posted 07-03-2009 08:26 PM               

Two weeks later and I'm expecting the item to arrive. Instead I check my email and notice an unpaid item claim has been filed with eBay, and that I am required to take urgent action. As two weeks had passed, and I had won several other items, I panicked and thought I managed to miss paying on the item.

Not so. I have the confirmation email from PayPal, and when I go to the item's eBay listing it states clearly that it has been paid by PayPal. I don't quite see how someone could miss this, as even in "My eBay" it tells you if an item has been paid for if PayPal is used.

So anyway, I fill out the appeal page including detailed description of the date paid, the amount paid, and even the PayPal transaction number. As of now, the case is still open - awaiting no less a response from the seller.

This strikes me as bizarre. In the listing of the item the seller states they had a similar item sold a few years back for $100. I have a sneaking suspicion that something is not right.

posted 07-04-2009 01:43 AM               

It sounds like an odd story indeed though I made bizarre experiences over the last 11 years on eBay as well (as a seller and buyer).

I have experienced space collectors as a more than honest and fair crowd of people, more than many other collectors so odd stories like this are fortunately very very rare.

In the more recent time I also made a couple of bad experiences on eBay like things were exchanged for other items of less quality or even autopens were sent instead of real autographs that are shown on the pics. These are criminals IMHO though they are indeed rare.

Also as a word of caution to sellers: Sometimes buyers want to return items because they claim them not to be in perfect condition, when returned it turns out they replaced the article I sent with a damaged one (this often happens with electronics too and is a known problem on eBay).

Often this happens with space stamps I sell on eBay... they return hinged or other missing-teeth stamps and not the one I sent.

Also several people (unfortunately buyers from China and Russia are among them) try to negotiate the price down and threaten to file a PayPal claim if you don't agree.

Unfortunately eBay and PayPal are very buyer orientated and rarely trust the facts you present them. Both companies (though they are one) seem to keep the impression in the public, that paying with PayPal is risk-free. But that's another story.