Ebay Blackmail? What can I do?
blindflyer
Posts: 758
A few weeks ago I bought 5 "Hi Grade" raw cards from the seller "highdesertcards" ... I rec'd the cards and, not too surprisingly, several of them were not as advertised.
I emailed him through ebay and got this response:
SORRY ALL SALES ARE FINAL THE CARD ARE PERFECT FOR THE YEAR THAT THEY ARE THEY ARE ALMOST PERFECT AND IF YOU LEAVE NEGATIVE OR ANY FEEDBACK OTHER THAN POSITIVE I WILL LEAVE ALL NEGATIVE FOR YOU
Uh, this is a direct threat. I paid through Paypal, but I've never used the "Paypal buyer's guarantee." I'd like to fight back against this a$$hole. Any thoughts on what I should do? Should I report that message to ebay?
I'm tired of sitting around and being threatended and abused by poor sellers. Obviously, I'm going to stop buying raw from anyone who isn't reputable, but in terms of getting this guy back, what should I do?
I emailed him through ebay and got this response:
SORRY ALL SALES ARE FINAL THE CARD ARE PERFECT FOR THE YEAR THAT THEY ARE THEY ARE ALMOST PERFECT AND IF YOU LEAVE NEGATIVE OR ANY FEEDBACK OTHER THAN POSITIVE I WILL LEAVE ALL NEGATIVE FOR YOU
Uh, this is a direct threat. I paid through Paypal, but I've never used the "Paypal buyer's guarantee." I'd like to fight back against this a$$hole. Any thoughts on what I should do? Should I report that message to ebay?
I'm tired of sitting around and being threatended and abused by poor sellers. Obviously, I'm going to stop buying raw from anyone who isn't reputable, but in terms of getting this guy back, what should I do?
- Building these sets:
------- 1960 Topps Baseball PSA 8+
------- 1985 Topps Hockey PSA 9+
------- 1960 Topps Baseball PSA 8+
------- 1985 Topps Hockey PSA 9+
0
Comments
Did the seller make any specific claim as to what condition the cards were in or just state " high grade" ? Were there clear scans of the cards, and if so were they the cards you actually received ? Alot of times you get exactly what you pay for, so unless he gave a specific grade or scan and sent something different you really dont have much to go on. I know its a bit@h, and the seller is more than likely a dirtbag to threaten you like that, but sometimes you just have to write it off, take the loss, block him from future transactions and move on.
By the way...thanks for listing their ebay ID so they can be added to my dont even consider buying from list.
-- Yogi Berra
I know I get what I pay for ... lesson has been learned in that area. That said, I'm the mood to fight this scumbag .. for him to threaten me using ebay's message system is pretty moronic, as is his acceptance of Paypal only.
Here is one of the auctions in questions. He claims "pack fresh mint" and "should grade PSA 9 or 10":
Highdesertcards
------- 1960 Topps Baseball PSA 8+
------- 1985 Topps Hockey PSA 9+
in his defense, i looked at the auctions, and the pictures seem big enough to judge the cards, i.e., the schofield card has minor corner wear.
you could fight fire with fire by reporting keyword spamming for every "psa" auction. although ebay does not pull auctions from power sellers (from my experience reporting them).
if you're really mad, he gives his phone number on his "me" page. you could have some fun with that
Hate to hear of your situation, it stinks. But for future reference, you might want to consider a "buying ID" on ebay. That way you can leave negs for a-holes, and if they neg you in return, you simply respond to his feedback with "RETALIATION FEEDBACK" - and explain the situation in your feedback.
I, as a seller, almost never read the feedback of those bidding on my items.
So consider a separate "buying ID" and "selling ID"
Good luck!
-dal-
<< <i>you could fight fire with fire by reporting keyword spamming for every "psa" auction. although ebay does not pull auctions from power sellers (from my experience reporting them).
>>
Perfect answer. Put him on your watchlist and report every auction every day. Get a couple friends to do the same. It looks like he trades negs and then gets them mutually removed, and it's not worth getting 4 or 5 negs over $20 or so.
