eBay Issue - Buyer Inquiries Without Resolution (Venting) - Prewar Cards
airjoedan
Posts: 776 ✭✭✭
Long post - even if no one reads it all, I just needed to vent. I have no idea what I am doing wrong here and am just getting frustrated. The buyer basically doesn't acknowledge a full refund request, I spent hours of replies and photos for a $30 sale, and the buyer says he reported to eBay.
I recently sold two 1936 World Wide Gum cards on eBay that were skinned (backs removed) and in poor condition. The cards were described as such (even in the title) and included larger front and back scans.
Description: Hey there, up for auction is a 1936 World Wide Gum Bill Dickey card #34. NOTE that the card is in POOR condition with multiple creases/paper loss and the back of the card has been skinned off/removed. This card was one of many removed from a 1930's Canadian baseball scrapbook album that included many Canadian issue cards and clippings, all cards of which had the backs skinned (unfortunately this included everything from World Wide Gum issues to O-Pee-Chee cards). So, while this is in poor condition it still presents nicely from the front and is a neat 80+ year old item. Please see scans of the front and back of the card below for more information. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me.
- Listing #1 Red Ruffing: https://ebay.com/itm/122817851802
- Listing #2: Bill Dickey: https://ebay.com/itm/122817852225
The cards in question are shown below (front & back)...
Shortly after receiving the cards, the buyer sent this message:
Buyer (on 12/11): This card appears to be a copy printed on newsprint and is not separated from a front half of an original card from the '30's. What information can you provide about it's origin and that of the other Bill Dickey card from the same series that has just arrived? Thank you for your kind assistance.
My Response (on 12/11): These are original 1936 World Wide Gum cards that are skinned (front peeled from the back). These are not copies printed on any other stock, but rather just poor condition originals. 1936 World Wide Gum is a grainy black and white issue, part of what is an appeal to some collectors and a major turnoff to others when compared to the more colorful pre-36 issues.
These were removed from a 1930’s scrapbook from Quebec. The scrapbook was over a thousand pages and included hundreds of skinned World Wide Gum cards, O-Pee-Chee cards, various Canadian Butterfinger premiums, and tons of obscure Canadian newspaper photos and clippings. I sold off most of the major stars over the years but kept many for my own collection, including some that I had framed.
These are 100% authentic, no doubt about that as I removed them from the album myself. If you’re not happy with them, I would gladly refund you if you return them, minus the shipping price. Please let me know...
My Response (on 12/11 - 2nd message): To add to my prior message, here is what I did with some other cards from the album - including a 1936 Grove... Other than the completely different 1936 black and white issue, the other pre-36 World Wide Gum issues are nearly identical to their Goudey counterpart - with the exception of some checklist differences.
Anyways, please see my prior message in full and advise if you’d like to return them. Always welcome to do so. I tried to include a thorough description and front and back pictures and apologize if the condition was not completely clear in indicating these were only the removed front portion of the cards.
Buyer (on 12/12):The cards in the 1936 world wide gum set are indeed black and white, and are of the size of the two pieces of newspaper you sent along. The reverses have indeed been glued down on the two pictures I received, and I believe that you thusly removed them from a scrapbook, however, these pieces of paper have not been torn off an original back, as the newspaper has a clean back in some places, and there is no evidence of tearing on many parts of the back, and an original card would have tearing on 100% of it's surface, or show evidence of the original back, and would likely be curled in any event. These layers don't easily separate as they were not made to be peeled. That is why I believe them to be not genuine. Please send along any picture you might have of the back and any original print. Perhaps from the album itself. Thank you for your candid response. I look forward to hearing back.
My Response (on 12/12): Prewar gum cards, notably Goudey and World Wide Gum do separate easily and can be torn apart when picking at any corner. It is not unusual to find a skinned Goudey card in a scrapbook, and the 36 issue definitely separated cleanly - I have had several dozen and can say that is the fact. Tearing the front from the back of a Topps or Bowman card would not be as clean and those are not found as commonly skinned.
