I think I got scammed.....

[RCW]

Geezer - - yep - transaction happened right away. I thought odd they'd be discounted too....I usually go with my first instinct.

Michigander - - heck, at least if they show up used...I got sumpin',

....and learned a lesson.

$125 won't change our holiday plans, but for some it would. That's what pisses me off to no end.....hell, I was buying stamps to send Christmas Cards....

It's also embarrassing, but I've got broad shoulders and take ownership of it.

Oh well, still holding out hope something real and useable shows up.....

If I did get screwed, it sounds like my recourse through PayPal may be a viable option.

 

[RCW]

Don't bet on PayPal backing you up, I ordered a Kubota step online from some unheard of company. I got an email saying it was delivered but it was not. PayPal says that the email was evidence that it was delivered and they could do nothing. About two months later the money was refunded with no explanation of what happened. My guess is that they finally figured out how that scam was set up.

Wait.....you said don't count on PayPal.

2 months later you got your money back....

So they didn't come through?!?!

Trust me, not arguing at all.

Granted, I think 5-10 days would be better, but never been through this kind of thing.

I returned an Amazon item for the first time this year. Think it took about 2 weeks before the refund happened.

 

[bird dogger]

I've used Paypal for years and years for online purchases. I have a seperate bank account tied to and only used for online/Paypal purchases. The account balance is maintained just enough to cover any purchases made. Probably a little over 900 transactions by now through Paypal as a buyer over those years.

Only once did I have trouble with a seller. I had purchased a used 7HP electric motor for some $300+ dollars. Seller said he'd be gone for a few days but would ship when he returned.....no problem. But it didn't get shipped. Corresponded with him and he said he was busy. After another message or two he stopped responding. I gave Paypal copies of our correspondence and was promptly (withing a few days or less) credited back the full purchase price.

I'm sure Paypal tried to get their money back from that seller if possible. And this was from a brick and mortar store. It's no wonder, though, why Paypal fees are high for those whose business use Paypal to accept payment for goods sold when they get taken by scammers and Paypal has to refund the purchaser's money.

 

[lynnmor]

Wait.....you said don't count on PayPal.

2 months later you got your money back....

So they didn't come through?!?!

Trust me, not arguing at all.

Granted, I think 5-10 days would be better, but never been through this kind of thing.

I returned an Amazon item for the first time this year. Think it took about 2 weeks before the refund happened.

They told me in no uncertain terms that I WOULD NOT be refunded. They DID NOT say that the case would be reviewed, quite the contrary, they said the case is closed. My guess is that others were scammed the same way and possibly took further action. We can only guess what happened, but the attitude was beyond belief.

 

[random]

It does seem odd that someone would be discounting postage stamps.

The way I read it is that these were older "forever" stamps. I guess current price is $.58 - so maybe someone bought them at $.45 and is selling for $.50?

I don't use enough stamps to bother - I get like a sheet of 20 maybe once per year.

 

[fried1765]

Geezer - - yep - transaction happened right away. I thought odd they'd be discounted too....I usually go with my first instinct.

Michigander - - heck, at least if they show up used...I got sumpin',

....and learned a lesson.

$125 won't change our holiday plans, but for some it would. That's what pisses me off to no end.....hell, I was buying stamps to send Christmas Cards....

It's also embarrassing, but I've got broad shoulders and take ownership of it.

Oh well, still holding out hope something real and useable shows up.....

If I did get screwed, it sounds like my recourse through PayPal may be a viable option.

Fear not!
I bought an I-phone eleven from a scammer,. who simply shipped me an empty eyeglass case.
He had proof of shipping, (something) with an I-phone 11 picture to me, attached for proof.

I complained to E-Bay and PayPal.
The scam did not work!

PayPal very promptly refunded my $300, and E-Bay removed him as a seller under his listing name.
Surely he will try it again, under another seller name though.

