VGC's Anonymous/"General" Topic:

[pzeke]

It was the same cart yes. As I said, I chalk this up to incompetence on the buyers part. Rather than check if it was alright when they got item, they waited in this case 3 weeks to see that evidently it doesn't work or in this case not rule out that their system has an issue and blame me for sending them a faulty item. That said I agree with your assessment of taking pictures and play testing to show that it is in working order. That way if by some chance they decide to dispute I can have evidence to fight that. I know I have been guilty of not trying out used items I buy the day I get them or buy them but at the same time its like accuse me of selling you a faulty product GTFO

I hear you; I've taken a whole week, sometimes two to test used games I get off eBay, but when it comes to stuff I sell, I test them out and record myself play-testing them just as if my life depended on it.

By the way, I reckon this goes without saying, but in the event you continue doing these type of deals using only PayPal, keep all conversations you make with your potential buyers, as that will also add a point in your favor.

Lastly, I'm not sure if this is something you'd be willing to do, but I tend to sell using the "send money to family or friends" option the most. Since no fees are charged that way, I tend to give potential buyers discounts to incentivize them choosing that option, If you can establish good rapport with your buyers and are willing to provide them pictures and maybe a video showcasing the game is in working order before purchase, this is an excellent way, of not only getting more bang for your buck, but also ease of mind since they can't come in and open a dispute a month after purchase.

[sworddude]

So a couple of weeks ago, I sold a copy of Mario Kart 8 to someone on Reddit and I thought it went without a hitch since I did not hear anything back after it was delivered. Fast forward to last week, the buyer decided to file a claim on me through Paypal stating that the game was not reading, they tried it multiple times  and that I was hiding the damage of the game by not showing the back of the cart when I sent photos. So because it was sent via email and whatnot around midnight and didnt want to be bothered, I accepted the dispute to have them send the game back to me.

I got the game in the mail this morning and went to check the back side of the cart. Now it did have like a light black mark in one of the sections but nothing I felt was going to affect it. Not only that but I did play a bit of this copy and it worked with no problem. That being said I eventually did try it out on my Switch and it reads. I even insert the game multiple times and it worked which tells me either their Switch is the problem or they had buyer's remorse and decided to go with that excuse. The return claim wasnt really the issue but rather the timing in that they made the claim 3 weeks and a day since they got the item in the mail. I know I could have done more to fight this but I couldn't be bothered plus I was really sure it was fine and this person was full of it. It's whatever I just wanted to rant.

It's just an item not as described claim

The buyer can say anything because he might have buyers remorse even if the item just works fine that's just the excuse. so even though you have the option to not accept returns you do basicly have to accept returns.

Item not as described claims are hard to win, will usually end up in a get your item back and refund buyer. you can usually get shipping back or have the buyer to pay shipping for it. Offering a refund but return shipping costs on the buyer can sometimes scare them away in wich they just close the dispute and keep the item.

videotaping yourself playing it will most likely not defend you against an item not described claim since paypal/ or ebay can't verify if the game worked before themselves. Ebay/paypal is a buyer's paradise protection as a buyer is through the roof. Videotaping only helps if you open a package as proof that you didn't get what you want upon receiving it. or if you pack an item for shipping as proof that you actually shipped out the item. The latter not really needed if you just have tracking. Maybe for some really pricy items.

Still getting the item back in the same condition ain't a bad scenario. From what i've heard as long as it's the very same item even if damaged badly broken way worse condition than send in  the buyer might still win the case. Still what that being said even if it's a different item Unless they are sending a brick back item not described claims are rough. You'd rather have items lost claims in wich your insurance covers your ass or you have proof of the item being delivered.

[pzeke]

I will concede that eBay and PayPal continue to use the pandemic as an excuse to half-ass everything worse than they ever have, so getting that one customer support rep that knows exactly what they're doing often is a one in a million deal, but, as I posted earlier, I'm speaking from experience. I won a case years ago against a guy saying a PS2 game I sold to him was defective after having it for literally 30 days, which is the time eBay gives you to open a dispute. I won that case, then he went to PayPal and opened one there, which, I also won after a little struggle. Aside from the fact he had already opened a case on eBay and lost, I also provided PayPal a video of me play-testing the game for around 30mins, which was actually taken into consideration.

