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Could this be a ebay scam or is it me...hopefully not me

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Long story short is it wrong to request a tracking number when you buy something on ebay?

I bought a HTC hero last Wednesday to tether to my wife's iPad. I then found some HTC Evos on ebay so I snag one of those up. being that I received no tracking information and the seller didn't respond to any of my emails, I assumed the seller hadn't shipped the HTc Hero yet. I emailed the seller of the Hero and politely requested a refund. The seller said that the Hero had shipped. I asked for the tracking number and he jumped down my throat about. I asked for a refund and he send me a very negative email ending with you'll get your refund. To day I got an email saying "a refund will be done per their request" and 9 hours later I have no refund credited to my Paypal account.

I assume i should wait a couple of days...but how long do it actually take to issue a refund?
 

pigoo3

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Long story short is it wrong to request a tracking number when you buy something on ebay?

I assume i should wait a couple of days...but how long do it actually take to issue a refund?

There is nothing wrong with requesting a tracking number. I actually insist on it all of the time when I purchase something on e-Bay...simply for the reason so I can track it, and know when I should expect delivery.

Regarding the refund. As long as the seller is not dragging their feet refunding the money or not disputing the transaction...it should be fairly quick. If there is a dispute filed...it could take weeks & weeks & weeks.:(

Good luck,

- Nick
 

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I ALWAYS request a tracking number. Only time there is not one is with the low end USPS shipping if the shipper did not pay for tracking.

You did nothing wrong and for the seller to blow like that makes me very suspicious.
 
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What is their feedback like? Do you have a link to their profile? I will be happy to take a look. I have quite a bit of experience with eBay, their policies, and rules, not to mention spotting fraudsters too.
 
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Answering your second question about the timeline of refunds.

A refund to a credit card when used directly can take from 1 business day to two weeks, depending on which bank and in which country the seller uses.

Is the seller is in the same country it usually takes less then 48 hours, however refunds done from international banks take much longer to clear.
 
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File it with PayPal, they have like a 10 day waiting period. He has to prove that it was shipped and delivered to PayPal if he does not PayPal issues your refund to your account.

I've been there and done that, not to bad just takes time for the whole process.
 
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Answering your second question about the timeline of refunds.

A refund to a credit card when used directly can take from 1 business day to two weeks, depending on which bank and in which country the seller uses.

Is the seller is in the same country it usually takes less then 48 hours, however refunds done from international banks take much longer to clear.


Yes the seller is in the States...Cali area to be exact. I didn't use my Credit Card to make the payment, I used money that that was already in my Paypal account ($204). It's so easy to issue a refund though. What i think may have happen is that soon after I made the payment, the seller either bought something else on ebay or transferred the money to his checking/saving account. But whatever he did, all he has to do is let me know. It's called communication and he obviously lacks that.

I emailed him today and told him that I received an email yesterday from him or his so-called Secretary stating that my refund would be processed and today, I still have no refund. I told him all I want is either the tracking number to track the phone or a refund...how hard is that?

What really got me so upset is that first off it $204, that's a lot of money. Secondly, he told me in a previous email, "It shipped and i can provide the tracking number to you as a courtesy" So if you got it, email it to me so i can track it's status. Third, you said you're going to issue me a refund one day and a entire day later...still no refund.

I paid for this phone a couple days before I even paid for the Evo. I'm going to have my Evo this Friday way before this mess is even gonna get fixed. If I don't have either a refund or tracking number by tomorrow morning, I'm going to initiate a claim.

I apologize...I'm just ranting and ranting. O:)
 
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The seller is a liar, regardless. If he said the phone was already shipped, why would he give you a refund before you had received the phone and then mailed it back? I wouldn't and the seller doesn't sound like the type to extend their bottom line by having both a phone and a refund out of pocket at the same time.

One word of caution on PayPal disputes... if you have any other money in your PayPal account, withdraw it before filing a complaint. I have had PayPal freeze my account, along with the account of the person I was disputing until the issue was resolved.
 
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The seller is a liar, regardless. If he said the phone was already shipped, why would he give you a refund before you had received the phone and then mailed it back? I wouldn't and the seller doesn't sound like the type to extend their bottom line by having both a phone and a refund out of pocket at the same time.

One word of caution on PayPal disputes... if you have any other money in your PayPal account, withdraw it before filing a complaint. I have had PayPal freeze my account, along with the account of the person I was disputing until the issue was resolved.

Wow...thanks for letting me know that. I idn't know they'll freeze my account.
 

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