Marketplace
Recently purchased a HTC One M8 from this ebay seller for $522.45 on March 10. Got the phone, they lied about a 'battery error' and delayed shipping by 3 weeks. Fair enough, phone arrives. It works well for about 3 weeks, then a problem pops up with the digitizer - screen is screwed up with no damage to the glass. The phone is well taken care of. Close to 40 days, I open a return request. They are all happy chappy and say they will have no problems replacing it and provide me with an address. I return the item, provide tracking and they never reply. eBay will not do anything even though there is proof that the seller authorised a return if a dispute is not opened. They allow this scam to happen, especially with overseas sellers where the 45 day limit doesn't give you enough time to determine whether the product is faulty/used or not.
Yes, it is my fault for not opening a dispute. But I thought that if there is confirmation in the return request (there is a new Dialog opened with ebay specifically for a return request) that eBay will support you. Lesson learnt, always open dispute to be safe. This is definitely not the first time this seller has scammed people.
Just thought I'd warn other sellers about this ebayer, they have 99.1% feedback and seem legitimate and sell phones cheaper than other sellers.
If you are purchasing a phone, pay the extra for qd_au (99.99%) who have dealt with warranty claims with other ozbargainers well, and also send many of the items sealed with original accessories and at the very least IMEI number on the box.
I am now out phone/$500 which was meant as a gift for my girlfriend.
This seller will not offer warranty/repair claims and is extremely dishonest. If you send your phone back you will not receive any replies. They will also try to delay as much as they can past the 45 day dispute period.
Just thought I'd warn others about this.
Also being ozbargainers, it is likely that many of you will consider purchasing from this seller (especially those interested in M7/M8/M9 as they are usually the cheapest on eBay with highest feedback). Go for the slightly more expensive option with a reputable seller. I have learnt my lesson.
Their strategy is to delay as much as possible to get to the 45 day period, and they know their phones are dodgy/used/refurbished. If you have already purchased a phone from this seller, DO NOT return the phone back for 'repair'.