posted on March 4, 2001 11:08:06 PM
I had this bidder with a 0 and a shade, he did a BIN on a auction. 16 days later no payment, so I emailed him, he claims he mailed it out 14 days ago. Then he emails me back a day later claiming he sent the payment via western union, so where is the item! He says as a seller I should sned him the item.
then a today, he emails me claiming he called western unions money order service (didnt know they were open on Sunday) and said he had a talk with them, and said the western union money order was cashed 5 DAYS AGO!!! I never recived his western union money order ever!!!
I think he is lying! I dont feel I should give him the item, it is valued at 27 dollars. Can western union actullay tell you on a Sunday that it was cashed by me? I never cashed it or recived it! What should I do? Any advise would help. Thanking you in advance.
posted on March 5, 2001 03:42:51 AM
It might have been cashed, but was it by you?
Ask him to send you the WU Money Order's serial number AND the number of the transaction showing it was cashed. Then you can call them and ask them WHERE the transaction happened.
They CAN tell if it was cashed, and where. This happened to a friend ... the MO was cashed, but at a quick-cash service 300 miles away from his house, at a time when he had dozens of witnesses to his location.
posted on March 5, 2001 03:42:57 AM
Ask him to email you a copy of the money order. If he is like the 3 or 4 that have done this to me that will be the last you hear from him.
posted on March 5, 2001 05:48:12 AM
Yes, Western Union can tell you on a Sunday, because they have an 800 number, which is automated. All you have to do is enter the money order #.
So, ask him for the # so you can verify the information yourself. Then, as others have said, request that he get the transaction information so what actually happened can be traced.
posted on March 5, 2001 06:22:51 AM
Ask him to email you a copy of the money order. If he is like the 3 or 4 that have done this to me that will be the last you hear from him. -Toolhound
Ditto. However, I've had this happen a half dozen times and in two cases, the check or money order HAD been cashed, so give them the benefit of the doubt. (And if you're like me and use eBay to thin out your library, hang on to that item a little bit longer so you can complete the transaction. It might not be their fault.) Ask for copies of the front and back of the item clearly showing markings indicating it has been cashed or deposited. What I have done in the past is include a dollar bill with the item as a thank you for their trouble when it really has been a case of theft.
posted on March 5, 2001 07:03:52 AM
I too have had this happen, where someone dishonest got my mail by mistake and signed and cashed or deposted the check or MO.
Give the buyer the benefit of the doubt, and ask for a e-mail copy or faxed copy of the transaction.
You might also remind him, that although it was cashed that it wasn't by you, and that if it was cashed that someone has forged your signature, and that you too are looking into the matter.
posted on March 5, 2001 07:34:04 AM
I had a buyer claim I cashed her check, and I said just send a copy of the cashed check or other bank information so I can verify it, and for 30 straight days she left me a negative (this was on Yahoo) and I sent her at least a dozen emails kindly asking for proof, and she never responded to me directly except to say some very unkind words.
If they seem uncooperative, assume they are trying to cheat you. It's so simple for an honest person to provide proof.
posted on March 5, 2001 08:24:42 AM
It's getting to be a pretty common SCAM amoung bidders.
There's lots of disorganized sellers out there so they send an angry email saying it was cashed and a disorganized seller ships the item figuring that they may have made a mistake. I'll bet it works a good percentage of the time.
I generally respond with the business like responses posted here, and then usually I get an answer back like "oh I'm sorry I had your item mixed up wuth another one. I will send out the payment right away."
posted on March 5, 2001 08:27:31 AM
I work in a Customer Service Booth that sells Western Union Money Orders. If you need the Consumer #, or any other info just let me know. You might want to e-mail the buyer and ask him to send a copy of the money order receipt. On has the MO #, date and time of purchase, etc.
The buyer has to put a tracer on it. The tracer form is on the back of the MO receipt. It costs 12.00 to put a tracer on it though, so the buyer might complain about that.
posted on March 5, 2001 08:32:27 AM
I get this claim frequently. Not one time has anyone provided me proof I cashed their payment. It happens with Pay Pal too. My favorite is the "check is in the mail."
posted on March 5, 2001 08:52:53 AM
Actually, this happen to me quite recently. I of course buy my MO's at work. I sent my payment to a seller and I didn't hear from him for about three weeks. So I e-mailed him in which he e-mailed me back stating he hasn't received the payment yet. Why didn't he let me know sooner? Well when I went to work I first called to see if it was cashed, which it wasn't. Then I called our agent # and weaseled my way to stop payment on it. I sent the seller a new MO with a copy of the other MO receipt, just so he knows that I wasn't lying. A couple weeks later I found out someone did try to cash the 1st MO. I didn't mail in to get a refund for the first one. It was only for 14.00 and the fee to get a MO traced, refund,etc, is 12.00. Not worth the hassle.
[ edited by cyanide on Mar 5, 2001 08:55 AM ]
posted on March 5, 2001 08:56:49 AMultraman: I'm actually going through this myself! Deadbeat customer tells me he sent me his payment by Priority Mail(weeks after the auction ended and I filed a NPB alert on him) and he says he has "proof" I received and cashed the payment.
I asked him for the tracking #'s. He refuses to respond. So now, he has filed "fraud charges" against me saying he paid me and I won't ship out the item!
posted on March 5, 2001 09:40:16 AM
cyanide. According to what you are saying, then this guy is probably lying? I had a girl who sent me a WU MO try and put a trace on hers as well. We had waited over 3 weeks for her payment to show up. Mine finally did arrive, and it wasn't her fault or mine, but the substitute postman had delivered it to another address. Our MO was travelling around town for awhile. In the meantime, she went to WU, and they told her the same thing you said, that it would cost $12.00 to put a tracer on it, and they also said they wouldnt even trace it until after 30 days had passed. Is that part true as well?? Just curious.
For the original poster:
Dont send him anything until you find out what happened to the MO. He is lying to you!!