I know other people fortunate enough to have won INAD cases opened against them, and I've found it's more a case-by-case basis when it comes to PayPal, eBay not so much.

Anyway, droaa, if you intend to continue doing deals like this, I think for your best interest, you need to start setting some stipulations to your sales before proceeding with them, like giving the potential buyer a set amount of days for a return and such, things that you can actually include in the invoice, which PayPal will take into consideration. Never go with "all sales final, no returns", though, because that means jackshit. Also, remember that eBay doesn't own PayPal anymore, so they're not bound by arbitrary clauses anymore...although they do have their own.

[sworddude]

ebay withouth paypal is worse

You now have creditcard chargebacks. they give even less of a fuck to the seller from what I've read, the buyer might not even need to return the item and thus get their money back and a freebie when they make an item is not as described claim. and you might even have to pay 20$ out of pocket for going against the dispute when you lose as the cherry on top.

I've read that a hell lot more people get troublesome buyers since the change when they moved away from paypal.

in other words unless you really have a specialty item better to stick with other sources to sell stuff.

The costs reduction wich is the supposedly advantage (why they are trying to move away from paypal in the first place) isn't that big anyway, since it covers the price paid plus shipping, to top it off the fee has a higher % aswell so in reality your savings are usually less than 0.5% compared to doing it with paypal. not to mention for cheaper stuff you actually lose more money to them transaction fees 

It's a good thing that other sites exist for a majority of stuff.

[droaa]

So a couple of weeks ago, I sold a copy of Mario Kart 8 to someone on Reddit and I thought it went without a hitch since I did not hear anything back after it was delivered. Fast forward to last week, the buyer decided to file a claim on me through Paypal stating that the game was not reading, they tried it multiple times  and that I was hiding the damage of the game by not showing the back of the cart when I sent photos. So because it was sent via email and whatnot around midnight and didnt want to be bothered, I accepted the dispute to have them send the game back to me.

I got the game in the mail this morning and went to check the back side of the cart. Now it did have like a light black mark in one of the sections but nothing I felt was going to affect it. Not only that but I did play a bit of this copy and it worked with no problem. That being said I eventually did try it out on my Switch and it reads. I even insert the game multiple times and it worked which tells me either their Switch is the problem or they had buyer's remorse and decided to go with that excuse. The return claim wasnt really the issue but rather the timing in that they made the claim 3 weeks and a day since they got the item in the mail. I know I could have done more to fight this but I couldn't be bothered plus I was really sure it was fine and this person was full of it. It's whatever I just wanted to rant.

It's just an item not as described claim

The buyer can say anything because he might have buyers remorse even if the item just works fine that's just the excuse. so even though you have the option to not accept returns you do basicly have to accept returns.

Item not as described claims are hard to win, will usually end up in a get your item back and refund buyer. you can usually get shipping back or have the buyer to pay shipping for it. Offering a refund but return shipping costs on the buyer can sometimes scare them away in wich they just close the dispute and keep the item.

videotaping yourself playing it will most likely not defend you against an item not described claim since paypal/ or ebay can't verify if the game worked before themselves. Ebay/paypal is a buyer's paradise protection as a buyer is through the roof. Videotaping only helps if you open a package as proof that you didn't get what you want upon receiving it. or if you pack an item for shipping as proof that you actually shipped out the item. The latter not really needed if you just have tracking. Maybe for some really pricy items.

Still getting the item back in the same condition ain't a bad scenario. From what i've heard as long as it's the very same item even if damaged badly broken way worse condition than send in  the buyer might still win the case. Still what that being said even if it's a different item Unless they are sending a brick back item not described claims are rough. You'd rather have items lost claims in wich your insurance covers your ass or you have proof of the item being delivered.

