PRS-600 Bought a PRS-650 and was sent a PRS-600. So upset.

[Ripplinger]

So sorry to hear that too. I've never dealt with Craigs List... is there someplace you can post bad experience with sellers or anything? Or can they just change their name and no one is the wiser that they're scammers?

[seajewel]

Thanks everyone. The seller is now claiming that he is back from vacation and he checked his packages and my package is not there. Considering it was delivered a month ago (11/30).. well, I gave him the tracking number and told him the exact date it would arrive. I do not believe he was on vacation then.

At this point, I guess I truly, truly have been scammed. I've spent such a long time trying to give him the benefit of the doubt and believing that he made an honest mistake he was going to fix. It's a lesson learned, anyhow. I will see what steps I can take, and in the future, I will of course never buy anything without seller protection--paypal, etc. and actual pictures.

[Ripplinger]

Another thought for the future would be to send the returned item with a signature required upon receipt. This guy sounds like he might deny he ever signed though and that it was delivered to someone else by mistake, or whatever excuse he could come up with. But in general it's best for returning pricier items when a refund would be coming.

[khalleron]

Originally Posted by seajewel

Well, as most people have said, I probably have been scammed with no chance of any recovery. I did send it back, but got no response for a few weeks, emailed the guy, who claims he's been "on vacation" and his neighbor has been looking out for the package which has not, according to him, arrived. Seeing as it was delivered according to my tracking # a month ago, that's a flat out lie. I've told him to let me know if they can't find it so I can file a USPS claim with my insurance tag, but no response. I'll have to see what the post office can do, but I doubt the package was lost.. the guy is likely just lying.

It would have been better to keep it and trade it in for a T1 or something, it would have at least saved me $50. So much for trusting/hoping that the seller made a genuine mistake.

Definitely file a claim with USPS. Using the mails for fraudulent purposes is a felony. Tell the guy that and see what happens, too.

[Shopaholic]

I'm so sorry this happened to you Seajewel. I don't like seeing people get taken advantage of.

I agree with Khalleron - sick the USPS on them!!

[seajewel]

Seller ignored my last email, I sent an email threatening to file a claim with the post office. He sends me a pseudo-sincere-toned email saying how "sorry" he is and that see it from his perspective, he does not need money but he is not going to refund me on a product that he never received back. Again, I sent the product back, with a tracking # and delivery confirmation. It was returned to him within a week of his sending it to me.

i do see it from his perspective. If he were an honest seller and sincerely sorry he would be refunding me. The mistake was not mine, well, other than the mistake of giving him the benefit of the doubt. I should have listened to every person on mobileread who told me not to send it back, not to trust this guy, and not to get suckered into his story about it being a mistake. Well, I guess he's "sorry."

[baily]

I think you should send a kind reply back indicating that you're sorry, and that you'll be filing a complaint with the USPS promptly.

You may not want to pursue this, but you could also file a complaint with his local police department. If you believe you're the victim of a fraud, and you have documentation to show it, I don't see why they wouldn't draw up a report. I'm not advising you to do it, but the option is there.

[khalleron]

Originally Posted by baily

I think you should send a kind reply back indicating that you're sorry, and that you'll be filing a complaint with the USPS promptly.

You may not want to pursue this, but you could also file a complaint with his local police department. If you believe you're the victim of a fraud, and you have documentation to show it, I don't see why they wouldn't draw up a report. I'm not advising you to do it, but the option is there.

Absolutely you should file a police report - that's what the cops are for, after all. And a USPS report, making it clear that the mail was used for fraudulent purposes.

[Tony1988]

Originally Posted by khalleron

Absolutely you should file a police report - that's the cops are for, after all. And a USPS report, making it clear that the mail was used for fraudulent purposes.

Absolutely. The tracking number proves it was sent. Its not even a matter of the money seajewel lost now, its a matter of respect. This guy is being a major dickwad.

