Experienced E-Bay users, help me out, please?

[PowerTube]

I've only recently begun to actually buy things off of E-Bay. I've bought three things, all within the last several months, so I'm hoping that some of you with more experience on the 'Bay can advise me. My previous E-Bay purchases have gone flawlessly.

Last Friday, August 10, I hit the Buy It Now on a new item in an E-Bay store (not guitar related). I also paid immediately with PayPal. The item is shipping from California and I'm in Tennessee.

On Monday, I e-mailed the seller asking for a tracking number if it had shipped. No response. I e-mailed them again on Wednesday. No response. I e-mailed them AGAIN yesterday (Thursday, August 16). No response. It's starting to piss me off. I have no idea if it has even shipped at all because they won't answer me.

Don't get me wrong; I'm not upset because the item isn't here yet. I'm pissed because I'm being ignored. I think this is highly unprofessional of them. Now, before I bought it, I had asked them a question about it and they responded the next day. But once I actually bought and paid for the item, they seem to be pretending that I don't exist.

Who knows? It might be on the porch when I get home today. What's also scary is that if they've sent it by USPS, those assholes will go into their system and record that they've left me a 1st, 2nd, 3rd notice when they've done no such thing. They've done this to me twice before. And if this seller has sent it by them, I'll have no way of knowing because the seller isn't responding to me.

So, even after the item shows up, I'm thinking that I will give them a REALLY shitty feedback on E-Bay. I don't like being ignored for days, even if the item was shipped promptly.

Therefore, I have two questions:

1. If I get into the middle of next week and the item still isn't here, what action should I take?

2. I'm really pissed about being ignored and I want to totally flame them in my feedback. Are there ramifications for me if I do this?

Thanks.

[surfdork]

If you leave a negative feedback before the other party has given you feedback...you will almost certainly receive one yourself, regardless of whether or not you were in the right.

As far as the shipping goes, yeah that is lame. A week with no communication certainly desrves to be rated accordingly.

[orange9]

I went through the same thing last month with a guitar I bought. I was freaking out, reading up on dispute resolution. I thought I was going to get screwed. It wound up on my doorstep about a week and a half later. I e-mailed the guy a couple more times to talk about the sale, but he never responded. I left him neutral feedback; I got what I paid for, but his communication sucked. He has not left any feedback for me yet.

[PowerTube]

Here's the thing. I've never sold anything on there and probably never will. I'm strictly a buyer. They, being a company and probably selling a lot on there, have more to lose than I do. Regardless of what happens with the item I ordered, if I don't hear anything from them by the end of today, my feedback will be a total flame fest.

I think it's just rude as hell to put a paying customer, especially one who has already paid, on ignore.

[Mikernaut2]

Yeah , I know how you feel. I'm currently waiting for a guitar I spent $1200 on. The guy has been soo bad in his communication. I have had to keep emailing him to make sure , he got the payment, he sent it out etc. The same thing, just an really bad lack of communication on his part and keeping me the buyer informed. I just paid you a pretty decent sum of money I'd like to know some info right?

Where I stand now is that he says he sent it out last friday USPS but didnt bother to get it insured or a tracking number (because it costs more he says, wow). Now that fucking pisses me off and I'm beginning to wonder if he even shipped it and is trying to take me for a ride.

[thetroy]

I've made similar comments in other ebay threads, but the basic idea I have is that a lot of people on ebay are WAY more laid back than a lot of people posting on internet forums. Even a lot of these "companies" are just 1 dude selling stuff. If I weren't practically addicted to the internet I would only check my email once a week.

On the other hand if they never get back to you at all that is kind of crappy but I think it only warrants a negative feedback if they also didn't send the item. Sending it without replying to you about tracking info is neutral at worst IMO

[PowerTube]

On the other hand if they never get back to you at all that is kind of crappy but I think it only warrants a negative feedback if they also didn't send the item. Sending it without replying to you about tracking info is neutral at worst IMO

I'm not really that hot and bothered about the tracking info. My main thing is that I want to know if it has even shipped. Is it on the way or will it leave the warehouse in two weeks? I just hate to be kept in suspense and I don't think it's fair, either. Plus, if I had known about this crap I would have paid a bit more money and bought one locally. What makes this even more irritating is that they say on the item, "Fast Shipping!"

Sorry, but if they continue to ignore me, it'll be negative feedback city.

[Erez]

I think that you should not give him any negative feedback for lack of communication. You should give negative feedback only if there is a major problem with the item, or it does not arrive and the seller will not respond to that after some time. Keep in mind that what you give him feedback-wise, is exactly what you recieve.. Do you really want a negative feedback just because "HE" is an asshole or does not respond in time? perhaps he is busy or having problems to answer your messages this time? maby his computer burned or an accident has happened? give it more thought and more time before you get all upset about it.

[TexasRocks]

Same thing happened to be re: communication with seller. The item arrived alright, but I had no idea when I would get it or if it had even shipped when it landed on my doorstep.

Hope everything works out for you!

[shreddermon]

Are you sure it's not your own spam filters weeding out their replys? Maybe check your "My Ebay" section for messages, to be sure. Just a thought.

[PowerTube]

Are you sure it's not your own spam filters weeding out their replys? Maybe check your "My Ebay" section for messages, to be sure. Just a thought.

No, because they replied to the question I asked before I bought it and it came through fine.

Good thinking, though.

[Spivonious]

I'd give it a little more time before going further. I was worried about a big ticket item to after hearing no response from the seller for about a week. I was just about to file a complaint with eBay when he responded saying that his computer went down hard and he didn't have internet access for that week. His email had the tracking information and I got the item the next day IIRC.

[PowerTube]

Update: When I got home today, still no package and still no response, I sent them one last message:

Okay, I bought and PAID FOR THIS a week ago and I've heard absolutely NOTHING from you. This is getting frustrating. If I had known that you would put me on ignore for an entire week, I would have taken my business elsewhere. Three times in the last week, I've asked you to respond to me. You haven't. If I don't hear from you soon, I will have no choice but to leave you negative feedback and file a complaint with E-Bay. This is no way to run a business.

Now, one last time, will you PLEASE tell me the status of my order? Has it shipped? If so, when? And is there a tracking number? If not, then why not? I bought and paid for this exactly one week ago and you haven't responded to me at all.

I haven't left feedback yet because they're getting one last chance.

Maybe I'm just a hot head. I don't know, but I think it's fucking RUDE as hell to ignore a paying customer like this.

[SouthPlatteDemon]

I say let them have it. I always look for an opportunity to get all over someones case. It's my viking blood I think.

[PowerTube]

I say let them have it. I always look for an opportunity to get all over someones case. It's my viking blood I think.

Yeah, I'm in the third day of a major mad-on against these assholes. "Fast Shipping!", my ASS!!! They're pretending I don't exist.

My Irish blood tends to have the same effect.