eBay: Bait n Switch?
 

I have been bidding on earbuds for my kids. They seem to crash and burn a pair at least every couple weeks... and sometimes we go thru 3-5 pair a month. Well, that was BEFORE I stopped buying them for them. I was finding them some places for $3-$5... that can get ridiculously expensive when you end up buying them about as much as you buy toilet paper. Then I remembered eBay...

Anyway, I bid on an auction for some cute earbuds that looked like legos were attached to the cover piece. A pair of red, and a pair of blue. Both looked like legos, both from the same seller. winning bid was something like $1.04 each, free shipping. From Singapore or something?

So I get them the other day, and there are 2 sets of phones, and they are red and blue... but they DEFINITELY DO NOT match the picture. They are like flat blue/red things on the back. No attempt to look like a lego at all- not even block like. They are completely flat. My kids didn't know the lego earbuds were coming (they were surprises for the prize box), so it's not like they are let down in anyway. But I'm kinda annoyed that it's not the cute novelty item I thought I was gonna get.

How would YOU leave feedback? And no, I don't feel like shipping them back- because I'd end up paying more shipping than it would cost to just buy 2 more sets of eBay.

That's what the feedback is for. If you don't leave feedback, you're breaking the system for everybody else.

oh, I never said I wasn't leaving feedback... I'm just on the fence between negative and neutral at this moment. I DID receive 2 working pair of headphones... just not the exact ones I ordered. And they were only a buck. Worth a neutral? Or am I just being a complete bitch by saying I want to leave them a little red dot? :/

I don't understand the conflict you are having.

well I intend on keeping the item, so should I post neutral feedback, and just leave in the description that I received a different pair than listed in the auction (twice over)? Or would you outright just give them negative feedback for falsely advertising?

Yes. I would.

Actually, I don't know how it works. Are you rated as a buyer, i.e. could they retaliate? If not, then ƒuck them. Is so, then ƒuck them anyway.

they already left me positive feedback, so I doubt they could retaliate-- unless I purchased from them again, which I won't be doing. I just wanted to get an opinion before I left negative feedback- because I thought maybe I was overreacting.

The seller can respond to negative feedback you leave them, and I'm sure this one will since they have 100% feedback rating and this one negative will "tarnish" that reputation. It wouldn't hurt to shoot an email and ask WTF, then if they can't fix it by sending you the right stuff immediately and for free then by all means leave the negative feedback. Other buyers should know this seller is misleading.

I need to clarify something- the link I made to the Lego earbuds are not the actual auction I bid on- the seller I bid on I think had around 99%.

And thanks for helping- I will prob leave negative feedback. That's annoying. I'm glad I'm not the only person who thought it was stupid they'd do something like that.

Go back and re-read the description of the item you bid on. If it clearly describes and pictures something other than what you got, then I'd contact the seller to give them a chance to make it right. If they make it right, I'd leave a neutral feedback and explain that they screwed up but fixed their mistake after you had to go through a hassle. If they refuse to fix their mistake, or expect you to fix their mistake by sending the crap back, then I'd leave negative feedback.

I'm with Glatt.

Don't leave negative feedback without giving them an opportunity to redress the issue.
If they want to keep a high feedback rating they will send the correct ones FOC.

I'd take a photo and email them - this could be a genuine mistake made in packing the items.

If they will not forward the correct ones on, leave negative feedback.
If they apologise and admit error but ask you to send the wrong ones back, leave neutral feedback.
If they send new ones with no charge, leave positive with a few words to say, "Mistake made originally but..."

IMO.

Thirded

**Shipping Detail**
* The delivering times will be arrived around17-20 working days in depend, it means it may arrive around 1 month later after completed the payment.






**Return Policy**


You satisfaction is important to us!

* The item is Brand new and is pictured above.

* Seven Days return policy.

* Full refund for the items actual price, but not included the shipping fee.

* Item must be returned in original condition within 7 days.

Buyer is responsible to take the shipping fee of return items.

That doesn't quite seem fair.

What's not fair, that they ship the stuff in Depends adult diapers?

That's pretty standard policy for internet shopping.
It stops people changing their minds and stiffing the company for the return postage.

Note that it states "and is pictured above".
The policy is not intended for situations where the seller is in error.

not fair is they need 17-20 days to get it to you, but you only get 7 to return it.

