Advice Request – Bad Trader failing to make a refund for goods

All
I’m hoping for some advice on the best approach to get my money back from a sale gone bad on here.

Purchased a chainset described as “Some heal rub and some scuffs, other good condition with good rings” for £45

When it arrived it was very clear things were not as described – Heal rub on the drive side had actually worn a 1-3mm groove into the crank arm, the outside chainring teeth were worn to very sharp points with hooking on a large number of teeth and the left side dust cover was missing (needed to properly torque the arm on). All of this was nowhere near what the seller had described and certainly wasn’t clear in the proof pic posted in the original ad (which the seller had now deleted).

Emailled the seller twice to contact me, posted in the original thread and phoned the mobile supplied. Radio silence on all channels.

I reported the post to the mods, who helped as much as they were able to (it is correctly a private sale not brokered by the forum), they emailled the seller who then finally responded to me.

He begrudgingly agreed to let me return it (I also offered him the option to provide a partial refund to cover a replacement ring and dust cap which he chose not to pursue).

The chainset was received by him on Friday and late in the evening he sent a paypal refund for £25. He has stated he will only refund the remaining £20 IF I contact the STW admins and get his account unlocked.

This I have refused, I stated I would not contact the admins and lie that the refund had been given just to get the rest of the money due to me.

The mods here have been very helpful thoughout the whole issue and have done what they can to assist.

I have spoken to my local Police station who have advised it’s a civil not criminal matter (I had assumed it was classed as straightforward theft)

I’m assuming my next steps are small claims but would appreciate the view of anyone on here who’s been in a similar situation

First one, how did you pay?

Paypal gift 🙁

The seller had been on here for a few years so I assumed he’d be pretty trustworthy

Well either do what he says or say good bye to £20 and hello to a lesson.

I hate to say it, but for £20 and PP Gift your options are limited, very time consuming and probably a waste of effort.

All you can do is try to shame him on here, depends how much he wants to have access to the classifieds in future.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/fs-lots-of-ultegra-carbon-chainset-and-forks-plus-more
??

Another Classifieds-only user strung along by another Classifieds-only user.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/fs-lots-of-ultegra-carbon-chainset-and-forks-plus-more This one then…

I’m assuming my next steps are small claims…

You pay a total stranger by PayPal gift, and yet you would be willing to go to the expense and hassle of small claims court over £20

Doesn’t really compute. Sorry.

I also bought some Ultegra shifters from the same seller. Checked his forum history and was cautious of his primarily selling history. I checked the photos which appeared to support his written description.

When they arrived they were incomplete and missing their bar clamps. I realized the photographs had been taken to conceal their omission. I emailed him, he said he would look for and send on some clamps. I’m away from home at the moment so have no idea if any suitable clamps have been posted. I will update this confirmation when I get home.

I paid via PP gift, my mistake, his preferred payment option.

Make your own assessment. Mods, I would support your exclusion of his posting on the forum.

On a point of note,

He has stated he will only refund the remaining £20 IF I contact the STW admins and get his account unlocked.

We suspended his account with a message asking him to get in touch. He has thus far failed to do this. The onus is not on you to ask us to do anything, it’s down to him to make good.

I paid via PP gift, my mistake, his preferred payment option.

Why Why Why Why!!

Bought unseen/no photos and paid by PP gift from a classifieds only user?
I’d take the loss of £20 as a lesson well learnt.
Should be grateful you did’nt get mugged for everything you own….

Sounds like he’s doing well so far out of that particular listing. With that in mind, also sounds like he ain’t getting unfrozen any time soon, so it’s not looking good for the OP.

Can we also ban anyone that pays by PayPal gift and then moans about not being able to get a refund ?

I paid via PP gift, my mistake, his preferred payment option.

I’ve bought 5 things in classifieds in the past 3 weeks… their preferred method was PPG too….

I paid the fees on all…

As it happens, all the kit was spot on.. but for the sake of £2…. come on….really.

Trust is a nice thing when it all works out ok. You pays your money….

