My First Bad eBay Experience

gretz99

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So, here's the story.

There was a local Ms. Pac up on the Bay (local L.A. auction)

Here is the description:
This Ms. Pacman machine sat in my dad's private game room collecting dust for over 20 years. He was the original owner. I moved it about 100 miles in a truck and the monitor stopped working but the game turns on and seems to work great; there's just no picture.

Worst case, you have to replace the monitor. Best case, something came unplugged and it works fine. Either way, this is a serious bargain for a collector. Artwork and backglass is clean and in great shape!

EITHER LOCAL LOS ANGELES REGION BUYERS ONLY - OR YOU ARRANGE FOR CRATING AND SHIPPING AT YOUR COST AND TIME.

ebaypac.jpg




Starting bid is $200, looks pretty nice, probably a minor issue to get it working - so I put a bid in. It was one of those that I didn't really want, but thought for a low enough price I'd take it.

So the 7 day auction goes on and I am the only bidder. Auction ends at $200. The seller sends me a message through eBay and I respond saying I want to pick up, etc, etc - He gives me his address and we set a pick up time and day.

Yesterday, he sent an e-mail (which I didn't read until today) that he was waiting for payment through Paypal. Then an hour later he filed for a cancellation of the auction because the item was no longer available.

Here is his explanation:

I don't have the item anymore.
Additional information provided by the seller: Hey. I know you were excited to buy the machine but the terms of the auction called for payment within
an hour of the close of sale. I sent you a note requesting payment and it still hasn't come. Therefore I've found another buyer offline and have canceled the sale. I am sorry for this but we've made
our decision.

I thought that when I responded to his e-mail I told him I was going to bring cash, but I guess I didn't. Not sure why he was so antsy or worried about getting $200 or why he didn't wait for me to respond. In the shipping and payment portion of his auction it does say payment due within an hour of the close of the auction which is kind of crazy to begin with.

My guess is he got a better offer and is using this as an excuse to get out of it.

Not sure what to do, just accept the cancellation or fight it. I don't really care about not getting the game, it's just the principal of the matter.

What would you do? Seller is ciaobox1 has 100% feedback off 64 transactions.
 
Hit him with a bad feedback. That's all you can do. The dude screwed you. He never wanted you to get the game for $200.00. I am sure there is a rule somewhere that says you have more than an HOUR to pay...what happens if you don't even see you won until 5 hours later? The guy screwed you. Report him to ebay, ding him on feedback.
 
i would check the auction again. is sucks, but if he did list it at paying within an hour through paypal, and never responded to your email saying you'd pay in cash, i guess he could do that. although i'd prefer to pay in cash myself like you, to avoid the issue in case he's scamming you or something. it is a douche move, though.
 
My guess is that the reason he wants the money in an hour is that he does not have a machine to sell, but is running a Paypal scam. You'd be very smart not to PP him anything.
 
Payment within 1 hour? My God -- he's not demanding, is he?

My $.02 -- his terms are silly but shame on you for not reading the details of the sale. I believe the details are what is legally binding and although they are very silly I think that's what counts.
 
Hit him with a bad feedback. That's all you can do. The dude screwed you. He never wanted you to get the game for $200.00. I am sure there is a rule somewhere that says you have more than an HOUR to pay...what happens if you don't even see you won until 5 hours later? The guy screwed you. Report him to ebay, ding him on feedback.

Do what Frizz said .

He probably didn't want to sell it for $200 .
 
My guess is that the reason he wants the money in an hour is that he does not have a machine to sell, but is running a Paypal scam. You'd be very smart not to PP him anything.

Ooh, that's a good point.
 
I am sure there is a rule somewhere that says you have more than an HOUR to pay...what happens if you don't even see you won until 5 hours later?

the only auctions i've seen anywhere similar to that are the ones where you have to pay immediately with a BIN to actually get it, or else someone else could 'win' the item. but i think it's built into that type of auction. i would say at the very least, payment within 48 or even 72 hours should be expected. what about people that snipe and set it up ahead of time, then work at a place without internet/ebay access while the auction ends.
 
He did list:

Seller's payment instructions
Payment must be made within one hour of sale.


Didn't see that until after the fact. I agree about shame on me for not reading the details, but he only brings this up 2 days after the auction ended.

I'll probably just let it go, not really worth the hassle. Why would he go to the trouble of giving me his address and set up a pick up time if he was worried about a paltry $200.

The guy lives in a huge house is the Mid-Wilshire district of L.A.

Another Hollywood douchebag I suppose.
 
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Wow, one hour to pay?! That's nuts, but if that's what his auction page said, and as crazy as that is, I have a feeling trying to fight the cancellation won't do any good. Ms Pacs are super common and that one doesn't even look to be in the best of shape for one that was in a home for 20 years. Bottom line to me is that's a shitty stipulation from the seller and I can't imagine why he'd want payment so quick unless Wundercade is right. Then again his feedback is perfect.
 
My guess is that the reason he wants the money in an hour is that he does not have a machine to sell, but is running a Paypal scam. You'd be very smart not to PP him anything.

I thought this at first, but all his e-mail, his name seem to match up. The e-mail address is tied to a company that he is the owner of, etc. etc.

Could be a scam though.
 
As far as bad ebay experience go, thats no too bad. You're not out any money or time....

I'd consider yourself lucky! Plus, I wouldn't buy that "my fathers personal game room" line one bit -- A faded cab and I suspect a replacement CPO.
 
For being put away for 20 years from an original owner, his dad, it looked like shit. Too faded IMO but im no expert on the paint for that cabinet so who knows
 
I'd wait to leave negative until you see if he relists it at a higher price or not... If he doesn't relist it, whatever... But if he does and its double the price, hit him with the neg. and explain you won he renigged and relisted at higher price.
 
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