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Sound Reinforcement - Forums for Live Sound Professionals - Your Displayed Name Must Be Your Real Full Name To Post In The Live Sound Forums => SR Forum Archives => The Basement FUD Forum Archive => Topic started by: vunguyen on February 18, 2008, 02:42:35 PM

Title: Question About Purchases on LAB Marketplace
Post by: vunguyen on February 18, 2008, 02:42:35 PM
Hi Everyone,

I'm in a situation where I'd already paid to purchase a couple of items from a person posting on LAB Marketplace but my e-mails have gone unanswered after the payment was made 5 days ago.

Up to the evening of the actual Paypal payment, he was very responsive: every e-mail I sent to inquire about prices, etc. was answered immediately.  But the days right after the payment came through, he suddenly stopped; I've been sending e-mails asking him if he's shipped it, etc.  All were with very polite tone.  Only the one I sent from yesterday demanded that he was given 2 more days before I take action to get my money back.  I even offered him to refund my money if changed his mind about selling the stuffs..  I know for a fact that he's answered e-mail by fellow LABsters with inquiries & whatnots so it does look like he's avoiding my e-mails.

As you can see, I'm doing all I can to not mention his name here pending the outcome of his willingness to contact me before the end of today.

Anyway, my question is this:  I used American Express to pay through PayPal.  What options/hope do I have to get my money back?  Has this ever happened to anyone here & if so, were you able to get your money back in the end?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Vu
Title: Re: Question About Purchases on LAB Marketplace
Post by: Tony "T" Tissot on February 18, 2008, 02:46:16 PM
I've never had a problem with any of the folks here.

American Express is great about payment disputes. I've received fast, effective action from them.
Title: Re: Question About Purchases on LAB Marketplace
Post by: Mac Kerr on February 18, 2008, 03:06:10 PM
vunguyen wrote on Mon, 18 February 2008 14:42

 I used American Express to pay through PayPal.  What options/hope do I have to get my money back?  Has this ever happened to anyone here & if so, were you able to get your money back in the end?
Call American Express ASAP. They are very responsive to payment disputes. Any online transaction is open to misunderstanding, or foul play. The hope is that within the relatively small community of the LAB this would be minimized.

Mac
Title: Re: Question About Purchases on LAB Marketplace
Post by: vunguyen on February 18, 2008, 03:07:19 PM
Thanks Tony.  I just found out that there's a dispute feature with PayPal.  With AMEX's reputation, I think I have a pretty good chance of getting my money back.

I just called the guy & left him a voice-mail message also.  Simply asked him to contact me or I'll file a dispute with PayPal.  Will see if he comes through.

Vu
Title: Re: Question About Purchases on LAB Marketplace
Post by: vunguyen on February 18, 2008, 03:10:38 PM
Thanks Mac.  I'm very, very tempted to call Amex & also file a dispute form with PayPal but I just left him a voice-mail...

I'll hold off on escalating until the end of today.  Do you think giving him 5 days is enough?

Vu
Title: Re: Question About Purchases on LAB Marketplace
Post by: David C Nickerson on February 18, 2008, 03:25:09 PM
Vu,
Paypal is useless when it comes to dispute resolution.  Amex will totally go to bat for you, though.

If using Paypal, protect yourself (as I didn't) and don't pay from your bank account, ALWAYS USE A CREDIT CARD AS THE FUNDING SOURCE.  The CC company can do more to protect you than your bank can.

Best of luck,
David
Title: Re: Question About Purchases on LAB Marketplace
Post by: vunguyen on February 18, 2008, 03:27:56 PM
I've finally heard back from the guy.  He said it was a misunderstanding that he's been on the road & my e-mails might have been stuck in the spam group & that's why he hasn't gotten them.

I don't know if that makes any sense since he received all of my e-mails prior to the payment coming through without any problem.  At any rate, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt & sit tight, waiting for the units to arrive.

Vu
Title: Re: Question About Purchases on LAB Marketplace
Post by: John Horvath on February 18, 2008, 03:29:53 PM
Glad it's not me this time, but I will say life gets stupid sometimes and quite easy to neglect the small stuff.  One thing to think about is he could have been selling his equipment to pay for some emergency on his end.  Give it some time, we're all human.
Title: Re: Question About Purchases on LAB Marketplace
Post by: Phil LaDue on February 18, 2008, 03:30:20 PM
Don't forget to get a tracking number.
Title: Re: Question About Purchases on LAB Marketplace
Post by: Jesse Walter on February 18, 2008, 04:46:38 PM
Paypals dispute feature does work but it will take close to a month for them to get your money back.  I had to dispute an ebay purchase a couple months ago.  Pay Pal came through and I got my money back.  Maybe AMEX could get your money back a little quicker if the guy never sends you the items you bought.

Jesse
Title: Re: Question About Purchases on LAB Marketplace
Post by: Bill Wood on February 18, 2008, 08:07:55 PM
Vu,

Just got home, your Email is in a holding (spam) folder. The way my Email is set up all of my email filters down to a redirector to my PDA / Palm Pilot. I have to do this as my mobile Email does not poll for updates. Your Email did not get forwarded, not your issue. This is a problem on my end. I spend 80% of the time on the road and this is how I get 100+ Emails a day. The only time I see the spam folder is when I'm at home or the office and I actually look at it, If I am at the computer it shows in the corner of the scene and I usually check it if I am sitting there.

