I've had it with Ebay!!

[Fazybones]

That happened to me recently and I find most crappy e-bay sellers fall back on the OSPG value and tell you how good of a deal you got even though their books aren't graded properly. I recently bought four VF/NM BA GI Combat books that had sub creases, corner creases and lots of spine stress. To top it off the books weren't packaged properly and Canada Post added more flaws. I usually never bother complaining and figure it isn't worth the hassle and my own fault for buying off some seller I don't know and these were poor pictures.

 

Someone convinced me to write a polite e-mail explaining the situation and the Overstreet guidelines for VF/NM and the bad packaging and I asked only for around eight to ten dollar partial refund. The seller then accuses me of trying to con him and wanting free books and then the usual quote of the VF/NM OSPG value and how great of a deal I got.

 

That IS my LAST purchase from any e-bay seller I don't know. I know there are lots of honest e-bay sellers but the trick is finding them and I feel it's too much of a gamble. For a hobby that's supposed to be fun e-bay sure adds it's share of frustrations for the average buyer of raw books. The seller's ID is "Zorbazz" so hopefully you can avoid this fool.

 

Fay...sorry for your bad experience with "ZORBAAZ"...unfortunately it does not surprise me as I was the last person to leave that *spoon* a neg on eBay! He is a complete and total TOOL that is the epitome of awful eBay sellers that give the site a bad name. Last year I won an auction for a Tec 400...small scan and very little description other than saying nice condition with some wear. So I figured for only $10.00 how could I go wrong? Well it arrived and I WAS wrong...it was in unbelievably bad shape: heavy water damage, brown pages and staples so thick with rust they looked like fuzzy caterpillars! Just a total piece of junk. So, as I always do in this situation, I sent a very polite email similar to the one the OP quoted earlier in this thread. The seller responded very rudely and gave the usual hilarious mint overstreet guide value comment as well as saying he "didn't notice" any water damage or rust

I was so annoyed with his demeanor that I insisted on returning the book even though it was only $10 plus shipping. He finally agreed, but upon receipt of the comic claimed that it had been heavily damaged during shipping and that I had not properly packaged it. Funny thing is, I simply repackaged it in the same materials in which I received it, and put the original package inside a new envelope. I told him that and he said it was still my responsibility and that the comic was now completely destroyed and in unsellable condition and refused my refund. So I filed a paypal claim which I won...and guess what...within 3 weeks the "completely destroyed comic in unsellable condition" was relisted on eBay with the exact same picture and description he used when I bought it! Anyway...I am totally amazed that this loser doesn't have more negs...his feedback shows that he mostly sells sports cards, but STILL...you would think an obviously dishonest cretin like him would have a few more people call him out on his awful grading and lack of disclosure about the true condition of the comics he sells.

 

Thanks for the kind words of condolence and to make it worse I just missed the end of the auction and like a horse's azz I made this transaction off-line since I had bought a book previously from him and the grading was a lot stricter, but not perfect.

 

I couldn't even leave a negative and I too have been guilty several times of accepting bad sellers' garbage and still leaving a positive trying to keep my 100 % feedback intact. I don't care about 100 % anymore and more of us should just leave NEGS to the sellers that deserve it and help other buyers make more informed buying choices.

 

I don't want to lose my 100 % I worked so hard to maintain both buying and selling, but the system of NEGS won't work unless we leave the appropriate feedback and take the odd negative in return. The whole thing has really turned me off e-bay and I really should have used more common sense like we all should when buying comics off e-bay.It's a shame but very true.

 

Kudos to you for leaving this crook a NEG and I give you credit for sticking up for yourself.

[joeypost]

 

He has offered me a full refund, a partial refund, or more books, my choice as to how I would like to resolve the matter.

 

A little advice from eBay experience - be careful with the method and madness if you decide to ship the books back for a full refund. I returned about $140 worth of heavily overgraded Doom Patrol books back to groundzerocomics, Grass Valley, California, Shane Deadman, around six years ago. Ultimately, I was out the $140 and the books, because I never got the refund. groundzerocomics disappeared from eBay, and never responded to emails or letters. My only satisfaction is my elephantine memory, and my opportunity to bad-mouth them to other collectors.

 

linky

 

In retrospect, I should have kept the books, as I made a bad situation worse by shipping them back. And of course, new to eBay, I used paypal cash.

 

Sadly, I had dealt with them before, and still have a couple of nice books in my collection from a previous deal with them.

 

I bad mouth Allen Shevy from Tampa Florida every chance I get on the boards as he took my money and never sent the goods....so I understand your approach to resolution

 

If you want i could pay him a visit

[the blob]

Work out a partial refund. It'll be tough explaining to him how you should be paying no more than half guide though....

 

 

(In all honesty, I've sold a lot of those particular Batman books and, with some patience, many are better than $5 books on ebay. I know for a fact that I got more than half guide for all the ones I sold.)

[skypinkblu]

I'd take the partial refund or the offer of more books, I get nervous mailing lots back...however, at least he contacted you, which is great. Sorry you had to go through that because you are so nice.

