jema
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posted on October 14, 2000 11:47:59 AM new
I bid on a CD and sent $11 in cash to a young man in Bulgaria. (He says he is 16.) The seller went ahead in good faith and sent me the CD before receiving my money. Now, three weeks later he states he has not received my cash, as well as payments from at least six other Ebayers in the last few weeks, and he suspects his postman has stolen these payments. I believe this. But, he now wants me to re-send the cash, or wire the money to him. I already spent $7 to send the cash registered airmail the first time, making my original purchase for the CD $18. I certainly don't want to double-pay, plus pay for Western Union fees, bank transfers, etc, making this CD cost now around $50 !!! What would any of you do about this? I feel like just telling him, too bad, we both gambled and unfortunately he lost. It's not my fault his post office is corrupt. I can prove I sent the money with my post office receipts. Should I just accept a NEG and tell him forget it?
[ edited by jema on Oct 14, 2000 01:32 PM ]
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gboy
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posted on October 14, 2000 12:04:45 PM new
I wouldn't pay him again, but then again I wouldn't have sent cash in the mail in the first place, especially to a foreign country.
By the way, aren't ebay'ers supposed to be 18?
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abacaxi
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posted on October 14, 2000 12:05:53 PM new
"Now, three weeks later he states he has not received my cash, as well as payments from at least six other Ebayers in the last few weeks, and he suspects his postman has stolen these payments."
... seeing a sudden surge of registered envelopes the carier might have thought he struck pay dirt!
If it is registered, you or he can ask the post office to trace it. It might just be stalled in the international postal system. Those things ARE tracked all the way to their destination. I bought a book by cash from Turkey and it took over a month for the mail to make it ... the return trip with the book took another two.
Other wise, take the negative and tell him to let you know when he moves to a country where the mails can be trusted.
Take the negative and
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uaru
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posted on October 14, 2000 12:07:50 PM new
"Should I just accept a NEG and tell him forget it?"
Most definitely!
"I can prove I sent the money with my post office receipts."
Cash is a BAD idea, the only thing you can prove is you sent him a letter, you can't prove the contents. You might scan the receipt if it isn't a problem and show the seller that you did send him a letter. Hopefully he'd know the problem isn't from you and would be understanding. I don't think Bulgaria is one of the places that is 'internet commerce friendly', and probably won't be for several years to come.
[ edited by uaru on Oct 14, 2000 12:14 PM ]
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DoctorBeetle
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posted on October 14, 2000 12:10:18 PM new
Registered mail is sent separately than other mail and is treated (at least in the US) very securely. I would go to my post office and initiate a trace. I also wouldn't send this guy another dime. I suspect that when you tell him that a trace has been intiiated he will suddenly cease sending you e-mails.
Sending cash is dangerous as you have found out. As a seller I tell people that send me cash that they do so at their own risk. As a buyer I won't buy anything from someone for cash. There is no record and no recourse when something like this happens.
Dr. Beetle
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Zazzie
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posted on October 14, 2000 12:14:10 PM new
Oh my---I'd really like to know who this seller is....I love a detective story ---can you email me his ID?? If not --that' okay
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Borillar
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posted on October 14, 2000 12:17:39 PM new
The sad story of a Buyer trying to save a few pennies by sending Cash through the mail instead of an International Money Order.
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jema
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posted on October 14, 2000 12:30:33 PM new
Borillar--
The seller specifically asked for cash, or a wire transfer which I would not do. It wasn't a matter of trying to save a few pennies on a money order. Perhaps there are large fees to cash a money order in Bulgaria? I didn't really question it, it was only $11. He sent my CD first so it was no risk to me.
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Zazzie
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posted on October 14, 2000 12:34:43 PM new
Just was looking at The Bulgarian Postal Service page---not a lot there (we are spoiled by the USPS site)---but it appears that one of the services they provide is to cash "Inbound International Money Orders"
http://www.bgpost.bg/English/postalnet.htm
I assume they mean postal money orders---though they most likely give the person Bulgarian currency rather than US currency.
Your seller (though underage) needs to figure out a safe way for his buyers to get money to him--that is first--not illegal--and doesn't cost the buyer an arm and a leg--and doesn't cost him a lot either. But just him selling on EBAY is technically illegal because of his age
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jema
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posted on October 14, 2000 12:36:32 PM new
UPDATE-
Ok, the seller has emailed again and said that today he received 2 registered envelopes, (although not mine). One was a month old. So there is still hope, and he thinks the mail may just be VERY slow. So hopefully it may still turn up!
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jema
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posted on October 14, 2000 12:40:10 PM new
Zazzie--
You are absolutely right! This seller is going to have lots of difficulty if he doesn't find a more suitable way of getting transactions handled. In an earlier thread I had asked if there was a service like Paypal that served Bulgaria, but the replies indicated that Bulgaria is very risky and has high credit card fraud. So I think this seller is going to have lots of problems in the future.
[ edited by jema on Oct 14, 2000 12:42 PM ]
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avaloncourt
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posted on October 14, 2000 12:59:44 PM new
The seller emailed you less than 52 minutes after you posted a message telling your story saying he just received two registered letters? hmmmm
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amalgamated2000
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posted on October 14, 2000 01:05:46 PM new
You could send his email stating that he is 16 to safeharbor and it's very likely that his account will be suspended (and he won't be able to leave you a neg.)
I've had to do this twice, and in both cases, the user was NARU'd within a day.
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All rights reserved. All wrongs reversed.
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Zazzie
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posted on October 14, 2000 01:13:36 PM new
Amal--gee what a nice person you are !!! The buyer has the CD and is feeling bad that the seller hasn't received the money---so your solution is to get the seller Naru'd to avoid getting a neg.
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jema
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posted on October 14, 2000 01:26:21 PM new
Zazzie---
Exactly! I feel badly that he does not have his money. I'm glad you understand what this is about. I am not questioning the seller's honesty or integrity whatsoever. I really feel like he is a very nice young man. I just don't want to pay twice, and feel sorry that he is having a problem. And I certainly don't want him to be in trouble with eBay!
Thank you all for your replies. I did not want to pay twice, and your answers support this decision. If he has to neg me I guess I can understand it and live with it.
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amalgamated2000
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posted on October 14, 2000 01:40:04 PM new
The buyer has the CD and is feeling bad that the seller hasn't received the money---so your solution is to get the seller Naru'd to avoid getting a neg
Funny, I thought her question was:
Should I just accept a NEG and tell him forget it?
My answer is that if you are going to tell him to forget about it, you don't have to accept a neg.
I happen to agree with eBay's policy of not allowing minors to participate. This is particularly a problem when you are dealing with a seller who is a minor. I believe that by turning him in, you would be doing the eBay community a favor.
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All rights reserved. All wrongs reversed.
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macandjan
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posted on October 14, 2000 01:43:00 PM new
All those eastern European countries have this problem - it has nothing to do with the internet - they think you are a fool if you pay for something when there is any out at all. It is a honesty optional mindset. I worked with a Romanian boss and a Serbian boss and the mindset was so corrupt it makes you realize why they all want to kill each other and the futility of trying to help these people who may as well be aliens from another planet is overwhelming. The politicians can't see this of course because they are regular fellows just like me to a politician.
And no apologies for the slur - I spent too many times trying to get paid my pay check
when it was due and keeping the thieving boss out of my own tool box. I had to lock up to go use the bathroom.
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figmente
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posted on October 14, 2000 01:43:56 PM new
Sending $12 for a CD to Bulgaria?
Are you nuts.
$12 is a lot in Bulgaria. US copyright laws are not.
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