Sent Money for Item but no response from seller

[capehiker]

There are too many internet lawyers on here.

OP: It has been 3 days and no contact. Regardless of the transaction, that is unsatisfactory. If there is communication opened regarding a potential buy, it needs to stay opened until the buyer receives the item. If it was me, if I don't hear anything after 7 days, I'd dime the member out. One week is way too long to go without communication, especially since you sent money.

I personally prefer the gift option but will add in a "for sale" post that if the buyer doesn't like that method, they should add 3% to cover the charge. That way everyone is happy. Also, the seller needs to factor in if they are adding shipping and stick to a firm price. If they lower the price, stating they are paying X amount of money for shipping, that is not the buyer's problem. I have personally taken a hit on selling gear when shipping was factored in but that's the responsibility I take when selling.

[Old Grouse]

Well, my guess, fwiw, is he will get back with you.
Hang loose, don't write him off yet.
Over 300 posts, I mean, surely!

Unless he's playing a "long con." Not that I think that's likely.

[Casey & Gina]

I've bought AND sold lots of things using friends payments on PayPal. Nothing unethical about it. Just gotta understand that you're opting out of PayPal protection by doing so so you should get a good feel for the person before doing so. I never complain if somebody doesn't want to send a Friends payment andsuck up the fee - sometimes buyers are considerate and add in extra to cover it or a seller will ask for it. Using PayPal in this way is not unethical - it's saying to them "this person os someone I know, e.g. a friend, and I therefore choose to opt out of your protection program and assume the risk myself".

[capehiker]

I never complain if somebody doesn't want to send a Friends payment andsuck up the fee - sometimes buyers are considerate and add in extra to cover it or a seller will ask for it.

If I'm selling Widgets for $150 and the buyer wants to go through goods and services, thats on them and they can figure out how to get me $150. Why should you suck up the fee?

Or

If I'm the seller, I can factor that 3% into my price and only sell through goods and services. That way the net amount to me is my intended amount from the beginning.

[wormer]

On a slightly larger scale. A person purchases a car for $2500 and tells the seller to just put $500 on the bill of sale, reducing state sales tax owed. A few days go by and the buyer decides he doesn't want the car and wants his money back. Seller reaches into his pocket and hands the buyer $500, it's at this point that the buyer decides he will keep the car.

[OCDave]

Why not ask the seller to send the goods first? Pay for them once they arrive.

Is there a difference?

[OkeefenokeeJoe]

Personally, I suspect it's a young millennial you're dealing with. For whatever reason, a majority of millennials, at least in my personal experience, have no freakin clue about ethical commerce (or capitalism for that matter). It's all about me me me ... getting something at someone else's expense, and having no regard toward ethics. I dealt with a 20-something year old eBay seller about a year ago. I made a purchase from him and went out of my way to send him funds immediately. One week went by, no response to my inquiries .... two weeks went by, no response .... three weeks went by, no response .... finally, toward the end of the forth week (just short of a full month later!), he responds to my emails and acknowledged that he had received my money but decided to go on an extended vacation before mailing my purchase to me. What a JERK!! Get this, though .... this grown-man-mama's-boy then wants to leave me negative feed back because I dared to point out to him his thoughtlessness and immaturity. "Him was so hurted by what I had to say" (spoken in my best baby-talk). I guess I violated his psychological safe space, or safe zone, or whatever the hell it is millennials run to when they are slapped in the face with truth and reality. I suspect you will eventually get your order, but only when mommy or daddy takes the time to package it, run it to the Post Office, and pay to have it mailed.

OkeefenokeeJoe

[lonehiker]

say what?.. last I looked, cash was legal tender for all debts, public and private. if the person/company you give it to doesn't do the right thing with it, that doesn't make you culpable...

Yes, it could be said that you are culpable. But, you would never be found guilty of a crime. Do you understand the difference? You miss my point however. Read the entire thread and perhaps you will understand where I am coming from.

[Hosh]

Personally, I suspect it's a young millennial you're dealing with. For whatever reason, a majority of millennials, at least in my personal experience, have no freakin clue about ethical commerce (or capitalism for that matter). It's all about me me me ... getting something at someone else's expense, and having no regard toward ethics. I dealt with a 20-something year old eBay seller about a year ago. I made a purchase from him and went out of my way to send him funds immediately. One week went by, no response to my inquiries .... two weeks went by, no response .... three weeks went by, no response .... finally, toward the end of the forth week (just short of a full month later!), he responds to my emails and acknowledged that he had received my money but decided to go on an extended vacation before mailing my purchase to me. What a JERK!! Get this, though .... this grown-man-mama's-boy then wants to leave me negative feed back because I dared to point out to him his thoughtlessness and immaturity. "Him was so hurted by what I had to say" (spoken in my best baby-talk). I guess I violated his psychological safe space, or safe zone, or whatever the hell it is millennials run to when they are slapped in the face with truth and reality. I suspect you will eventually get your order, but only when mommy or daddy takes the time to package it, run it to the Post Office, and pay to have it mailed.

