ebay purchase worry (right forum?)

[cdaniel]

Hope this is a good place for the question. I'm just wondering how other people's ebay purchases have gone.

I made my 1st ebay purchase of a bass on 10/16. I've made plenty of other ebay transactions buying and selling car parts memorabilia and such. Never had a problem so far.

I closed the bass auction with a buy it now and promptly paid through paypal (should have requested a total). I have had zero communication with the seller as he hasn't responded to any email. This is the biggest ticket item I've bought sight unseen from a stranger, and I'm getting paranoid. The seller has 100% feedback but hasn't sold anything in a while. However he did make a purchase since my action closed. So he should be aware of his auction status. He also had a Peavy Cirrus for sale that has since closed. I requested his contact info and of course the phone number is disconnected.

Am I too anxious? Ebay wants you to wait a week before you do anything. Supposedly your protected anyhow.

What would you do?

[MyUsernameHere]

If it had been two days, and the should have seen my message and still not contacted me back I'd stop the payment.

Maybe I'm too paranoid, but I've been burned in relative amounts on too many e-bay transactions to trust anyone I deal with on there. Especially if the communication is bad.

Also, I don't know where e-bay gets off telling people that they're protected. All they'll do if you have a problem is tell you to go through paypal...who will tell you to go through your credit card company if the guy doesn't have enough funds in his P.P. account to cover it. And I'm betting that if you wait a week, your funds will have cleared his account.

[magickbass]

100% feedback, I would not worry. And, as you already noted, you have to wait a week anyway. To further ease your mind, paypal is good about getting money back if need be. If you do not get a response to your email's within the required one week waiting period, then contact paypal. I would not worry about it though.

[KFrost2008]

Keep in mind that if the seller is from Texas or the midwest that they are dealing with issues from Ike. It took 2 days for us to get power back, and reports are saying it could be another week for folks down in Louisville.

[cdaniel]

I considered that. Doesn't seem likely Ike was a problem. The auction started and ended this week. Well after the hurricane. And supposedy the seller is in Georgia.

Originally Posted by KFrost2008

Keep in mind that if the seller is from Texas or the midwest that they are dealing with issues from Ike. It took 2 days for us to get power back, and reports are saying it could be another week for folks down in Louisville.

[bongomania]

It is becoming more and more common for accounts to get hijacked; the primary targets are accounts that have 100% positive feedback, but where the seller may not be paying attention to their account, e.g. if they haven't used Ebay in a while. So for example the recent purchase on that account may have been from a hijacker using some of your Paypal money.

However, three days is too soon IMO to panic. Stuff happens- even if it wasn't hurricane related, maybe his house caught fire or his wife was caught defiling corpses or something, you never know what may distract a person from timely handling of an auction.

If it was me, I'd wait the required seven days and then file a Paypal claim. During the week I'd also write one or two more emails (using the Ebay messaging system) firmly requesting communication.

[detracti]

If you don't hear anything after 3 business days, then I'd say get the phone number and give a call.

Otherwise, you're probably okay.

[M5Yates]

These are all shots in the dark.
What is the auction number so we can look at the seller's history?

[M5Yates]

If this was the bass, the seller looks ok so far as I can see:
USA FENDER PRECISION DELUXE BASS 18 VOLTS

[cdaniel]

170262656705

Not sure what more there is to see, But maybe you've got better detective skills than I.

Originally Posted by M5Yates

These are all shots in the dark.
What is the auction number so we can look at the seller's history?

[cdaniel]

Beat me to it

Yer fast!

Originally Posted by M5Yates

If this was the bass, the seller looks ok so far as I can see:
USA FENDER PRECISION DELUXE BASS 18 VOLTS

[M5Yates]

It doesn't look anything like the normal account hijacker type auction.
The lack of communication is a bit rude, but not worrisome -yet.
Try one more email asking if your payment has cleared and for him to send you the tracking number when the bass ships.
Some people don't trust Paypal and wait until the money has been deposited in their banks before they ship.

Anyway, nice Fender and good luck.

[cdaniel]

Still no reply to further email.

And wouldn't ya know it? A similar bass turns up in the TB classifieds today. Aaaarrrrrrghh!

I'd much prefer dealing with a TB member.

[pedroims]

Originally Posted by cdaniel

Still no reply to further email.

I'd much prefer dealing with a TB member.

+1,000,0000

[musicelectronix]

The person is not a professional dealer and selling on eBay is not her/his full time job. She/he may have otherwise occupied or could be anything. Your initial instict is correct IMO, you are being somewhat over excited about it I have dealt with many eBay sellers who do not respond to anything, but shipp stuff in a timely manner. The majority though sent the response AFTER they shipped, whenever that happened (sometimes over a week). I believe they just don't want to say anything when they don't have something nice to say

BUT I am absolutely not saying that you shouldn't be cautious about it.

Ps. Also note that she/he bought the stuff more than an hour earlier, "the feedback" was left to her/him since your auction closed.

[cdaniel]

So just how long does it take to get your money out of paypal?

Originally Posted by M5Yates

It doesn't look anything like the normal account hijacker type auction.
The lack of communication is a bit rude, but not worrisome -yet.
Try one more email asking if your payment has cleared and for him to send you the tracking number when the bass ships.
Some people don't trust Paypal and wait until the money has been deposited in their banks before they ship.

Anyway, nice Fender and good luck.

[M5Yates]

Originally Posted by cdaniel

So just how long does it take to get your money out of paypal?

3 business days.

[Bruce Lindfield]

I think this is the big problem with eBay ...so I am happy to buy from small retailers who are using eBay as an online presence.

But really - if you are dealing with individuals then it is just a case of trusting to luck - as people have said, the feedback system can be got round...?

It's like going to a garage sale, street market or similar - but the sellers are all anonymous and don't have to talk to you!!

In real life we would find this seriously weird and unsettling - but the "veneer" of respectability that eBay's big name gives to all this, seduces people into parting with large sums of money that they would never hand over to an anoymous person in the street...

[Vincent P]

I've made quite a few purchase from ebay, although never a bass (I need to hear and feel the insturment, just a personal thing). My rule of thumb is, buy only from sellers who have sold a good amount of product with excellent or near excellent rating. Ask lots of questions. If the seller does not answer, takes to long to do so, or is evasive; then they have something to hide. I understand that some sellers may be busy but, if the questions are posted well before the end of the auction, then there is no reason they can't get back to a potential purchaser.

Also I find that one persons idea of mint, is not the other guys.

Hope this works out for you though.

[SoLongJake]

the MUST RECEIVE PAYMENT IMMEDIATLY AT THE END OF AUCTION bit of that ebay listing is a monster of a red flag for me. especially since there has been no communication.