Amazon Problem

[MegaDisney]

I ordered a copy of the twenty three premier issue through an Amazon Seller.

I received the magazine super fast! I was really excited!

I looked at the magazine in the clear plastic pouch and noticed that the spine was cracked/broken.

Not a HUGE deal but I want to read and collect these.

Before I opened the pouch , I contacted the seller via Amazon to explain the damage and ask what his return policy was, I even sent him pictures of the crack. He basically accused me of "trying to rim (him) off" having "buyers remorse" and "taking advantage of (him)"

The item was described as "brand new, never opened" which I take to mean "mint" condition.

Am I being unreasonable asking to return the item for a refund?

[Figment50]

Welcome to the world of buying preowned stuff online. You get what you bought. The guy con you for money by saying it was new and never used and you fell for it. Sorry for the loss of money but sometime you win some an some time you lose some.

[SBETigg]

You should let Amazon know the buyer is misrepresenting his products. I believe they will ban vendors who get repeated complaints. You should also (as you have) let the vendor know of your dissatisfaction. As for expecting a refund, you can hope but it might not happen. If you send the product back, I would fear that you would lose it and never see the refund. I think it's a buyer beware situation, but you still have the ability to review the vendor, share your concerns with his customers that way, and alert Amazon. Sorry about the bad deal.

You really do have to watch out for the used vendors. My latest book isn't out and a vendor is trying to sell a review copy on Amazon for $999. Insane! It's a $15 book, that you can buy new from Amazon for about $10 (in a month). I would feel terrible if anyone paid that for a book. I've also seen crazy inflated prices on some of my signed older books. It's just not worth it. If they'll jack up prices like that on something that's not much of a collectible, I wonder what they would do on actual collectible merchandise, like Disney memorabilia. Shop around and be careful out there.

[Ian]

This is a tough call. As both a long term eBay buyer and seller I can tell you that I tired of people's endless whining about this not being "perfect" and that not being "perfect" with an item. Everyone's definition of perfect is different and I've had some people pick nits with me over near-absurd levels of imperfections ... it gets frustrating because it costs a lot more than it might appear to take a return. You often lose fees, shipping costs, and other monies that buyers don't consider and on low profit margin items that can be a killer.

I'd ask you ... is it really in such bad shape you want to return it? If so, then I'd press the issue. You bought it, you paid for it, and you deserve to be satisfied.

But try to remember the guy on the other end and what the impact of your decision will be on him. Did he really intentionally misrepresent the product or is it reasonable to think that his interpretation of the item was genuine and you just have a different way of evaluating the product?

[brownie]

I always check the seller's feedback history. I avoid those with consistently poor feedback or who don't have a long period of feedback.

I'd pursue it if the product doesn't meet the description of its condition. Sometimes all the bluster is designed to get you to quit pursuing the matter since the seller knows they misrepresented it.

[Ian]

Sometimes all the bluster is designed to get you to quit pursuing the matter since the seller knows they misrepresented it.

You make a good point here. The level of vehemence with which the buyer responded is unusual from a reputable merchant.

Even when I've encountered the most difficult and troublesome buyers I always remain totally professional and courteous with them. Typically if someone gets this fired up, you're not dealing with an on-the-level seller.

[krabman1955]

I buy from amazon all the time if you're not happy with a product and have a legit problem amazon will refund you're money.First u contact the seller if unresolved after so much time amazon will refund you're money.

[MegaDisney]

Thanks for all the feedback.

If I was just buying the magazine to read it would be no big deal, and I think to the casual observer the book is in good condition, just not mint, which goes to the point about nitpicking.

The sellers feedback was very good. Upon further examination it looks like his feedback is excellent when there was no issue with the transaction. The very few negatives he has don't look to be handled very well. Problems with shipping are met with a "sorry I don't control the USPS" and all negative feedback is met with snarky rude follow up.

After numerous pictures and email sent back and forth, I gave up and filed a claim with Amazon. I left honest feedback of my buying experience. Almost immediately he responded with an email that said: "Negative Feedback? Now see how fast you get a refund!"

You know I bought and sold on eBay for years and never had an issue, I have never had a bad experience with anyone on Amazon either. I guess it was about time something happened to snap me to the reality that I am dealing with random people and sometimes you come across a bad apple.

[pink]

Thanks for all the feedback.

If I was just buying the magazine to read it would be no big deal, and I think to the casual observer the book is in good condition, just not mint, which goes to the point about nitpicking.

The sellers feedback was very good. Upon further examination it looks like his feedback is excellent when there was no issue with the transaction. The very few negatives he has don't look to be handled very well. Problems with shipping are met with a "sorry I don't control the USPS" and all negative feedback is met with snarky rude follow up.

After numerous pictures and email sent back and forth, I gave up and filed a claim with Amazon. I left honest feedback of my buying experience. Almost immediately he responded with an email that said: "Negative Feedback? Now see how fast you get a refund!"

You know I bought and sold on eBay for years and never had an issue, I have never had a bad experience with anyone on Amazon either. I guess it was about time something happened to snap me to the reality that I am dealing with random people and sometimes you come across a bad apple.

I'm sorry this happened to you. I once bought a used-textbook from Amazon that said it was in perfect condition and when it arrived it looked as if someone had spilled water all over it, it smelled, its pages were yellowed, the cover was hanging off and they had left old user's textbooks inside. I kept the book but gave them horrible feedback and they send me an email saying that they would send me a $10 coupon towards a next purchase from that seller if I changed my feedback to positive, like I would fall for that. Please.

As for your situation, that seller seems very rude. He should have seen that you were serious after giving negative, yet honest feedback. You just never know who you're dealing with online. Just so you know, sometimes filing a claim with Amazon can be a long process but I hope you come out a winner.

[Ian]

You know I bought and sold on eBay for years and never had an issue, I have never had a bad experience with anyone on Amazon either.

Yeah, I would count your blessings if that's the case. I have somewhere well north of 1,000 transactions on eBay as both a buyer and a seller and I can tell you I've hit more than my fair share of imbeciles.

Honestly, a lot more as a seller than a buyer, though. I've only very infrequently had buying issues that weren't immediately addressed by the seller.

Buyers, on the other hand ... I think they realize that eBay has tilted all the rules in their favor these days and they're taking advantage of it. I sold a bunch of DVD's a couple months back and of the 30 or so I shipped I had 5 people claim they never received them and ask for a refund. That's a failure rate of 16%. I know the Post Office is bad, but it's not that bad!

[brownie]

Thanks for all the feedback.

If I was just buying the magazine to read it would be no big deal, and I think to the casual observer the book is in good condition, just not mint, which goes to the point about nitpicking.

The sellers feedback was very good. Upon further examination it looks like his feedback is excellent when there was no issue with the transaction. The very few negatives he has don't look to be handled very well. Problems with shipping are met with a "sorry I don't control the USPS" and all negative feedback is met with snarky rude follow up.

After numerous pictures and email sent back and forth, I gave up and filed a claim with Amazon. I left honest feedback of my buying experience. Almost immediately he responded with an email that said: "Negative Feedback? Now see how fast you get a refund!"

You know I bought and sold on eBay for years and never had an issue, I have never had a bad experience with anyone on Amazon either. I guess it was about time something happened to snap me to the reality that I am dealing with random people and sometimes you come across a bad apple.

Interesting comments on the negative feedback. Never thought about looking at comments this way; I'll have to look out for this in the future.