I have been on eBay for a few years now, and had begun selling some extra things lying around (mostly cards for the game Magic) online.
I have run into more problems than I had thought possible.
My most repeated issue is Paypal. I don't take Paypal. I used to have a Paypal account, which I never used. After several years, I decided to eliminate it. The runaround that ensued was enough to dissuade me from getting a new account. See, I had moved *and* changed banks in the interim. They wanted my phone number. No, sir, not your current phone number, the one you had three years ago. Ok, what is your address? No, sir, that's not the address we have on file for you. Alright, what's your bank's routing number? What do you mean this Paypal account is associated with a bank account that no longer exists? I'm sorry, sir, but we can't do anything for you without that information that proves you are who you say you are...
I have even put in my auctions, in two different places, that I don't take Paypal. "I accept personal checks and money orders; I do not accept Paypal." and
"Seller's payment instructions
Please include your shipping address when sending payment (check or money order). I do not accept Paypal."
It even says that in the message I send out via eBay. "I do not accept Paypal." It's not listed as one the types of payment I accept; I have Personal Check and Money Order/Cashiers Check listed.
And yet, I'll get people to ask me if I accept Paypal.
Here's a recent example (I'm still in the middle of arbitrating this, as I received the last email just now):
First email (response to my eBay message):
> >Dear pseudosoldier,
> >
> >
> >I will be sending payment of US $1.49 via Personal Check shortly.
> >
> >
> >
> >============================================================
> >Item #/Item Title Qty Price
> >============================================================
> >5923399974 1 US $0.49
> >Magic 4x Feldon's Cane Chronicles/Fifth Edition x4 MtG
> >
> >-----------------------------------------------------------------
> >Subtotal: US $0.49
> >Shipping and handling via Standard Flat Rate Shipping Service : US $1.00
> >Shipping insurance (not offered): --
> >
> >-----------------------------------------------------------------
> >Total: US $1.49
> >------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> >
> >Please ship to the following address:
[His address]
> >I will send payment to the following address:
[My address]
> >Thank you.
> >
> >
> >sk8rdie82
Please note the "I will be sending payment... by Personal Check shortly." My response (two weeks later):
>Mr. [eBayer],
>
>It has been two weeks since you sent me this email. I have not received
>payment for this auction. Please contact me to let me know what the
>situation is. Thank you.
>
>[My name and address]
His response:
>i'm not sure. it should have made it out to you by now. will you take pay
>pal? if so ill pay you today.
Now, I wasn't going to fly off the handle on him, here. How could he know that about once in every ten auctions someone asks me about Paypal? Keep in mind the two reminders in my auction, and that the automated message informed him of it a third time that I. Don't. Accept. Paypal. (And that he said he'd send me a check "soon.")
Here's what I wrote back:
Unfortunately, I don't take Paypal. Do you recall when you sent the
payment? Has the check been marked as cashed by your banking institution?
If you sent it fairly recently, it may arrive in the next day or two. If
you want to wait two days to see if it arrives, we could discuss it again
after that. I would still prefer to complete the transaction, so please let
me know if there's any other info about this
And, his most recent response, here:
i havent sent it yet because i thought youd be reasonable and take paypal.
its ridiculous to waste a check on a dollar fifty, its hardly worth the time
to go to a bank and cash it. with gas prices you'll prolly spend more gas
getting to the bank than the check is worth, but if you insist on this line
of thought i'll send you one today.
I'm really not sure what to say back to this. He told me he would send it, then he told me he sent it, then he tells me he never sent. And I'm unreasonable. It's ridiculous to send a check for this amount, but it's not ridiculous to argue about it. It's ridiculous for me to not set up Paypal, and it's ridiculous for me to expect him to live up to his end of the auction.
I'm also a little torn about how to handle it as his email address ends with @nhgl.med.navy.mil I mean, there's no way I would call someone's chain of command about $1.49, but now I'm not sure I want to even mention that I'm in the military to this guy.
Some people...
[/rant]
