Well, you saw the above Goofy toy in the previous post, but, boy - the hassle I had from the seller with this. He described it as 'near mint' condition on eBay, but there were a few splits in both rubber tyres and the friction-drive mechanism didn't run smoothly. Then I discovered one of the wheels wasn't affixed to its axle properly and wobbled. It was really the Goofy figure I wanted, because I'd had my original for years, long after the scooter had been consigned to the toy scrapheap, but the replacement wasn't cheap and I felt the seller had been remiss in not describing condition in precise detail.
I therefore contacted him to let him know about the flaws and this was his reply:
OK firstly I'm sorry about that I did not realise because I did not check....and secondly I will give you a refund...Would you be happy with £10 !!!
I suggested £15 and he went silent on me, so I sent him several photos of the wobbly wheel in different positions. (I'd first taken a video of the fault, but found I couldn't send it via eBay messages.) When the seller eventually got back in touch, he claimed eBay were experiencing difficulties and he was therefore unable to send a refund, instead asking me for my bank details. I responded saying that I was reluctant to do this, but that he should be able to refund me through PayPal.
Not according to him, as, allegedly, PayPal asked him to supply my bank details, which is obviously a load of old pants because PayPal already has them. All he had to do was type in the amount and press 'send' or 'pay now' (or whatever it says) and the money goes straight into my account. I was thoroughly fed up by this time, but there'd been another development. While testing the scooter by gently running it over my carpet, part of the rubber tyre fell off (see bottom pic), the result of the splits in the rubber being unable to cope with contact with the floor while in motion.
I therefore sent the seller a photo and suggested £20 would be a more realistic refund given the extent of the damage. I was reluctant to return the toy as I've been looking for one for years, and I hoped to be able to effect a repair of sorts, but felt the price should reflect the condition. Not unreasonable I would've thought. However, the seller, perhaps emboldened by a few beers (it was Friday night) started to get cheeky. Here's what he said in one of his responses:
Stop winging (sic) about a wobbly wheel and a split tyre nothing g (sic) a little glue won't fix... my five year old grand daughter cries over less things..and I can only pay you when ebay fix there (sic) problems... then maybe when you fix the tiny issue you will stop crying 
A wobbly wheel and decaying rubber tyres on a friction-drive toy are not what I'd call a 'tiny issue', so I told the seller I was fed-up with his prevarication and insolence and would be opening a case against him. (It was by now Saturday morning.) So I did, and won it within a very short time, but the seller contacted me and asked me to get in touch with eBay and let them know that he'd now offered to refund me, and then he would pay me. What? He was wanting me to close the case before he'd sent the refund? Must think I zip up the back.
When I'd first received the toy, I gave it a cursory perusal before rushing out to a dental appointment, but not before giving him positive feedback because I was impressed by the next day delivery. However, when I returned and examined it more fully I discovered it was far from the near mint condition he'd claimed it to be in. I eventually added to my feedback to reflect its true condition, but not until after the seller had been messing me about for a day, and coming up with all sorts of excuses for being 'unable' to refund me. Sore at losing the case, he responded to my feedback with a tissue of lies and some spurious insinuations.
Here's what he wrote in reply to my feedback:
The buyer is over reacting to a tiny split on the tyre... plus when the toy left me there was no wobbly wheel ...something sinister going on. Anyway I have blocked him from buying off Me in the future.
A redundant gesture as I'd never buy anything from him again, which he must surely have realised. (The above comment has since been removed by eBay.) And how can he say there was no wobbly wheel when it left him, as he claimed earlier he hadn't checked the toy before sending it? Was he lying when he said he hadn't checked, to make out he didn't know it was faulty when he actually did, or was he lying when he said it didn't have a wobbly wheel to insinuate I was lying? Both his claims can't be true, but I'll leave you to decide which one was the lie. One thing's for sure - he's the only one involved in 'something sinister', not me.
Below are the photos I sent him revealing what he calls a tiny issue. Doesn't seem to be concerned that his description of near mint was very far from the case.
Anyway, let's name and shame the seller as it's what he deserves after his his deceitful shenanigans. His seller name is 4corgirockets and his first name is Cliff - so think twice about buying anything from him lest it doesn't match his description. In my case he said he'd give me a refund and then came up with excuse after excuse for not being 'able' to because of eBay and PayPal. There must be some reason why he tried so hard to avoid refunding me through the usual channels. Didn't seem to have a problem once eBay ruled against him though, eh?
Oh, incidentally, I've since repaired the toy to an acceptable standard, but I'll have to keep a lookout for replacement tyres as the decay on the original ones has set in. I've no way of guaranteeing that other bits won't drop off in the future. I had the choice of it being a damaged toy or a repaired one, so I chose the latter option. However, no way in hell was it a near mint one.
The good news is that following its repair, the toy now races over the carpet like a demon. Just gently rev it up and off it goes - result! Now that I know it works as it should, it'll get tucked safely away in its box until I want to steal another wee look at it it to remind me of an earlier time in my life. After all, that's what such things are for.