 

[Henro]

Fear not!
I bought an I-phone eleven from a scammer,. who simply shipped me an empty eyeglass case.
He had proof of shipping, (something) with an I-phone 11 picture to me, attached for proof.

I complained to E-Bay and PayPal.
The scam did not work!

PayPal very promptly refunded my $300, and E-Bay removed him as a seller under his listing name.
Surely he will try it again, under another seller name though.

I have a slightly different issue, related to the original question I think.

I bought a iPad case off eBay recently, for my wife's new ipad, using PayPal for payment as I always do. Get a case, and it is the right one, except it falls apart into two pieces when I try to install the iPad.

I contact the seller through eBay and get no reply. This goes on for a couple days. I decide to file a dispute through eBay, but CANNOT FIGURE OUT HOW TO FILE A DISPUTE NOW. I remember a year or two ago filing a dispute through eBay was easy.

Now I am a bit aggravated, and actually forgot I used papal, so I filed a dispute with my credit card company. AND get a nearly immediate response that my dispute was resolved in my favor and a credit will be issued. I never file disputes and use the credit card for everything, even home owners' insurance and car insurance payments. Lots of dollars annually flow through the credit card.

Then I get a email from the seller. I reply that I filed a dispute with my credit card, and so do not give me a refund until we see how this works out. He replies that he already refunded the purchase price...

So now I have a credit from the credit card dispute, AND a papal refund for the purchase as well.

I will let things sit as is for a while to make sure that one of these payments is not retracted, then contact the seller and try to make it right.

BUT if eBay did not make it so difficult for ME to figure out how to file the dispute, none of this would have happened to begin with. I am sure the buyer and I would have communicated and worked out a resolution.

Maybe I missed the new way to file a eBay dispute...not being the sharpest tool in the box...but I did try!

 

[fried1765]

I have a slightly different issue, related to the original question I think.

I bought a iPad case off eBay recently, for my wife's new ipad, using PayPal for payment as I always do. Get a case, and it is the right one, except it falls apart into two pieces when I try to install the iPad.

I contact the seller through eBay and get no reply. This goes on for a couple days. I decide to file a dispute through eBay, but CANNOT FIGURE OUT HOW TO FILE A DISPUTE NOW. I remember a year or two ago filing a dispute through eBay was easy.

Now I am a bit aggravated, and actually forgot I used papal, so I filed a dispute with my credit card company. AND get a nearly immediate response that my dispute was resolved in my favor and a credit will be issued. I never file disputes and use the credit card for everything, even home owners' insurance and car insurance payments. Lots of dollars annually flow through the credit card.

Then I get a email from the seller. I reply that I filed a dispute with my credit card, and so do not give me a refund until we see how this works out. He replies that he already refunded the purchase price...

So now I have a credit from the credit card dispute, AND a papal refund for the purchase as well.

I will let things sit as is for a while to make sure that one of these payments is not retracted, then contact the seller and try to make it right.

BUT if eBay did not make it so difficult for ME to figure out how to file the dispute, none of this would have happened to begin with. I am sure the buyer and I would have communicated and worked out a resolution.

Maybe I missed the new way to file a eBay dispute...not being the sharpest tool in the box...but I did try!

I went a bit different route with my I-phone dispute.
I tried to file a complaint with E-Bay, and like you, I ran into difficulty.
I thought my E-Bay complaint might have gone through, but was not certain.

So, I filed a complaint with Pay Pal.

I held the option for a CC company complaint in reserve, just in case E-Bay or PayPal did not come through for me.
I was hoping to avoid a potential mess such as the one you now have.
It worked!
PayPal completed the refund in a week, and I never needed to involve the CC company.

I will repeat the procedure if it is ever again needed.

 

[Henro]

I went a bit different route with my I-phone dispute.
I tried to file a complaint with E-Bay, and like you, I ran into difficulty.
I thought my E-Bay complaint might have gone through, but was not certain.

So, I filed a complaint with Pay Pal.

