# I am the subject of an ebay ripoff **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 28, 2006, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-subject-of-an-ebay-ripoff/362503 "2006-06-28T15:28:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2006, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-subject-of-an-ebay-ripoff/362503/1 "2006-06-28T15:28:47Z")
I am the successful bidder for an HP dv8295 laptop. I have received a delivery from the seller (who has a 100% rating) and in the parcel is a HP dv8173, which is much cheaper and has lower specs. The seller is not responding to my emails and texts. I have reported this to ebay, who responded with a rather generalised email - not really promising any help, and saying that > [@](#): > > Please keep in mind that eBay acts as a venue for buyers and sellers. As such, we will investigate any reports received and sanction accounts that violate our policies, **but we do not take action on an eBay member`s behalf, nor do we directly intervene in disputes between eBay users.** (my bolding). Am I stuffed, or is there anything I can do? ---
**Author:** ![JustAnotherGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/58f4c7/32.png) [@JustAnotherGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustAnotherGeek)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2006, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-subject-of-an-ebay-ripoff/362503/2 "2006-06-28T15:40:18Z")
> [@NineToTheSky](#): > > I am the successful bidder for an HP dv8295 laptop. I have received a delivery from the seller (who has a 100% rating) and in the parcel is a HP dv8173, which is much cheaper and has lower specs. > > The seller is not responding to my emails and texts. > > I have reported this to ebay, who responded with a rather generalised email - not really promising any help, and saying that > > (my bolding). > > Am I stuffed, or is there anything I can do? How did you pay? If by credit card, does your company have fraud protection? If they do, and you can get them to cancel the charge, that should get the seller’s attention. Good luck. ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2006, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-subject-of-an-ebay-ripoff/362503/3 "2006-06-28T16:05:26Z")
> [@JustAnotherGeek](#): > > How did you pay? If by credit card, does your company have fraud protection? If they do, and you can get them to cancel the charge, that should get the seller’s attention. > > Good luck. Thanks, but I paid by bank transfer. I’m beginning to think that I sound like one of those idiots, who, when you hear about them, think: I’d never be so stupid to do that! But I have, and I am. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2006, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-subject-of-an-ebay-ripoff/362503/4 "2006-06-28T16:13:06Z")
Would this be time to contact a lawyer, or should the OP try other things first? ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2006, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-subject-of-an-ebay-ripoff/362503/5 "2006-06-28T16:21:02Z")
> [@NineToTheSky](#): > > Thanks, but I paid by bank transfer. You did WHAT? Sounds like an expensive lesson. For all the trouble contacting lawyers, etc will cost you, I’d forget about and just chalk it up to experience. ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2006, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-subject-of-an-ebay-ripoff/362503/6 "2006-06-28T16:27:01Z")
> [@NineToTheSky](#): > > Thanks, but I paid by bank transfer. > > I’m beginning to think that I sound like one of those idiots, who, when you hear about them, think: I’d never be so stupid to do that! But I have, and I am. ☹ Did you do you bank trasfer through Paypal? I never explored it but I think they have some buyer’s protection stuff in place. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2006, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-subject-of-an-ebay-ripoff/362503/7 "2006-06-28T16:29:14Z")
This is why I stick to Amazon. Can’t the buyer at least give this seller a scathingly bad review and a warning to other buyers? ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2006, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-subject-of-an-ebay-ripoff/362503/8 "2006-06-28T16:31:16Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > This is why I stick to Amazon. > > Can’t the buyer at least give this seller a scathingly bad review and a warning to other buyers? Yes, I certainly will. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2006, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-subject-of-an-ebay-ripoff/362503/9 "2006-06-28T16:32:19Z")
You should leave negative feedback. Maybe help the next victim. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2006, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-subject-of-an-ebay-ripoff/362503/10 "2006-06-28T16:40:39Z")
If you used PayPal for the bank transfer, you can initiate a complaint process. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2006, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-subject-of-an-ebay-ripoff/362503/11 "2006-06-28T17:05:39Z")
Bank transfer? Meaning he gave you his bank account information? Meaning you could buy something using his bank account information to make up for the ripping off you suffered? Hmmm. Not that I advocate doing any such thing of course. ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2006, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-subject-of-an-ebay-ripoff/362503/12 "2006-06-28T17:34:35Z")
Yes, he did give me his bank details. I would never dream of misusing them. 🙂 A deveolpment: he has just emailed me, claiming there’s no difference in the specs! Like AMD instead of Intel Duo, 1gb memory instead of 2gb, 128mb shared video memory instead of 256mb Geforce etc. No difference - huh! ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2006, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-subject-of-an-ebay-ripoff/362503/13 "2006-06-28T21:28:46Z")
Now you have a tacit admission as to what he did though. Is he in the same state? If so, small claims court might be an option. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2006, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-subject-of-an-ebay-ripoff/362503/14 "2006-06-28T23:00:22Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > Bank transfer? Meaning he gave you his bank account information? Meaning you could buy something using his bank account information to make up for the ripping off you suffered? Hmmm. How is that even possible? the bank account information you need to give out to someone sending you a bank transfer is the same info that is preprinted on every cheque you write (plus you also give them a sample of your signature in those cases); I don’t think someone can hijack a bank account that easily. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2006, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-subject-of-an-ebay-ripoff/362503/15 "2006-06-28T23:06:24Z")
I appreciate that you’re not going to be eligible for any kind of PayPal buyer protection, but the fallback from that is ebay’s standard buyer protection; details here: [Resolving issues with sellers | eBay](http://pages.ebay.com/help/tp/isgw-buyer-protection-steps.html) - are you eligible? ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2006, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-subject-of-an-ebay-ripoff/362503/16 "2006-06-28T23:12:04Z")
Did you just send an email to customer service , or did you open an “item significantly not as described” dispute? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2006, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-subject-of-an-ebay-ripoff/362503/17 "2006-06-29T02:46:53Z")
The fact that he claiming that there’s no diff in specs is amazing and is tantamount to admitting he ripped you off. If he wonlt make it right forward the email to ebay and see if they can get satisfaction. This is a an over the top scam. ---
**Author:** ![Mrs\_Johnson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7cd45c/32.png) [@Mrs\_Johnson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs_Johnson)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2006, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-subject-of-an-ebay-ripoff/362503/18 "2006-06-29T04:08:24Z")
I’d at least demand a discount for the lower specs. That’s not right. And bank transfer!!! :eek: Next time use paypal - cover yourself. ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2006, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-subject-of-an-ebay-ripoff/362503/19 "2006-06-29T07:21:38Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > Did you just send an email to customer service , or did you open an “item significantly not as described” dispute? I sent an email, because I can’t use the “item significantly not as described” until 10 days after the sale - and that isn’t till Saturday. ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2006, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-subject-of-an-ebay-ripoff/362503/20 "2006-06-29T07:22:40Z")
> [@Zabali\_Clawbane](#): > > Now you have a tacit admission as to what he did though. Is he in the same state? If so, small claims court might be an option. I’m in the UK, but I am considering that. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-the-subject-of-an-ebay-ripoff/362503.md?page=2)