-- Yogi Berra
Scott
1977 Topps Star Wars - "Space Swashbucklers"
Pimp On...
Too many idiots will not leave negative feedback becasue they fear the retaliatory strike ..... ooooooh! Not directed at you at all.
How many of us have bought cards or other merchandise from those with less than 100% feedback? Probably all of us ...
<< <i>WE TAKE CARE OF OUR CUSTOMERS >>
They sure do!
blind - sorry to hear about this.
The guy has broken a lot of ebay rules IMO.
If I were in this situation, I would probably start by calling paypal and ebay and talking to a live rep.
Keep in mind - he an always fall back on - "this was my opinion about the grade...sorry you disagree."
But, where does he spell it out: "all sales final?"
mike
My eBay Store
BigCrumbs! I made over $250 last year!
If that fails, how did you pay thru paypal? Credit card? Reverse the charges on his ass.
No matter what, you're going to end up with a negative so just be sure you don't come across looking like a jackass in the one you will ultimately leave for him. Also keep in mind, you can reply to his neg in your feedback as well.
I would also file the complaint with ebay over his feedback extortion!!!! that might be your best bet.
If someone wants to list all of his listings that are in violation in packs of 10 separated by commas, I'm sure that many of us will report his sorry ass for fun!
You should stick to my stuff buddy! Where were you this week! I gave a couple away!
1. File a "never rec'd" complaint with Paypal. I'm lying, but f-him, he deserves it. Hope to get my money back.
2. Call ebay and pass along the email he sent that directly threatens me. This will likely get him suspended temporarily.
3. Be a nuisance to him, such as every day reporting his keyword spamming auctions
4. Leave neg feedback and just absorb the hit when he retaliate negs me
5. Call him at this store (he lists his phone number in "About Me") and yell at him or make fun of him to his face.
Hmmmm... decisions, decisions
------- 1960 Topps Baseball PSA 8+
------- 1985 Topps Hockey PSA 9+
just find his store and burn it down.
<< <i>Filing a NOT AS DESCRIBED complaint with paypal gets immediately closed and you are directed to take the matter up with the seller. I found that out twice, the hard way. You're better off filing a "not received" complaint. I would leave a neg and tell this dink to bite your a$$...or leave a neg that says he has a small wang. I saw that on a guys feedback the other day and almost fell out of my chair. >>
One problem....
"I emailed him through ebay and got this response:", so he can't say he didn't receive.
Pimp On....
<< <i>seriously....don't lower yourself to that scumbag's standards by lying.
just find his store and burn it down.
I agree.
Best not to lie - plus he has email proof anyways.
If you want - ask the board members to inundate him with questions on his auctions and say we saw his quality of customer service on CU?
mike
<< <i>This is great feedback guys .... I'm seeing these as my options:
1. File a "never rec'd" complaint with Paypal. I'm lying, but f-him, he deserves it. Hope to get my money back.
2. Call ebay and pass along the email he sent that directly threatens me. This will likely get him suspended temporarily.
3. Be a nuisance to him, such as every day reporting his keyword spamming auctions
4. Leave neg feedback and just absorb the hit when he retaliate negs me
5. Call him at this store (he lists his phone number in "About Me") and yell at him or make fun of him to his face.
Hmmmm... decisions, decisions >>
I would call him and tell him look - your email described a policy totally against ebay rules. I would rather not forward it to them, because all that would do is get you in a mess of trouble. Can't we work this out?
However CALL him; don't email. I know I sound like a broken record, but email communications are no way to resolve a dispute.
"All evil needs to triumph is for good men to do nothing."
<< <i>
<< <i>This is great feedback guys .... I'm seeing these as my options:
1. File a "never rec'd" complaint with Paypal. I'm lying, but f-him, he deserves it. Hope to get my money back.
2. Call ebay and pass along the email he sent that directly threatens me. This will likely get him suspended temporarily.