This was a rather inexpensive but very unique and very large 1930's-early 1940's scrapbook from Canada. The book included many World Wide Gum cards (all skinned and many cut to unique shapes) and many OPC and Canadian Butterfinger cards (more recently recognized now as V94 OPC Premiums). There were a few unskinned OPC cards in the album but everything else was skinned. I left the book largely intact when I sold it, only removing 50 or so items with the intent to frame. The book mostly consisted of clippings and anything could be removed easily by sliding a butterknife underneath and wiggling the item free. The book was HUGE and was 800-1000 pages (overall only a few hundred cards and thousands of clippings, photos, etc.). I dug through my photo archive and attached some photos of the original album, another collage of cards I removed from the album and framed in my office, and a photo layout that I was going to frame that included the two cards you purchased (I later decided against framing this as I already had 2 other items framed).
In regards to authenticity, this is not as subjective as an autograph. I have complete confidence (especially given the origin) that these are authentic. Additionally, everything about these align with other items I have owned in the past. Ultimately, I can go on about why I feel they are authentic but if you are not comfortable with the cards in your collection then I would suggest a return. I will offer a free refund if you return them - refund upon receipt. Just let me know.
My Response (on 12/12 - 2nd Message): Please see my prior message for the actual message text... this is just a photo message as eBay only allows 5 photos sent at a time. To reiterate though, if you're not comfortable with these items in your collection even after the explanation I provided, I would suggest returning them for a full refund. No harm, no foul - I'll understand and I have already left you positive feedback.
Buyer (12/12): I appreciate the pictures, but they don't show the backs still stuck to an album page, and I am still not convinced, as it doesn't seem logical that you would glue these again after peeling them, as the backs are mostly clean except for glue, which should not be in the center of a card. I've referred this to ebay as I would like a definitive ruling from them. If I'm incorrect, I apologize, however we are all probably best off with an accurate determination.
My Response (12/12):I’m confused about your re-gluing reference, these were removed from an album by me where they were adhered for over 70 years prior.
Most troubling and of great concern to me, I am highly confused at why you would feel the need to escalate to eBay. I have already offered a full money back return, hassle free refund. What more is it that you wish to accomplish?
I can’t figure it what more I can offer other than a full refund, that is the most I can give. Further, I have offered a refund since the beginning and have spent about an hour finding pictures and writing responses to you. While this is all over a less than $30 transaction, I am treating you with the utmost respect and I’m not sure what else I can do or what you’re seeking to accomplish.
My Response (12/12 - 2nd message): One final item, as I have reread your messages a few times to try to figure out what I can be missing. You state "the pictures do not show the backs still stuck to an album page". For cards that were skinned like this, the original scrapbook owner in the 1930's peeled the front from the card (the "skinning" process) and pasted the front half of the card in the scrapbook. The purpose of doing this was always clearly accepted as taking up less room in the album (whole cards are thicker than newspaper photos/clippings and it would take up more space). As you can see from the photos I sent of the album, it had over 800 pages and was very full. I don't have photos saved of every page, so I don't have a photo of where this exact card was removed from a 800 page album. Any item from this book can be popped off with ease as there was minimal glue on the back of everything. I included front and back scans in the eBay listing and fully described these items. These are genuine but once again, if you're not comfortable with them I offer a full money back refund. No questions asked, full refund. I offer this guarantee and refund on any and all items I sell...
If you'd like to return them, please do so. I can initiate the process, give you the return mailing information, and provide a refund. Please advise on if that is how you'd like to proceed.
Buyer (12/13): I'm confused. You skinned off the back, or someone in the 1930's did? I appreciate the trouble you have gone to in replying, however the case is not closed on these being valueless newsprintings of card fronts in the sporting news, as opposed to the front half of a 1936 WWG. I'm not comfortable being the guy who hustles others into buying something of unproven authenticity, that is why I'm hoping ebay can make a determination for both of our benefit. After all, I did recieve a lot of Derek Jeter rookies from a seller in CA who merely color copied his card on regular paper, as well as a few reprints from others over the years. I honestly don't know what ebay will say, but I'm keenly interested to know.
