I was scammed on Ebay!

[motoxgirl419]

We listed a 89 Box Van for sale. We had 2 bidders then we had a 3rd. guy, jump up the bid to 3,000 which was our reserve. He contacted us by email, (after he made a bid), asking if he won, would we would take the full payment by paypal. After considering the paypal fee involved, we finally decided we would. We were told by him that he really was interested in our van and we mutually agreed to end the auction and sell the van to him, for the 3,000 price that he bid. We wanted our 500.00 deposit, (which we stated on the auction was non-refundable) sent to us before we would end the auction cause we didn't want to have to relist and pay more fees. He sent payment through Paypal, using the reference number of the auction, for the deposit. We discused through email and over the phone, different options of him coming to get the van and driving it back. (very long drive)(the auction stated that the shipping or pick up was the buyer's responsibility) The option he chose was going to be very expensive on his behalf, so we sent him an email making a suggestion of us hauling it down to him for only the price of gas. He liked the idea, but after we called the local Uhaul business, we were told that the tow dolly could not support the weight of the van. Then our brother had a trailer that we thought we could use, but after trying to get it on there it hangs off too much.Another option was for a buddy of ours, that owns transport semis, to haul it down there for around 650.00. We were told by the bidder that he would rather fly from Pa. to Mo. and we would drive the van and our own car to Mo. to meet him and he would drive the van back. He would call us the next day with specific plans on the flight, for this coming up Saturday. 2 days later we got an email stating that he no longer wanted the van and he wanted his deposit back. He states that we made an agreement when we tried to give him options of us hauling it down. The only option that would work, would be the semi bringing it down, but he doesn't want to pay that. But the way we ended everything on this past Sunday, was that he was taking the plane and drive it back which would total to be around the same price as the semi. We have went above and beyond trying to help accomidate him so he didn't have to pay so much in shipping, since it was his responsibilty. We didn't ask for any money for gas for our transporting of the van or my own car to meet him in Mo., and we were only going to charge him for gas if we were able to haul it to him.
With us ending the auction early did we hurt ourselves? We ended it for him cause after talking with him, this van was perfect for his needs. We weren't in it to make a killing sale, we had 32 watchers, and one other email of another bidder wanting to buy it.
He made the down payment before we ending the auction, and we have documents stating that. We have multiple emails stating our help, yet being skeptic. Now we are being blamed for not delivering it so therefor he wants all his deposit money back. He is now threatening a lawsuit. Like I said we stated in the auction our requirements, and he bid on it knowing how far away we were and knowing that it stated he was responsible for shipping or pick up.
Now we are down ebay fees,paypal fees, and phone bill for calling long distance. And are having to wait around and not sell our van til we get this resolved.
Can I get some advice as too what is right and wrong here. I feel we are getting scammed and that is why he wanted us to end the auction early in the first place, thats why I sent him and email stating I wouldn't end it early until we got the deposit to make sure this is legit.
Should I do the right thing and give him his money back minus the fees I incurred, or do I keep it knowing that I got screwed out of fees and time that the van would have been sold and now I have to dick around with it all over again. Like I said it was a "non-refundable" deposit.
Let me know what you think you would do in my situation. Thanks

[ZSK]

Can you post the ebay link or item number to the van?

[motoxgirl419]

here is the item number, 190117393580

Not sure if it will come up since it was ended early. But I got it to come up last night.

[ZSK]

You are getting the run around. It clearly states in your auction the buyer is to pay a $500 non-refundable deposit. It also says the buyer is responsible for shipping/vehicle pickup. You held your end of the deal the buyer didn't so they're out the $500.

A side note for you, Paypal only allows you to transfer $500 a month from your paypal account to your bank accout. It would take you 6 months to get all the money for the van.

[old-XC-guy]

Dont give him the money back...So what hes going to start a lawsuit for $500 ? No way can you loose if you said its no refundable ! It would cost him a $1000 just to get it started. And so what if he did get it back, he may have close to $2500 in lawyer fees.. Then you can laugh and call him the dumb axs !!

[ZSK]

Be sure to print off the auction page before it disappears and keep all your correspondence emails etc. You're not in the wrong here.

[quad2xtreme]

Originally posted by old-XC-guy
Dont give him the money back...So what hes going to start a lawsuit for $500 ? No way can you loose if you said its no refundable ! It would cost him a $1000 just to get it started. And so what if he did get it back, he may have close to $2500 in lawyer fees.. Then you can laugh and call him the dumb axs !!

totally agree. I would keep the $500 and let him contact a lawyer. Being sued doesn't mean much...you don't go to jail just because somebody wants to sue you. Let him do it and let a 3rd party person make the decision on who is right and wrong.

IMO, you are in the right.

/Jon

[Predator Slim]

non-refundable means just what it says. You are in the right.

[Heybo]

Regardless of you posting non-refundable deposit in your ad, right is right and wrong is wrong. The guy apparently overreached his capability.... it happens. If it were me, I would take out everything that I had spent because of him (fees, etc...) and refund the difference. Then you can just relist your van and sell to someone else. You're not out any money that way and he paid for his mistake. If you do this, then no one can accuse you of scamming this guy.

