Getting ripped off on Ebay
 

Is there really anything you can do if you buy something from someone off Ebay and they send you the wrong version, then won't answer your emails. I bought some software from someone in another state, it retails at like $1200, I bought it for around $800, and they sent me a $350 academic version. They won't respond to Square Trade, any legal action I can take or is it like pissing up a rope?

I think eBay refunds up to $250 but don't hold me to it. You can read more on their website.
If not that I don't think there is much you can do. It sucks.

Is it useless to try and get a lawyer, or to try and take them to small claims court? Living in Hawaii and them on the mainland, is it a lost cause?

ebay has a feedback thing. Go look up his profile and leave a negative feedback and then report him to ebay.

http://pages.ebay.com/help/contact_inline/index.html

This is good idea. I don't know about the court. It depends how much info you have on him, and how much money you are willing to spend. You might have to sue him mainland. That = travel expenses.

Good luck!!!

how did you pay? If you used paypal they have a buyer protection but I'm not sure how much it covers. Also if you used your credit card try charging it back. I got scammed ( not on ebay by a designer ) a while back for $300 when I tried to get money back through paypal they told me that since it was past 30 days they couldn't do it. So I have my bank charge it back. That got thier immediate attention and paypal helped me out.

It was a money order. Also, it was paid for back in May. :helpme

Always check the feedback on someone before bidding on their aution. If they're a rip-off they will have quick bad feedback and they probably won't be around long. Pay attention to their ebay "join" date, don't spend too much with someone brand new, there's always someone established who has most anything you're looking for.

:thumbsup

damn that's too bad. I guess just try what everyone else is saying and contact ebay and see what they can do for you. Good luck.

In that case..I think you're sunk.

Back in 2001 I bought a plasma tv from a dude on Ebay..and unwisely sent him a cashiers check for it. Never got NADA.

But EVENTUALLY I not only got my money back, but also damages..but you have to get an attorney IN THE TOWN that the person lives and go after the sucker. Since I got nothing, I was better off than you are in this case since you did get something and if you have not take any action against the guy legally, you might be outta luck.

Why would you pay with a money order? If you would have paid with a credit card you could have just sent it back, and then charged it back.

I think the only person that can bitch up a storm is that guy who sent some ebay auctioneer $2k or so for a plasma TV and got a polaroid picture of one instead.

Yeah, that would be shitty.

i got scammed earlier this year on ebay (first time i ever had a problem).

i gave negative feedback, reported them to Ebay, and sent emails threatning to sue the pants off of them.

A week later, i got my money PLUS one penny ....the guy said it was "for my troubles" :1orglaugh

either way, it worked :thumbsup

i bought a car deck off a guy on ebay 1 month ago, had it installed last week finally, and it didnt eject the cds properly. So i called him (i had his number thanks to the business card he stuck on the box). But rather then ship it back, he tells me, "you know what you can do. Go to best buy, buy the same radio, swap it with the one u have now, and return the defecitve one while keeping the good one, and ask for a refund". I didnt take his offer and told him i was sending the radio back..if he wants to pull that stunt he can do it. Amazing that he would even tell me to do something like that.

that cost to much money

Not really ... ez to scam on ebay

I sold a Fargo card printer ( fidelity card and so on )....
Real cheap ( 250.00 while new it is about 2000.00) .

Shipped it. The guy emails me a week later and says it doesn't work and threatens chargeback.

I beleive him ( I am not the one that was using this unit ) and reimburse him the full amount, no hassle.

He ships back collect the unit. I check it out and see that the printing ribbon has tons of imprints of a card with a logo...

He did 1000 cards with the unit and then returned it... didn't even pay for rental...

I am now sending the whole file to Ebay ... just to bother him abit ...

You're screwed then....ebay won't assist with cash based purchases.

Personally I'd LOVE to see ebay start offering escrow services....it'd help stop so many scams.

yup....

always buy with paypal (they have up to $500 in coverage) or by personal check, that way, its traceable.

Wait.. so its from back in May.. doesnt that mean the auction is not hosted on Ebay anymore? you are screwed if so.

It's too late. You have 60 or 90 days I think to file a complaint/report.