3. Be a nuisance to him, such as every day reporting his keyword spamming auctions
4. Leave neg feedback and just absorb the hit when he retaliate negs me
5. Call him at this store (he lists his phone number in "About Me") and yell at him or make fun of him to his face.
Hmmmm... decisions, decisions >>
I would call him and tell him look - your email described a policy totally against ebay rules. I would rather not forward it to them, because all that would do is get you in a mess of trouble. Can't we work this out?
However CALL him; don't email. I know I sound like a broken record, but email communications are no way to resolve a dispute. >>
I agree Mark.
I still have on file the scathing truculent emails from Kane04 who I pissed off big time with my intentions to unwind my credit card! It was resolved tho.
When I said I didn't care for him or his outfit here on CU - someone must have tipped him off - he called me.
We, actually, had a good conversation. We knew the same people - our final parting words - was to agree to disagree about what the card business/hobby is all about.
mike
My plan to is call him and see if we can work out a refund. I'd like to avoid the neg feedback on my primary ebay account as it's over 8 years old and pretty strong.
I will, however, be setting up a "buyers" account so that I can neg the he!! out of these type of bast ards in the future.
-t
------- 1960 Topps Baseball PSA 8+
------- 1985 Topps Hockey PSA 9+
This is not true..Ebay does pull auctions from power sellers. I am a power seller and last week had a PSA Munson pulled for using 1/1.
list all of his item numbers that are in violation.
<< <i>Here is one of the auctions in questions. He claims "pack fresh mint" and "should grade PSA 9 or 10":
Highdesertcards >>
Not sure what you were expecting with that card or if you buy with plan to grade, but that card by virtue of centering alone would grade PSA 7 at best due to top to bottom centering, which at it's worse place (on the right side, where PSA would measures it) looks to be about 75/25. Just food for thought. Or maybe you would have been happy with a 7?
My ebay listings
1)When buying raw cards, the sellers definition of great condition and your definition may mean two different things.
2)If condition is important to you, spend the extra money needed to buy the cards already graded insteaf of being cheap.
3)I don't blame the seller for threatening to give negative feedback. Feedback is suppose to reflect the overall transaction. With this said, he sees you as being the problem.
4)This is why as a seller I will never leave premature feedback. I'll wait until the transaction is over before leaving feedback.
Rich
Should I have checked the scan better? yes.
Should I have known he was scumbag based on the verbiage of his auctions? yes.
I'm not aruging those points.
But I'm not going to let some jacka$$ threaten me without bringing it to this board and exposing him to the readers here. HE is a lowlife seller based on his sales tactics and response to me --- and I'm gong to publicly air that.
I have a right to ask for a refund if he mispresents his items. He has a right to say no. But he does NOT have a right to threaten me with exhortion.
------- 1960 Topps Baseball PSA 8+
------- 1985 Topps Hockey PSA 9+
<< <i>Bingo. This is the second post of buying raw cards and getting "screwed". >>
For crying out loud, I'm not looking to start this BS again. I already stated that I "learned my lesson" and will no longer be buying raw cards on ebay from shady dealers or without doing extensive homework.
I'm not looking for anybody's sympathy.
I asked a question about feedback exhortion and the possible actions I'm able to take with it. That seller is a scumbag and I want to do something about it.
Give me a break!
------- 1960 Topps Baseball PSA 8+
------- 1985 Topps Hockey PSA 9+
Looking for alot of crap.
<< <i>Open another account, win aton of cheap autions from him. Don't pay crap. Neg. him on all of them and say you paid he never sent cards. If you do enough, like 10 or 20 he'll be clearing it up for quite a while. Automatic suspended account, recovering selling and listing fees, etc........ >>
ohhh, that's a GOOD one!
Not sure I'm that mean, but wow that is nice!
------- 1960 Topps Baseball PSA 8+
------- 1985 Topps Hockey PSA 9+
Lee
<< <i>A few points:
1)When buying raw cards, the sellers definition of great condition and your definition may mean two different things.
2)If condition is important to you, spend the extra money needed to buy the cards already graded insteaf of being cheap.
