eBay warning: worldcurrencyandcoin

Just wanted to make you aware of the experience I had with the eBay seller "worldcurrencyandcoin" to warn others here who may end up buying, or thinking about buying, from this seller.

Timeline:

June 18: Auction ended, I was one of the winners with a bid of $45 (seller was selling two identical items in a Dutch auction).

June 20: I paid for the auction, $45 + $4 shipping (+$5 insurance, that the auction listing never mentioned as mandatory and which I couldn't opt out of.)

July 11: Not having received the item yet, I politely asked the seller if they could confirm when they sent it. Since it was sent registered mail, they could have provided tracking information. They claimed they were investigating the matter with the Singapore Post (seller is based in Singapore) and would take about 7 days to investigate. (The Singapore Post has a website where you can track registered mail INSTANTLY, and there's no reason this should have taken more than a few minutes to reply with shipping info).

July 15: Claimed they sent a replacement item; again gave no tracking info even though it was sent registered mail (something that should have occured for them to do, considering the first shipment was already allegely "lost".)

July 26: Tired of waiting, I asked for a refund, opened a dispute with PayPal, and left them negative feedback with eBay. They responded by opening up an unpaid item dispute with eBay, claiming I never paid (easily disproven when eBay confirmed the information from PayPal, which they own, something that should have occured to this seller!). They also tried to insist they sent me two items which I am holding onto (they never provided any proof of ever sent the first item, and the tracking info that they provided PayPal, not me, for the second shipment, proves they sent something nearly a full week later after they claimed to have sent the replacement. Whatever that is, it still has not arrived here.).

They also tried accusing me of being a NPB (non-paying bidder) in their reply to my negative feedback, and blocked me from any of their auctions (as if I would want to ever do business with them again anyway).

Take this for what it's worth... perhaps my experience with this person is the exception, not the rule... but if they'll treat me like this be sure that they have the capacity to treat others the same way. I've dealt with lost packages from eBay sellers before; they were always courteous and promptly replaced them. They didn't drag their feet, withhold information, launch counteraccusations, and outright lie to me, eBay, and PayPal.

At this point I'm trying to resolve the dispute with PayPal to try to get my money back. Will give you updates when I see how that turns out.

Would advise anyone considering buying or bidding on anything from this seller to consider my experience descibed here and decide if that's someone they want to attempt to do business with. Would highly advise against it.

Seller again is "worldcurrencyandcoin".

P.S. Using Toolhaus I found out this person received a similar complaint about a week ago... a buyer claimed he never received the item he paid for... and this seller left the same response, accused the buyer of never paying. Digging deeper into his negative and neutral feedback, I've found out this apparently happens a few times a month: A buyer claims they nevere received the item, the seller accuses the buyer of never paying; often the follow up the buyer inisists they paid immediately or almost so. Identical to my circumstance it seems...

 

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seller is a known problem. i never had a good experience with him kept raising prices whenever i asked him about na item and then asked me to go off ebay luckily it was no deal

 

Man, that stinks! I hope you get your money back.

 

I can hope. They claimed they sent a replacement... likely they forgot (or didn't bother) to send the first one and only sent a second shipment after being prompted, a scenario that looks like it played out with other buyers before. I noticed that in their repsone to my PayPal dispute they sent the tracking info for the "second" shipment but none for the first they claimed. Sounds like a scam to at very least improve their cashflow and take the chance the buyer will forget about the item after so long a wait and not have to give anything up for what they were paid... (Also likely a delaying tactic to ensure that the time runs out for opening up an eBay/PayPal dispute while the buyer is still waiting for his item to show up.)

At any rate even if they really sent it at this point I would refuse the shipment and demand a refund out of principle.

At least I don't have to be worried about being scammed by them again, now that they've done me the favor of blocking me from their auctions (I love how people who do this think it's a punishment lol). If I can help others avoid this person and also cost them some future business, it will almost have been worth it, even if I don't get my money back.

 

Troodon,

I think you have your bases covered on this one but MAN what a waste of YOUR time. They gonna pay for that too?

Hope it all works out for you.

clembo

 

Doubt it lol (that they'll pay for my time, not that it will work out). But I think it's worth it. At the end of this I should either have what I paid for (if they did in fact send the "second" shipment) or my money back, so ultimately I win either way. And I don't have to worry about dealing with them again, due to them paying me the favor of blocking me, and perhaps I can cost them future business and protect others from repeating my experiences with them. Net plus in the end... aggravating but in the end worth it I suppose.

 

Thank you for the heads up on this, I have bough from them on a number of occassions with no problems other than slow shipping, I think I might just ease of on buying from them now for a while.

 

I just won't deal with any Asia based sellers on items over $10. I've just heard too many horror stories to make it worth the risk or hassle.

 

i to believe i have dealt with them (i know the name)but i dont believe i had any problems.

good luck man! i hope you get the item or your money back!

 

Seems to me based on observations, looking at their feedback, and talking to other customers of theirs, that about 98% of the time they're just fine, but about 2% of the time they pull something like this. Count yourself lucky you weren't involved in one of the transactions that fell in the 2%.

