Won an item on eBay way too low - now it's "stolen"

Bayard1908 · October 15, 2014 7:28AM

I won a foreign proof set on eBay earlier today for a fraction of its value. Minutes after I paid, the "seller" sent me a message stating that the set of coins had been stolen and she just now noticed the theft. I sent a reply stating that I fully expected her to ship me the coins. We'll see what happens.

shorecoll · October 15, 2014 7:30AM

That's happened a few times in recent years, must be really smart thieves.

LindeDad · October 15, 2014 7:35AM

What your mad because you couldn't steal them?

Bayard1908 · October 15, 2014 7:42AM

<< What your mad because you couldn't steal them?

>>

If you list items on eBay with no reserve and a nominal opening bid, you better be prepared for that to happen occasionally.

Cougar1978 · October 15, 2014 7:44AM

I believe you will get your item if they have a store or ongoing business but if its just some occasional seller they probably won't give a hoot if the items value is considerable compared to what they would be giving it away for.

Cougar1978 · October 15, 2014 7:45AM

People need to list items for a realistic opening bid (say 60-80% of market value) instead of 99c. I suspect many who open at 99c and do not have shills can receive a rude surprise.

My advice: Don't open an item for anything less than 80% of CDN Bid or 60% of Market Value.

BryceM · October 15, 2014 7:48AM

Can you prove it wasn't stolen? We all know what (probably) really happened, but good luck trying to get what you want out of this situation.

mbogoman · October 15, 2014 7:50AM

That's happened to me twice over the years. In one case, the guy re-listed the same coin about a year and a half later. I ended up buying it a second time (for about $1.5k more than the prior sale), then returning it and had to fight for the refund via Ebay Buyer Protection (a lot of legwork involved!). The coin had an old cleaning that wasn't visible until in hand, which turned out to be "market acceptable". In hindsight, I should have kept it - it ended up in a VF35 holder, and sold a couple months back in a Heritage auction for about $1.5k more than what I paid...

bestday · October 15, 2014 8:03AM

<< That's happened to me twice over the years. In one case, the guy re-listed the same coin about a year and a half later. I ended up buying it a second time (for about $1.5k more than the prior sale), then returning it and had to fight for the refund via Ebay Buyer Protection (a lot of legwork involved!). The coin had an old cleaning that wasn't visible until in hand, which turned out to be "market acceptable". In hindsight, I should have kept it - it ended up in a VF35 holder, and sold a couple months back in a Heritage auction for about $1.5k more than what I paid... >>

Ebay continues to decline ,,last year , on a seven day auction, for some 70 silver eagles ,I won a lot at about 75 % value.. after the auction was over the seller emailed me he was cancelling the sale ,because the price was too low

Barndog · October 15, 2014 8:15AM

a copy of the police report would be nice

Bayard1908 · October 15, 2014 8:23AM

<< a copy of the police report would be nice >>

Nice suggestion. I just asked for it.

Bayard1908 · October 15, 2014 8:31AM

That was fast. My payment has been refunded, and I left appropriate feedback.

kaz · October 15, 2014 8:38AM

At least around here, anyone can request a police report for a stolen item for a small fee (I think about 25$). It doesn't mean anything was investigated, just that the person made a report. I caught on when people started bringing these things in too often to get me to replace their "stolen" controlled substances. (and unfortunately a few of them were probably legit but as usual the crooks mess everything up for the honest folks too)

MWallace · October 15, 2014 9:02AM

I recently won an item at the owners minimum bid which was more than a fair price for the item. I paid immediately. Then got an email from him stating that the item was lost, and that he was in the hospital and would issue a refund when he got out. He also stated that if he ever found the item he would send it to me for free. BS I thought. I replied asking when he expected to get out of the hospital and that since he obviously had internet access in the hospital, why couldn't he just go ahead and issue the refund. He wrote back stating again that he'd issue a refund when he got out of the hospital and would look for it and send it to me for free if found. I wrote again asking why he couldn't just issue the refund since he obviously had internet access. I never received a reply. I waited until the first day I could file a claim and did so. He issued a refund within a couple of hours. I left appropriate feedback.

LindeDad · October 15, 2014 9:16AM

Mike the Internet in hospitals is a public system I never used it for secure transactions while I was in there.
I for one would rather have a neg. than a hack to my account.

NumisOxide · October 15, 2014 9:41AM

I once "won" a nice F-VF feuchtwanger cent on ebay for around 50 bucks a few years ago. I paid for the item, then the seller messaged me saying she had lost the coin. It was supposedly on top of the tv stand and had gone missing. I was nice about it and just didn't didn't leave feedback or something. She sent me a thank you card in the mail for understanding.

Justlooking · October 15, 2014 9:46AM

<< 

<< a copy of the police report would be nice >>

Nice suggestion. I just asked for it. >>

In a sense, it is your coin ... until you get the refund ...

What a ripoff.