I asked for the item to be shipped back just to prove it was working and because there was a part of me that thought the buyer was expecting me to let him keep the item plus a refund because who knows if they were really trying to pull one on me. As it stands, it came back intact of course working contrary to what they thought

I will concede that eBay and PayPal continue to use the pandemic as an excuse to half-ass everything worse than they ever have, so getting that one customer support rep that knows exactly what they're doing often is a one in a million deal, but, as I posted earlier, I'm speaking from experience. I won a case years ago against a guy saying a PS2 game I sold to him was defective after having it for literally 30 days, which is the time eBay gives you to open a dispute. I won that case, then he went to PayPal and opened one there, which, I also won after a little struggle. Aside from the fact he had already opened a case on eBay and lost, I also provided PayPal a video of me play-testing the game for around 30mins, which was actually taken into consideration.

I know other people fortunate enough to have won INAD cases opened against them, and I've found it's more a case-by-case basis when it comes to PayPal, eBay not so much.

Anyway, droaa, if you intend to continue doing deals like this, I think for your best interest, you need to start setting some stipulations to your sales before proceeding with them, like giving the potential buyer a set amount of days for a return and such, things that you can actually include in the invoice, which PayPal will take into consideration. Never go with "all sales final, no returns", though, because that means jackshit. Also, remember that eBay doesn't own PayPal anymore, so they're not bound by arbitrary clauses anymore...although they do have their own.

I definitely need to keep note of this and your previous post to prevent this. I have sold stuff in the past via Ebay, Amazon and the aforementioned Reddit but as I said never had a claim made weeks after the fact which again is what really got me. I've only sold two items in the last month under the Paypal-less Ebay and yeah, feels worst to me tbh.

ebay withouth paypal is worse

You now have creditcard chargebacks. they give even less of a fuck to the seller from what I've read, the buyer might not even need to return the item and thus get their money back and a freebie when they make an item is not as described claim. and you might even have to pay 20$ out of pocket for going against the dispute when you lose as the cherry on top.

I've read that a hell lot more people get troublesome buyers since the change when they moved away from paypal.

in other words unless you really have a specialty item better to stick with other sources to sell stuff.

The costs reduction wich is the supposedly advantage (why they are trying to move away from paypal in the first place) isn't that big anyway, since it covers the price paid plus shipping, to top it off the fee has a higher % aswell so in reality your savings are usually less than 0.5% compared to doing it with paypal. not to mention for cheaper stuff you actually lose more money to them transaction fees 

It's a good thing that other sites exist for a majority of stuff.

As I mentioned in the last post to pzeke, I used Ebay in the last month to sell two items and yeah its not as instant as Paypal and seem to take more out from you. To sum it, your item gets sold and when the invoice shows you will get the total after the fees which if im not wrong was 12.55%. You dont get your funds right way but rather 3 days after the sale and then you have wait another 1-3 days to go to your bank account which is dependent on who you use. Thankfully for me it was available the day after it was processed versus getting the money to my Paypal account and either leave it there or transfer to my bank account which takes a 1 day since they are pretty fast with that so I wouldnt blame sellers especially now if they hike up their prices to make some sort of something now that you have to wait a bit. I think Amazon was like that when I sold but that was years ago and I dont know how they are now with selling.

[sworddude]

The 3 days wait time ain't to bad considering you don't have to pay the fees one month later wich was messy. it's more organized and easy to see compared to the older system.

Than again I can imagine people not liking to get the money later on since with this system you do have to pay for shipping before you receive any kind money. Also doing partial refunds (for say combined shipping) with this system must be a true pain. with paypal that was super easy but with this system it seems tricky.

[Warmsignal]

I try not to sweat it with the new system. Check is in the mail, so to speak.  It's just that 12.5% tends to take the wind out of the sail. I don't blame sellers for hiking things up either, if you don't at least net $15 in a sale and you're not a power seller cranking out tons of orders, with shipping creeping up, etc, it's hardly even worth your while. Sucks as a buyer, but I get it. I have less sympathy for the B&M resellers who make sure to match the value plus shipping on their wares. Yes "overhead", I understand that, but give me some incentive to actually come to your store instead.

