Seller to watch out for; indiejones09 on ebay, angela22 here

[ButtercreamDream]

Hey all, I need some advice.  I've got a couple of problems with an ebay purchase, and I'm not sure how to proceed in this case.  I bought a minty so-soft pony who was quite expensive as a 'But it Now' On Nov 23rd.  I paid in full but then asked the seller to hold onto it, as I was bidding on more of her auctions.  The others ended on the 29th, and I paid for the rest.  It was marked shipped on the 3rd of December, but not actually shipped until Dec 14th.  I thought it was lost, but that part I can live with.

The first real problem is that the seller charged me the combined shipping rate of $30 for what the label says was $10.55 in shipping, so 3x as much as it actually cost them.  That seems pretty straight forward to deal with through ebay.

The second bigger problem is that they didn't use any protection at all on the ponies, even the minty so-soft pony (a $70 minty Crumpet I've been waiting a VERY long time to find).  No box, no tissue, not even a sandwich bag.  She and the other 3 minty ponies were sent in a stiff cardboard envelope.  All four previously minty ponies arrived with rough, matted hair, unlike the condition I bought them in.  The worst part is that my minty SS Crumpet is Very Good condition at best, and very similar to a $30 one for sale here, that I turned down.  She is missing most of the flocking on the back of one of her ears, and loads on her other ear and around her feet.  One shoulder is really rubbed, as well as her mouth, eyebrows, nostrils.  I can tell that it happened in transit, because the other ponies and the inside of the envelope itself all have flocking all over them, like glitter.  The inside of the envelope is really rough and fairly stiff.

I found the ad for them here on the arena, but I bought them through ebay.  I'll take it up through ebay, but I'm not sure what to do (especially since I have 2 problems).  What should I do now?


-------------------------------------------------------------
Dec 28th 2013

Wow, I'm pretty sure it's the same person.  Her ebay ID is indiejones09, angela22 on here.  I can't believe this has happened before and keeps happening.  You would think that something like that is a mistake you would make once, and then learn from it.

I did check her feedback on ebay, and here, and I didn't see anything bad 

BUT to play devil's advocate shipping costs usually are SHIPPING AND HANDLING and a seller can charge anything they want
If you are the buyer it is your responsibility to look into shipping before a purchase. I would have had a combined shipping quote sent to me prior to purchase...this way if a seller sends some crazy price all you have to do is say no.

I did ask for a quote to start with, and it was $14.50, which isn't outrageous if it's sent in a box.  I asked if she would combine shipping, and she said yes.  I bought and paid for the first pony in advance, so the first $14.50 was already paid for.  When the other auctions ended, she combined it all with an extra $14.50, which I didn't see coming.  I at least figured they would have been well packaged in a box.  Honestly, if they had arrived as I bought them, For $20 actual shipping in a box, I wouldn't be complaining. *sigh*

Well, I opened a case by writing to her.  I'm so sad about that minty Crumpet, though.  She's been so hard to find, even though I'm willing to overpay, and another minty one just bit the dust.  She's the very last one I'm looking for for all the US mom and baby ponies.  I've been working on that goal since the early 2000s.

Thanks for your help

-------------------------------------------------------------
Dec 28th 2013

So, I got a response

"Actually, you paid 14.50 for shipping, not $30. And the ponies I send are always sent that way with no problems at all to the items, and definitely not enough rubbing could possibly happen inside that envelope to cause flocking loss or hair damage. You can return it if you'd like and I will look the item over to see what kind of damage has been done. Please ensure you confirm the correct address to send her to first before you ship out and you may want to include insurance on the package as I won't be responsible for any items that do not make it back. Thanks."

I'm frustrated now because it sounds like she's saying I'm lying.  The problem with the shipping cost is that I paid it twice, for two separate transactions a week apart, so I did pay $29.  Do I have to open a separate case for the other 3 ponies?  One of the 3 is ok, but I don't want to be stuck with the $30 shipping total I paid just for her.

Does anyone know if one tracking number will do for 2 transactions?


-------------------------------------------------------------
Dec 29th 2013

*sigh*, you could use paper towel and sandwich bags, and still protect them while sending them cheaply.  I've used bubble envelopes, but at least package them separately in plastic.  I didn't say anything more about the damage at all.  There's no use arguing over it.  I just told her I'd ship them all back, and that's it.

I'm going to send them all back in a box, well protected, but what happens if she just claims that the damage didn't happen while in transit.  When she says "I will look the item over to see what kind of damage has been done" it sounds to me like she's saying I'm lying, or I had buyer's remorse and I did something to them.  I can take pictures, but does that prove anything?

I opened a second case for the others, but it only included one of the 3, so I guess I need 4 separate cases?

