eBay fraud by seller

[Corndog]

I first apologize if there was a discussion on the topic elsewhere, but when I searched ‘eBay fraud’ there wasn’t a stand alone topic.

I just want to vent and WARN everyone of a seller on eBay that just screwed me over on an item, and I didn’t want it to happen to any of you.

Don’t trust  and ignore if you see the seller by the name of: batty_collectibles

I just won item number 10-07913-68839 (1985 Topps Irish Series Wacky Packages Complete Set plus Bonus). In the description of the item it even stated I would be getting what was pictured, and The whole set was displayed.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1985-Topps-Irish-Series-Wacky-Packages-Complete-Set-Plus-Bonus-Card-/224697999145?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0


I paid for the item with PayPal and celebrated.

However to my dismay, I later received an Ebay noticed that my transaction was canceled/refunded.

The reason for the cancellation was: ‘our of stock or damaged’. How could that be when everything that was pictured I was due to receive?!?!?

The crappy thing about this is EBay doesn’t allow me to leave ANY feedback to warn potential buyers/ future victims.

Yes I did report him/her to eBay.

[NationalSpittoon]

I believe the thread you were looking for is: “BEWARE OF MATT STOCK!!”

[Brian Mc]

  Well, that sucks. You got that set for $55, which is a steal. Those Irish sets have been selling for $125-$200 for years.

  Anything is possible, of course, but I suspect what was really 'damaged' was Matt's pride, when that set didn't sell for $150.

[drono]

I think I remember reading similar scenarios from other forum members in the BEWARE OF MATT STOCK thread when an item sold for a low price.  There have also been lots of forum members who've never had an issue with him.  Personally the only issue I've ever had was winning multiple auctions, asking for an invoice with combined shipping, and never hearing anything, so I had to pay his standard shipping ($4.95?) on each of the three items I won that were all shipped together.

BTW, he also has at least two other eBay accounts: make_mine_marvel_1973 and Knight_collectibles.

[lucidjc]

Another satisfied customer, when are you people going to learn?

Here's a question... why doesn't someone who knows him (a lot of people do) ask him why he keeps fucking people over???


Jim

[Corndog]

It was a shock to me too when I found out how much I won the auction for. My high bid was over $165…

I think it is ridiculous that I am unable to leave any negative feedback to warn future bidders. Especially to here I am not his only victim.

eBay still shows a 100% positive rating.

[JailOJohn]

I was aware of his “make_mine_marvel” seller name, and avoid it all costs. Didnt realize he has other seller names…pretty sneaky. I am assuming he maintains a 100 percent positive rating because e-bay rules wont let ripped off buyers leave negative feedback??? Wouldnt setting a minimum bid get him his $$$ without screwing over buyers?

[Paul_Maul]

I was aware of his “make_mine_marvel” seller name, and avoid it all costs. Didnt realize he has other seller names…pretty sneaky. I am assuming he maintains a 100 percent positive rating because e-bay rules wont let ripped off buyers leave negative feedback??? Wouldnt setting a minimum bid get him his $$$ without screwing over buyers?

Buyers can leave any feedback they want on completed sales. In the case of Corndog, he can’t leave feedback because the transaction was cancelled, and so in eBay’s eyes, there isn’t anything to leave feedback on.

[Corndog]

I was aware of his “make_mine_marvel” seller name, and avoid it all costs. Didnt realize he has other seller names…pretty sneaky. I am assuming he maintains a 100 percent positive rating because e-bay rules wont let ripped off buyers leave negative feedback??? Wouldnt setting a minimum bid get him his $$$ without screwing over buyers?

Exactly, this seller should know better on how eBay works. Like setting a reserve price, raising the starting bid, and know the consequences/risks of setting lower bids. Sometimes you will and sometimes you lose.

eBay wouldn’t do a damn thing, because they still make money off of this jerk.

[cmgmd]

Perhaps unethical but certainly not fraudulent.

[jeffcaff]

Both winning bidders and Ebay sellers do the exact same thing on Ebay.  Purchase an item through auction or Buy It Now, try to resell it and then return it a few weeks later if they are unsuccessful.  Ebay approves the return and the seller is stuck paying both shipping cost to and from and then has to resell it.  Unfortunately, there have been several members of this forum that have actually done this to me as well.  Both actions are absolutely unethical but Ebay is the one allowing this behavior.   Best thing to do is not purchase from these sellers and the block bidders.   

