Dutch and Belguim Marktplaats users been scammed? "The retro shop"

[Pierlala]

Hello,

I recently won an auction on the Dutch website Marktplaats. I bid on a Nurse Sweet Heart pony. The same seller also had a Dutch Star pony and two super long hair ponies (forgot the name of those) the ones witht he long wavey mane.

All of those are on "reserved" now. Which means they are paid for or the seller agreed to sell the for that price.

Now, it's been about a week ago that I paid this seller who's from Belgium. But the seller still hasn't sent the pony nor has he/she sent any message to confirm the money I paid has arrived. He/she has not asked fro my adress either. After payment I simply got no response. This is Marktplaats so the use of Paypal is not very common. Since some people still think Paypal is "difficult" So basically I just did a bank transfer, hoping the seller will send me the pony.

I want to ask others who are probably from the arena if they bought ponies from this seller. He uses the name "The retro shop". He has been 4.5 years active on Marktplaats. Has anyone gotten their pony yet?

I'd like to know if I am the only one or if more have been having issues with this seller.

[lovesbabysquirmy]

... you threw money into someone's bank account without any communication from them? when there is no clear way to get your money back from a bank transfer? 

I hope someone who is familiar with Marktplaats can help you with your rights here, because right now it doesn't sound good. 

[Moonbreeze]

Yipe... well that's why I haven't been on Marktplaats the past few years.
Point is... they are in Belgium and you're in NL? That will make it more difficult.

Is there any way to call back your money via the bank?

[Pierlala]

... you threw money into someone's bank account without any communication from them? when there is no clear way to get your money back from a bank transfer? 

I hope someone who is familiar with Marktplaats can help you with your rights here, because right now it doesn't sound good.

The person contacted me and told me he agree'd with my offer. Then gave me the bank info and I told him to let me know when the money arrived. He never let me know anything after that. There isn't really more I could do. I bought lots of ponies off Marktplaats. But this is the first time I'm starting to get a little nervous.

[Nella]

Bank transfers are completely normal over here, so nothing special or doubtful about that. The only thing is that you'll need to make sure you trust the seller.

In this case I think you've been a bit too easy. I always ask address and phone number as if I'm collecting them myself. After I've received that (and tested through google or calling them myself) I'll ask if shipping is possible.

The one with the Rapunzel for sale last year (another scammer) never responded again after I've told him/her that I wanted to collect them myself .

Post Merge: October 01, 2017, 12:50:57 AM

I've done some additional research: the pony's are still available / for sale at the Belgium selling site. They have the possibility of feedback over there which is overall ok (although these can be made themselves, I only look at the negatives). The negative feedback: one says it's a fraudulent seller (2013) and this (2015) "bedankt voor het NIET goed verzenden van het huis van Barbie, de pretty parlor case van My Little Pony, de pony's en de skipper ik voel mij meer dan 'in het zak gezet' door u... alles werd verzonden in een doos die niet volledig kon afgesloten worden, er zat geen bescherming rond de harde plastic zaken waardoor het huis van Barbie gebroken is, de case ook uiteen lag, de skipper cool tops heeft schimmelvlekken!!?? de pony's zien er op het eerste zicht aanvaardbaar uit maar stinken als de pest dit alles verkopen voor 45€ vind ik ronduit schandalig, ik zou er nog geen 10€ voor durven vragen in de staat dat het zich bevind!" of someone else. For the non-Dutch: the pony's and other things were poorly packaged and smell badly.

Post Merge: October 01, 2017, 01:00:27 AM

I've also received a message back from her through Marktplaats. I've asked if the Dutch pony is sold. She responded "Normaal gezien wel, ik wacht nog op de betaling van de koper." Seems as if the payment hasn't came through? Are you sure you paid to the correct IBAN?

[Pierlala]

Thanks for the responses everyone.

Now, today finally I got a response from the seller after several messages. So this is what was being said:

I received the money, I will send net NEXT saturday when I'm in the Netherlands. I was like...

So I have to give a small backstory here. When the seller messaged me to say she agree'd to sell me the pony. I asked her if she could send it by Kiala (whish is another postal service used in Belgium and the Netherlands). She said that that was fine and that I had to pay her 7,50 for shipping cost. Which I thoguht was wrong at first. I thought Kiala was 3,95 euro in both the Netherlands and Belgium. She then said: "I looked on the Kiala website and I can send the pony for 3,95" She also said she would send it as soon as the payment came in. WHich I ofcourse did the same day. Since I live in the Netherlands and she livesin Belguim. It would take 2 days max.

So like I explained in this topic, I paid but never got any confirmation if she got the money. So finally today she messaged me again. (Over a week went by at this point).

"I received the money, I will post the pony next saturday when I'm in the Netherlands. I then said, no, hold on a minute. That is very late. You have never told me that postage would take that long. She then responded in a very rude manner: "I live in Belgium, 2 hours from the Dutch border. YOu can't expect me to drive all the way to the Netherlands just to post a pony. I will post it when I need to be in the Netherlands. Postage from Belgium to The Netherlands cost 7,50".

I was so furious by her response. I wrote back: "What a weird way to respond? "First of all you never told me that you were going to post the pony INSIDE the Netherlands and that you had to drive all the way to the Netherlands to post it? If I had known that I would have just paid a few euro extra to get the pony asap. This has been a terrible miscommunication (from your behalf *I thought in my head*). Can I have your account number again so I can pay the extra 3,55 to get the pony here faster?"

She then gave me her account number again, saying purely "I will post the pony as soon as I received the payment" Which was the EXACT same thing she said in the first place. Which was clearly a lie. She never posted the pony and would have just let me sitting and waiting untill next saturday + 4-5 days it would take to actually receive the pony. Since Kiala is slower then Post NL.

What a rude seller. I never do business with her again. If this was Ebay she would have gotten terrible feedback from me. Either that or a full refund and move on.

[Nella]

Glad it all seems to work out at last. One thing I'd like to add is that you have to remember it is Marktplaats and not eBay.

When I buy from a Belgium seller I completely understand shipping will take longer because most of the times they indeed post in The Netherlands. Therefore I don't see any harm in her response with shipping on the next Saturday. But that's maybe my way of handling things.

[Pierlala]

Glad it all seems to work out at last. One thing I'd like to add is that you have to remember it is Marktplaats and not eBay.

When I buy from a Belgium seller I completely understand shipping will take longer because most of the times they indeed post in The Netherlands. Therefore I don't see any harm in her response with shipping on the next Saturday. But that's maybe my way of handling things.

But the problem was. She stated she will post it as soon as the money has arrived. She never gave me an update. She never even said that she would have to drive all the way to the Netherlands. She told me the first time, shipping from Kiala will cost 3,95 since she looked on the website. Then later find out she looked up how much it costed to send from within the Netherlands and not Belgium. That's not what I asked for at all. Then later adding that if I wanted to send it from within Belgium it will be 7,50 instead. That is not acceptable. She didn't communicate at all. If shee needed that much time in the first place, why not say so?

[Nella]

Agreed. She should have communicated.

I hope the pony's are packed well and don't smell like the ones they sold on the other website.

[Pierlala]

Have you bought from her as well?

[Nella]

In the end no. But I have been communicating with her.

[Pierlala]

Also, I didn't buy the Dutch Pony, but the Nurse Sweet Heart Pony. So that's why I was wondering if anyone from the arena had bought the other ponies she had listed which are now "reserved".

[Nella]

Ah, I misread. I thought you'd bought all of them.