3)I don't blame the seller for threatening to give negative feedback. Feedback is suppose to reflect the overall transaction. With this said, he sees you as being the problem.
4)This is why as a seller I will never leave premature feedback. I'll wait until the transaction is over before leaving feedback.
Rich >>
Can I have your ebay ID so I can put you on my blocked list too RichG ?
A seller who cant leave positive feedback upon successful and satisfactory completion of the buyers end of the deal wont get my business.
-- Yogi Berra
<< <i>A few points:
1)When buying raw cards, the sellers definition of great condition and your definition may mean two different things.
2)If condition is important to you, spend the extra money needed to buy the cards already graded insteaf of being cheap.
3)I don't blame the seller for threatening to give negative feedback. Feedback is suppose to reflect the overall transaction. With this said, he sees you as being the problem.
4)This is why as a seller I will never leave premature feedback. I'll wait until the transaction is over before leaving feedback.
Rich >>
Blind - you're right; all you want is to be treated fairly. The assumption some sellers make about buyers is that if they are not tickled pink with joy over the transaction, then they must be scumbag renegers out to destroy our economic base. Neither scenerio occurs very often, and the fact is that this is commerce, plain and simple. Eveybody has a part in it, and to hide behind missile-like emails is childish and foolish.
Rich, dear boy, please don't take this as a mindless slam, but you only got 1 of 4 right, in my opinion.
Buying raw is not always being cheap - I love using my shrewd perception and grading ability to snag a raw card that turns a high grade. Of course, I must be able to look at at least a decent scan. I never make my decision based on the seller's description. It's the old joke about how you can tell when a salesman is lying: if his lips are moving.
I can't agree less about 3 and 4 - there is absolutely no other area of commerce where the customer has to thank the seller first. If I bid on an item, win it, pay for it immediately - I'm done. I expect immediate feedback reflecting what a wonderful customer I am. As a seller, I always do that and I've never had a problem. Obviously, you don't thank a maniac, but to assume that every buyer is a maniac just adds more fuel to a hostile world. It's just friggin' cards, you know? If you sell a card to a guy with 700 positive feedbacks and no negatives, why would you not leave him positive feedback after he pays?
"All evil needs to triumph is for good men to do nothing."
If you don't like people throwing their two cents into VERY POOR buying habits (ie, never asking for additional pictures/scans and hoping to get something for nothing), go create your own board. You've been here all of a month and you're going to tell others what they can or cannot say around here?
GO MARLINS! Home of the best fans in baseball!!
My ebay id is....
therxcardman
feel free to block away.
When I leave feedback I'm going to rate the transaction as a whole. With this said, The whole transaction isn't complete until the buyer has his item. It's just like rating a movie.....who in their right mind rates the movie at the halfway point?
Morrell: I don't mind when people disagree with me as long as they explain why. With this said, you did expalin yourself and I respect that. However, I disagree with the feedback (and I explained why in the paragraph above).
Rich
I have bought cards that were overgraded but I blamed myself. Yes I accepted the blame. Seems like most would just sue the other party. Mentioning fraud and deceit to get your $$ back!!!! C'mon guys,grow up. I am ashamed at your comments. You dont ask enought ??'s- then you deserve what you put into it. A simple "confirm bid" is not enough. Stop being lazy. We dont even have to go to shows anymore,the least you can do is ask more ??'s and get extra pics or move on to another auction.
Donovan
Looking for alot of crap.
Let us all report him.
140012149781 , 140012205609 , 140012205641 , 140012205650 , 140012205735 , 140012205777 , 140012218729 , 140012218777 , 140012218794 , 130011086159
These are the first 10. If anyone wants to dig deeper and get more, please post them here.
I don't know BLIND too well, but it is obvious he got screwed and blackmailed. Forum members should stick together in times like this.
BST: Tennessebanker, Downtown1974, LarkinCollector, nendee
<< <i>My definition of high grade is different than yours. So is GEM's vs PSA or GAI vs. BGS anyways, you cannot rely on thier opinion to match that of PSA's or your own. Not all sellers have gone to grading school. They might overgrade on purpose but that is why we now have cards you can buy already graded by a reputable 3rd party.