[RawGoo]

I knew I had seen a thread on this before!  http://www.wackypackagesforum.com/index.php?topic=5506.0

[MoldRush]

So it sounds like the only reason this is happening is because the seller is too cheap to pay whatever the additional listing fees are for either setting a reserve price or raising the starting bid to a level that the seller could live with should there only be a single bidder.

[drono]

I knew I had seen a thread on this before!  http://www.wackypackagesforum.com/index.php?topic=5506.0

I was going to mention that a similar scenario had happened to me, so I'm glad you found the thread.

So it sounds like the only reason this is happening is because the seller is too cheap to pay whatever the additional listing fees are for either setting a reserve price or raising the starting bid to a level that the seller could live with should there only be a single bidder.

If there are no consequences to someone's actions, then why should anyone expect their behavior to change?  Obviously eBay is overwhelmed by the 1million+ auctions listed every day and doesn't have the means to police every one of these complaints. Caveat emptor - caveat venditor.

[Corndog]

I knew I had seen a thread on this before!  http://www.wackypackagesforum.com/index.php?topic=5506.0

I again apologize if there was a discussion on the topic elsewhere, but when I searched ‘eBay fraud’ there wasn’t a stand alone topic.

This Forum has so much awesome information, and it is hard not to repeat a topic or question or two....especially for a newbee like me.


For what it is worth I finally received a response from batty_collectibles

"Unfortunately the set got water damaged
Sorry I don’t check this account so often"

I asked for pictures for proof, but I bet I won't see a thing.

[bandaches]

I again apologize if there was a discussion on the topic elsewhere, but when I searched ‘eBay fraud’ there wasn’t a stand alone topic.

This Forum has so much awesome information, and it is hard not to repeat a topic or question or two....especially for a newbee like me.


For what it is worth I finally received a response from batty_collectibles

"Unfortunately the set got water damaged
Sorry I don’t check this account so often"

I asked for pictures for proof, but I bet I won't see a thing.

So has Matt officially acknowledged this is one of his accounts I noticed this user batty collectibles said he doesn't check "this account" that often.   I would say you're entitled to get a set at that price from this seller when and if he gets a det in the future.

[JailOJohn]

I keep hoping we won't have to keep posting to these threads...but it seems like this seller's tactics haven't changed. He may or may not have the item and he may or may not send it to you, depending on whether he thinks the price paid is high enough...

[moron_chicken]

I need to put in my 2 cents on this even though I will be the unpopular opinion.  Factor Matt out of the equation because I realize people have issues with him so set that aside.  Over the last 23 years I have been a huge buyer and a small seller on Ebay so I understand both perspectives.  I have no problem with a seller not honoring an auction if they feel the price is not high enough.  People have made comments that they are alright with it if a reserve had been put in place.  Either way the result is the same you won't get the item for that cheap price.  The reason sellers don't put on reserves it because the fees are theft on Ebay's part.  I just listed a mock auction to see what the fee was with a reserve.  At $100 it is 7.5% = $7.50 and it goes up another 7.5 percent for each additional $100.  So at at $500 it is $37.50.  I hardly think I am a cheap skate for trying to avoid that confiscatory cost.  And if the item is not sold a few times the seller is basically giving away the worth of the item to Ebay.  And this fee is on top of the 10-12% commission on the final amount of the sale.  The only other way to avoid the reserve and put a floor on the price is list the auction at a minimum value equal to what your reserve would have been.  As a seller this is the approach I take.  I have won auctions many times and not had it honored because the price was so low the buyer did not honor it.  I did it once myself.  I listed cards worth $500 and the auction ended at $10, it happens where things of value just don't get bid on.  As a seller the flip side of this issue is people who win auctions and never pay for the item.  This happens to us a lot and Ebay does nothing to them.  You can't even leave negative feedback anymore.  In summary to me an auction is what a buyer is willing to pay vs. what a seller is willing to take to sell it. 