My Response (12/13): I was so concerned about describing these as skinned and being in poor condition that I included it in the title, in the description, and included large front and back scans in the auction listing. I'm not sure where the confusion came from, I apologize if there is something I could have provided in the listing beyond what I had. History of these in black and white...
1. I purchased large 1930's Canadian Baseball Scrapbook
1a. Scrapbook was full of newspaper clippings, skinned/backless 1930's World Wide Gum, OPC, and Canadian Butterfinger issues
2. I removed 50 or so items from the scrapbook by simply tearing them out/popping them off (80+ year old adhesive)
3. I framed all but a few items (I even sent you photos of framed items on my actual office wall) with the exception of the two cards you ended up buying
This was a large, old musty book and was no doubt authentic. There certainly weren't any kids reproducing/copying these obscure Canadian cards in the 1930's, so these are original. I only state this with such certainly given all the facts above and that I personally removed them (this wasn't like I bought them from an unknown third party).
The part that makes me very uncomfortable about this is I can't tell if you're questioning my integrity or if there is a nefarious intent on something coming for more than a full refund. I feel that most experienced card collectors would seek a third party authenticator's opinion (e.g. PSA, SGC, Beckett) rather than eBay. Besides, all the time I spent digging up photos from year's past of the scrapbook and answering your inquiries, all over a $30 order - I would feel based on that and my other listings and even feedback, that you would at least give the benefit of the doubt.
So, it seems this is a no-win on my side. If you get the answer you want, let me know. Regardless, it doesn't appear that you'd be comfortable with these in your collection - so, the full money back refund still applies.
------------ UPDATE -------------
Buyer (12/14): I apologize for possibly elevating stress levels. I am interested in how ebay protects the integrity of baseball cards in a situation like this, where possibly an authenticator would be required. I'm still not clear if the books you removed these from had the original backs at all, and whether or not there is evidence that these were not cut out of a page in a newspaper as you imply other items were in the same scrapbook. I don't want to pass along inaccurate information to a future buyer. I also regret that you feel I am impugning your integrity, however, it seems that you weren't there when the separation of back and front allegedly occurred, unless you are about 87 years or older. In the absence of a corresponding reverse, and the smooth appearance of the unglued areas and lack of curling to the paper I remain unconvinced, despite the length of messages, and not exactly relevant to the question pictures that you did take time and care to create and forward. I recognize that you have spent time and gone to some trouble. Try to put yourself in my shoes as a dedicated and enthusiastic collector who cares about the integrity of the hobby. In a full lifetime of involvement in the hobby, this is the first time I have encountered "skinned" cards let alone purchased one. trade in these is not a common occurrence within the hobby in my area of the country, or in my prior experience on ebay. Hence the appeal to ebay...
My Response (12/14): I can go on but this is clearly a no-win for me. As a hobby enthusiast, this type of back and forth is utterly deflating to me. I pride myself on honesty, integrity, and common courtesy - I have done my best here.
I hope you get the answer you want from eBay. Until then and for a lifetime, I offer a money back guarantee on these items. I'm not sure what else I can do or what more I can say. Please contact me if you do decide on a return - I'll even pay for return shipping at this point just to resolve this.
------------ UPDATE -------------
Buyer (12/15):Iappreciate your offer, and I may accept it when and if I hear from ebay, and I also appreciate the time and effort you have taken to try to satisfy my genuine concerns. I am not in a rush to get to the essence of the question, if rushing means less information or inaccuracy in the outcome. Once a transaction is over, my ability to ask a question and get a response is much reduced, and I care to get this right in or out of your favor. If it's genuine, then you deserve the money I sent along already, if they are fake, I probably shouldn't be liable for shipping in either direction, let alone cost. I'm also interested in how ebay handles a genuine and difficult dilemma such as this. We are players, and they are the umpire, and this play requires a review from an objective 3rd party, that's all I'm really saying. Can you see things from my point of view at all?