Donovan >>
Donovan,
Excellent points and this should be common knowledge. Read, learn, and understand before you buy. Something I learned from many years of coin collectiong. I myself will only buy PSA and SGC graded cards over the net. Just an insurance policy. Best part of all, as soon as I get them I CRACK "EM WIDE OPEN.
Looking for alot of crap.
Reported!
here's my message to Feebay....
Using PSA in title. He has a BUTTLOAD of them. I don't have time to report them ALL! The cards are NOT certified by PSA! nuke this powerscrewer!!!!
<< <i>I saw some of this guys first few auctions and got the ebay #s. He uses PSA in the title when there is no PSA card.
Let us all report him.
140012149781 , 140012205609 , 140012205641 , 140012205650 , 140012205735 , 140012205777 , 140012218729 , 140012218777 , 140012218794 , 130011086159
These are the first 10. If anyone wants to dig deeper and get more, please post them here.
I don't know BLIND too well, but it is obvious he got screwed and blackmailed. Forum members should stick together in times like this. >>
POWER SELLER, good luck!
Looking for alot of crap.
<< <i>What a surprise. Another whining thread created by Blindbuyer complaining about how he was ripped off because the $3 he spent for supposedly vintage HIGH GRADE raw cards didn't turn out to be PSA gems afterall.
If you don't like people throwing their two cents into VERY POOR buying habits (ie, never asking for additional pictures/scans and hoping to get something for nothing), go create your own board. You've been here all of a month and you're going to tell others what they can or cannot say around here? >>
I bought a 1973 raw Lydell Mitchell for $0.99 from a seller describing the card as nrmt- never asked for additional pitctures, etc.. Sent it in to PSA and it came back a PSA 10. Does that mean I have VERY POOR buying habits too? 1960/1973 makes absolutely no difference.
Come on now, all the guy is asking for is to deliver what you advertise. The price has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with it. If you don't deliver what you advertise then expect to be asked for a refund.
However, opinions regarding card condtion of raw cards obviously can differ from one person from another. In the sellers eyes, he believes that he delivered what he advetised! This is why it is important to buy a card already graded by PSA if condition is important you.
Rich
<< <i>Kurtman/RichG, I mean no disrespect, but I don't need another 4-page thread on "buyer's responsibility" ... I'm not whining and complaining about how he misrepresented his items. I merely asked for a refund and got a "feedback exhortion" response. >>
bf: Not sure where that comes from. If my post came across that way (though I don't think it did), then I apologize. I agree that the seller is a real ahole and was unprofessional in his response to your concern.
I might be wrong but it appears you are fairly new at buying raw cards. My post was simply to try to help you in your raw card buying strategies in the future which may prevent this sort of thing from happening again. Good luck and happy collecting!
Kurt
My ebay listings
<< <i>A guy selling actual PSA cards along with cards with PSA? in the title, you get what you pay for. BillyRipken put it best.... >>
all the more reason he, of all people, should have an inkling of what the different grades ARE.
For the record, I'm not whining about "getting screwed" nor am I shucking buyer responsibility to do further research into a seller/auction prior to bidding.
I politely asked the guy for a refund.
Instead of simply saying "yes" or "no" (which I feel was his right given it wasn't stated), he responded with this exact email:
>>>
SORRY ALL SALES ARE FINAL THE CARD ARE PERFECT FOR THE YEAR THAT THEY ARE THEY ARE ALMOST PERFECT AND IF YOU LEAVE NEGATIVE OR ANY FEEDBACK OTHER THAN POSITIVE I WILL LEAVE ALL NEGATIVE FOR YOU
>>>
That is f'cked up --- it is exhortion and in complete violation of ebay rules. Justifiably, I was pissed off, and wanted to see what recourse I might have against a seller that acts in that manner. Hence I made this post.
Simple as that.
------- 1960 Topps Baseball PSA 8+
------- 1985 Topps Hockey PSA 9+