 

I agree with much of what has been said about being careful, I learned that if someone gives a general description like that, most often he/she doesn't know what they are doing...so I either email first and ask if they will take a return or I pass it by, UNLESS I am willing to gamble...which I do sometimes..and when you gamble, well, lots of times you lose.

 

I do love buying on Ebay, most of the transactions are fine...but I learned over the years to stop looking for anything high grade, and since I mostly collect GA books now, there is just a lot of stuff on there that I can't afford at Cons. I do ask questions...lots of questions.

 

Regarding Feedback first...I used to leave feedback first as a seller, but when they changed their feedback rules, so that you can ONLY have negs removed if you both neg each other (a dumb idea), I changed it...Right after, I had a buyer neg me because I refused to lower the price of a tea kettle AFTER the auction, I offered to waive the auction and let him out, but he wasn't happy with that, so he negged me, I had to neg him back to get him to remove the neg. The following week, I sold a piece of glass to someone, refunded half the shipping cause they paid too much and they negged me, because they said there was a crack in the glass and they said it was packed too well? I had to neg them back to have that removed, too...when I called, I asked why they never contacted me before the neg, I would have refunded (this was a $10.00 item) ...and they said, they just didn't feel like it, ...SO...from a seller's point of view, since I work very hard to maintain my feedback, I feel I have no choice...

 

However, .as a buyer, there are MANY times, I wish I'd get feedback first...I just buy under a different ID when I'm not sure, that way I don't worry as much about ruining a selling ID.

[rjpb]

 

Although I've never had a buyer unhappy with what I've sold them - I don't leave feedback until the buyer has acknowledged they are happy with their books. To my mind that is the end of the transaction.

 

So if a buyer receives the books, and emails you telling you he is happy, you'll leave positive feedback even if hasn't left feedback himself ?

 

I would - but that's never happened - once in a while I get are a request for FB after it has been left for me. If someone goes to the trouble of telling me they are happy in order for me to leave positive FB only so that they can leave an unencumbered neg - there probably whacked out enough to leave a neg no matter what I do.

[rjpb]

In defense of the honest "estate sale/found in attic, etc." ebay sellers who are uncertain of how to grade - I've found , with GA books anyway, that their descriptions of the flaws in a given book are often more complete than most regular comic sellers. I've bought a few GA books, admittedly low-mid grade, from such sellers, and have always gotten what was advertised, except in one case, where a wrap was missing, and the seller was highly apologetic, refunding the book and postage both ways.

[grandz-migration]

Sounds like he wants to make good with you. Which ever way you go with this

make sure to let him know in a couple days. That way he knows you're not

trying to scan him.

 

If you go for a full refund; do a signature confirmation.

[CKB]

 

Although I've never had a buyer unhappy with what I've sold them - I don't leave feedback until the buyer has acknowledged they are happy with their books. To my mind that is the end of the transaction.

 

So if a buyer receives the books, and emails you telling you he is happy, you'll leave positive feedback even if hasn't left feedback himself ?

 

Exactly correct. I work the same way. Not sure what the is for. This is the way it is supposed to work - The seller does not leave feedback until the transaction is over. The transaction is not over until the buyer says he is happy.

[Black00SS]

Thanks for all the advice/ kind words guys, I appreciate it.

 

It looks as though everything is going to be worked out...the seller is being very cooperative, and has offered me a lot of TEC's, a partial refund, or a full refund.

 

Thanks again for all the advice/kind words!

[richnerd]

If you want the full refund and are worried about sending them back, just make sure you send it where a signature is required and you will be ok. I have done it this way many times will no failures.

[cd4ever]

Thanks for all the advice/ kind words guys, I appreciate it.

 

It looks as though everything is going to be worked out...the seller is being very cooperative, and has offered me a lot of TEC's, a partial refund, or a full refund.

 

Thanks again for all the advice/kind words!

 

Glad it's working out!

[Point Five]

Likewise.

[Paratrooper]

begin emailing him and be polite and firm.

 

 

This is the place to start.

 

Although I've never had a buyer unhappy with what I've sold them - I don't leave feedback until the buyer has acknowledged they are happy with their books. To my mind that is the end of the transaction. I've heard too many stories about crazy buyers. I had one buyer who gave me a neutral - stating that while he was happy with the book, I had charged him $3 more to ship it than the amount of postage listed on the package

 

Don't worry about "perfect" feedback - scam sellers rely on that concern to keep you from complaining - and if you can't get satisfaction leave a neg not a neutral. I left a neutral once for undisclosed resto on a lower grade GA book, and got a neg in return

 

Losing my 100% rating angered me for a while, but I got over it.

 

I do the same exact thing as a seller, and that plan works, I have 1316 feedback with 100% positive. And tons of repeat buyers.

[Black00SS]

Seller issued me a partial refund, one we both agreed on, and the matter is settled.

 

Thanks again for everyone's advice.

 

Andrew