I held the option for a CC company complaint in reserve, just in case E-Bay or PayPal did not come through for me.
I was hoping to avoid a potential mess such as the one you now have.
It worked!
PayPal completed the refund in a week, and I never needed to involve the CC company.

I will repeat the procedure if it is ever again needed.

I remember reading a couple years ago that eBay bought PayPal, so maybe that is why it is not easy to figure out how to file a dispute using eBay now. They may want to shift this area to PayPal.

Fortunately, in my case the mess is that I got money back that I don't deserve. Only negative would be if BOTH refunders would retract the money. Doubt that will happen.

Only thirteen bucks anyway. I do want to be right about it though, and get the excess back to the seller, as even though there was slow response on the seller's part, he did what was right.

 

[fruitcakesa]

I saw one of those "stamps for cheap" ads and when I find something too good to be true, I google it to see if it is a scam.
It was and I passed on it.

 

[fried1765]

I saw one of those "stamps for cheap" ads and when I find something too good to be true, I google it to see if it is a scam.
It was and I passed on it.

Yup....
Almost invariably, ...to good to be true....is... too good to be true!

 

[RCW]

Hmmmm….got tracking # for my stamp order, and it’s at USPS facility in Syracuse, an hour + away…..

Maybe….but still not Convinced.

 

[fried1765]

Hmmmm….got tracking # for my stamp order, and it’s at USPS facility in Syracuse, an hour + away…..

Maybe….but still not Convinced.

You will certainly get something!
That something will likely not be usable US postal service stamps though.

 

[Nicfin36]

Change your Paypal password if you have not done so.

 

[fried1765]

Change your Paypal password if you have not done so.

Not necessary!
If you use a credit card to fund your PayPal account, there should be no need to change your PayPal password.
Both PayPal, and your credit card bank will protect against PayPal account fraud.

 

[OrangeKrush]

Hopefully it works out for you without having to try and file a claim.

 

[michigander]

Hmmmm….got tracking # for my stamp order, and it’s at USPS facility in Syracuse, an hour + away…..

Maybe….but still not Convinced.

Some used stamps are worth big $$$$$

 

[Nicfin36]

Not necessary!
If you use a credit card to fund your PayPal account, there should be no need to change your PayPal password.
Both PayPal, and your credit card bank will protect against PayPal account fraud.

Well, yeah, but it won't hurt anything, especially if the OP was wondering if the site was legit.

 

[DustyRusty]

+

I remember reading a couple years ago that eBay bought PayPal, so maybe that is why it is not easy to figure out how to file a dispute using eBay now. They may want to shift this area to PayPal.

Fortunately, in my case the mess is that I got money back that I don't deserve. Only negative would be if BOTH refunders would retract the money. Doubt that will happen.

Only thirteen bucks anyway. I do want to be right about it though, and get the excess back to the seller, as even though there was slow response on the seller's part, he did what was right.

PayPal started as an independent payment method for internet sales, and once it became successful it was purchased by eBay. This was probably about 20 years or more ago. About 5 years ago eBay spun off PayPal as a stand-alone company, and it went public on the New York Stock Exchange. There was an agreement that PayPal would continue to be the payment plan that was featured on eBay. Once that agreement expired, PayPal and eBay continue to work together, but eBay is now promoting other payment options also. PayPal ($188.51) today is now worth a lot more than eBay ($66.89) as a traded stock.

 

[RCW]

Well, I did get 3 coils of stamps in the mail.

Friggin things were triple-wrapped. The rolls were crushed some.

The tracking of the shipment started in California

While they look real, I’m no expert.

I think I’m going to take a few into the Post Office and see if they can confirm if they’re genuine.

I did some further research on-line and counterfeit seems to be somewhat common.

I found retailers of similar packages on Etsy, eBay and many others.

I’m still not optimistic, but I did get something in the mail…. I really expected a wad of cancelled postage.