[bwamos]

You could offer that as an option. However, I would not do it without agreement from the buyer.

Odds are he's got his panties in a bunch and wont accept anything other than the full $500, so you'd be giving him money for nothing.

[parkers30]

^^^^ that would be my fear. You're perfectly within your rights so long as you 'non-refundable' was also stated when he asked to end the auction early. At the same time pulling you cost wold be the respectable thing to do, seems as though are long he has put himself far away from respectable already so I wouldn't worry about that. :o


BTW, if you had ridden out the auction through the end he would have to ground to stand on right now since he would be defaulting on his purchase.

[whiteboycustom]

thats a nice van and looks worth it, your instructions are very clear in your ad, dont back out and give him his money back, let him dispute it with paypal/ebay and it will show clearly that u cant get your money back, i would call that 500 bucks a inconviance fee for waisting your time, him wanting to sue you is probly a scare tactic dont fall for it, just keep every email and the add for your records, the way i see it word of mouth saying he will buy your van that right there is a legal binding contract and now that he is backing out hes at fault of your contract

[honda350r]

Originally posted by ZSK

A side note for you, Paypal only allows you to transfer $500 a month from your paypal account to your bank accout. It would take you 6 months to get all the money for the van.


That is not true!

[whiteboycustom]

also about the paypal doing only 500 a month, u raise ur status and u can raise how much u can send/recieve a month, but when u become verified like i am when i recieve money i lose 3% of the pay

[ZSK]

Originally posted by honda350r
That is not true!

I can cancel credit cards and close bank accounts, but I'm not about to give paypal my social security number.:rolleyes:

[onefast400ex]

Don't give him his deposit back. I was in a similar situation with a warrior I sold. The lady bought the quad off me and sent me a deposit. I waited a two months for her to pick it up and she finally decided she didn't need it. She was nice and gave me $500 for my troubles but, still a lot of time was wasted and I listed that on ebay because I needed it gone quick. Just keep the deposit and relist your truck!

[HB416EX]

Too long:ermm:

[HB416EX]

Too long:ermm:

[ZSK]

Originally posted by HB416EX
Too long:ermm:

Not enough pictures?

i think any statement you made in the auction(non-refundable) is null and void because you ended it early. and because of that paypal,owned by ebay, will refund the guy his money...JMO...next time just let the auction ride unless you have CASH in your hand...

[DVXracer]

Originally posted by dlerch
i think any statement you made in the auction(non-refundable) is null and void because you ended it early. and because of that paypal,owned by ebay, will refund the guy his money...JMO...next time just let the auction ride unless you have CASH in your hand...

Yeah, i sell a lot of stuff on eBay, and eBay always tells me not to end anything soon so i cant get scammed .. so i let the auctions go and in most cases earn more than i was offered .

[YZ400EX]

If you would have ended the aution with him as the high bidder, then I would say keep the money, but because you ended the auction early with "the item is no longer for sale" Ebay will no longer back you and the info you have in the auction about the non-refundable deposit is null and void because the transaction was done basically outside of Ebay. The auction and all info included in the auction is no longer valid. Refund all the money, save yourself a headache, and consider this "Lesson Learned"..

[motoxgirl419]

this guy WAS the highest bidder and I have a copy, which I printed off to prove it.
The deposit was made before the auction was ended.


Pictures? Did someone think I didn't show enough pics? Well, that guys also asked for more pics emailed to him so I also did that. So he got a pretty good picture of it. But if he wanted any more info about the van, he should have asked before placing a bid. IMO.

I personally think we are in the right, but want this over with. But my hubby is sticking his ground. Plus the guy was an ***** over the phone, acting very childish from the beginning when my hubby was acting very professional til he got called everything from poor white trash. So who knows what is going to happen.
It looks like I'm getting all kinds of opinions, from you all.

[jrspawn]

Im gonna have to agree with the above couple post. Since you ended the auction early and intented to sell outside of Ebay, you really dont have anything to stand on. The right thing that should have been done was to lower the buy it now price and have the buyer use that option. IMO i would ask the potential buyer to cover all your cost and fees with the listing and sale of the van and leave it as is. This kind of stuff happens all the time, some people do it to intentionally screw people, and others either get in a jam or who knows and this happens. I always say just put yourself in the other persons shoes, but in this case there was no need for him to ignorant towards you as long as you kept cool. Just do what you think is right really, more than likely the guy didnt intentionally mean to screw you over, get him to cover your fees, and relist it, you shouldnt have a problem selling it and getting what you want.

Thank you
Justin

[parkers30]

how was he the highest bidder if it shows no bids? if you ended the auction early, you have no ground to stand through ebay.

[whiteboycustom]

fck all that mess, he payed to say hey i want this van so i will pay u for it.... he back out of it and its clearly stated its not refundable, the guy knew the terms before he pressed send money on paypal, regardless if done through paypal,ebay or whatever that was the buyers terms so he should not get his money back

[derekhonda]

I don't think you did anything wrong. Keep the money, use it to pay the ebay fees for the van now and when you relist it. If he wants to take you to small claims court, he has to fly out to your county to do it all, and it will take him 2 or 3 trips. Bottom line is he won't do it.