Best way to handle this issue?

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Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2011 3:43 am

I have to think carefully how to handle an issue to try to get my money back and could use your thoughts.

I volunteer at an animal shelter, and there are coupons out there for free cat food. The ones that are $20 off a bag usually go for like $10-15 each on ebay. One night in the middle of the night an auction was ending, and I got 12 for $52.00. So, the coupons came - and the person has 100% positive feedback. I took them to Petsmart. The cashier says that with all coupons they have to look them up in a special coupon book to make sure they are real. So, he gets the coupon I am trying to use - and flips to the page - compares the coupon to the real coupon that they have a sample of to mine and mine to the fake examples - and my coupon is fake. But not a perfect fake like the example they have. So, the manager asks if he can have my coupons - I was mad about losing the $52 and told him sure - - he got the 5 that I was trying to use for that purchase.

So, now I need to contact this person or ebay?

would you contact the person and tell them it's fake and you want your money back?
Would you go straight to ebay?

And should I contact paypal since I paid through them.

I am not sure the order of the steps and exactly the best way to approach this. I want my money back - and THEN I want this person to be shut down, so no one else will get tricked.

The ebay user is: vy-c0mpuper and (Change the 0 to an o).

Not quite a Newb Joined: 02 Jul 2011 Posts: 23

If I were in your shoes, I would start the process by lodging a formal complaint or claim through ebay and send a non-threatening message to the vendor with brief but accurate details of what happened when you tried to redeem the coupons. Paypal and ebay are in bed with each other so maybe lodging a claim with ebay will automatically filter through to Paypal, but don't count on it. Put that question to ebay. It's a pity you no longer have the coupons. Can you still get pics of them perhaps?

Eliza_Doolittle wrote:

...One night in the middle of the night...

two dead men got up to fight.....sorry couldn't help myself. Twisted Evil

Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2011 9:11 am

If you paid with Paypal, then lodge a not as described dispute....

Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2011 2:52 pm

Contact ebay and explain why you are contacting them, keep to the facts and do the same with paypal.

Also write to Petsmart at

Customer services manager
PetSmart, Inc.
19601 North 27th Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85027
(623) 580-6100
(800) 738-1385

it could very well be your coupons are correct and they had not filtered down to all the stores yet. Explain fully what happened and how you bought the coupons.

Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2011 6:46 pm

Had similar problems with a vendor on eBay.

First I wrote to the vendor to see if settlement could be made.
It couldn't so the I went to both eBay and Pay Pal (as that is how I paid)

Everything was settled in my favor.

I would still write to the PetSmart company.

How many transactions did this vendor have?

He could have had just a few and got 100% positive. If he values his 100% positive he may settle with you.

I have 444 transactions completed (sold) on eBay and a couple complaints. One was I could not find the CD to ship immediately, but I refunded his money and when I found the CD I shipped FREE and gave the CD to him FREE and he still left a negative comment.

Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 4:06 am

I had 12 coupons. I have 7 left since I gave the manager the 5 I had planned to use.

But the back - they didn't print it off right and when they cut it - they cut too close to the words - and on the real coupons the words are not written in that large font and are more centered on the paper. There is a space from the top on the back to where the writing begins and on the real ones - there isn't that space. The manager pointed out several things.

Thanks for your ideas. I wanted to see what several people said before I made my decision about how exactly to handle it. Thanks!

Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 1:13 pm

belated welcome back Wink

If it seems too good to be true.......................
The trouble with coupons/air-miles and such is that they get a value from trading them and although printing money is forbidden in every country, I can scan and multiply coupons as much as I want to. This smart A$$ has found that hole and is using it.
Be aware and tell it to your family, that's all we can do here.
You'll get your money back and will shred the remaining 7 after that, no doubt about that. Make sure that you and your RL friends wreck that guys rating completely, at least he'll have to start over again.

And the last question: 12 coupons! How many cats do you have and how big are they Smile

Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 1:47 pm

I do a lot of "couponing", Usually there is a limit to how many coupons you can print off from the various websites. If I print 5 from one website and that it the limit from the manufacturer, when I go to another website to get the same coupon, it somehow knows how many I have printed off and will not print more.

Maybe this guy reached his limit and decided to make up some coupons to sell on eBay.

I checked his seller info -- Has only been selling for 9 months and only 61 transactions, of which 20 were IAMS cat food coupons and a couple for grocery coupons. The number of 61 is misleading because some of those were for items he bought.

Sometimes new eBay people will buy items to build up their count, so while his 100% feedback looks impressive only about 20 were for IAMS cat food coupons purchased.

I also note that he currently has no items for sale and last feedback was in June. Wonder if the other buyers were dissatisfied but did not lodge a complaint.