[pzeke]

I can't vouch for the program because I have yet to enroll in it, even though eBay keeps pestering me to do so, but one of the best parts of MP is the fact duplicitous buyers can't run to PayPal when eBay clips their wings. Based on those that I know that are part of the program, they don't seem to be having any problems, although I've read of people who have yet to get paid and others that think the fees are too high, which is a half-truth; I keep reading horror stories, but they tend to be exaggerated takes. Even though it's been active for a while now, the program is relatively new and long-term it's meant to provide its users with a better service since everything will be handled in-house. Personally, based on what I've gathered from others, MP doesn't seem that bad, so I've come to accept the overarching theme of the program, which essentially translates to consolidation; however, I'm sticking it out until the end, so I'm waiting until they iron out all the bugs. Everyone will eventually be part of MP, so it's just a matter of when.

I asked for the item to be shipped back just to prove it was working and because there was a part of me that thought the buyer was expecting me to let him keep the item plus a refund because who knows if they were really trying to pull one on me. As it stands, it came back intact of course working contrary to what they thought

I'm going to agree with your previous assessment of buyer's remorse because usually when they want to either get the item for free or cheaper after a refund, they never ship the item back. Like I already said, you handled this quite well.

I definitely need to keep note of this and your previous post to prevent this. I have sold stuff in the past via Ebay, Amazon and the aforementioned Reddit but as I said never had a claim made weeks after the fact which again is what really got me. I've only sold two items in the last month under the Paypal-less Ebay and yeah, feels worst to me tbh.

As I mentioned in the last post to pzeke, I used Ebay in the last month to sell two items and yeah its not as instant as Paypal and seem to take more out from you. To sum it, your item gets sold and when the invoice shows you will get the total after the fees which if im not wrong was 12.55%. You dont get your funds right way but rather 3 days after the sale and then you have wait another 1-3 days to go to your bank account which is dependent on who you use. Thankfully for me it was available the day after it was processed versus getting the money to my Paypal account and either leave it there or transfer to my bank account which takes a 1 day since they are pretty fast with that so I wouldnt blame sellers especially now if they hike up their prices to make some sort of something now that you have to wait a bit. I think Amazon was like that when I sold but that was years ago and I dont know how they are now with selling.

I've come to see that low-volume sellers are the ones who are experiencing problems with MP the most, although I have also seen high-volume sellers that have had some problems, as well. While the fee is 2%+ higher, MP saves you money long-term. For example: an item you sell for $15, normally, going through PayPal, the fee would amount to $2.27, whereas with MP it's just $2.18. Sure, minimal savings, but again, it's a long-term thing.

[droaa]

I can't vouch for the program because I have yet to enroll in it, even though eBay keeps pestering me to do so, but one of the best parts of MP is the fact duplicitous buyers can't run to PayPal when eBay clips their wings. Based on those that I know that are part of the program, they don't seem to be having any problems, although I've read of people who have yet to get paid and others that think the fees are too high, which is a half-truth; I keep reading horror stories, but they tend to be exaggerated takes. Even though it's been active for a while now, the program is relatively new and long-term it's meant to provide its users with a better service since everything will be handled in-house. Personally, based on what I've gathered from others, MP doesn't seem that bad, so I've come to accept the overarching theme of the program, which essentially translates to consolidation; however, I'm sticking it out until the end, so I'm waiting until they iron out all the bugs. Everyone will eventually be part of MP, so it's just a matter of when.

I asked for the item to be shipped back just to prove it was working and because there was a part of me that thought the buyer was expecting me to let him keep the item plus a refund because who knows if they were really trying to pull one on me. As it stands, it came back intact of course working contrary to what they thought

I'm going to agree with your previous assessment of buyer's remorse because usually when they want to either get the item for free or cheaper after a refund, they never ship the item back. Like I already said, you handled this quite well.

I definitely need to keep note of this and your previous post to prevent this. I have sold stuff in the past via Ebay, Amazon and the aforementioned Reddit but as I said never had a claim made weeks after the fact which again is what really got me. I've only sold two items in the last month under the Paypal-less Ebay and yeah, feels worst to me tbh.

As I mentioned in the last post to pzeke, I used Ebay in the last month to sell two items and yeah its not as instant as Paypal and seem to take more out from you. To sum it, your item gets sold and when the invoice shows you will get the total after the fees which if im not wrong was 12.55%. You dont get your funds right way but rather 3 days after the sale and then you have wait another 1-3 days to go to your bank account which is dependent on who you use. Thankfully for me it was available the day after it was processed versus getting the money to my Paypal account and either leave it there or transfer to my bank account which takes a 1 day since they are pretty fast with that so I wouldnt blame sellers especially now if they hike up their prices to make some sort of something now that you have to wait a bit. I think Amazon was like that when I sold but that was years ago and I dont know how they are now with selling.

