Another Ebay Problem Need Advice

[PotvinFan]

Hey Everyone,

Here is the situation, i want to get your input on it. May 19 I purchased a card on Ebay for $21 shipped. He shipped it out May 21, i still havent received it. I emailed him a few days ago and he got mad at me saying its Canadian customs holding the item. Then he sent me another email giving me the customs number, all that said was the item shipped out on the 25. Ive been checking ebay and the last day i can do a case is tomorrow. Now i emailed him last night saying it still hasnt arrived and he says to wait a couple more weeks he'll make it right, what should i do? Should i wait or open up a case, he has 99.9% positive feedback.

Im on the fence on whether or not i should pull the trigger on a case, i dont want to be screwed out of the money either. 20 bucks is 20 bucks.

Thanks
Marco

[Tivo32]

Unfortunately, the best thing you can do is open a case. I've been in this position as a seller and it's incredibly frustrating knowing you sent the card and it's held up somewhere. But as a buyer you have the right to open the case. Open the case and as soon as you get the card close the case up. It's the best way to go about it for both you and the seller.

[Fred Bear]

Tivo32 is spot on. You need to open the case. Once the case is open, they set new timelines and you keep yourself under the protection clauses. Worse case is you get your money back and if/when you receive the card, you re-send payment to the seller. He should be fine with this, assuming he's an honest seller.

[ReimerFan]

I have had the same problem sending cards to the States. 99% of the time it's an issue with customs. Also it could have arrived at customs on the 25, rather than being sent on the 25th.

It's a necessary evil waiting for cross border shipping. It can take a day to get over or a month. The problem with hold sellers completely accountable is that many will simply stop selling to Canada/US which hurts everyone. When I'm purchasing I leave a lot of time for customs. It's been a month so moving on it now would make sense to me. Let the seller know you're opening a case to protect yourself in the case it doesn't show up and that you'll close it immediately if/when the card arrives.

[max91ess]

1 month is nothing it can take 2 months sometimes..

[PotvinFan]

max91ess, i understand that, and im not mad at the guy i just want to protect myself thats all.

Thanks for all the advice! :)

[rydlar99]

1 month is nothing it can take 2 months sometimes..

I hear ya there.. I actually had a card that had been refunded to me by a seller show up 4 months later once out of the blue.

[michaelpatko]

Open a case, cover yourself. It still can end in a positive fashion for you both.

[PotvinFan]

Well that didnt go so well!! I opened a case and he BLEW up at me saying all us canadians are impatient!! He said he was going to work with me but not now. I guess im not allowed to protect myself anymore in this world without others getting mad!

[Fred Bear]

If you stay calm, all will go well. One option for you is to explain to him that it's really you being willing to work with him which has kept you from pushing any harder and forcing the issue. You have been understanding of the time it can take to clear customs, but Paypal only allows so many days for you to provide information.

He should be understanding that you simply want your card. I might even go so far as to point out that you have 60 days to leave positive feedback, which you intend to do when the transaction is complete.

Sellers who get nervous are often the ones to watch out for since it usually means they have a reason to be worried. I think you can talk this guy down from the defensive stance he's taking and still come to a positive resolution.