Time to whip out my trusty 'escalator' and attempt to bring some sanity into this transaction. But before I do that, let's recap what has happened so far that has resulted in contempraphones and me reaching this impasse.
I offered several solutions that would be fair, practical and expedient. Among them:
- I take the damaged phone to the post office (about a mile from my house) and allow postal workers to see the damage.
- He sends me a replacement Bakelite shell for the base (since he mentioned he has one).
- He completes the other, separate transaction so I have something to use while the insurance claim is sorted out.
- He can literally send me any color of phone at this point. Beige, Turquoise, Aqua. I don't care. I need the prop.
He will have none of this.
He is still bent on cancelling the second transaction so he can concentrate on the damaged phone. (I guess he is not much of a multi-tasker.) If someone else had bought his blue phone, would he have made them wait while he sorted this out with me? No? I must ask: What difference — at this point — does it make?
So after declining his request to cancel the transaction on the second phone, I open up my email to find this note from PayPal:
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Original payment details:
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* Seller: Dominic ********
* Seller's Email: dominic.********@gmail.com
* Original Transaction Date: Jul 25, 2014
* Original Transaction Amount: $179.17 USD
* Original Transaction ID: 81D025660B324714K
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Refund Details
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* Refund Amount: $162.54 USD
* Refund Transaction ID: 1P029025M2374511B
Original payment amount: $179.17. Refund amount $162.54???? WTF? I ask him why on earth he would give me a partial refund on the second phone THAT HE DOESN'T EVEN PLAN TO SHIP TO ME. His answer is mind-numbing. I had already seen the response, but didn't realize immediately that he was withholding the ebay seller fees he was charged for the second phone. Whaa??? He SOLD a second phone. Why would he think that he won't get charged ebay seller fees for selling something on ebay? Worse yet — why would he expect me to pay ebay seller fees on a transaction he wrongfully cancelled? I had to re-read his response several times to make sure I wasn't dreaming.
That’s your fault – you declined the cancellation request so that we could deal with one transaction, so now the eBay fees will not automatically reverse on the 2nd. The difference is the eBay fees. The PayPal fees are reversing. Your hold gobbled up your original payment, so it now has to be funded from my bank account. That’s why it’s pending. I take it you don’t understand how eBay/PayPal work. I explained it before, but it’s no use.
Didn't catch it the first time. The difference is the eBay fees. The difference is the ebay fees? Maybe if cancelling the transaction was MY idea, then maybe that would make some sense (not much, but some). Early in this ordeal he kept quoting ebay rules insisting that I would have to pay return shipping in order to get my refund. Now he's arbitrarily cancelling transactions (which ebay forbids) — and expecting me to eat the ebay seller fees.
Who is this guy? The Soup Nazi?
Actually, this guy is worse than the Soup Nazi. The Soup Nazi gave George a full refund, he didn't keep a dollar for 'overhead'.
Who does this?
Knowing that I have done everything I can do as well as knowing he isn't going to budge from his position on any of this, I escalate the matter to ebay support and a few days later I get their response. (on the original beige phone)
eBay Customer Support has refunded you through PayPal and the case is closed. Aug 05, 2014 at 7:29 PM
Refund information:
We've initiated a refund of $130.15 back to the PayPal funding source that you used to purchase the item. Please allow 48 hours for the refund to process.
Final decision:
This case was found in your favor.
eBay Customer Support comments:
We're sorry you had a problem with your purchase. For more information about this case, please refer to the email we sent you.
As I suspected would happen, clearer heads prevailed and ebay refunds my money. They do strongly suggest that I cooperate with the postal service if they want to see the damaged phone. I fully intend to. I have been willing to do this the entire time. I'll show them my pictures, the phone, the box, the less than adequate packing as well as offer my opinion that they should not pay this claim.
Just after I read this on ebay, I see another email from contempraphones:
It’s no wonder you got sued by cruise.com Mr. MUM UH MOO MAH. Maybe some day you’ll learn that the gentle approach works much better.
Gentleness? The man wants gentleness? So far he has called me 'silly' and 'unreasonable'. He claims I am making 'outrageous demands' He insinuates that I have no idea how ebay and PayPal work (even though I have double his feedback score plus five years more time on ebay.) Tells me that I am being 'difficult' and blames everything on postal workers and me personally and now he wants GENTLENESS??? I happen to be fresh out.
Someone who insults you, insists that you're 'uncooperative', blames everyone else, tries to make you look dumb and refuses to take responsibility for any of their screw-ups — Who is that person?
Then it hits me. He's Harry Reid!
Doesn't this sound a bit like the strategy used by the current US Senate Majority Leader when dealing with the other side? Harry claims the border is secure. (contempraphones claimed my package was secure.) He claims intellectual superiority, Employs Divide and conquer, Slash and burn tactics, Vilify your opposition and say everything is their fault, claiming they're not doing anything. The reality is He's the one doing nothing. Harry's got 350+ House bills sitting on his desk right now that he won't bring up for a vote... The 'Do Nothing' is good ole Harry.
"Dominic" claims I'm not cooperating. He claims I am doing nothing.
Excuse me? I paid him uber promptly. I've offered several solutions to this problem. I bought from him again even after I received a broken phone. What does he want? Other than me — you know — coughing up $35 in return postage to cover for his mistake.
Dominic is the one doing 'nothing'. He had my payment for a second phone in his account for a full week before he, even though I told him we were already going to be behind schedule shooting our TV commercial, just decided NOT to sell me the second phone after all and refunds 'some' of my money. No reason for cancelling. Just a partial refund. This is against ebay rules as well. Who does this? Maybe "Dominic" is just a moniker used by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on ebay? Being a complete ass, lying about it, grabbing money for nothing and then expecting gentleness sounds like a Harry Reid maneuver to me.
Side Note:
I Googled Dominic: He is a VAPOR on Google. Google has never heard of him, his telephone selling business, his home address. Nada. Zilch. Zip. According to Google, Dominic is a ghost.
It is time to post some well-deserved feedback.
Damaged. Won't accept responsibility for inadequate packing. Insulting to boot.
- Reply by contempraphones (Aug-03-14 00:41):
Won't cooperate or return damaged telephone for postal insurance claim — View Item
Won't cooperate with postal insurance claim? Is he HIGH? Do they have legal marijuana in Ontario? I've told him multiple times that I would be happy to take the damaged item to the post office and give them anything they need. And, if one lie wasn't enough... He tells another doozie in response to my other negative feedback.
- Reply by contempraphones (Aug-03-14 00:47):
Buyer wanted blue (not turquoise) and would not agree to cancel for full refund. — View Item
He's trying to make it seem like **I** am the one that cancelled the transaction because of the color of the phone. I had already told him I didn't care what color he sent me at this point. Now he's just making stuff up. Again I am forced to ask — who does this?
All of this could have been avoided with 25¢ worth of extra bubblewrap.
My next blog post will be about the second transaction unless he comes to his senses and sends me the remainder of my payment. You can't refuse to send an item to someone after they buy it on ebay and then KEEP part of the payment. Why would anyone in their right mind think this is OK to do?
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