I don't expect anyone to be perfect, mistakes do happen... but I'm only willing to forgive mistakes if the person who made them admits to them, apologizes, and makes a reasonable effort to correct the problem, none of which this person has done.

 

Update: PayPal is now reviewing my claim. The seller provided a tracking number from the Singapore Post that they claim is the "second" shipment to me; entering the number on SingPost's site shows that it was posted in Singapore on July 21, and it was forwarded overseas (target: JFK Airport, New York) on July 22. Singapore Post does not track registered mail overseas beyond the point it leaves Singapore, so this only conclusively proves they sent something from Singapore to the US on July 21. (It does not prove: where specifically in the US it was sent to, that it ever arrived there, that anyone picked up the package, or what is in the package they sent, so it doesn't really prove their assertion that they sent me the item they claimed to have sent.)

Been checking the mail daily just in case they were telling the truth about the "replacement" shipment. So far, nothing. Should it arrive, I'll of course cancel my claim on PayPal, though I'm not taking back my negative feedback (too little, too late... even if they do sent me what I paid for now it is so rediculously late after I paid, and after such terrible customer service, that they'd deserve a negative anyway.)

For obvious reasons, burden of proof that they sent it and I received it is on them (there's no logically feasible way for me to prove that I didn't receive something...) PayPal is supposed to get back to me with an update no later than August 15. Maybe earlier if I'm lucky.

 

Update 2: Negative positive

Seems a common tactic for a seller who wants to leave a negative feedback, but can't due to the feedback changes; leave a positive feedback, but with an obviously negative comment:

Negative Positive

Pretty sure this is against some eBay rule (at least the spirit, if not the letter).

Anyway it seems to fall in the same vein as this seller has been following since this started: Accuse me of not paying (boldfaced lie, and easily disporvable) deny that the negative feedback I left them has any merit to it, and accusing me of blackmailing them with negative feedback (my "blackmail" consisted of telling them if I didn't recieve the item I paid for, or my money back, within 5 weeks of my initial payment, I'd leave them a negative) and insisting on the unproven assertion that they sent me 2 items that they claim I already received (and by extension, accusing me of triply robbbing them of 2 items, plus the payment I'm trying to get back; the payment is in dispute with PayPal and they're acting like it's already been decided in my favor by claiming that I "took" the money from PayPal). Also essentially responding with any of my rebuttals with "liar, liar, pants on fire" level of maturity.

Essentially this seller will not tolerate dissent. You dare to actually insist upon receiving either what you paid for, or your money back, and especially if you leave a negative feedback for them failing to uphold their end of the auction, they will retaliate against you with all weapons at their disposal (fight the claim, block you, accuse you being a NPB and blackmailer, etc.) Again if anyone is considering doing business with this person, keep that in mind.

 

Someone here had posted the same about the Abon(sp?) seller on eBay doing the same thing, posting negative positives. Apparently the users that got these turned around and reported it, and the comments were removed by eBay.

 

Yes, I'd report it. With enough complaints, eBay will have to take action against this negative/positive nonsense.

That said however, if I'm dealing with an eBay seller or buyer, I don't bother to check out their feedback entries unless there are negatives there.

 

Reported... the fact they left a negative comment in a positive feedback is reason enough to report it (that is considered feedback abuse by eBay rules), but it also contains a provably false statement (that I didn't pay for the item, when it can be proven that I already made a confirmed PayPal payment to them) which thus can be construed as libel.

 

Final

It actually arrived today... better late than never I guess, though my overall experience with this seller is still negative. It seems clear to me that they never sent the item until I prompted them to a month after I paid. Whether this was accidental or intentional, I don't know (strongly suspect they were probably out of stock on the item when I initially bought it and they don't want to admit it, as selling an item you don't have on eBay is a violation)... however they certaintly didn't go out of their way to correct the problem quickly (didn't send it until two weeks after they were prompted) and did everything in their power to retaliate againsr me for even questioning their level of service. But anyway, issue's resolved, except for working with eBay to get the negative positive removed. I still would never do business with this person again were it possible (though they blocked me so it's a moot point).

I received it August 4 when I paid for it June 20. That alone would warrant a negative response as that's a rediculous amount of time to get it here. The item I received was postmarked July 21, more than a month after I paid, so it's not like they can claim it was just because the mail was slow.

 

This just confirms my, never buy from overseas, always purchase insurance.

 

I bought a lot in an auction on June 4th, it arrived on the 7th of July. After 14 emails, 6-7 calls, contact through eBay etc. And this was a live auction. Needless to say, I left my first negative for a seller in over eleven years on eBay.

 

I buy lots from overseas, lately a lot of stuff from supposedly high risk areas, Ukraine, Russia, China. I have never had a bad experience, but I check sellers out.

 

Same here I buy from America all the time and have hardly ever had a problem, same goes for Canada and Asia. Sometimes the delivery can be a bit slow but there again I have had to wait a week or more for 1st class mail to cross London LOL