[JSWolf]

I agree to file a report with the police and the USPS. But also file a report with Craigslist.

[kartu]

If you don't report him, he'll definitely continue his "business" of scamming people.

Originally Posted by seajewel

...I will of course never buy anything without seller protection--paypal, etc. and actual pictures.

Kinda offtopic but let me share my "paypal "protection"" experience with you. A year ago I bought a camcoder battery from a "respected chinese site" (it was big one indeed). There was nice little "paypal" on it and I knew it "protects". I got charger instead of a battery AND a charger and "respected chinese site" was kind enough to offer me a deal of sending "another" battery but only if I order something else.

Paypal protection was kind enough to tell me that, well, "they cannot verify quality of the goods". Essentially if seller can show delivery receipt to them, it means you got what you've ordered, even if you got TV frame instead of a TV. Also note that "complaint" mechanism is made so that you have to "wait for X weeks" before doing something (in an obvious hope that you actually forget about it), and then you have a short period to react, if you don't, case is automatically closed. They are slightly more "protective" in case of ebay, but still far from one would expect. (I got a problem with essential "never to buy" Y-cable for avm router missing and paypal/ebay was again of no help)

Basically good reputation of the seller is your only protection. Oh, and the amazon, it's is very good with "customer is right unless proved otherwise" approach.

[Shopaholic]

Excellent post Kartu!

PayPal protection is a bit of a misnomer. Like you say, all a seller has to do is show delivery confirmation and they're good to go. Who's to prove that you got what you actually ordered? Nobody.

And worse yet, at least for Canadians customers, if you buy a product from anywhere outside Canada and have to make use of that 'protection' you have to send it back to the seller with online, verifiable, tracking that you did so. Not a big deal in the US as it's not horribly expensive but with Canada Post - it's insanely expensive to get tracking numbers on parcels going outside Canada.

So many people blindly believe they're protected, and to a certain extent they are, but it's going to cost you. Is it worth spending upwards of $50+ to send back your cheap Chinese $5 product? Of course not! Who in their right mind would do that???

[seajewel]

Thank you everyone for your support and kind words. It really has been such a disheartening experience and I will go to the post office and do whatever I can. I doubt I will ever see my money, but I'd like to think that reporting it will do a little good rather than just accepting that there isn't much I can do. I really gave this guy way too many chances and opportunities to do the right thing, and that was really stupid.

[Ashjuk]

Originally Posted by kartu

...They are slightly more "protective" in case of ebay, but still far from one would expect. (I got a problem with essential "never to buy" Y-cable for avm router missing and paypal/ebay was again of no help)

I use PayPal frequently and to date I have only ever had one problem with goods that did not arrive.

They were purchased from an eBay seller with a good reputation. But despite this I did not receive a single reply to all the messages I sent via eBay asking where the goods were.

I lodged a claim with PayPal, who themselves did not receive a reply from the seller, to no avail, they just washed their hands of it by saying there were no funds in the seller's account.

So whilst I still continue to use PayPay I have no confidence whatsoever in their so called 'protection'.

For expensive items I always use a credit card to pay. In the event of non-delivery etc. the card issuer is legally responsible to refund you in full. Technically you are buying the goods from the card issuer and not the seller.

[Ashjuk]

Originally Posted by seajewel

Thank you everyone for your support and kind words. It really has been such a disheartening experience and I will go to the post office and do whatever I can. I doubt I will ever see my money, but I'd like to think that reporting it will do a little good rather than just accepting that there isn't much I can do. I really gave this guy way too many chances and opportunities to do the right thing, and that was really stupid.

I'm sure we have all been guilty of trusting someone too much at some time in our lives, all you can do is put it down to experience and learn by your mistakes.

Like everyone else I would encourage you to report this to all the authorities involved. As you say I doubt very much that you will ever see your money or reader again, but at least you can feel a little easier that your action may help to prevent someone else getting scammed by this guy.