My Response (12/15):My response will remain the same - I offer a full refund and will pay for the return shipping. Any refund is contingent upon the safe return of the items purchased. Thank you.
------------ UPDATE -------------
Return Request: 12/22: I have not heard back from the buyer since the prior message on 12/15. Today I received return requests for both cards. I paid for return labels and will follow eBay's full instructions to refund only once I receive the items back in hand. I will keep everyone posted on any updates - if you're this far into the journey, why not?
Comments
On a side note, I think this is my first eBay rant on a message board in 15 years. So, I don't have much to complain about if after thousands of transactions I am only posting something negative about one now
On a positive note, the scrapbook was a wonderful item. I shared some heart-breakers previously as there were some otherwise very neat cards that were skinned. I loved so many of the unique Canadian articles and pictures that I just had to keep some and that was the basis for items I later framed.
Here are some cool photographs of the album, every page was meticulously arranged - must have taken countless hours of love and dedication from a true baseball fan.
Come to think of it, other than the items I had framed, I did sell a few other items last year. The items I sold from it were a near complete set of Canadian Butterfinger premiums and a skinner/random cut shaped 1936 World Wide Gum assortment. I left everything else intact and sold the book as-is. Before I purchased the book, someone had already taken out all of the Ruth cards unfortunately. I only sold the book because I couldn't figure out what the heck I'd do with such a large musty old book - it didn't exactly fit on a bookshelf.
On my office wall, I have the following items from the book framed (all cards skinned) and I have another final framed item with some clippings and cards that is pending this Christmas with some other framed items. I give items to my in-laws each year to frame for me and that is my Christmas present.
Anyways, I feel better after venting but still don't feel good about this because it isn't resolved. So, thanks for at least reading my vent (for anyone that could hang in that long).
What an ***hole that buyer is. Like your talking to an alien. How about the time your donating to this punk going back and forth for $30 cards. E-bay will have no better idea of the authenticity than Google. Maybe he should post the photos and ask-jeeves.
Collecting Unopened from '72-'83; mostly BBCE certified boxes/cases/racks.
Prefer to buy in bulk.
Joe ... Man, what a PITA buyer you are dealing with. Does he think eBay is going to tell him if they are originals or not? You did all you can. Just sit back and wait for eBay's response. Good luck! Nice album, btw.
Doug
Liquidating my collection for the 3rd and final time. Time for others to enjoy what I have enjoyed over the last several decades. Money could be put to better use.
It sounds like he thinks ebay is going to make a determination if these are genuine or not. Obviously, we know that ebay is just going to favor on his behalf for a full refund once he returns the cards. You may want to clarify with him that ebay does not have experts that will decide authenticity for him.
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Thank you for the comments guys, I just really needed to vent about this one.
Don, interestingly enough this is a person with over 3,000 feedback - I'd imagine he would understand eBay's limitations and would instead, at the least opt to post on a sports message board or something. I'm not sure SGC, PSA or anyone else would slab half a card anyways - that's why these were only $12.99.
Also, he says he filed something with eBay but I do not see any outstanding claims. So, I'm not sure how he contacted them or what form he used, etc. Clearly I don't mind getting the cards back and refunding him, I've only offered it at least 5 times. I did call eBay to get something annotated on the record. I basically told the rep that a buyer is contacting me about whether an item is genuine and I am explaining that it is but also offering a full refund. The eBay rep was confused at why the person wasn't taking the refund and said that something didn't sound right and apparently annotated something on the record should I have any problem down the line. Once again, I don't mind refunding the buyer and sure would just love to do that at this point.
It makes no sense. I'm wondering if he's trying to get you to give him a partial refund or somehow get a full refund and keep the cards.
I'm looking forward to the end resolution on this.
I think the buy would have mentioned that by now. Interesting that you say he has over 3000 feedback. He obviously should know that ebay won't give an opinion.
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What a total bone head
You have done more that required
Just sit back and do NOTHING except save the mail shipping receipt in case he wants to open a item not received 6 months from now.
