posted on September 22, 2000 09:04:50 PM
The decription said "black leather pants." When I got my package, I was sent a pair of polyester leather-like pants. The seller was indifferent in her email reply... she never stated that they were 100% genuine leather pants and that I should have questioned her before bidding. I feel she mis-represented the item. She did not offer the customer service to turn the situation around... like a full or partial refund. I submitted a SafeHarbor claim. How effective is SafeHarbor? What are my next steps to take should the seller refuse cooperate with ebay?
posted on September 22, 2000 09:53:04 PM
sorry to here you are haveing this trouble
yup sounds pretty clear that the person mis-represented the item for sure what should be done next is to put this sellers user name on a postit note on your monitor to remind you not to bid this one again.
second Always ask when there is any question or doubt. they didnt even have a partail description, polyester is plastic and my guess is its never even seen a cow little lone met a cow or any other animal in the last few million years
as far as partial refund did you pay more for ployester then its worth. or did you pay leather price for your plastic cow skin. if you dont like them at all the only thing that would make you happy is a full refund I would think.
if they were resonable in price and you could live with them just a negitive or netural with a note might work. there is a few website for this type of complaint I dont have the links handy right now.
in any case your report to safeharbor will get them a warning if its there frist thats all that will happen is a slap on the hand check there feed back if they have many negitive feed back or no feed back at all yours could be the one to get them NARUed.
the word Imatation should have showed up in there auction listing even if they used leather to get attention.
posted on September 22, 2000 11:03:06 PM
Webster Dictionary. Def. of "Leather."
1. Animal skin prepared for use by removing the hair and tanning. 2. Any article made of this.
Unless there is a polyester animal that I am not aware of the seller mislead you. This is fraud. This is what I would do.
Send the seller a letter stating that according to the dictionary, leather is made out of animal skin, and that since yours is polyester the auction was misrepresented, and you want a full refund of both the item cost and shipping both ways.
Inform the seller that they have XXXX amount of days to contact you, and that if they haven't, explain to the seller that they have committed fraud, and you will report them to ebay and to the Internet Fraud Complaint Center, which was created by the FBI. Give them the web site address, so they know you are serious.
It is:
https://www.ifccfbi.gov/
You may not be the first they have done this to. The IFCC, in my opinion, works better than a "threat" of ebay. Many sellers have learned that safeharbor may or may not get involved. Some seller's also know that unless the bidder goes to outside resources, ebay does it's best to try and maintain neutral.
This is where the IFCC comes into play. They take all cases seriously.
I had a seller take my $15.00 for 2 items that I won and never send me my items. The seller was suspended, so I couldn't even get the seller's phone number. I sent around 5 emails, all went unanswered.
Then I found the IFCC, and sent another email, stating what I stated above. Sure enough, I receive an email from the seller, "Hi I have been away on a trip. Will send item right away." No mention of my email.
I received my package with my 2 items shortly after. When the suspension was over, it was past 60 days, and I couldn't leave feedback. The seller had over 500 positive feedback. Once the seller was reinstated, ebay leaves no record for new users to see that the seller has been suspended, so new people just see a seller with glowing feedback. What a scam, the suspension helped preserve the seller's great feedback profile.
But with the help of IFCC, I don't think the seller will risk fraud charges.
Let us know how it turns out.
Kelly
ps. Not checking spelling tonight! To tired to care.
posted on September 23, 2000 09:45:19 PM
The seller continues to believe she did nothing wrong and its was my fault for not questioning if the pants were "real" leather. She is now claiming that this was a "no return, no refund" sale. where does that state in the original decription?? So i took things further past ebays safeharbor... i filed a claim with the IFCC. maybe the fbi can help me out... heres the auction listing: BRAND NEW STRAIGHT FROM UPSCALE BEVERLY HILLS, HERE'S A PAIR OF *SEXY* BLACK LEATHER PANTS, SIZE MEDIUM! I BOUGT THEM FOR $85, AND THOUGHT THEY'D BE FUN TO SELL ON EBAY! THEY ZIP UP IN THE BACK. THEY ARE THE HOTTEST THING FOR FALL! EVERYONE AROUND HERE HAS THEM! MODELS,ACTRESSES AND ALL THE DIVAS! ANYONE WHO'S ANYONE HAS *THESE* PANTS!! ) THANKS 4 LOOKING, AND ENJOY!
posted on September 24, 2000 12:25:30 PM
Yup, definitely sounds like the seller is trying to pull a fast one. How about inviting her here (so we can all gently point out the error of her ways).
"supposed to write to find out if they're 'real' leather'!!! What a crock!!
posted on September 24, 2000 12:29:59 PM
In this situation you are eligible to file a claim with eBay's fraud insurace. They will cover up to $200 with a $25 deductible.
posted on September 24, 2000 12:32:59 PM
Wow, sounds like the seller is really upscale! I mean $85 for real leather pants in Beverly Hills. The seller sounds like they misrepresented the pants......but the $85 real leather pants would have tipped me off.
posted on September 24, 2000 01:01:34 PM
I think the seller's right about this:
THEY ARE THE HOTTEST THING FOR FALL!
And spring, summer, and winter, too. Ever wear full-length plastic trousers? You'll sweat buckets!
Here's where I have problems:
EVERYONE AROUND HERE HAS THEM! MODELS, ACTRESSES AND ALL THE DIVAS! ANYONE WHO'S ANYONE HAS *THESE* PANTS!!
I live in NYC and can tell you that models, actresses and divas don't wear plastic pants. Tacky, tacky, tacky. Besides all that, who the heck would want to buy the pants that have been had by "anyone who's anyone"? I mean, Febreeze can only do so much...
posted on September 24, 2000 05:18:10 PM
kellyb1
MY polycows are doing fine and the naugies are nearly large enough now for skining too.
you sweat buckets wearing these polyester pants hmm this would account for the odors out here on the farm for sure.
Imagine if you will in the middle of a oil crisses everyone screaming oil prices are to high and talking conservation again and they are uses gallons of oil to make plastic pants now thats as rich as it gets.
I would keep them if worse comes to worse and oil gets really hard to come by at any price you could try stuffing the pants in the cars crank case for the next oil change
posted on September 25, 2000 08:10:35 AM
heres an updated...... she has reluctantly agreed to refund my money, only after getting several emails from other bidders from this auction. (i emailed every bidder to see if anyone emailed her to 'double check' the validity of the description) NEXT glitch, shes demanding that i dont leave her any feedbacks after she issues the refund. Heck no!! i told her i would 1. return the pants, 2. drop all fraud charges (ebay, paypal, IFCC) after getting money back. thats it.
she doesnt have anything else up for auction. is ebay suspending her activity because of my fraud charge? oh well. too bad.
i know the $85 should have tipped me off, but i live in a metropolitan city (san francisco) and have seen real leather pants on sale for under a $100 ($98 i think)
thanks everyone for your comments. ill post again to update.
) THANKS 4 LOOKING, AND ENJOY! 