[JailOJohn]

As a frequent buyer, and occasional seller of comics, cards, and toys on e-bay, I agree with most of what Moron Chicken said. E-bay thinks it is unethical, but I have on a rare occasion, contacted a buyer or seller from an e-bay auction and made a deal outside e-bay. You lose the "protections," but there aren't really many protections on e-bay anyway.  My issue is the feedback system is largely meaningless. The few times I have been ripped off on e-bay it has always been sellers with a huge number of transactions and close to 100 percent positive feedback. There are good and bad sellers, and buyers... I once had a buyer purchase a SEALED case of Funko characters off of me, open the case, and the individual 12 blind boxes, and then wanted a refund when he didn't get the characters he was seeking. What part of BLIND boxes did you not understand? I agree with whomever on here said a face-to-face transaction is always the best. I have never been cheated when dealing face to face. Its just very hard to do that, with no conventions the last 18 months and limited cons right now....

[bandaches]

I need to put in my 2 cents on this even though I will be the unpopular opinion.  Factor Matt out of the equation because I realize people have issues with him so set that aside.  Over the last 23 years I have been a huge buyer and a small seller on Ebay so I understand both perspectives.  I have no problem with a seller not honoring an auction if they feel the price is not high enough.  People have made comments that they are alright with it if a reserve had been put in place.  Either way the result is the same you won't get the item for that cheap price.  The reason sellers don't put on reserves it because the fees are theft on Ebay's part.  I just listed a mock auction to see what the fee was with a reserve.  At $100 it is 7.5% = $7.50 and it goes up another 7.5 percent for each additional $100.  So at at $500 it is $37.50.  I hardly think I am a cheap skate for trying to avoid that confiscatory cost.  And if the item is not sold a few times the seller is basically giving away the worth of the item to Ebay.  And this fee is on top of the 10-12% commission on the final amount of the sale.  The only other way to avoid the reserve and put a floor on the price is list the auction at a minimum value equal to what your reserve would have been.  As a seller this is the approach I take.  I have won auctions many times and not had it honored because the price was so low the buyer did not honor it.  I did it once myself.  I listed cards worth $500 and the auction ended at $10, it happens where things of value just don't get bid on.  As a seller the flip side of this issue is people who win auctions and never pay for the item.  This happens to us a lot and Ebay does nothing to them.  You can't even leave negative feedback anymore.  In summary to me an auction is what a buyer is willing to pay vs. what a seller is willing to take to sell it.

why not just put the starting bid at the reserve?  No fee.....why is everyone making this so complicated?  I did the same test an item listed for $1 with $100 reserve is $7.50 fee, listed with honest $100 start bid, free.....I like to do high start bids in hopes to close private deals with the ebay fee savings being split with buyer and seller.  If you want to call me dishonest for skirting ebay fees, I wear the badge proudly with full transparency.

[RawGoo]

why not just put the starting bid at the reserve?  No fee.....why is everyone making this so complicated?  I did the same test an item listed for $1 with $100 reserve is $7.50 fee, listed with honest $100 start bid, free.....I like to do high start bids in hopes to close private deals with the ebay fee savings being split with buyer and seller.  If you want to call me dishonest for skirting ebay fees, I wear the badge proudly with full transparency.

I also always prefer to avoid ebay fees.  And, if you don't want to sell an item for less than $100, just start it at $100.

[drono]

I also always prefer to avoid ebay fees.  And, if you don't want to sell an item for less than $100, just start it at $100.

But then how would the eBaymorons survive?    You know the ones that bid in $1 increments 10, 20, even 30 times in a row to try and get the high bid when the starting price was $0.99 and someone already bid $100 on it.

[g.u.e.s.t.]

why not just put the starting bid at the reserve?  No fee.....why is everyone making this so complicated?  I did the same test an item listed for $1 with $100 reserve is $7.50 fee, listed with honest $100 start bid, free.....I like to do high start bids in hopes to close private deals with the ebay fee savings being split with buyer and seller.  If you want to call me dishonest for skirting ebay fees, I wear the badge proudly with full transparency.

I agree. Set the starting bid at the least amount you're willing to sell the item for.

[Corndog]

I too love setting my selling price at MY rock bottom price (plus any ebay fees). However, I also like putting up a "make an offer" option just to see what people would be willing to pay for my item. Then if my item doesn't sell I could always adjust accordingly.

I think it is very important to communicate with other sellers and some buyers to work out deals outside of ebay to avoid fees on this forum. The barter system is great and fun to do. However trades will always be my favorite way to operate, because when you are just trying to complete your set or get rid of dups...others are looking to do the same as well.