And that assumes the buyer isn't trying to outright scam you... I recently sold a collection of card-like items, and one guy bought 4 of them. I mailed them all together between two pieces of cardboard, and he emailed me a few days later to ask if I had perhaps had multiples and sent him the wrong one, because one of the cards had a major crease across the front that had not been in the picture, although the other three were fine.

Now, I am 100% certain those cards were in pristine condition when I put them in the package. It might have gotten damaged in shipping, sure--except how does a single card get folded while taped tightly between two pieces of cardboard, yet the other three flush up against it do not? I asked him to send me a picture of the damaged card so I could try to figure out what went wrong, and I'd happily refund his money. All of a sudden he decides nevermind, he wants to keep the "damaged" card after all and he considers the matter closed. Yeah, sure dude.

I have always read it as the buyer needs to post the item within 7 days, not that the item must be received within 7 days. YMMV.
Yup, unfortunately there are scamming buyers AND sellers out there. My bro refuses to sell anything on eBay because his first purchaser was a complete scammer. Moaned and whined and left negative feedback. Eventually returned the item - except that the item returned was not the item sent. But because the buyer obtained proof of postage when returning, PayPal refunded the purchase price. So although the buyer paid shipping charges he got quite an expensive item for that cost alone, and my bro was left with a broken down piece of crap and out of pocket.

I don't know if the rules have been changed since, but the bottom line is if you want to practice dishonesty there's always a way to do it.

I just used the above auction to show you the type of earbuds I was talking about. Here's one of the links to the actual auction I won:


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...id=p2759.l1259

They have this listed in their return policy:

I sent them off a note asking them to send the correct item, we will see what happens. I'm not afraid to leave negative feedback... and as stated before, there's not much retaliation they can do, since they've already left me positive feedback.

I would out right tell them. You are not happy. What you received is not the item you bid on. This was a gift and you cannot give what you received. I'd send them a picture of what they sent you... and the link to the item you bid on. I 'd tell them you want them to send you the correct item and ask them what they want you to do with the incorrect shipment they sent you... and I'd let them know you are not going to pay to return it as it was their error.

I had to do exactly that when I bid on a copy of Toy Story for my son... what I recieved was an illegal copy. I told the seller under no uncertian terms would I pay to send it back to them.

I hope those kids are washing cars for their earbud money.

LOL Cloud, I'm such a cheapass... I make them do three chores around the house for them (for any prize from the prize box). Two if I'm feeling super generous and it's a big chore. So, in exchange for $1 earbuds, I get the dishes washed, a couple loads of laundry maybe, and the living room picked up. I think I'm getting the better end of the deal there, but I won't ever let them know it. :P

I must have weird ears...I can never keep those things in. Even the ones with ear hookys don't work for me. I need the big ole 1970s type earphones!

I just bought a couple shirts for my oldest son at WalMart and each one had headphones attached to them. $10 for a shirt and headphones. Can't beat that since one, or the other, or both will end up trashed in a month or so anyway LOL!

Ha! I just HAD to pick up a 3 dollar shirt at Wally World that reads "This is how I roll" and then has dice and the monopoly logo...the background are gray shadow images of games pieces and such.

:)

Shaw, I have the same problem with ear buds.

Wha Wha WTH? err who...

I don't think I'd ever order something from Singapore or China off ebay. But that's just me. The shipping has always seemed fishy, for one thing.

Contact the seller first; if you're not satisfied, then leave the negative fb.

Just post neutral and leave a comment saying the item is not as described. You should do this because it's how they know their buyers aren't idiots. If you wanted to be concilliatory, you can say you're still confident the item will 'do' what it's meant to do, but it doesn't look how it's supposed to.

I bought 500 glass fish on ebay from China to give as gifts at our wedding instead of the traditional sugar coated almonds. They were lovely, and cost about 50 cents per item as opposed to anything similar in Australia which cost around $10 per item.

;)

that sounds very nice (the fish)

Does it come in tent size?

I just bought a pair of shoes on eBay for 99p.
Silver sequinned pumps.
I'll wear them out in three months but that's the point of cheap summer shoes.

Also biddin on a pair of flip-flops.
Need to find our whether they are considered suitable wear at school.
I'll just live in them outside school hours if not.

I have one just like that except that my image is of a roll of tp. :)

I'll show you Fokkers how to roll...