I believe most of the eBay buyers have suffered from some kind of scams from irresponsible sellers before.  Protect yourself and get your money worth it!  

How it all began

I bought a Harry Potter book from an eBay seller this year, and when it arrived, I was totally shocked at the conditions of the book.  It was in a disgusting state with burnt mark on the dust jacket, stains, creases and even dirt stuck in some pages.  It's obviously not in "very good conditions" as the seller described. The packaging was also torn when it arrived, which showed that the seller didn't bother to do careful packaging for the buyer.  I gave the benefit of doubt to the seller, as I mentioned in my guide "tips on buying used books", and contacted her immediately about this problem.  I also told her that I'd love to read the book, but as a Harry Potter fan, I wanted to keep a book with better conditions.  The seller had a refund policy, so I asked for a refund.  

First day of filing the claim

There was no reply from the seller, and there was no contact number for me to call either.  So she left me no choice but to file a claim with eBay.  eBay SafeHarbor Department responded in less than three hours.  In the e-mail, it said since I used PayPal to purchase this item, they encouraged me to report this matter to PayPal if I have not done so already.  So I reported it to PayPal following the link in the e-mail.   

Second day after filing the claim

The following morning, I received an e-mail from PayPal Complaint Resolution.  It said it would resolve the claim within 30 days.  It also said that  their investigation would be made on a best-effort basis and PayPal could not guarantee funds recovery. For transactions that did not qualify for PayPal Buyer Protection, eBay would provide Standard Purchase Protection for $200.00 USD coverage with a $25.00 USD processing fee.  Well, the Harry Potter book did not cost more than $25, so I was wondering if I was doing this claim for nothing.  On the other hand, I told myself that it's a matter of principle, and I needed to voice my concern about the fradulent practice of this seller.

On that night, the seller offered a partial refund through PayPal Protection Services Department.  I had the choice of accepting or rejecting it.  I denied it, thinking that I deserved a full refund.  After I denied the partial refund offer, PayPal would continue the investigation until a decision could be made. I fully understood that if the outcome was decided in the seller's favor, it was possible that no refund would be awarded to me.  I also knew that I wasn't making the whole thing up, so I did not have to worry about not getting any refund.  

Two days after turning down the partial refund offer

Two days after I denied the partial refund offer, the seller e-mailed me privately and said she would give me a full refund only if I mailed the book back to her and it was in the condition that I claimed it was in.  I found it fishy and called PayPal about this seller's option.  PayPal told me NOT to mail it back to the seller, but mail it to PayPal for verification.  A day later, PayPal sent me an e-mail and told me that I would get a full refund once I mailed the book to PayPal Returns Center.  I had to pay the full shipping cost myself, but I was happy to do so as long as this issue got resolved.  

Three weeks after filing the claim

Three weeks after I filed the claim, PayPay e-mailed me and said that the full refund would be transferred to me in five days.  Finally!  It could come to an end.  

To all eBay buyers - The claim process is a cumbersome and time-consuming one, but please protect yourself and don't let the dishonest sellers get away.  The more we don't report such scams from fradulent sellers, the more unsafe online shopping on eBay will be for us.  Help make eBay a better place for everyone!  

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