Also, where do I find the address I have to mail them back to?  She says " Please ensure you confirm the correct address to send her to first before you ship out", but is there a place to find it, or do I have to ask her?

Sorry to ask so many questions everyone, and thanks for all your time.  I've never dealt with something like this before.

-------------------------------------------------------------
Dec 31st 2013

Ok, I sent them all back, well packaged, tracked and with insurance.  Hopefully this goes smoothly.


-------------------------------------------------------------
Jan 6th 2014

Wow.  The ponies I bought are not expected to arrive back at the seller's for another 2 days according to the tracking, but they are already relisted, with the old pictures and ads.  She hasn't even seen the damage yet.  In fact, her auctions end the same day the ponies are due back to her.


--------------------------------------------------------------
Jan 14th 2014,

I received a refund for the 3 other ponies that I returned to the seller, but not for Crumpet or her half of the shipping ($14.50, since I was charged that twice for combined shipping for 4 ponies).  I got a message from ebay today saying that if the refund wasn't processed by now, to escalate the case, and so I did.

Bonnie Bonnets sold 8 days before the seller had her back in hand, and Crumpet now has bids on her with the old pictures, before all the extra flocking rubs that occurred the first time she was shipped.

---------------------------------------------------------------
Jan 15th 2014,

Now I've got a new message from ebay, again saying that the seller has issued a refund, and an echeck should be processed by Jan 19th now.  The case was automatically closed, even though the last round of this (waiting for the echeck refund to go through into my account) did not go through.  I am so beyond frustrated right now.  I just want this to be done so I can move on.

*update*

I got this message via paypal.

"This email confirms that the Pending Refund you received for $84.50 USD from (seller's email address) has cleared. The funds are now reflected in your PayPal balance."

I checked paypal, and there's no refund still.  What on earth is going on?

[kitkatvintage]

I would recommend contacting the seller & explaining your problems in a polite way. If the seller was advertising their auctions here on the Arena they must be a collector, and should already be aware of properly packaging ponies for shipping and charging a fair amount for combined shipping.

Since the damage is irreversible & due to poor packaging, I would request returning Crumpet for a full refund. You did not get the item in the top dollar condition that it was described in. It would be hard to negotiable a fair partial refund since the pony was priced as high as it was, in my opinion.

I hope you can work things out with your seller. Just remember to keep the communication as polite & factual as possible. Please let us know how things work out.

[himmie]

I bet I know what seller you're talking about. I was very disappointed with the packaging they used for a pricey pony, it was actually open when it arrived and the pony could have easily fallen out...

I hope you can get it resolved!

[ButtercreamDream]

Yeah, I think that's what I'm going to have to do about crumpet at least.  The others I may be able to help, but poor Crumpet is not what I was waiting for anymore.  If I contact them through ebay, does it open a case automatically?  Do I need to do something separate about the $20 overcharge for shipping, or just pick a category and write to them about both?

[kitkatvintage]

Just pick a category and write everything in one message. eBay rarely does anything in regards to overcharged postage, so that one will be up to your seller to decide if she/he will give you a refund on the excessive charge.

After searching out the ended auction, I see that seller has quite a few positive feedback a with less-than-positive comments. It seems like over charged shipping, poor packaging, and items not as nice as described are a reoccurring theme. Good luck to you!

[Shiromisa]

Oh ouch! D: I'm sorry it ended up so disappointing for you. I hope you can get this resolved satisfactorily, especially since the seller is an Arena member.

[goddessofpeep]

Ouch.  I'm really sorry you're going through this.  I know what it's like to pay for a pony you've been after for a long time, only to get it in hand and it's not what you wanted.

I'm pretty sure I know which seller this is,  and if I'm right about the seller,  I had a less than fun time with them too.  I also got a '*very* expensive pony($150+) shipped in an unpadded Priority Mail envelope.  No bubble wrap, not even a plastic baggie to protect the pony if the envelope got wet or damaged.  I was *shocked* when I saw that as this was NOT  a cheap pony.  The pony was not damaged by the packaging(sheer luck it wasn't!), but the seller missed some flaws in her auction description, so I returned it.  I shipped the pony back to the seller(in a BOX I provided, properly packed, and with full insurance), and it was resold pretty much immediately.  I got my money back, but I think the seller shipped her out in an unpadded envelope again to the new buyer, despite the fact that I sent that pony back to her bubble wrapped and in a box that fit the pony perfectly. 

If it is the same seller(and I looked up past Crumpet auctions - it probably is), I did get my money back, including the original shipping.  I did NOT get the shipping I paid to send the pony back reimbursed, but by that time I was so happy my item made it back to the seller(the post office screwed up and shipped it to the wrong state for several days), I was happy to get what I could.

