Ebay is basically run on trust.  Trust that both the seller and the buyer will abide by the rules set forth for Ebay auctions.

COSTUPDATE is a large seller with more than 21,000 feedbacks.  Trusting this number of feedbacks, I decided to purchase an LCD HD TV from them.  The last thing I thought would happen, did happen.

I purchased the item, a Westinghouse LVM42-W2- LCD monitor from them for $1357 on a Buy-It-Now price.with $63 for shipping and handling.  This was the lowest price I can find.  Other sellers were selling the same item for $200 to $500 more including shipping.

The auction closed on Nov. 2,  Paypal payment cleared and was credited to the seller on Nov. 7.  Then on Nov. 12,  I recieved an e-mail from their customer service.
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e-mail from Costupdate :
Dear Edward,
I am so so sorry to tell you that we had qty mistake in our warehouse and this item is no longer available
We will issue your dredit in today or tomorrow the latest
Please let me know
Again, thank you and I hope to hear from you again!

Alexandra M.
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After reading the e-mail, I believed them.  I sent them an Ebay message stating my disappointment and stating that the feedback will be Neutral IF the refund happens quickly. 

Now that this purchase is going to be refunded, I immediately searched for the same model to see if I can find a similar deal from someone else.

Included in the search was AN ACTIVE AUCTION from COSTUPDATE on the same EXACT MODEL they just e-mailed me to tell me that its OUT OF STOCK.  Furthur more, the auction indicated that THERE ARE 10 AVAILABLE.

How can they be OUT OF STOCK on LVM42-W2 and still have an ACTIVE AUCTION with 10 units available?

THE DIFFERENCE IS... the Buy-It-Now price is $1659 with $64 for shipping on the active auction and MY PURCHASE PRICE WAS FOR $1357, a total difference of a little over $300 !!

Anyone in my shoes will conclude that THEY ARE CLAIMING TO BE OUT OF STOCK BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO HONOR THE LOWER PRICE ! They are lieing because the ACTIVE AUCTION INDICATES 10 UNITS IN STOCK !  I would have been totally understanding that stock count errors do happen,  IF   THEY DIDN'T HAVE OTHER ACTIVE AUCTIONS FOR THE SAME UNIT !!!

I immediately sent them anothe Ebay message about what I found and respectfully demanded that they abide by the Ebay rules and SHIP ME ONE OF THE 10 UNITS CLAIMED TO BE IN STOCK BY THE ACTIVE AUCTION.

On Nov. 13, next day... I recieved an e-mail telling me that they canceled my transaction and they will be issuing a refund.  I don't want a refund, I want my item !!  The ACTIVE AUTION IS STILL ACTIVE, NOW WITH 5 UNITS AVAILABLE.

The following morning I sent another Ebay message asking that they hold up their end of the deal and send me one of the units still available thru the Active Auction.  I stated that if I don't get a response by the end of the day, I will start a disppute through PayPal. I also phoned and left my cell number with their customer service. 

Nov. 15,  still no e-mail or phone contact from them and no refund credited to my PayPal account so I started an ITEM NOT RECIEVED dispute through PayPal.

Nov. 16,  Refund was credited to my PayPal account.  Surprisingly the DISPUTE WAS CLOSED !!  I went to leave a negative feedback through MY EBAY,  surprise,  the item shows up as UNPAID ! I AM UNABLE TO LEAVE A FEEDBACK !

For at least one week, $1420 of my money was tied up.  COSTUPDATE did not give me any explanation about HOW MY PURCHASE IS OUT OF STOCK, YET HAVE AN ACTIVE AUCTION WITH 10 UNITS AVAILABLE.

As a buyer, we do our part by honoring the commitment we make for the purchase of an item by making payment through accepted methods.  We EXPECT THE SELLER TO DO THEIR PART BY HONORING THE TRANSACTION BY SHIPPING THE PURCHASED ITEM IN A TIMELY MANNER.  THAT IS HOW EBAY WORKS !

NOT ACCORDING TO COSTUPDATE.  As far as they are concerned, THEIR COMMITMENT AS A SELLER MEANS NOTHIG IF THEY CAN SELL THE SAME ITEM FOR A HIGHER PRICE AT A LATER TIME.  As far as they are concerned, if they give a refund., ANYTHING GOES,  INCLUDING LIES ABOUT THEIR STOCK ON HAND !

Business practice like this has no place on Ebay.  COSTUPDATE SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO SELL ON EBAY !  THEY WON'T THINK TWICE ABOUT ABUSING BUYER'S TRUST IN THE EBAY SYSTEM.

I won't tell you what to do, but to think twice.  Would you like to take a chance on being treated the way I was????  Would you like to have your money tied up for days while these guys feed you lies????

If you chose to do business with them, I wish you luck.

For electronics...  TVs and Monitors...  PLUS 101, the seller I eventually bought the Westinghouse LVM42-W2 from is very close in price to COSTUPDATE. Give PLUS 101 a try.

DON'T BUY FROM COSTUPDATE !

Ed Layola