I understand your being upset, but you received a callback within 15 minutes of your Voice mail, that should tell you right there that I'm not avoiding you. This whole issue should be resolved very shortly. I have spoken with the office, and your Drawmer's are packed and sitting on the dock. They will go out tomorrow for sure, But if you would like a refund let me know by morning before they are picked up and I will be happy to refund your your payment.

Tracking info will be generated with my UPS end of day shipping summary. I will get that to you tomorrow. Keep in mind when you are buying in the forum marketplace you are dealing with individuals not a mail order fulfilment centers, we are not high volume retailers. Sometimes it takes a few days to get things shipped out. It will probably take 5 to 8 business days to be delivered the west coast via UPS Ground.

Someone being unhappy does me no good, this is an industry were word of mouth is everything. There are PLENTY of people on this forum that will tell you I am as straight up as they come.

The only reason I am posting this in open forum is to let everyone know what is going on. If I'm the one being questioned I'm not going to hide it. Like I said, I play very straight with everyone.

This is not an excuse, but I am also down one of my main guys right now as his wife had a heart attack last Tuesday, She's still in the hospital on a ventilator (sucks she's 42) and this put me even more behind the 8 ball than usual.

My apologies
Bill

Title: Re: Question About Purchases on LAB Marketplace
Post by: Andy Peters on February 18, 2008, 08:19:19 PM
Bill Wood wrote on Mon, 18 February 2008 18:07

Vu,

Just got home, your Email is in a holding (spam) folder. The way my Email is set up all of my email filters down to a redirector to my PDA / Palm Pilot. I have to do this as my mobile Email does not poll for updates. Your Email did not get forwarded, not your issue. This is a problem on my end. I spend 80% of the time on the road and this is how I get 100+ Emails a day. The only time I see the spam folder is when I'm at home or the office and I actually look at it, If I am at the computer it shows in the corner of the scene and I usually check it if I am sitting there.


You own your own domain.

Why not do what I do -- create an e-mail address specifically for ebay and other sales? This really helps deal with spam and phishing.

I have another account set up just to handle e-mail from credit-card issuers and my bank and mortgage lender. Human beings never see this e-mail address, and it is ONLY used for this purpose. If mail allegedly from citibank.com (for example) comes from that account, it's most likely legit. If it comes from any other account, it's binned in the spam folder then deleted.

-a
Title: Re: Question About Purchases on LAB Marketplace
Post by: vunguyen on February 18, 2008, 09:43:45 PM
Hi Bill,

Go ahead & ship the units out.  As you could see, I never mentioned your name with the posts here.  My question was mainly about what hope, if any, I have with PayPal &/or Amex in getting my money back if it has to come to that.

I have been very courteous in all of my correspendences to you; the only time I was assertive was with the last e-mail yesterday & my voicemail to you today.  To imply that I was demanding because I think that you're a "high volume retailer" is quite unfair.  You would've been upset & worried that you might've been "had" if the same thing happen to you (i.e. all of your e-mails were immediately replied to & suddenly the other party seemed to vanish altogether right after the payment was made).

Let's just write it off as a big misunderstanding & let me just say here that I was very relieved after having talked to you.  I look forward to getting the gates (needed-them-yesterday kinda thing  Smile ) & will not hesitate buying from you again.  This time hopefully my e-mail address has been removed from your spam folder  Smile

Vu
Title: A Paypal caveat
Post by: Riley Casey on February 19, 2008, 09:50:22 AM
Glad to see that this was resolved although a heads up at the very front of this whole transaction about being " on the road " for a week might have made life easier for everyone involved.  It's a common enough occurrence in our business that we should plan accordingly.

A heads up about PAYPAL protection or lack there of.  I bought some QSC amps on Ebay a few months ago, paid via Paypal to a seller who appeared to have a good reputation.  Even after appearing reasonably responsive after the sale the seller turned out to be a fraud and Paypal would only refund $200 of the $1200 paid out.  Be sure to read the fine print on your Paypal agreements.  
Title: Re: A Paypal caveat
Post by: John Schmidt on February 19, 2008, 11:05:43 AM
Riley Casey wrote on Tue, 19 February 2008 06:50

...Paypal would only refund $200 of the $1200 paid out.  Be sure to read the fine print on your Paypal agreements.  

That's exactly true! An eBay auction might say "Buyer Protection up to $2000", but if you read the fine print in PayPal's policy, unless you pay with PayPal Credit or a Paypal Credit Plus credit card, you're really only covered up to $200!

If you use PayPal with a PayPal Plus credit card, you're protected up to at least $2000. I went ahead and got one just for this - I always pay credit cards off before they accrue charges anyway, so this one just for PayPal use is OK with me, and the peace of mind alone definitely makes it worth it!

John
Title: Re: Question About Purchases on LAB Marketplace
Post by: Shanne Flemming on February 19, 2008, 01:00:11 PM
Pay Pal is absolutely useless in resolving and solving problems. Always use your credit card. The credit card company will chargeback Pay Pal. Pay Pal hates chargebacks, but gets them to solve the problem.