I've come to see that low-volume sellers are the ones who are experiencing problems with MP the most, although I have also seen high-volume sellers that have had some problems, as well. While the fee is 2%+ higher, MP saves you money long-term. For example: an item you sell for $15, normally, going through PayPal, the fee would amount to $2.27, whereas with MP it's just $2.18. Sure, minimal savings, but again, it's a long-term thing.

When you say low volume sellers, do you mean people who only sell from time to time rather than constant?

[Flashback2012]

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU I forgot that Monster Hunter Stories 2 came out today and I didn't get my arse into GS at open to snag some Amiibos. They're showing sold out on the site so I'm betting I'm going to have a hell of a time running these down. I pre-ordered the last ones for Rise but they wouldn't let you do that this time around. 

I swear to God I am at my wits end with Nintendo of America and this practice of under-producing. I absolutely cannot understand why they refuse to use pre-orders correctly? I'm trying to give them freaking money and they act like they don't want it.     

[sworddude]

I can't vouch for the program because I have yet to enroll in it, even though eBay keeps pestering me to do so, but one of the best parts of MP is the fact duplicitous buyers can't run to PayPal when eBay clips their wings. Based on those that I know that are part of the program, they don't seem to be having any problems, although I've read of people who have yet to get paid and others that think the fees are too high, which is a half-truth; I keep reading horror stories, but they tend to be exaggerated takes. Even though it's been active for a while now, the program is relatively new and long-term it's meant to provide its users with a better service since everything will be handled in-house. Personally, based on what I've gathered from others, MP doesn't seem that bad, so I've come to accept the overarching theme of the program, which essentially translates to consolidation; however, I'm sticking it out until the end, so I'm waiting until they iron out all the bugs. Everyone will eventually be part of MP, so it's just a matter of when.

I asked for the item to be shipped back just to prove it was working and because there was a part of me that thought the buyer was expecting me to let him keep the item plus a refund because who knows if they were really trying to pull one on me. As it stands, it came back intact of course working contrary to what they thought

I'm going to agree with your previous assessment of buyer's remorse because usually when they want to either get the item for free or cheaper after a refund, they never ship the item back. Like I already said, you handled this quite well.

I definitely need to keep note of this and your previous post to prevent this. I have sold stuff in the past via Ebay, Amazon and the aforementioned Reddit but as I said never had a claim made weeks after the fact which again is what really got me. I've only sold two items in the last month under the Paypal-less Ebay and yeah, feels worst to me tbh.

As I mentioned in the last post to pzeke, I used Ebay in the last month to sell two items and yeah its not as instant as Paypal and seem to take more out from you. To sum it, your item gets sold and when the invoice shows you will get the total after the fees which if im not wrong was 12.55%. You dont get your funds right way but rather 3 days after the sale and then you have wait another 1-3 days to go to your bank account which is dependent on who you use. Thankfully for me it was available the day after it was processed versus getting the money to my Paypal account and either leave it there or transfer to my bank account which takes a 1 day since they are pretty fast with that so I wouldnt blame sellers especially now if they hike up their prices to make some sort of something now that you have to wait a bit. I think Amazon was like that when I sold but that was years ago and I dont know how they are now with selling.

I've come to see that low-volume sellers are the ones who are experiencing problems with MP the most, although I have also seen high-volume sellers that have had some problems, as well. While the fee is 2%+ higher, MP saves you money long-term. For example: an item you sell for $15, normally, going through PayPal, the fee would amount to $2.27, whereas with MP it's just $2.18. Sure, minimal savings, but again, it's a long-term thing.

When you say low volume sellers, do you mean people who only sell from time to time rather than constant?

I'm fairly sure he means power sellers. aka the ones that sell allot but get priviliges and the better protection from scams etc. usually at the very least a part time job if you have that status though

but sure there is also the middle ground

They definitely give a better service to people with a few hundred feedback than newcomers below 100 feedback.

