Well, I should count myself lucky I guess. I just had my first very minor ebay problem.
I bought a set of 31 Hardinge Collets (round by 32nds) for $200, $219 with shipping. What can I say, I wanted a set of good collets, and this looked like the best deal on a nice set from a big seller with top notch feedback. I paid via paypal within an hour of close. Sent a message (AND in paypal notes) to contact me with tracking number. No response for several days. Sent messages via ebay and email, no response. Over a week later I tracked down phone number via Google and caught the guy on the phone. Lots of hem-haw but got the tracking number to find out it shows delivered that day. Go out and look around, there it is in the FREAKING BUSHES! I hate UPS. But that's another story...
I sent him a message indicating it was here, and about the coincidence as well as the "it's a good thing I got the tracking number before the watering system cut on" part. Turns out to be very well packed, each collet individually wrapped in news paper.
Some have crusty's inside (but not on the clamping face), some with face grooves, but nothing you wouldn't expect with a relatively nice used set of collets; until I got to the 27/32 collet. On this one the keyway looks like someone held it in one hand with an angle grinder in the other and went to town on the keyway. It's been extended and deepened, and not even straight or uniform. There is NO WAY he missed this while individually wrapping! But it’s not a primary collet, so no bid deal. But still, I didn’t buy “30 good collets plus one junk place holder”.
So I sent ebay messages, emails, and left phone messages since last week when I found it. Started off very friendly, but got progressively more stern. Frankly, if he had responded right off the bat with an apology, I could even have been persuaded to let it go since it is one that I would rarely, if ever, use. BUT, no responses on any front, pretty much what I expected. Kept calling at random times during the day, hoping he would pick up, no luck. Must have been using Caller ID. Last night I was in a bad mood and sent a nasty message via ebay stating that I was sending via ebay for additional proof of attempted resolution AND warning of pending negative feedback. Basically, creating a “paper trail” documenting his lack of response. Funny thing, I called again this morning and he answered. Coincidence he says. Hmm...
So, he admits to having gotten all my messages, no excuse as to why he didn’t respond other than “too busy”. Now his response is to sent it ALL back, on my expense of course, and he’ll issue a refund. I say I’ll gladly send the damaged one back, and questioned the sense of sending all back over one bad collet, he basically says, “That’s how it’s going to be.” Obviously a ploy to get me to let it go. I told him, “Fine then, but I want all shipping refunded.” He says, “I’ll decide that when I evaluate the collets”. Yeah, right...
Of course, I figure he’ll stone wall me like he has so far, and I may never get anything back without a battle. Could probably get the $200 back via PayPal or Visa (paypal backing), maybe even the $19 shipping to me, but I’ll almost certainly have to eat the shipping returning to him in any case. And a NEW collet is about the same.
So now what? At this point I think I’ll leave a negative and deal with the typical retaliatory negative. Or maybe I should just forget it? But he has pretty good feedback, and frankly, I wish I had seen someone leave a negative like this before I bought! I would have paid more for another auction to avoid the aggravation alone. Makes me sorta feel an obligation to leave the negative. Then again, is it worth getting one myself (even if contested)? Should I just let it go with no feedback? Or a neutral? Frankly, I would be satisfied with a neutral (since it’s not all that bad a “burn”) if I could only explain the lack of response and attitude. But 80 characters doesn’t let you say much of anything.
So, I'm pretty pissed at his attitude and ignoring my messages as well as refusing to deal with the problem, but am I being a cry baby? Or is this worth hassling with games required to give a negative?
I bought a set of 31 Hardinge Collets (round by 32nds) for $200, $219 with shipping. What can I say, I wanted a set of good collets, and this looked like the best deal on a nice set from a big seller with top notch feedback. I paid via paypal within an hour of close. Sent a message (AND in paypal notes) to contact me with tracking number. No response for several days. Sent messages via ebay and email, no response. Over a week later I tracked down phone number via Google and caught the guy on the phone. Lots of hem-haw but got the tracking number to find out it shows delivered that day. Go out and look around, there it is in the FREAKING BUSHES! I hate UPS. But that's another story...
I sent him a message indicating it was here, and about the coincidence as well as the "it's a good thing I got the tracking number before the watering system cut on" part. Turns out to be very well packed, each collet individually wrapped in news paper.
Some have crusty's inside (but not on the clamping face), some with face grooves, but nothing you wouldn't expect with a relatively nice used set of collets; until I got to the 27/32 collet. On this one the keyway looks like someone held it in one hand with an angle grinder in the other and went to town on the keyway. It's been extended and deepened, and not even straight or uniform. There is NO WAY he missed this while individually wrapping! But it’s not a primary collet, so no bid deal. But still, I didn’t buy “30 good collets plus one junk place holder”.
So I sent ebay messages, emails, and left phone messages since last week when I found it. Started off very friendly, but got progressively more stern. Frankly, if he had responded right off the bat with an apology, I could even have been persuaded to let it go since it is one that I would rarely, if ever, use. BUT, no responses on any front, pretty much what I expected. Kept calling at random times during the day, hoping he would pick up, no luck. Must have been using Caller ID. Last night I was in a bad mood and sent a nasty message via ebay stating that I was sending via ebay for additional proof of attempted resolution AND warning of pending negative feedback. Basically, creating a “paper trail” documenting his lack of response. Funny thing, I called again this morning and he answered. Coincidence he says. Hmm...
So, he admits to having gotten all my messages, no excuse as to why he didn’t respond other than “too busy”. Now his response is to sent it ALL back, on my expense of course, and he’ll issue a refund. I say I’ll gladly send the damaged one back, and questioned the sense of sending all back over one bad collet, he basically says, “That’s how it’s going to be.” Obviously a ploy to get me to let it go. I told him, “Fine then, but I want all shipping refunded.” He says, “I’ll decide that when I evaluate the collets”. Yeah, right...
Of course, I figure he’ll stone wall me like he has so far, and I may never get anything back without a battle. Could probably get the $200 back via PayPal or Visa (paypal backing), maybe even the $19 shipping to me, but I’ll almost certainly have to eat the shipping returning to him in any case. And a NEW collet is about the same.
So now what? At this point I think I’ll leave a negative and deal with the typical retaliatory negative. Or maybe I should just forget it? But he has pretty good feedback, and frankly, I wish I had seen someone leave a negative like this before I bought! I would have paid more for another auction to avoid the aggravation alone. Makes me sorta feel an obligation to leave the negative. Then again, is it worth getting one myself (even if contested)? Should I just let it go with no feedback? Or a neutral? Frankly, I would be satisfied with a neutral (since it’s not all that bad a “burn”) if I could only explain the lack of response and attitude. But 80 characters doesn’t let you say much of anything.
So, I'm pretty pissed at his attitude and ignoring my messages as well as refusing to deal with the problem, but am I being a cry baby? Or is this worth hassling with games required to give a negative?
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