The Energon Pub

Hey fellow bot addicts.

just a quick warning about ebay seller rei_jinn.

This seller has been selling encore convoys on ebay for some time, his price was good, so I bought a pair.

the items came totally rusted out. New and sealed but apparently stored somewhere humid or wet as the wheel wells, were brown and green from rust.

that wouldnt be so bad, if he had accepted a return, but instead, he opened a paypal claim against me, and with his tracking #s (which is the only thing paypal checks)he overturned my request for a return or partial refund.

even worse, I offered to buy two more if he would inspect them before sending, offered to return the two items and he could just send me two more, no refund needed.

his response? he blocked me.

Please beware of this seller, he knows exactly how to play ebay and paypal and used this knowledge to screw me out of $220.

DONT BUY FROM REI_JINN!

oh yeah, he also has two ebay IDs

rei_jinn and r_e_i

where he sells the same merch at different pricing.

Please avoid both.

Did you contact eBay?

indeed I did, but as I said, he knows exactly what to say to avoid any issues.

stonewalled me at every turn, paypal, ebay, visa.

Also watch out for ladiesman217, he sold me a pair of broken glasses

On the rare occasion I buy something this expensive I video myself unpacking it so I have proof in case of something like this. But really I don't see how eBay can deny you since you have evidence that the items sent were substandard.

Did you open an "I received an item that does not match the seller's description" case? Usually that is good enough to get the seller to accept a return, at your expense anyway.

I thought tracking numbers are only good for an "Item not recieved" case.

So "REI_JINN" and Wheeljackslab now constitute my "do not buy from" list.

GuyIncognito wrote:So "REI_JINN" and Wheeljackslab now constitute my "do not buy from" list.

Haven't had any problems with Wheeljackslab at all, but Rei_Jinn I'll keep on the look out for.

Grimlock75 wrote:Also watch out for ladiesman217, he sold me a pair of broken glasses

Good one.

I dont know who it was, but I was ripped off a ROTF Demolisher. Waited 7 weeks when the expected period was meant to be 2.

Diem wrote: But really I don't see how eBay can deny you since you have evidence that the items sent were substandard.

talked to visa about this after paypal ruled in the sellers favour.

they told me that Paypal and Ebay go off the tracking # and almost never look into specific case details.

essentially, if the seller uses a tracking #, the buyer loses a claim.
if the seller doesnt have a tracking #, the buyer always wins a claim.

unless the item was broken in half or something. but something like rust on the wheels, harder to prove.

He actually accused me of buying two primes from another seller previously, opening a dispute for a return against him, in an effort to keep his two primes and return previously bought rusty ones.

it barely made sense that someone would do that, but it was the first and only commment he added to the paypal dispute before escalating to a claim himself.

I only opened the dispute becuase he wouldnt respond to email. Certainly hadnt planned on escalating to a claim, but he did it right away.
he then provided tracking to paypal and that was all she wrote.

That's pretty messed up.

It Is Him wrote:That's pretty messed up.

agreed, I felt like I was being handled by someone who knew exactly how to play the ebay/paypal system.

Karma is a B; as cliched as it sounds, but it is so true, if that's any comfort at all. I'm sorry you lost your money on this one man. Thank you for alerting the rest of us!

LOST Cybertronian wrote:Did you open an "I received an item that does not match the seller's description" case? Usually that is good enough to get the seller to accept a return, at your expense anyway.

I thought tracking numbers are only good for an "Item not recieved" case.

This... The seller's tracking numbers should have no bearing on an 'item not as described' case, I'd say. I'm not saying the seller isn't a jerk, because he probably is, but it seems strange that eBay / Paypal would rule a case in favor of the seller only based on the fact he could provide a tracking number (he might as well have sent you a packaged brick, with track & trace).
As far as I know, eBay / Paypal are notoriously pro-buyer.

I can only tell you what happened, I will try again with ebay but my hopes arent high.


edit - yeah, I tried to open a case again, but ebay just returns me to the paypal resolution centre, and I cant file twice.

since they ruled in his favor, nothing to be done but resell them as damaged. Maybe to a customs guy or something.

either way, the money isnt the biggest thing, its getting manipulated like this. Dont want to see it happen to other collectors.

Sid Burn wrote:I can only tell you what happened, I will try again with ebay but my hopes arent high.


edit - yeah, I tried to open a case again, but ebay just returns me to the paypal resolution centre, and I cant file twice.

since they ruled in his favor, nothing to be done but resell them as damaged. Maybe to a customs guy or something.

either way, the money isnt the biggest thing, its getting manipulated like this. Dont want to see it happen to other collectors.