I’ll avoid the “whatever did you do that for” statements, I think you know by now?

Anyway, report him to Paypal for insisting on PP gift for goods he’s selling, they can get a bit arsey with sellers. Most of the time they ignore it but sometimes they don’t.
It wont get you your money back but it may cause him a bit of hassle.

I really do loose any sympathy when people STILL pay with gift. Madness.

Mods – can we have an autocorrect that turns “Paypal Gift” into “Paypal Greedy” for those who are too damned tight to pay a transaction fee that gives them protection when dealing with a complete stranger over the internet?

and then moan about getting stung.

I have spoken to my local Police station who have advised it’s a civil not criminal matter (I had assumed it was classed as straightforward theft)

Seriously, are you that green ?

You spoke to the Police over a part you bought over the internet unseen and are £20 down on………..

Classified only user, falls out with classified only user. this is an issue for the classified forum rather than the chat forum?

In fairness, the Classifieds does feature a very large warning to folk NOT to use PPG.

Maybe the autocorrect could take the form of blocking the posting of any ad which mentioned it…

I have spoken to my local Police station who have advised it’s a civil not criminal matter (I had assumed it was classed as straightforward theft)

Oh FFS did you really waste police time with this shit? What **** world do you live in where you think this was was a police matter.

Another Classifieds-only user strung along by another Classifieds-only user.

This. These threads seem to always be started by classifieds-only users. As for paypal gift, I use it to pay other forum members, but then I don’t buy from classifieds-only users.

Autocorrect is a bastard, I’d agree.

Amen brother.

Thanks for all the advice guys. I have paid and been paid by PPG many a time with no issues, I’ve also given and received refunds when things don’t work out.

As to classifieds only buyers and sellers, would it have changed you stance if I or the seller posted in any of the other forums??

Yep. Think the Police would agree.

As to wasting police time, 5 mins with a desk civvy is hardly going to bring down civilisation

Yep.This is a forum……not gumtree.

Time to chalk it up and move on

Thanks again

As to classifieds only buyers and sellers, would it have changed you stance if I or the seller posted in any of the other forums??

Depends what you post. Add a decent enough gif to the appropriate thread and people will argue your corner until the internet becomes sentient and kills us all to death.

I suppose you thought you would ignore this warning on every classifieds thread, in bold red letters in a red box….

“PayPal Gift warning

We strongly advise that you do not use PayPal Gift (also know as Personal Payments) as this service is intended for friends and family and does not provide the protection of standard Paypal transactions.”

It’s harsh, but if you don’t pay for the ability to get some protection, you’re not going to get any. Anyone insisting Gift payments should be avoided like the plague, they’re only doing it so the scam pays off….

No, if I pay PPG I check a sellers history first, in terms of membership tenure and previous sales. Low post and new members I insist they send first.

As many have now pointed out, I guess I chalk this up.

But please everyone keep repeating the previous comments in different ways if it helps

No, if I pay PPG I check a sellers history first, in terms of membership tenure and previous sales. Low post and new members I insist they send first.

How’s that working out for you ?

Over the last 5yrs, one bad deal so far.

Guess I’ve been lucky?

Over the last 5yrs, one bad deal so far.

Guess I’ve been lucky?

Mustn’t grumble then.

tuttonp – Member

But please everyone keep repeating the previous comments in different ways if it helps

You’re not going to get any help or sympathy trying to be a little bit clever after being so stupid. 😉

How was that? 😀

Honestly what are the fees on £45?
Is it really worth it, if sellers ask for it then report them for a ban.

I certainly wouldn’t recommend buying anything off this seller. Wheel certainly wasn’t as described in advert or subsequent pictures were “carefully posed” to say the least.

I too would have thought that trying to defraud someone of money is a police matter.
You have his name and address so name and shame and remember to pay him a visit when you are over that way. If you don’t name him he will be back with another log in.

What is wrong with some of you lot? So busy picking on the victim you seem to have forgotten about the stw ‘community’ 🙄