Currin · October 15, 2014 10:00AM

True..Maybe you can get a copy of the police report. I would at least ask for it.

jmcu12 · October 15, 2014 10:04AM

Similar thing happened to me. Won an 1875cc twenty cent in AU for less than half of the value.

All of sudden the coin was stolen. I had asked for a police report but never got one. I got my money back and promptly left a neg.

I may be blasted for that here but it clearly was not stolen it was just a case of seller regret.

messydesk · October 15, 2014 10:49AM

Seems that "stolen" is a popular enough excuse to back out of an auction (i.e., an eBay revenue event) that eBay would take interest and start demanding police reports for items of significant enough value in order for the "stolen" excuse to be accepted without penalty (i.e., triggering an alternate eBay revenue event).

BustHalfBrian · October 15, 2014 11:10AM

The exact same thing happened to me a couple of months ago and I was furious but there wasn't much I could do other than leave negative feedback

MWallace · October 15, 2014 11:27AM

<< Mike the Internet in hospitals is a public system I never used it for secure transactions while I was in there. I for one would rather have a neg. than a hack to my account. >>

I understand what you are saying but two things come to mind. Why didn't he just say that? and He was signing into his eBay account in order to send emails to me. He wasn't worried about exposing his eBay ID and password.

TwoSides2aCoin · October 15, 2014 11:30AM

It coulda been a "he" in disguise. This is the internet.

crispy · October 15, 2014 11:47AM

I am curious. A few posters have said that they left the appropriate feedback. I assume that they were negative, but how did you word the feedback? Did you imply that the seller had remorse and backed out or did you flat out accuse them? For what it's worth, I too would be ticked off if someone pulled this stunt on me.

Barndog · October 15, 2014 11:51AM

<< 

<< a copy of the police report would be nice >>

Nice suggestion. I just asked for it. >>

good. Liars need to get pushed

MWallace · October 15, 2014 12:05PM

<< I am curious. A few posters have said that they left the appropriate feedback. I assume that they were negative, but how did you word the feedback? >>

Here is the exact feedback I left, "Seller claimed item was lost, but I had to file a claim to get my money back."

johnny9434 · October 16, 2014 5:28AM

i wonder how long that will take before its back up or maybe even under a sellers id? just saying.

AMRC · October 16, 2014 6:00AM

You have recourse. It is called Negative feedback. Issue and move on.

Wabbit2313 · October 16, 2014 6:07AM

If he would have shilled you up, you would still have started this thread, only with a different subject line!

Ask for a police report?? That requires another

DennisH · October 16, 2014 6:09AM

<< You have recourse. It is called Negative feedback. Issue and move on. >>

This.

lcoopie · October 16, 2014 6:11AM

Do you have a link to the auction?

derryb · October 16, 2014 9:12AM

Think of it like shopping at the US Mint. You placed an order and it did not get filled. One of the first rules learned with ebay - ebay cannot make a seller deliver.

19Lyds · October 16, 2014 9:41AM

We'll, from what I read, it was a listing that didn't end the way
You or the seller envisioned it as ending. Get over it.

renomedphys · October 16, 2014 9:50AM

Lying to get out of paying for a reserve, and in order to garner attention bestowed to "true" auctions.

Pathetic? Yes.

Human Nature? Unfortunately, for the most part.

Ethan · October 16, 2014 11:02AM

Reading this thread reminded me of something that happened to me. This is the good side.....

I ordered a Harpoon 1 book from a seller in Canada. I paid a little less than what I thought Market to be and it arrived as scheduled. About two weeks later, I get a package from the same seller, in it was Resolution 502 (the Falklands supplement). I did not even know it existed and found out it was worth way more than what I had purchased. He had said he thought it should have sold with the original book. I wrote him back, added some $$$ and thanked him for making my collection. These folks are out there. This was the best thing to ever happen to me on eBay.

That being said, I purchased a Harpoon 3 book from a seller and it arrived without the game pieces. She replied she sent what was in the photo. The next week the game pieces were for sell.....I emailed her and told her what I thought. She actually suggested I bid on them....

lostincoins · October 16, 2014 11:27AM

Ebay andother sudo auction sites do not require background checks or psych checks so you have to take the good with the bad just like in daily life. Make sure you use the report a seller link and state what happened so that it will be on record and ebay can investigate and see if this is a pattern of the seller.

Can we know the seller so as to avoid giving them business they do not deserve?

WoodenJefferson · October 16, 2014 1:13PM

The dog never ate your homework?

It's human nature when someone (friend/relative) recognizes a seller selling an item too low and they tell them so...then the seller decides the easiest way to get out of this bind is to tell the buyer it has been lost (conveniently misplaced) or stolen.

Just neg them if you feel they (he, she, it) backed out of the deal...next.

Casman · October 17, 2014 2:03AM

<< Do you have a link to the auction? >>

Not good form for him to post it, but I will...

link

Won an item on eBay way too low - now it's "stolen"

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Won an item on eBay way too low - now it's &quot;stolen&quot;

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Won an item on eBay way too low - now it's "stolen"