Let us know how you fare on settlement.

Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 4:31 pm

I am going to start the settlement stuff today.

Thanks everyone!

Bill2. I get about 150-200 new cats a week. (I volunteer at the animal shelter.) I have 2 cats and a kitten at my apartment. My 2 cats were rescues in NYC - and the kitten was about to die at the shelter and she was just sooooo adorable. The shelter didn't have the money for her, and she was going to have to be euthanized so I begged to have her and promised to take her to the vet. She cost me quite a bit, but she's alive - - and mischievious. LOL Perhaps I should find her a home - but I kind of like having her around.

Oh also the coupons were not coupons you can print - they are supposed to come straight from the company.

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 7:18 am

Hi there
I went though a similar thing with Ebay awhile back. I reported the vender to Ebay with a copy of the coupons and a statement of why they are fake. Ebay refunded my money and they ended up cancelling the venders account. This was not the first complaint. I called Ebay as well as sent them an email. Look over the venders account and see the rating. If you notice other complaints stating fakes put that in your report as well. I normally talk to the seller first especially if their rating is very good. If the seller knows its a scam they will usually just refund your account and not respond.
If the coupons were printed off the internet chances are the seller just photocopied them to sell. If the are internet printed look at the batch number in the left hand corner each coupon is supposed to have it's own number. Ebay was very good at handling this for me.
Hope this helps.
Basts Child

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 4:29 pm

@Basts Child

You were right - I have not heard from the person since I sent the email. So, after reading your post, I went to paypal, and it says that the person has refunded my $52.

Thanks everyone! I got my money back.

Now....hmmmmm The new debate begins. I need to decide if I am reporting the person to Ebay or just letting it go. Am I giving the person a negative feedback or just letting it go?

The person had to KNOW they were fake to just sen me a refund like that.

GRRRRRRRRRRRR

But at least I got my money back.

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 4:48 pm

Eliza, you said the person had good feedback on eBay and I am sure that is what influenced you to do business with them. Since they refunded your money, no questions asked, I would believe they had done the same with other eBayers. Wouldn't it have been nice if they (previous buyers) had left the correct negative feedback or notified eBay so you wouldn't have gone through this yourself?

I am sure it seems easier to just walk away -- you got your money back. But what about the next person that purchases from this person? Wink

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 5:00 pm

I notice that several of the positives say there was a problem and that it was resolved quickly.

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 5:11 pm

^^ I'd say report him. He has obviously built his business model around those people who don't ask for their money back. You might save somebody from the trouble you've gone through.
And after all you don't have to fight to get your money back, so reporting him should be a pretty painless process in comparison. Wink

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 5:12 pm

I guess it is a coin-toss then. But it does seem like they knowingly sent you fake coupons and only refunded your money cause you complained. Would leave a sour taste in my mouth.

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 5:49 pm

I would post an honest, politely worded, factual negative feedback so that other people can be alerted and exercise more caution than they might if they were seduced by a 100% rating. Under eBay's current policies, which are weighted entirely toward the buyer, he can't leave you a retaliatory negative feedback. So you have nothing to lose by giving a factual summary for the benefit of others. Had someone else done that earlier you may have avoided all these headaches.

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 6:53 pm

I would say you should report as the seller has obviously tried to flog fake coupons and I find it hard to believe that they have managed to keep going for so long. Ebay usually shuts these accounts down quite quickly, but relies on it's users to report dishonest sellers.

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 7:44 pm

Actually reporting him is just stating the facts. Since you only get a few characters, you will have to choose how to say it politely. Which brings to mind the saying about a diplomat is someone who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that you will look forward to the trip

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 10:31 pm

I completely understand why your hesitant to report this seller and the seller is counting on this to keep his good rating. Consider this you bait to help people and this is the same just in your real life. Ebay will probably not cancel his account on one complaint but it will help establish a pattern and if it happens to others action will be taken. As buyers we depend on true feedback. Good luck!

Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 1:47 am

Reporting a fraudulent action of a seller will prevent others from being vics. Do it, do it, and do it. Then make sure it gets into google. Fraud shall not be tollerated. ooooooooo

Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 12:34 pm

@ Eliza- That's a lot of cats and careful how many you take yourself, if a neighbor complains you might loose them all. Congratulations on getting your $ back. If cat food vendor can show the cards are fake, nail his a$$ to the wall for everybody to see or go legal and file officially.

@Fay

Quote:

who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that you will look forward to the trip

I like that Smile

E-bay and PayPal still take their info over the internet so scammers will used that to create false "real" ID's and convince their victims it is all 100% risk free. Go garage shopping in a good neighborhood, you see what you get and you know where they live (most of the time, been fooled there too Sad

)

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