OkeefenokeeJoe

For 1 experience, that's casting a awfully wide net...... I have 3 millennials, 1 volunteers at a 2 week camp for kids suffering from cancer, another does pro-bono dental care for Denver's homeless and the third tutors struggling high school students.

Sounds like somebody needs a nap

[TNhiker]

Personally, I suspect it's a young millennial you're dealing with. For whatever reason, a majority of millennials,

or maybe it was an old person who forgot what shoe goes on what foot.............

[Studlintsean]

For 1 experience, that's casting a awfully wide net...... I have 3 millennials, 1 volunteers at a 2 week camp for kids suffering from cancer, another does pro-bono dental care for Denver's homeless and the third tutors struggling high school students.

Sounds like somebody needs a nap

Haha. I gotta agree on this one. For example, I am a millennial and currently work full-time, working on an MBA part-time, and find time to volunteer for 2 different unrelated organizations. He must be one of those irritable boomers...

Good on the OP for not shaming the seller (yet). I am sure it will work out just fine.

[mattjv89]

On a slightly larger scale. A person purchases a car for $2500 and tells the seller to just put $500 on the bill of sale, reducing state sales tax owed. A few days go by and the buyer decides he doesn't want the car and wants his money back. Seller reaches into his pocket and hands the buyer $500, it's at this point that the buyer decides he will keep the car.

Not in Vermont! Here you pay sales tax on the book value if it's higher than purchase price so there's no incentive to mess around with the paperwork. Fun times, I just payed tax for $4750 on a $3000 purchase.

[HooKooDooKu]

I've bought AND sold lots of things using friends payments on PayPal. Nothing unethical about it....

If you've asked a buyer to send you a "friends" payment, you have violated the terms of the legal agreement you entered into to utilize PayPal. In what universe is it ethical to violate the terms of an agreement?

Granted, it is unlikely that you will ever see any legal repercussions from your actions. But there is a huge difference between what is ethical and what you can get away with.

[MuddyWaters]

Oh please.
Paypal is unethical and scamming people by overstating their "protection"
There is no real protection

Never ever link an account like paypal/ebay wants.

Many thousands of people have lost money thru paypal transactions
Or by having their account hacked

Only if there is money in the fraudulent linked account , or its open, can they attempt to help.
What usually happens is scammer withdraws money quickly from receiving acct and closes account. No money...no protection. Paypal doesnt eat anything to make you whole.

I had a few hundred dollar paypal balance while selling some items once. On a saturday morning I was on computer when I got email notification of a paypal balance transfer I had made, cleaning out my balance. I didnt make any transfer, my acct got hacked somehow. Fortunately I immediately called and they were able to reverse it.

[surfnturk]

Seller contacted me last night. He went on vacation and has returned. Problem solved.

[Ktaadn]

Seller contacted me last night. He went on vacation and has returned. Problem solved.

Good to hear. Hopefully everyone's blood pressure will return to normal now.

[Secondmouse]

Yes, it could be said that you are culpable. But, you would never be found guilty of a crime. Do you understand the difference? You miss my point however. Read the entire thread and perhaps you will understand where I am coming from.

no. it doesn't. using cash is not some sort of criminal conspiracy.

even the landscape guy who says, "I'll give 10% off if you pay cash" does not involve me in a crime, even if I suspect his intentions are to avoid paying taxes. the law does not require us to be mind-readers or fortune tellers. what he does after the conclusion of our transaction is not my business..

[capehiker]

Seller contacted me last night. He went on vacation and has returned. Problem solved.

Good for the seller, but that is still unacceptable. I mean, how does one communicate with a buyer and then completely shut off communication to go on vacation without a minimum of a heads up? Have we completely lost our manners?

[daddytwosticks]

Good for the seller, but that is still unacceptable. I mean, how does one communicate with a buyer and then completely shut off communication to go on vacation without a minimum of a heads up? Have we completely lost our manners?

Agree. Poor manners.

[rocketsocks]

Wow, all this over 3% PP fee, I've wiped my but with $3.50 before when no TP was to be found.