1948-76 Topps FB Sets
FB & BB HOF Player sets
1948-1993 NY Yankee Team Sets
I get it. You can’t do much more they are clearly looking to keep them and get refunded. I know you should not have to spend more but why let him have what he does not deserve. If you pay for return postage and he does not send back he can’t keep cards and refund. Spoil his day make yourself the final say.
Best place to buy !
Bronze Associate member
Once this is resolved, would you mind sharing the buyer's user ID so that I can block him/her?
Vent away, sounds like the guy is a piece of work.
On another note, that scrapbook is one of the coolest pieces I have seen in a long time.
UPDATE: New Message received (see above 12/14 update on original post)
I know some have said something about telling the guy that eBay won't determine if a card is real or not but at this point, I just feel like I'd be costing myself another 10 paragraphs of writing and even more frustration. I hope my last response sounded okay, I've tried really hard being as professional with this as possible.
Thanks for the support guys. Things usually don't get to me, especially little things like this - but this whole ordeal has really gotten to me. It really is exhausting...
Bottom line is he is calling you out because he thinks you are a scammer. He may make pretty words but that is what he is implying. In his request to ebay he probably implies as much.
I'm going to be honest, I didn't read your post. Sorry, I just don't have the energy to get into that. From the replies, it sounds like he's calling into question the items' authenticity. In some instances, when an item is deemed a fake or not authentic, ebay provides the buyer a refund without requiring them to return the item. Sounds like that might be the approach this d-bag is taking. Please share their handle when all is said and done.
If you've got specific questions I'd be happy to jump in and help. Apologies for not reading the original post. It's gargantuan.
Arthur
PS. I got to use gargantuan in a sentence!
His modus operandi sure is peculiar. Normally when a buyer is disgruntled, they straight up want their cash back. This cat (at least from what I've read) hasn't even acknowledged that option. Spidey sense. Tingling.
To say that you've gone above and beyond would be a gargantuan (^) understatement. I'm not gonna lie, if I were in your shoes, at this juncture I'd be tempted to tactfully tell him to go make love to himself.
@airjoedan From what we've read you've done everything to accommodate this guy and he keeps pushing the issue. I would message him again and point out that if he doesn't take up your offer of a full refund then its starting to look like he's attempting to end up with the items & refund from ebay,like someone mentions above. I would confront him on that and make sure its documented in your messages to each other before you hear from ebay and this guy ends up getting over on you. He's definitely running a game here and with his "87 years old" comment,he's already got his argument against you which you can't refute. He also knows you already left feedback as well so he has you there too. It sucks its come this far but its obvious what he's doing and he's not gonna take up your full refund offer so i would call him on it so ebay sees his reaction to it in his messages to you before you eventually end up talking with them. Sorry but you're pretty much in a no-win situation. Good luck.
edit: I'd also be careful here because he could be reading this thread as well.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
I haven't had any issues similar to this on ebay.
My only advice to you would be to simply tell buyer to send cards back if not happy. He is either an idiot, or he's hoping you just give him the cards to end the misery.
Good luck!
Time to cease communications. Time and brain cells lost worrying about this > $$ or reputational costs involved.
What? I've never heard of this. I've always had to return to the seller whatever they sent me. Even when I was sent an empty box one time, ebay told me I had to send the "item" (i.e. empty box) back to get a refund.
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Perhaps he is a "Barney Fife." He thinks he will clean up the town of criminals but he can't tell the difference between the bank teller and bank robber.
http://www.unisquare.com/store/brick/
Ralph
Starting to think that might be the case as well.
Yeah, I actually came across it just a few days ago when I was trying to sort out an issue with a seller. We had straightened everything out on our own (it was low dollar and the seller was a good guy and just refunded me) but the item stayed in my shopping cart showing I needed to pay for it. So I was nosing around the "returns" section of ebay policy and came across it. I actually had it happen to me a few years ago. Sold a few uncut sheets of an obscure issue from the 50s. Buyer didn't actually know anything about the set and claimed they were fake. He got the $225 refund AND kept the uncut sheets. The moral of the story here kids is just take the return no questions asked and issue a refund. Because it CAN be worse.
