obviously got my package delivered to you".
I don't know if AppleCare does any sort of time/date stamp or anything as to when it was activated; if it does, the seller still has no case and can't try to say that you activated their AppleCare on it. Obviously you got fed up waiting and purchased it elsewhere, but be careful that this nut doesn't try to correlate your activated AppleCare with what they sold you (and try to pass that as proof).
-Just a heads up/thought.
Last night on Ebay a guy with 100 percebt feedback was selling macbook pros for 100.00, today the items are gone.... Hijacked account...selling all sewing stuff now this???? HIJCKED!
I would love to give a big thanks to everyone, esp Suneohair for the superb advise to helping me recover my money!!!!!!!!!
PayPal has ruled in my favor and got every penny back from that bastard who tried to jack me for my money.
The seller followed up with a negative feedback & poorly spelled emails trying to threaten and entrap me, what a loser.
***** ALWAYS SIGNATURE AND RECEIPT CONFIRMATION!!! *****
PayPal has ruled in my favor and got every penny back from that bastard who tried to jack me for my money.
The seller followed up with a negative feedback & poorly spelled emails trying to threaten and entrap me, what a loser.
***** ALWAYS SIGNATURE AND RECEIPT CONFIRMATION!!! *****
I would love to give a big thanks to everyone, esp Suneohair for the superb advise to helping me recover my money!!!!!!!!!
PayPal has ruled in my favor and got every penny back from that bastard who tried to jack me for my money.
The seller followed up with a negative feedback & poorly spelled emails trying to threaten and entrap me, what a loser.
***** ALWAYS SIGNATURE AND RECEIPT CONFIRMATION!!! *****
Glad to hear it. I was wondering what happened in this case. Strange though. It seems the seller had done legit business in the past - or was this a legit deal that the seller tried to spin to his favor? Guess you never can tell.
[QUOTE=n8236;3394941]I forgot to add one IMPORTANT detail about my transaction.
The seller had a tracking number for me, I tracked it through USPS and it says it was delivered to my zip code (as it does not provide the full address). But I never received anything. The seller kept pointing to the fact that it was delivered to me.[/QUOTE]
Are you sure you had the right address on it, and if so did you check your local USPS drop off to see if its there, you should have gotten a pink slip stating that they missed you. if not, then you may want to file a complaint with the USPS if the mail carrier gave your package to someone else. I hope you had insurance on it.
EDIT Never mind you got it worked out. glad to hear.
The seller had a tracking number for me, I tracked it through USPS and it says it was delivered to my zip code (as it does not provide the full address). But I never received anything. The seller kept pointing to the fact that it was delivered to me.[/QUOTE]
Are you sure you had the right address on it, and if so did you check your local USPS drop off to see if its there, you should have gotten a pink slip stating that they missed you. if not, then you may want to file a complaint with the USPS if the mail carrier gave your package to someone else. I hope you had insurance on it.
EDIT Never mind you got it worked out. glad to hear.
Simply, I bought AppleCare from seller, never got it, USPS showed it was shipped to an address in my zip code, seller claims I received it (via USPS tracking), exchange disputes in email, more emails trying to solve internally, went to PayPal/BBB/eBay, more emails between us, PayPal rules in my favor, takes money out of her account to mine.
------------------------------------------------
I would of loved not to involve PayPal or eBay, but the seller kept giving me excuses in helping me recover it while all I did was wait and wait.
She tried to play me and ended up getting herself served, i think the term "OWNED" is appropriate.
------------------------------------------------
I would of loved not to involve PayPal or eBay, but the seller kept giving me excuses in helping me recover it while all I did was wait and wait.
She tried to play me and ended up getting herself served, i think the term "OWNED" is appropriate.
Are you sure you had the right address on it, and if so did you check your local USPS drop off to see if its there, you should have gotten a pink slip stating that they missed you. if not, then you may want to file a complaint with the USPS if the mail carrier gave your package to someone else. I hope you had insurance on it.
EDIT Never mind you got it worked out. glad to hear.[/QUOTE]
USPS does not provide a pink pick up slip if you do not have signature confirmation, which I decided skip due to my cheapness. So they just drop those packages off at your doorstep. Because I live in a suite, they drop it off at the hallway everyone walks in on, not in front of my door, not most of the time anyways. I've always trusted my neighbors because I lived here for over 15 years and never had a package stolen or missing before.
I really dont understand what happened here, but I know I dont fully trust anyone on ebay so anything I'm not 100% sure about and I mind losing I pay with the credit card attached to my paypal account. Paypals refund and claim process is a joke-even when you follow all the rules. I've had to supercede them and go to my credit card company to reverse fraudulent charges more than once.
As a seller if i'm shipping something that I want to make sure they receive I ship with adult signature required and insurance with a TRACKABLE (not usps) service like fedex or ups.
As a seller if i'm shipping something that I want to make sure they receive I ship with adult signature required and insurance with a TRACKABLE (not usps) service like fedex or ups.
I would love to give a big thanks to everyone, esp Suneohair for the superb advise to helping me recover my money!!!!!!!!!
PayPal has ruled in my favor and got every penny back from that bastard who tried to jack me for my money.
The seller followed up with a negative feedback & poorly spelled emails trying to threaten and entrap me, what a loser.
***** ALWAYS SIGNATURE AND RECEIPT CONFIRMATION!!! *****
Kickass man...you did the right thing, both in withholding the info (don't know how they could've used it, but is that really a game we want to play??) and going to Paypal and the PO. Great thread, glad you posted it; eBay is both awesome and awful at the same time, and the more info people have going in helps protect the rest of us from the 'wretched hive of scum and villainy' that will always be a part of it.
The seller followed up with a negative feedback & poorly spelled emails trying to threaten and entrap me, what a loser.
I saw that you left them a neg also, but it'll obviously be buried under all the other crap that she sells.
I'd reply on yours if I was you...that neg will hurt your 66 score more than hers. Put on there you never received it, seller has no proof otherwise (something to that effect) and was hard to deal with, etc.
That's my gripe about eBay...retaliatory neg feedback BS. There should be something set in place where if you are found faulty of fraud, misappropriation, etc. you are left a neg and cannot leave a neg in retaliation. I'd have 100% on mine if it wasn't for the 2 boneheads that didn't pay me, so I left them a neg appropriately and was left negs in retaliation, so...my score is blemished because of the fault of others.
Glad you got your $$ back though n8236; I know you'd rather get the money back + get a neg on your account than not have the neg and not have the money.