Need help for a failed transaction

mjcoderre · #1 02-03-2013, 04:02 PM

Folks in the bass community, I've recently had an unnerving issue. Let me give you the run down.

I watched an ebay auction expire twice for a bass I've been eyeing for nearly a year. It was a Fender American Deluxe Jazz V FMT. I've been wanting one for awhile. I contacted the gent through ebay email and I decided to pay him through paypal rather than have him list it again.

The exchange was made on Dec 22. The individual in question was out of town on gigs and stated when he returned he would get the bass cleaned up and sent my way. Apparently once he arrived back home his wife became very ill and had to be rushed to the ER where she stayed in the hospital for a spell on life support.

He attempted to innitiate a refund through paypal, but his bank declined it and subsequently it was a failed transaction, but Paypal still views it as an open item.

I've taken into account this guy's situation from a personal view. I can only imagine how difficult it would be to have that happen. He's offered very little communication, he's played the sympathy card for sure and has given me very imbiguous answers with regard to "You'll either get the bass or the money." But no time line has been outlined, nothing.

Has anyone ever experienced anything like this and what stance should one take in this matter? It's been 4 days since my last email to him...no response...I finally sent him another message today with a more pressing tone requesting communication and a timeline for compensation or I would pursue legal channels.

Anyone have any advice at all???

Dinosaur Punk · #2 02-03-2013, 04:16 PM

Not all that sure I want to post this in an open forum, since it sounds kinda cruel, but here goes: The other guy's situation is not your problem. You should emphatically pursue a refund via all official PayPal channels available to you. You've given what appears to be a good faith effort to resolve the transaction without escalation.

If he's telling the truth and has a situation he can't balance against other responsibilities, and you do nothing, you will receive neither bass nor money.

If he's not being truthful and just stringing you along, and you do nothing, you will receive neither bass nor money.

If you escalate via PayPal, that just might inspire enough urgency to resolve the situation to everyone's satisfaction.

If you escalate via PayPal, and he is unable or unwilling to respond, then at least you'll get the money back.

Seems to me you've tried to be a decent guy about this. Now protect your own interests.

mjcoderre · #3 02-03-2013, 04:36 PM

Thanks man,

That's pretty much the way I was thinking. I'm a pretty resourceful dude and found out some open source information on this dude to back up in event this guy isn't being truthful...building a case if you will. I'm pretty patient, but if I can quote from the movie Friday, "You play with my money, you play with my emotions." Granted it's not all about the money...I can imagine from a sphere of influence, this guy has more going on and anything in the periphery is either dismissed completely or put in the pile for later. I undertand that, but to completely not come through on a transaction in either money or merchandise....after 6 weeks?? That presents an issue.

I'm with you man, I will definitely pursue through paypal...I'm hoping this works out. I also hope his family is well, but when this much time has gone on and I've tried to do the right thing, I have to protect my own interests...I appreciate you taking the time to respond. Thanks man.

michael_atw · #4 02-03-2013, 04:42 PM

He's tying a noose around you. I buy and sell on Ebay in massive numbers and these sorts of medical excuses are as common as dirt. You are being played; you NEED to file a complaint. The fact that you've waited FORTY days to decide to do something about it is frankly, not smart at all. There are time limits to these things and you are letting him give you the slip.

Questions I have:

How EXACTLY did you pay him? Through an invoice or as a gift? If you "gifted" it, you're screwed.

Was your credit card involved?

I hate to sound like a sleeze but this guy is making up excuses. His wife is probably sitting at home drinking sweet tea right now. And you're the kind of guy these people looove. Always be a skeptic. It's not hard for him to adhere to his responsibility even if his wife is in the hospital. Put in box, take to UPS, done.

As for the refund, I've never heard of someone not being able to give someone else a refund due to a "bank decline". What the heck does that mean? All he has to do is drop the money into Paypal and refund you. There need not be a bank involved.

mjcoderre · #5 02-03-2013, 05:31 PM

While I said I'm patient, I also tend to lean on the conspiracy theorists arena...I know his wife was in the hospital...as I said, I'm resourceful.

The whole paypal thing is weird to me. I want to call them, I tried to innitiate a dispute or whatever the word is...and it wouldn't let me because it says, even though it declined from his bank...obviously there wasn't any money in his account he tried to pull from...I don't know where to go from here.

**smperry** · #6 02-03-2013, 06:51 PM

I'm not seeing this as Bass or Music-related, so I've moved to Off-Topic.

Was paypal done as a gift, or as paying for an expense/goods (I forget the exact language)?

mjcoderre · #7 02-03-2013, 07:12 PM

This was not as gift...for sure.

mjcoderre · #8 02-03-2013, 07:12 PM

If I'm in the wrong forum I apologize...I'm just spent on the thinking and needed some direction and a course of action.

**smperry** · #9 02-03-2013, 07:15 PM

Well, that helps a great deal...you can escalate on paypal and from what I've heard (no personal experience) you'll get your money back eventually.

No big deal about the wrong forum thing.

Indiana Mike · #10 02-03-2013, 07:19 PM

File claim ,,,remove all emotions at this point...

fatdoggie · #11 02-03-2013, 07:30 PM

I think you have 45 days to open a claim with PayPal. Beyond that, they will do nothing for you. You're already VERY close to that window closing. Open a claim immediately.

Immigrant · #12 02-03-2013, 08:09 PM

I thought it was impossible to pay with PayPal on eBay and make it a "gift."

They're in cahoots so I don't think they'd let no-fee transactions happen, even of eBay gets they're cut. Keep in mind two factors:

1) I'm as dumb as a bag of hammers

2) I don't trust em.

.

**smperry** · #13 02-03-2013, 09:43 PM

oops, I started to write how it is possible to send money on Paypal as a gift, and then saw you said, "on Ebay." Yeah, good point, except I thought he bought it through direct communication (auction ended, sent a message, done over email kind of thing).

smcd · #14 02-04-2013, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michael_atw

He's tying a noose around you. I buy and sell on Ebay in massive numbers and these sorts of medical excuses are as common as dirt. You are being played; you NEED to file a complaint. The fact that you've waited FORTY days to decide to do something about it is frankly, not smart at all. There are time limits to these things and you are letting him give you the slip.

+1,000,000

OP - you are getting robbed.

michael_atw · #15 02-04-2013, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjcoderre

While I said I'm patient, I also tend to lean on the conspiracy theorists arena...I know his wife was in the hospital...as I said, I'm resourceful.

The whole paypal thing is weird to me. I want to call them, I tried to innitiate a dispute or whatever the word is...and it wouldn't let me because it says, even though it declined from his bank...obviously there wasn't any money in his account he tried to pull from...I don't know where to go from here.

Impossible. There's something wrong. They will put him in debt if you make a claim. They won't rebuff you.

michael_atw · #16 02-04-2013, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Immigrant

I thought it was impossible to pay with PayPal on eBay and make it a "gift."

They're in cahoots so I don't think they'd let no-fee transactions happen, even of eBay gets they're cut. Keep in mind two factors:

1) I'm as dumb as a bag of hammers

2) I don't trust em.

.

There are ways around everything.

They try every "seller update" to remove all possibility of it happening - but it's still not hard. You just need to watch for the mines. They now have a message "eye" that declines sending messages with email addresses used to move payments outside of their sphere. You just manipulate the email.

OP I presume used Ebay to set the ball in motion then moved it to Paypal. I usually have people send invoices or send them invoices. I do it relatively often. I'll sometimes make deals with sellers to save them 10% in fees; I'll have people offer to make off-the-books deals with me in the same way. Everyone wins but the Ebay money vacuum.