You can dispute a case, don't know if it will do you any favors. I would call them and talk to a person to explain your case. Done it before myself.

LOST Cybertronian wrote:

Sid Burn wrote:I can only tell you what happened, I will try again with ebay but my hopes arent high.


edit - yeah, I tried to open a case again, but ebay just returns me to the paypal resolution centre, and I cant file twice.

since they ruled in his favor, nothing to be done but resell them as damaged. Maybe to a customs guy or something.

either way, the money isnt the biggest thing, its getting manipulated like this. Dont want to see it happen to other collectors.

You can dispute a case, don't know if it will do you any favors. I would call them and talk to a person to explain your case. Done it before myself.

Seconded. I've done this plenty of time with other companies in other situations. It usually works.

alldarker wrote:As far as I know, eBay / Paypal are notoriously pro-buyer.

Not when there's a tracking number in play they aren't.

A couple of years ago I won a loose Captain Power Power Base with box from a seller who is now no longer registered on eBay. The seller went quiet on shipping and when I filed a dispute, magically sent it priority all of a sudden then escalated it to a claim on me mid transit.

The item arrived and the seller had simply wrapped the parts in bubble wrap, shoved them in the Power Base's box, put "magical" [snort] brown paper around the box and then put it in the mail.

No surprise that when it arrived (the box cardboard is about as thick as a TF figure's box) there was a gaping hole in it and parts were smashed.

I changed my claim, only that was the first adventure as Paypal tried to claim that the claim had not been changed in the allowable time.

After screaming at them over the phone when speaking calmly about it failed, they finally changed the claim.

Only then the fun began. You see, with items not as described, a video or photos aren't enough. What eBay requires is for you to take the item to a certified expert and for them to fax into Paypal a signed document stating how they are an expert and declaring the item is not as described.

Well my expert was in Canada and so between fighting Paypal for their American fax number and fighting for time to make this happen, they shut the claim down on me AGAIN.

More screaming with Paypal to get it restored.

Then they got the paperwork in and they sided against me. I blasted them over the phone, threatening to sue them in small claims court and file a formal complaint with the ACCC at which point I was put onto a team leader who claimed that, get this the claim was rejected because I didn't buy the item on eBay. My tolerance meter for infinite stupidity at that point was well and truly broken and after screaming the transaction ID at him and demanding he check it right then and there, the penny finally dropped for the genius (snort) and my money was refunded within a week.

Make no mistake though- Paypal are only in it for themselves - the fact that they now charge fees on refunds is proof of this. They side with the buyer when there's no tracking number, because they have no way of worming out of that one. Make no mistake though - the moment they can play a dodgy angle, they can, do and will.

exactly my point. I have dealt with paypal over the phone as well previously and it is incredibly frustrating.

I just dont have the desire to go through all that on this one. I will just never use this seller again (rei_jinn) and resell them to a kitbasher or something.

that being said, I hope others learn from what happened to me, and dont buy from him.

Ebay and Paypal are linked at the hip. I hate that about them. Its like politics and religion, they shouldn't be linked.

I think the only real way to get around this is to make the delivery guy wait while you open a parcel and then refuse to accept/sign for it if the item is unacceptable.

Ravage XK wrote:Ebay and Paypal are linked at the hip. I hate that about them. Its like politics and religion, they shouldn't be linked.

I think the only real way to get around this is to make the delivery guy wait while you open a parcel and then refuse to accept/sign for it if the item is unacceptable.

ebay owns pay pal though......I really don't thimk they are going to split.

njb902 wrote:

Ravage XK wrote:Ebay and Paypal are linked at the hip. I hate that about them. Its like politics and religion, they shouldn't be linked.

I think the only real way to get around this is to make the delivery guy wait while you open a parcel and then refuse to accept/sign for it if the item is unacceptable.

ebay owns pay pal though......I really don't thimk they are going to split.

Exactly, thats the problem.

Thanks for this warning. I will definitely avoid these three sellers on eBay.

I'm dealing with a "item not received" case. I opened it because it's almost been a month and a half and the tracking number the seller gave me doesn't track shite! I called up Canada Post directly with the number and they have no record of the number or package.

I feel that this guy has screwed me because he has provided a tracking number. Ebay may favour the seller on this one because of that. I've asked for my money back but no reply.

This stuff annoys me soooo much that i might just walk away soon. Fighting with a dude in China while i'm in Canada and Ebay in between is rather tedious.

I stand to lose 50 bucks though. But if you think in terms that i would blow that at the pub in a night over beers then i guess i can turn my back on the situation easy enough and take my lumps.

Although at the pub I'd get a couple laughs for my investment and a nice buzz.