Arthur
Wow, I had no idea.
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I asked Jeeves, response was that the buyer was a bag
Cards were glued in to albums in one of two ways. They were either glued in whole, which then made the pages thicker and heavier and harder to turn, or they were skinned, where varying layers of the back was removed to make the pages thinner and lighter. The cards you showed are unquestionably 100% original cards which were skinned prior to gluing in the album. The buyer doesn't have a clue as to what he's looking at. He's hung up thinking the cards are just newspaper clippings and the only proof of them being real cards would be if the backs were still stuck in the albums. Like if you had skinned them or ripped them in half yourself out of the album instead of soaking them out in full. The cards were skinned and backs thrown away prior to your original album owner gluing the cards in. You should give the guy the link to this thread to perhaps clear his concerns of authenticity up. It's obvious he wants the cards if real, but doesn't want them if they're only newspaper clippings. Anybody with any knowledge whatsoever on the issue can tell immediately that they're real cards that have had the backs skinned off. He's not going to find those people at Ebay customer service. get him here or net54.
Thanks everyone.
To KbKards, I don't think I should direct him to this forum or anywhere else for that matter as anything I have done thus far hasn't really helped the situation. It appears he is determined and immovable in his approach - plus, I'm already mentally exhausted with this. I haven't said anything negative on here, just expressed my frustration and copied the messages while removing any specific names, locations, etc. I'm just going to be short in replies now and offer a refund each time I'm contacted.
I'll update this thread if I receive any additional responses. Thank you for allowing me to vent and many of the comments helped me feel sane again. Although, I do agree wholeheartedly with any sentiment that I have spent too much time on this already. You know how certain things get to you and you just can't let them go, haha - this is one of them and now, I've decided to let it rest and play out (I can't do anymore of these 2 paragraph replies). I'll keep everyone posted...
You're doing this to yourself over the price of lunch in Manhattan?
As you know, you've done everything you can, even providing a pic of the scrapbook they came out of. I agree, just wait for him to respond, and be short with your responses and always remind him that you have offered a full refund including shipping, which is the most you can do.
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Successful transactions on the BST boards with rtimmer, coincoins, gerard, tincup, tjm965, MMR, mission16, dirtygoldman, AUandAG, deadmunny, thedutymon, leadoff4, Kid4HOF03, BRI2327, colebear, mcholke, rpcolettrane, rockdjrw, publius, quik, kalinefan, Allen, JackWESQ, CON40, Griffeyfan2430, blue227, Tiggs2012, ndleo, CDsNuts, ve3rules, doh, MurphDawg, tennessebanker, and gene1978.
"I'm keenly interested to know"....only bots talk like that.
Kiss me twice.....let's party.
"I am seated here is the smallest room in my home. with your last communication before me. Soon it will be behind me".... Voltaire
Bowman Baseball -1948-1955
Fleer Baseball-1923, 1959-2007
Al
Maybe put together a response, translate it to Russian, then that to French, then that to Spanish, then that back to English, and then send it.
Arthur
Yeah, haha. Like I said, usually things don’t get to me but this really did frustrate me. This reminds me of the first time I did some miter work on chair rail in a bedroom many years back - the miter screwup was very small but it really got to me and I saw it every single time I walked into the room.
No messages received in 24 hours! Any response from me back won’t be more than a two line refund offer and a “let me know”.
Thanks for the responses guys, I have had some good laughs.
I would ignore any future messages unless he asks for the refund. This guy either has mental issues like OCD where he can't force himself to let it go or he is working on a scam himself.
Update - new message received, added on the end of the original post above with the date.
I have not replied yet...
No idea how to even reply anymore to this stuff.
