I think I have been defrauded by an Austrian eBay seller - any members in Austria with advice?

[funandtrains]

I have not received an expensive loco bought on eBay from Austria, since I paid with bank transfer eBay are not helping, are there any Austrian members who could help with contacting the seller and contacting local police?
I have his address and email, and found his business web page and phone number, on Google, Facebook page and other info so either he has a genuine reason for the delay, has had has had his identity stolen or is not very bright!

 

[kim]

I have not received an expensive loco bought on eBay from Austria, since I paid with bank transfer eBay are not helping, are there any Austrian members who could help with contacting the seller and contacting local police?
I have his address and email, and found his business web page and phone number, on Google, Facebook page and other info so either he has a genuine reason for the delay, has had has had his identity stolen or is not very bright!

Try Europol:
www.europol.europa.eu/report-a-crime/report-cybercrime-online

 

[playmofire]

Maybe two silly questions, but have you contacted the seller yet and queried the non-arrival of the loco and has the seller marked it as despatched?

 

[jimmytrains_0]

Have both banks finished their side of the transaction and do you have cleared funds?

 

[dunnyrail]

I have not received an expensive loco bought on eBay from Austria, since I paid with bank transfer eBay are not helping, are there any Austrian members who could help with contacting the seller and contacting local police?
I have his address and email, and found his business web page and phone number, on Google, Facebook page and other info so either he has a genuine reason for the delay, has had has had his identity stolen or is not very bright!

Sorry about your problems with a big ticket item. Have to say that the only way to deal with Europe and anyone else is via PayPal, your funds are pretty much guaranteed. I know that sometimes it is tricky to find what you want when many will not take PP particularly in Europe. I always restricted my serches to show PP sellers only, that way aI never found anything that I wanted that would not be safe to buy. Eventually evrything comes up on Ebay and in the end by a PP seller.

 

[James Day]

If he wasn't taking Paypal, but e-bay listed it I would have thought they would still have had some duty of care to you.

Paypal is great for buyers, BUT I have heard of sellers of large items being defrauded due to Paypal's buyer's bias. When I have had issues they were amazing and very positive.

E-bay should have their own complaints and resolution process, seperate to Paypal.

What sort of feedback has this seller got? Please let us know how you get on.

James

 

[dunnyrail]

If he wasn't taking Paypal, but e-bay listed it I would have thought they would still have had some duty of care to you.

Paypal is great for buyers, BUT I have heard of sellers of large items being defrauded due to Paypal's buyer's bias. When I have had issues they were amazing and very positive.

E-bay should have their own complaints and resolution process, seperate to Paypal.

What sort of feedback has this seller got? Please let us know how you get on.

James

That is precisely why I have stopped selling on Ebay but do still by on occasion. As you say I would have thought that Ebay have some duty of care, but if Money has not gone via PP what can they do?

 

[funandtrains]

eBay have changed their conditions again and now don't give any cover for fraud, it would appear, unless paid with PayPal or credit card.

 

[funandtrains]

If he wasn't taking Paypal, but e-bay listed it I would have thought they would still have had some duty of care to you.

Paypal is great for buyers, BUT I have heard of sellers of large items being defrauded due to Paypal's buyer's bias. When I have had issues they were amazing and very positive.

E-bay should have their own complaints and resolution process, seperate to Paypal.

What sort of feedback has this seller got? Please let us know how you get on.

James

Now he has zero feedback but was ok when I paid.

 

[James Day]

Now he has zero feedback but was ok when I paid.

Sorry to hear that.

As has been suggested - contact him, ask direct questions and if you get no response and no goods then feel free to tell the world what a charlotan he is.

 

[funandtrains]

Sorry to hear that.

As has been suggested - contact him, ask direct questions and if you get no response and no goods then feel free to tell the world what a charlotan he is.

I've messaged trough eBay, Facebook and his email with no reply so far, the only other thing I can do is get a German Speaker to call for me. Then all I can do is contact the bank and police.

 

[Zerogee]

Steve, you say you've found his details and phone number online - have you actually tried phoning him yet?

Jon.

Ooops, posted that at the same time as your last post....
Reckon it's still worth you trying to phone anyway, a very large number of Austrians, in my experience, speak at least some English.

 

[maxi-model]

Just a thought. Has there been any noticable activityvon this vendor's account. If not could it be they have met with an accident or some other condition that has left them incapacitated or worse. What did you mean by the mention that his feedback has gone from "normal" to zero ? Max

 

[pugwash]

eBay have changed their conditions again and now don't give any cover for fraud, it would appear, unless paid with PayPal or credit card.

eBay and Paypal became seperate entities not so long ago, Paypal will cover you if you paid via them, again a credit card company will cover you in case of fraud but eBay, well let's not mention them.
I would strongly suggest contacting the Austrian police, here in Europe cyber criminality is taken very seriously and one of them will speak English, if nothing else they will point you which way to go next.
Fingers crossed.

Ah,

https://www.onlinesicherheit.gv.at/...en/aufklaerung_und_strafverfolgung/72013.html

 

[ARIA31]

Funandtrains, you are not the only one !

It took me 50 emails and several months to get my money back from a german web site which was not responding at all.
As you did , I made a direct bank transfer as I am doing usually with german web shops, I contacted the Bank ..... etc

What was efficient was that I found his Professional e mail in his Company.
Some days after I received my money back (100%) with no comment at all.

So do not give up !

 

[Neil Robinson]

Funandtrains, you are not the only one !

It took me 50 emails and several months to get my money back from a german web site which was not responding at all.
As you did , I made a direct bank transfer as I am doing usually with german web shops, I contacted the Bank ..... etc

What was efficient was that I found his Professional e mail in his Company.
Some days after I received my money back (100%) with no comment at all.

So do not give up !

Aria, I'm in a similar position but have not yet had any success.
Perhaps you would be kind enough to contact me by this forum's messenger service to discuss further rather that an open forum, at least at this stage.

 

[gnm109]

Never use a bank transfer on eBay. There is no protection as you can see from the OP's sad tale.

 

[beavercreek]

Ebay and even Gumtree highly recommend against sending money or using bank transfer as there is no cover at all.


Whenever I have wanted to buy something from a European seller, that was a bit pricey and the seller did not take Paypal. I asked for his phone numbers (mobile, home and work) as well as the address of his place of work and home etc.
I then found out the Company number through an online search and checked that it matched the one that he gave me.
I then phoned the company and asked if the person worked there and then asked if I could be put through to him.
I also checked the residential number and address against the German database.

If the receptionist had said that she would have to contact him later as he was in a meeting etc...I would have given her a message that the guy would have to repeat to me when he did contact me.
If you send 'real' money which a bank transfer payment most definitely is, then unfortunately you have to be as careful as a very careful thing.
The person at the other end will understand this...unless they are probably up to no good.

 

[AustrianNG]

It's no help to you now, but operate on the principle - "No PayPal, No deal"

I also have my PayPal set up so that the money transfer only takes place after I have left positive feedback.

 

[trammayo]

I purchased a small fan heater from a UK seller. They sent the wrong one. When contacted they said open up a returns with ebay. I did, then ebay advised that seller could not print label so I would have to send it back myself. Their caveat was that seller was responsible for return postage.

Sent it back as "signed for". On receipt the seller refunded cost and original postage (rather than send correct item) but not the return postage.

He refuses to answer messages (all carried out through ebay). Two online contacts with ebay offered commiseration and nothing else. I followed ebays directive, seller gets away with it and I'm left out of pocket. I suggested to the sub-continent inhabitant/s that there was a full record of all messages but no!