[drono]

I have no problem with a seller not honoring an auction if they feel the price is not high enough.

I have to disagree with that opinion.  I think an auction should be seen as a binding contract to sell something for the agreed price by the terms of the auction.  Breaking that deal because the price ended up being lower than you wanted is essentially reneging on a contract.  Would you do the same if the selling price was too high and the buyer is paying too much? Probably not, so the same should hold true for the price being too low.

Auctions last for days, so it's a little different than someone finding a rare item at your yard sale that mistakenly got into the $5 box and your deciding not to sell it.  If you're having seller's remorse, then cancel the auction, but don't let the buyer think s/he won something and then tell them s/he didn't.

[DrDeal]

I have to disagree with that opinion.  I think an auction should be seen as a binding contract to sell something for the agreed price by the terms of the auction.  Breaking that deal because the price ended up being lower than you wanted is essentially reneging on a contract.  Would you do the same if the selling price was too high and the buyer is paying too much? Probably not, so the same should hold true for the price being too low.

Auctions last for days, so it's a little different than someone finding a rare item at your yard sale that mistakenly got into the $5 box and your deciding not to sell it.  If you're having seller's remorse, then cancel the auction, but don't let the buyer think s/he won something and then tell them s/he didn't.

Ebay is a contract. No one forces anyone to set a low opening bid. If you do that and you lose....so be it. You ARE bound to HONOR the contract.
Clear as day.

[Swiski]

I would have done the same thing Matt did, if that happened to me. As a seller, I always sell as Buy It Now, at a price I'm happy with.

We don't know if Matt bought that particular set for well over $50, and was just trying to sell it for higher than what he paid to make a profit.

Hindsight, he should have had a higher starting price, but you live and learn.

The real crime is eBay's fees. Next year, sellers also need to file taxes on their sales. They also support buyers over sellers when there is a dispute.

[DrDeal]

I would have done the same thing Matt did, if that happened to me. As a seller, I always sell as Buy It Now, at a price I'm happy with.

We don't know if Matt bought that particular set for well over $50, and was just trying to sell it for higher than what he paid to make a profit.

Hindsight, he should have had a higher starting price, but you live and learn.

The real crime is eBay's fees. Next year, sellers also need to file taxes on their sales. They also support buyers over sellers when there is a dispute.

Here is the word on Ebay and taxes for next year:

Ebay will be issuing a 1099 for sellers to report any income over $600 and 1 sale. Starting Jan 1st 2022. Currently it's 20k and 200 sales.


So if you do not want to report Ebay income to the IRS; you can't have more than $600 in sales starting Jan 1st.

[JailOJohn]

Im starting to think think e-bay is a bigger criminal than this ripoff seller…

[jleonard1967]

The IRS does not want everyone who sells a little to have the hassle.  Most of you will be filing that money as garage sale income.  meaning your cost was at or outweighed your sale.  Therefore no taxes.  No I am no saying create fraud.  But as collectors we pay a lot for our stuff and dont recoup the full cost of item when we sell.  Now me, If the IRS wants my hobby to be a business, I am writing off my trips to shows, cost of supplies, gas for seaching for cards.  Don't forget postage and hotels and wear and tear on transportation.  heck the more i look at it I will sell as a garage sale business.

[ToadallyDude]

Both winning bidders and Ebay sellers do the exact same thing on Ebay.  Purchase an item through auction or Buy It Now, try to resell it and then return it a few weeks later if they are unsuccessful.  Ebay approves the return and the seller is stuck paying both shipping cost to and from and then has to resell it.  Unfortunately, there have been several members of this forum that have actually done this to me as well.  Both actions are absolutely unethical but Ebay is the one allowing this behavior.   Best thing to do is not purchase from these sellers and the block bidders.

Whoa.  That sounds pretty nasty.  If a reseller gets a committment from a buyer BEFORE they bid on an item & win it... fair enough.  But winning it, then trying to sell it, and returning it if it doesn't sell?  Yah, I call "foul".
 
Proud early-adopter of eBay from early 1997 (probably the only registered user that still doesn't have my credit card attached to the account as I was grandfathered in), and proud boycotter of eBay since the mid-2000s (for reasons like these).