Just tell him that you want him to live long and prosper
Bowman Baseball -1948-1955
Fleer Baseball-1923, 1959-2007
Al
Honestly, at this point, I would straight refund the dude and tell him to keep the items. I'd add him to my blocked bidders list and post his name along with all of this crapola on every message board to spare as many people this type of hassle as possible. Then I would start looking for a new residence and phone number and file for a restraining order. Life is WAY too short for this malarkey.
Arthur
if they are fake, I probably shouldn't be liable for shipping in either direction, let alone cost
Its pretty obvious what this guy is hoping to hear back from ebay. I'd say the thing you have working in your favor is,this guy is expecting ebay to declare these cards as fake saying you weren't there at the time they were "skinned" so you can't be sure they're real,well ebay wasn't either so they can't prove that they're not real.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
so according to him, ebay is the umpire. not sure if i should laugh or cry, but ok
basically the game is going to be halted to review a runner who was out by 5 feet and it's going to take half an hour
The ebay tech team have their headphones on..they are waiting to hear the result of the challenge from the corporate office who are now viewing this thread and will give their results to the tech team who can in turn deliver the final call to you
This is a remarkable journey that has taken place over a $30 transaction from an honest seller. Nice photos you posted. Alot of history there. Good luck
Obviously a very frustrating ordeal, but at least the guy is well spoken. Just imagine if you were dealing with one of those eBayers whose responses are reminiscent of the cave etchings of a Cro-Magnon Man.
The well spoken part kind of makes it worse as I assumed I would have an easier time reasoning with him. I half expected after my first response to his initial message that we'd get into a conversation about the scrapbook and collecting. Instead, I just really can't make sense out of this. I can't figure out why someone would put a seller through that either - especially when I'm trying everything I can.
UPDATE
I responded to the last message - I posted it at the end of the original post above. Any future response from me to anything that is not a request for refund will be a copy and paste of that message. This just isn't worth the time...
@airjoedan I would send a short reply like, "Okay cool." and call it a day. Don't drive yourself nuts over trying to figure out the right reply to send him. Regardless of what you say he is just going to keep rambling on and on until you tell him what he wants to hear which is, "Okay, I will send you a refund and you can keep the cards."
Really cool scrapbook by the way.
Good luck, Donato
Donato's Complete US Type Set ---- Donato's Dansco 7070 Modified Type Set ---- Donato's Basic U.S. Coin Design Set
Successful transactions: Shrub68 (Jim), MWallace (Mike)
I don’t understand how this guy expects eBay to make a determination of the cards authenticity; makes no sense. I agree with what many others have said, you’ve done all you can as a seller. That scrapbook is awesome, really cool stuff!
You have went above and beyond. He is trying to wear you down. Have you thought about contacting ebay yourself? If you do give them the link to this thread.
OT for the thread but it looks as if one of our least controversial and one of our better members has been banned. ugaskidawg. I've read over his last several posts and I don't see anything that would get someone banned. I hope the mods will reconsider.
I did, noted above in between my super long thread (see copy & paste below).
I did call eBay to get something annotated on the record. I basically told the rep that a buyer is contacting me about whether an item is genuine and I am explaining that it is but also offering a full refund. The eBay rep was confused at why the person wasn't taking the refund and said that something didn't sound right and apparently annotated something on the record should I have any problem down the line. Once again, I don't mind refunding the buyer and sure would just love to do that at this point.
Once again, thanks for the support fellas. I've let a $30 transaction bother me much more than I should have, that is for sure. We'll see where this ends up but at this point, I'm just waiting it out. I'll post any updates as I get them, just for anyone's interest. After all, if you even read half of the above stuff I posted, you deserve to see the eventual outcome! Thanks!
Ebay will not attempt to determine authentication. Ebay WILL side with the buyer every time.
Arthur
You were professional and courteous in all your responses to him. If it was me, there would of been F bombs everywhere.
You handled the situation with patience and integrity. It was a painfully good read and your display items were awesome. Good luck with a resolution.
Update: No messages in the past week and all of a sudden, two return requests appeared tonight (see the update in the original post above for screenshots and more information). I issued return labels, even paying for return shipping.