******
(Update:) Incidentally, the seller has been bombarding me with desperate eBay messages since I first published this post, childishly threatening me with solicitors and the police for simply relating the facts. His ravings are now becoming increasingly insulting and abusive, indicating, I'd say, that he's several sandwiches short of a picnic. He's certainly a stranger to reality in the way most other people experience it. I've simply stopped reading them now, which is bound to annoy him when he reads this update. (And still they come, as I can see from my inbox.)
13 comments:
What an unpleasant experience! It makes me glad I don't use ebay.
The good outweighs the bad, CJ - there's many an item I'd never have had the chance of obtaining if it wasn't for ebay. But yeah, occasions such as this tend to leave a bad taste in the mouth.
As you nay remember I've had 2 experiences on ebay, both awful so won't use them again. That guys a git.
Yeah, I remember you saying about your bad experiences, McS. What doesn't add up for me is the guy saying he hadn't checked the toy before sending - surely that's the first thing he'd do? It sounds like a cover for saying later that he didn't realise the toy had a fault. As for his later (and contradictory) claim that it didn't have a wobbly wheel when he sent it, why would he apologise so quickly and offer a refund? Something sure smells fishy in Denmark, eh?
That's the thing about the internet - through it you come into contact with people that you'd otherwise never meet; for better or worse, as is the case here.
You got hold of something that you'd been after but in the process learn that the seller is completely clueless in regard to customer service when there's a problem!
If only more sellers realised how good word-of-mouth can increase their business, but this jackass seems quite oblivious to that and has brought about the opposite effect.
I have used eBay a lot of the years and count myself lucky that I've only had a couple of issues. They can be annoying but this guy seems to be taking annoying to another level. What an idiot.
Surprisingly, he has 100% positive feedback (so far), PC, but he's sold less than I've bought. You're spot on - it's when there's a problem with something that sellers like him reveal their true colours. And he's trying to blame me for the toy not being in the condition he described. Some people, eh? I shouldn't have been so quick to leave feedback before examining the toy properly, then I could've given him his first negative feedback. However, ebay found in my favour within a very short time.
The idiot has just tried to leave a message. I'm more convinced than ever that there's something wrong with him - he seems unable to realise where he has been at fault. Sounds like an immature intellectual retard. He says that I shouldn't have 'pushed' a fragile 50 year old toy over the carpet, and that's why the tyre broke. What he fails to remember is that he described the toy as being in 'near mint condition', not 'near mint appearance'. That means, regardless of its age, as it was designed to be pushed over the floor, if it's in near mint condition, it should still be able to without bits falling off.
It just doesn't seem to penetrate - I suspect he must be hard-of-thinking. Some mothers do have them, sure enough.
Oh, and apparently the police will be having a word with me. Tremble! Does he really think that such childish threats mean a thing to me? What a d*ck! Anyway, Crivs, you'll be glad to know that you've heard the last of him. Any further attempts by him to leave a comment full of lies, distortions, and fantasies will be ignored and deleted unread.
It's a pity you didn't publish his comments, Kid, as they sound like a hoot.
I thought about it, CJ, but they're so full of bullsh&t and lies that I'd then have to take the time to refute them, point out the illogicality of them, and thereby waste time giving him far more attention than he deserves. I may publish some of them just to prove what an idiot he is, but that should be pretty obvious by now.
Instead of hiding behind a computer to insult me why don't we meet then you will see who you are insulting...you have no idea who I am so big man Arrange to meet so we can sort this face to face. ARE YOU MAN ENOUGH
There ya go folks - shown his true colours now, eh. Maybe the police told him to threaten me, impotent threat though it is.
@rsehole - you've got my address, come and chap my door. Are you man enough? I don't think you're even a man - just a pr*ck. Now feck off.
(As if I'm even going to lose sleep over a threat from a guy who obviously couldn't fight sleep. He's good for providing a laugh though.)
There you go again saying I'm insulting you when what I said was meet me if you are man enough...you are delusional if you say that is insulting..this is insulting you are a sad man who lives on His own !! hiding behind a computer, peeping behind the curtains hoping for some action outside your house because it's your highlight of the week...get a life plus you need to get out more then if you step on someone's toes you might here some real insults..all mouth and no action, as I said before I bet you were bullied at school That's why you insult people from behind the computer.
You're the one who's delusional, as nowhere in that last comment did I say you were insulting me - I said you were threatening me. See? You can't even get your facts right - the mark of just about every message and comment you've sent me. You're too thick to see how you continually contradict yourself - not too well educated, are you? Definitely of sub-normal intelligence. And you're the one who's hiding behind a computer, making anonymous comments because you're not man enough to use your name - Cliff from Rugby. Bullied at school? That was you, that was. Like I said, you've got my address - come and chap my door if you're brave enough. But you won't will you, you impotent little man with the inflatable girlfriend - who's probably bounced out on you by now because you're an odious little turd.
Right, my sides are sore with laughing at you, but you've become boring now. I really won't be reading or publishing any more of your inane drivel, so back to the oblivion whence you came.
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