Man, I just got ripped off on eBay, big time

[IrishJedi]

So... last week I was patrolling "The Bay" and I came across the following auction title: "STAR WARS Darth Vader Statue - NO CAPE or SWORD!"

Here was the description and item photo used:

NO CAPE or SWORD!

This is a very cool STAR WARS Darth Vader statue. It is not in the original box / and was on display for quite some time, and so It was a bit dusty, although I’ve cleaned it up... Don't miss out on this statue for your collection. It's a beauty!!! Thank-You!

So, looks pretty cut-and-dried, right? Someone has a PF Vader statue and for some reason has lost the cape and saber so they're looking to get rid of it for a discount.

Yes, I was still skeptical. "Why would a PF Vader be so dusty already?". I checked the seller's Feedback rating: 98.8%. Not great. But not quite horrible, either. So I decided "What the hell" and put in a High Bid of $51.00. And I won!

Then I started to get skeptical again. First, I'm thinking "How on Earth did I just win a PF Vader for 50 bucks, even if dusty and without the cape or lightsaber??". Then the seller sends me an invoice for the item that included some kinds of weird spam message.

Oh well, at least I got a tracking number!

Well, the item arrived today. And before I get to the awesome punchline I'll state that I was gonna take this $51 PF Vader and see if I could buy a replacement cape & saber blade or at least have them made. Figured I could come out of the deal with a decent PF statue for around $100.

Not so.

Because today the package arrived... and the first thing I noticed was how small and light it was.



That's because inside... this "Darth Vader Statue"... was a generic display stand.... and a beat up vintage 12" Kenner Vader figure with no cape.



And what sucks is that I have a PERFECT (100%) feedback rating, so if I leave this cornhole a negative feedback he'll surely do the same to me, thus ruining the PERFECT eBay rating I have had for like 8 years now. So I suppose I have to suck it up, eat this one, and take pride in the fact that I now own a $60 barebones vintage 12" Vader.

And this would all make me furious if it wasn't so damn funny.

 

[Buttmunch]

That sucks. I would at least contact ebay or the seller and tell them they used a photo that wasn't even close to the actual product. That in my mind is just false selling.

 

[rabidwolverine21]

man that sucks, you should report him for using a picture of a completley different item.

 

[IrishJedi]

I'd love to report this rip-off. Can I do that without jeopardizing my 100% Rating?

Not that the rating is THAT important, but I would just hate to lose a 100% feedback rating I've had since 1998 because of this craphead.

 

[Batty]

Sorry, Irish, that stinks! I hope you can do something about it.

And not to sound like a wiseass, but with such a vague description and a crappy photo, why didn't you ask for more details from the seller? Whenever I'm skeptical about an item, I try to get more info.

 

[kodiak8658]

So... last week I was patrolling "The Bay" and I came across the following auction title: "STAR WARS Darth Vader Statue - NO CAPE or SWORD!"

Here was the description and item photo used:



So, looks pretty cut-and-dried, right? Someone has a PF Vader statue and for some reason has lost the cape and saber so they're looking to get rid of it for a discount.

Yes, I was still skeptical. "Why would a PF Vader be so dusty already?". I checked the seller's Feedback rating: 98.8%. Not great. But not quite horrible, either. So I decided "What the hell" and put in a High Bid of $51.00. And I won!

Then I started to get skeptical again. First, I'm thinking "How on Earth did I just win a PF Vader for 50 bucks, even if dusty and without the cape or lightsaber??". Then the seller sends me an invoice for the item that included some kinds of weird spam message.

Oh well, at least I got a tracking number!

Well, the item arrived today. And before I get to the awesome punchline I'll state that I was gonna take this $51 PF Vader and see if I could buy a replacement cape & saber blade or at least have them made. Figured I could come out of the deal with a decent PF statue for around $100.

Not so.

Because today the package arrived... and the first thing I noticed was how small and light it was.



That's because inside... this "Darth Vader Statue"... was a generic display stand.... and a beat up vintage 12" Kenner Vader figure with no cape.



And what sucks is that I have a PERFECT (100%) feedback rating, so if I leave this cornhole a negative feedback he'll surely do the same to me, thus ruining the PERFECT eBay rating I have had for like 8 years now. So I suppose I have to suck it up, eat this one, and take pride in the fact that I now own a $60 barebones vintage 12" Vader.

And this would all make me furious if it wasn't so damn funny.

How did you pay? If it's Paypal, you can file a dispute if the seller doesn't agree to refund your money. But to be honest, the description didn't say the manufacturer name and you should always be sure of what you're bidding on before placing a bid. You should practice e-mailing the seller if you're unsure.
The only thing you have going for you in a dispute is the picture was vastly different than the item for sale.