[pzeke]

Last couple of points I want to mention regarding MP that I forgot in my earlier posts:

- With MP, eBay is now using the same payment processor that Etsy and Uber use.
- Contrary to PayPal, you won't lose 2.9% of the transaction fee after issuing a refund.

When you say low volume sellers, do you mean people who only sell from time to time rather than constant?

Yeah, pretty much.

In the literal sense, a high-volume seller is one that has a bunch of items listed for sale, while the opposite being true for low-volume. However, if you have a thousand items listed for sale and move that inventory while still listing and moving, then you're also considered a high-volume seller, the contrary for low-volume.

Overall, if you sell on eBay occasionally and tend do so to free up space around your house, so to speak, then for all intents and purposes you're a low-volume seller, and these are the ones I've seen that tend to have the most problems with the new program.

I'm fairly sure he means power sellers. aka the ones that sell allot but get priviliges and the better protection from scams etc. usually at the very least a part time job if you have that status though

but sure there is also the middle ground

They definitely give a better service to people with a few hundred feedback than newcomers below 100 feedback.

Yeah, power sellers do get preferential treatment - they're granted a full week before a buyer can leave neutral or negative feedback, which they in turn work their BS with customer service to get removed. I've had to contact customer support on at least two separate occasions regarding a power seller and they got all pissy on me because apparently these type of sellers are infallible.

Feedback means shit on eBay anyway, so as trite as it may sound, using the report feature is actually the best way of getting rid of the bad apples. After a set number of reports, eBay will intervene.

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU I forgot that Monster Hunter Stories 2 came out today and I didn't get my arse into GS at open to snag some Amiibos. They're showing sold out on the site so I'm betting I'm going to have a hell of a time running these down. I pre-ordered the last ones for Rise but they wouldn't let you do that this time around. 

I swear to God I am at my wits end with Nintendo of America and this practice of under-producing. I absolutely cannot understand why they refuse to use pre-orders correctly? I'm trying to give them freaking money and they act like they don't want it.     

Same thing happened to me with the Terry amiibo - I forgot, and when I checked online it was already sold out, gone for good.

Oh well, whaddya gonna do.

[Flashback2012]

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU I forgot that Monster Hunter Stories 2 came out today and I didn't get my arse into GS at open to snag some Amiibos. They're showing sold out on the site so I'm betting I'm going to have a hell of a time running these down. I pre-ordered the last ones for Rise but they wouldn't let you do that this time around. 

I swear to God I am at my wits end with Nintendo of America and this practice of under-producing. I absolutely cannot understand why they refuse to use pre-orders correctly? I'm trying to give them freaking money and they act like they don't want it.     

Same thing happened to me with the Terry amiibo - I forgot, and when I checked online it was already sold out, gone for good.

Oh well, whaddya gonna do.

I managed to find all three on Saturday morning. I ventured out to a GS that's in a rougher part of town instead of my regular one by my house. My cousin hit up the one by me and they only had one of the three left (Tsukino). It's aggravating that I had to do that and why I couldn't just simply go to the one closest to me, see ample stock, pick them up and be on my way. I'd even settle for being able to pre-order them and pick them up within 48 hours of release. It really should not be that much of a hassle. 

[pzeke]

Yeah, I guess you're right, it shouldn't be a hassle; but hey, you managed to get them in the end, and that's what counts.

[Flashback2012]

Yeah, I guess you're right, it shouldn't be a hassle; but hey, you managed to get them in the end, and that's what counts.

LOL here we go again...

The Zelda/Loftwing amiibo showed coming soon on Best Buy's website. I have kept that page up for over a month. I figured since it releases today I MIGHT have a chance. Nyet...I kept refreshing the page and suddenly the "Coming Soon" button turned to "Sold Out." 

It's on Amazon for a cool $63 or I can buy bootleg cards with the function for $10. 

Likewise the Skyward Sword JoyCons show not available on GameStop's website. I'm hoping those pop up within the week like the Monster Hunter Rise Pro Controllers did. I'm weary though as there's more LOZ fans out there than MH fans.