If it was me(and it was me a few weeks ago), I'd return the item for a full refund.  You'll probably get your shipping overcharge back(but not what you spend to ship it back) if you return ALL the items for a full refund.  I am not so sure you'll get your shipping overcharge if you keep some of the ponies.  My dealings with this seller(if it's the same one - the seller's ebay ID starts with an "i"...) weren't great.  Some things were fine, others not so much.  She might not do a partial refund on shipping, and if you want to try for that, it might be a fight.  I'm not sure as that was not part of my transaction.  She was quick to offer a refund when I asked for one, and that was no problem. 

If it is the same seller, and you'd like any more information about what happened during my transaction, feel free to PM me.  I hope everything works out for you!

[bluerose9978]

Wow, that's awful! Since they are a collector, they should know the importance of packaging correctly! And overcharging by shipping by such an excessive amount is absurd!

As mentioned before, I would contact the seller through eBay and request to send crumpet back for a refund and maybe mention the shipping overcharge. Just do not bring up anything about feedback in your correspondence.

[claricesponies]

I would contact the seller asking to return the ponies for a full refund including inflated shipping costs.

I agree that is a crazy shipping and handling cost.

BUT to play devil's advocate shipping costs usually are SHIPPING AND HANDLING and a seller can charge anything they want
If you are the buyer it is your responsibility to look into shipping before a purchase. I would have had a combined shipping quote sent to me prior to purchase...this way if a seller sends some crazy price all you have to do is say no.

[ashlyne]

I would definitely be sending back the Crumpet for a refund.  That just makes me so sad -- there are so few mint condition Crumpets around anymore     You should be able to get a refund with shipping charge (for that pony alone) pretty easily if you do go through ebay, although since it is a member here, maybe contacting them through the Arena first might not be a bad way to go.  I would still recommend going through ebay to get the refund to make sure everything is done right and fast, but it's less of a shock to the seller if you open communications before they get an Item-Not-As-Described notice.   

The overcharge on shipping is probably going to be up to the seller, as claricesponies noted.  You can see if there's a way to complain about it through ebay, but they typically won't do anything if no arrangement for combined shipping was made beforehand.  But maybe it was an oversight, and the seller didn't realize it.  The best thing would be to ask nicely about it. 

[Dragonflitter]

This is very sad to read. A collector should know how to properly package ponies, whether they be expensive or just a cheap $5 one.

I don't mean to stir up a hornet nest, but could we ask for the name of the seller after you have settled your case with them? I'd like to avoid buying from someone who is going to send me expensive ponies in a bubble mailer with no protection.

[bluerose9978]

This is very sad to read. A collector should know how to properly package ponies, whether they be expensive or just a cheap $5 one.

I don't mean to stir up a hornet nest, but could we ask for the name of the seller after you have settled your case with them? I'd like to avoid buying from someone who is going to send me expensive ponies in a bubble mailer with no protection.

It sounds as if the seller didn't even have the courtesy to use a bubble envelope. They used a stiff cardboard mailer. Bubble envelopes do offer protection but what the buyer describes does not.

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

[Shiromisa]

This is very sad to read. A collector should know how to properly package ponies, whether they be expensive or just a cheap $5 one.

I don't mean to stir up a hornet nest, but could we ask for the name of the seller after you have settled your case with them? I'd like to avoid buying from someone who is going to send me expensive ponies in a bubble mailer with no protection.

Seconding this...eurgh

[MiRaja]

I'd like to know as well.  I looked up on the completed listings and there's only one Crumpet that ended Nov. 23.  So, I'm guessing that's them?

But yeah, super annoying.  I mainly buy one or two ponies every other month and they generally are the more expensive ones!  I would be so angry!  And she's ruined a perfectly good Crumpet because of it! ( If it's the Nov 23rd one, I did note she was missing flocking from one ear. . .  )  I only got my Crumpet a few months ago for about half that and she's in amazing condition.  I will say, just touching her, it seems like Crumpet has *very* loose flocking, where some ponies are flocked with super glue.  One has to be careful!  And it's careless twits like this that give the rest of all the sellers a bad name! 

So, please, I'd like to know who they are so I can make sure I don't accidentally deal with them.  Shipping with no protection is a huge no-no, and enough for me not to spend my month with them, and the overcharging on shipping to boot!  Did you pay $30 to ship FOUR ponies? 

[teacher316]

Buttercream-My husband bought my dutch pony from this seller and I distinctly remember the brown envelope coming in the mail. It was not padded and I could feel the pony moving inside. I told him that if it was a pony(which I knew it was) that it was not well padded!
I agree with the others. If she's a collector, you'd think she would know to wrap ponies in something for protection.