 

[rabidwolverine21]

id say though that even if you loose the rating its the principle of the thing, and just on that you dont deserve to get that kinda of rip off.

 

[IrishJedi]

Yeah, I usually almost always email the Seller with vague descriptions like that. But this time I didn't because 1) The auction was ending very soon when I first found it and 2) The picture was pretty cut-and-dried and actually looked like a pic of a PF Vader someone took with their camera phone or something.

Obviously, I screwed the pooch, gambled and took the loss.

And, yes, I did pay via Paypal so perhaps I'll just file a dispute through them.

 

[automaton]

i checked the completed auction and you were totally mislead... contact the seller and if he will not provide a refund, contact ebay and paypal... you have a very solid case.

 

[IrishJedi]

Also of note... he used the picture of the SSC PF Vader as a GALLERY photo (thumbnail on search results) as well, making it even more deceptive.

 

[galactiboy]

Yeah, even though he didn't say it was a Sideshow PF, he certainly made you think it was by posting that photo. Getting a retaliatory negative would suck, but in this case its worth it to warn other buyers.

Although I guess if you get your money back from him, w/o a lot of fuss you could just leave a neutral.

 

[Natrix]

Not only that but he is not made of polystone but PLASTIC....PLASTIC!!!

Is the world coming to an end??

 

[Batty]

What's the sellers ebay name? This way we can all avoid him.

 

[Darth Waller]

From Paypal's website:

If you buy an item using PayPal and either do not receive the item or receive an item that you believe is significantly not as described by the seller, we encourage you to open a Dispute with the seller in our Resolution Center. By doing so, you will initiate our Online Dispute Resolution Process—a step-by-step system designed to facilitate communication between you and the seller in order to get resolution of the issue. If your dialogue with the seller fails to produce a satisfactory result, you can then escalate the Dispute into a Claim that we will evaluate for reimbursement under one of the following programs:

PayPal Buyer Complaint Policy - Our best efforts program to reimburse Users for losses only to the extent we are able to recover the funds from sellers.
PayPal Buyer Protection Policy - Our program to reimburse Users for losses for up to $2,000.00 USD for eligible items purchased on eBay and $200.00 USD for all items purchased on eBay except those items identified below (see section 13.9 to determine whether a transaction on eBay gets $2,000.00 USD coverage or $200.00 USD coverage).This section 13.1.b is effective for items purchased on or after 01/17/07. To view the PayPal Buyer Protection terms and conditions for items purchased prior to 01/17/07 please refer to Exhibit A below.
Buyer Protection for eBay Express - Our program to reimburse Users for the full amount of losses for items purchased on eBay Express.
Extended Buyer Protection with PayPal Credit - Our program to reimburse Users for the full amount of losses for items purchased using the PayPal Plus Credit Card or PayPal Buyer Credit.

 

[Greedo]

You should have bought this one

https://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=160088418065&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=006

 

[Titan7170]

Damn thats messed up. Hopefully paypal can help. But with all the controversey over whether an item being plastic makes it a statue or sculpture (ala boba Fett) you may be in for a fight. Maybe the seller has been hanging around this thread (or this part at least) https://sideshowcollectors.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17195&page=11....specifically post #104........where someone states a cheap little action figure is a sculpture.......maybe he sold it to you lol

FYI........Im just joking about having a fight on his hands lol

 

[woodsy]

If you made the Paypal payment via your credit card you can contact them [your credit card company] and request a chargeback as you are cover for internet fraud. Don't even bother going through Paypal or Ebay as I believe they are going to charge you a $20 or $25 fee right off the top.
As far as protecting your feedback, simply waiting until 5 minutes to midnight on the 90th day that the auction ended and post your negative feedback then. Once midnight hits it will be too late for this clown to retaliate.

 

[Darth Waller]

As far as protecting your feedback, simply waiting until 5 minutes to midnight on the 90th day that the auction ended and post your negative feedback then. Once midnight hits it will be too late for this clown to retaliate.

Now that's funny!

 

[Homer Simpson]

If you made the Paypal payment via your credit card you can contact them [your credit card company] and request a chargeback as you are cover for internet fraud. Don't even bother going through Paypal or Ebay as I believe they are going to charge you a $20 or $25 fee right off the top.
As far as protecting your feedback, simply waiting until 5 minutes to midnight on the 90th day that the auction ended and post your negative feedback then. Once midnight hits it will be too late for this clown to retaliate.

Be careful if you do that, as items don't get removed after 90 days. Sometimes they stay on for a couple of days after, so if you plan on doing this you might come unstuck.

 

[Shropt]

So, to summarize, what happened is this: You paid for a polystone statue and you received a plastic statue?

Sorry, I had to do it.