eBay Seller Sold Me Fake Chanel No 5, Then Tried Blackmailing Me, Then Removed My Negative Feedback w/o Consent

Bellpop on 23/05/2019 - 21:13
Last edited 23/05/2019 - 22:07

Bear with me but this is crazy.

I bought some Chanel No. 5 100ml off a seller on Ebay with 100% positive feedback. Was a good price ($115) and the seller noted a money back policy if it was not legit.

So obviously I got the perfume and it was fake. I had this verified by the Chanel staff at DJs and Myer. Not a massive surprise really, it's eBay.

I left negative feedback and requested a refund. The seller refused to process the refund until I changed the negative feedback. I refused to. I contacted Ebay support via live chat and they said he is blackmailing and extorting in an attempt to change the feedback I left.eBay support said to just wait until the seller refused the refund and then they would intervene. So basically, they would do nothing despite the seller having sold me fake perfume and refusing to process the refund until I changed the feedback.

Then the seller contacted me and said 'here is the Ebay request to change feedback form' I ignored it. The seller then sent another message that said:

"Hello, we have provided you with a refund. There is no need to return the item. As we have discussed, ebay will now remove the feedback."

I did not change my feedback or consent to this. But, as he/she noted my negative feedback has been removed and the seller continues to sell fake perfumes.

I reported all this to Ebay via the live chat and they said that because his account was created using eBay US there is nothing they can do about it. They said on their system they can see that I did leave negative feedback, as too have others, but they have somehow been removed.

I'm not sure of Australian Consumer Law falls into this realm of sales, but it is unbelievable that in the space of 4 hours I have reported being sold fake perfume, attempts of extortion/blackmail, removal of Ebay feedback and a seller who continues to sell fake perfume… all without any action against the seller.

What a joke.

For reference, here is the eBay seller's store https://www.ebay.com.au/str/belletresor09
https://www.ebay.com.au/usr/littlebeautystore

TLDR; A seller on eBay is above the law; sold me fake perfume, refused my refund, tried to blackmail me and then removed my negative feedback. Now I feel like Sandra Bulloch in 'The Net' completely taken advantage of at the hands of some tech savvy turbo scammer.

Poll Options

  • 235
    Pursue this with eBay, Dept of Fair Trading or someone...
  • 32
    Cut my losses, move on and let the scammer continue scamming
General Discussion

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Comments

      • tryagain on 25/05/2019 - 11:44

        I wonder if somehow they cancelled the transaction, which therefore cancels the feedback.

        • Bellpop on 25/05/2019 - 11:47

          The live chat rep seemed fairly honest and said my negative feedback comment didn’t go against any policy guidelines do had no idea how they removed it

          • ibuy on 25/05/2019 - 14:27
            +1

            @Bellpop: US policy guidelines vary slightly from Australian guidelines. They would have some loophole. With the eBay reps it is very much how you word your discussion with them. If you say the right words they can take action. Say the wrong words and they are as tight as fort knox. I had this issue with a buyer who complained that after using an item it broke. However they smashed it against a wall so of course it would break. They posted feedback saying that the item was faulty. If I argued with eBay that it was not faulty they would have sided with the buyer. However I said that they had used it and broke it and to check the correspondence because it was fine the first week they had it and eBay agreed as it arrived and functioned as intended. The fact they smashed it against a wall was not “faulty”. Sometimes you need to speak carefully with eBay because the operators can only act if they hear certain words that conform to the policy rules they are trained to hear before accepting someone’s point. You can otherwise argue till the cows come home and they won’t budge.

            Such are the idiosyncrasies of eBay.

            • Bellpop on 25/05/2019 - 14:45

              @ibuy: Ah that makes sense. Gotta learn eBay US and eBay AU 😭

  • Aerith-Waifu on 24/05/2019 - 22:17

    Just wondering, how can you proof its not the real deal?

    • xuqi on 24/05/2019 - 22:48

      There are telltale signs:

      Quality of the bottle & spray manufacturing
      Box/container quality (Incorrect spelling / fonts used )
      Longevity of scent

    • Bellpop on 25/05/2019 - 08:35

      Took to chanel staff at djs. Cap, sticker and even misspelled chanel on base smh

  • xuqi on 24/05/2019 - 22:28
    +1

    In all likelihood all the +ve feedback's are bogus. Almost all decent sellers leave feed back for others after completion of a sale.

    A few $ handed to Ebay & Paypal as fees is a cheap way of building enough rep to fool people.

    • Bellpop on 25/05/2019 - 08:35

      Plenty of people would be scammed I think

  • Herbse on 24/05/2019 - 23:37

    Sounds like a lot of effort to get a negative feedback reinstated.

    • Bellpop on 25/05/2019 - 08:35

      Haha just trying to do the right thing

  • ProlapsedHeinous on 25/05/2019 - 00:20
    +1

    You may be able to follow up to feedback left. try this link while logged into your profile:

    https://feedback.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ReviewFeedback…

    If that doesn't work, try clicking up top on your username, then click feedback as a buyer and scroll down to the bottom.

    you may be able to sneak in more feedback via this method.

    Good luck.

    • Bellpop on 25/05/2019 - 08:35

      I’ll try. Tbanks

  • Black Brown Blue on 25/05/2019 - 08:36

    There are millions of scammers around the world that are trying to take advantage. Learn from this experience.

    • Bellpop on 25/05/2019 - 09:35

      Noted.

  • DiscoJango on 25/05/2019 - 09:10

    ebay has always protected sellers, without them, their platform wouldnt exist. if ebay punished all the dodgy sellers, they would move onto another site, which ebay doesnt want to happen.

    same could be said for buyers, but they are a dime a dozen

    • Bellpop on 25/05/2019 - 09:35

      True. I guess they just need to seem democratic.

  • ipiok on 25/05/2019 - 09:28

    You think this is bad. Try requesting a refund from themeforest.net and they actually lock you out of your account until you remove the claim.

    • Bellpop on 25/05/2019 - 09:34

      Haha wow. These sellers are out of control 😂😂

  • JimmyF on 25/05/2019 - 10:17
    +2

    Cut my losses, move on and let the scammer continue scamming

    Losses? OP got a full refund……

    For reference, here is the eBay seller's store

    hahah 100% feedback, ok. The store has 25 feedbacks, not really the place to buy things like this from.

  • Meercat on 25/05/2019 - 11:17

    Unfortunately ebay takes no action against sellers who sell items that are either fake or don't match their description. I bought an action cam accessory a few few weeks ago that was meant to be for a Sony action cam as well as a number of other action cams. Upon arrival the item doesn't fit the Sony so I contacted the seller who advised me they will send another one that is compatible with my Sony one. A week past and nothing so I contacted them again and was reassured that the item is "on its way". Two weeks later no item so I contacted ebay and got a refund and left a negative feedback. I have also told ebay how the seller has lied saying they have sent another unit even though they haven't. Seller goes unpublished and still sells the item.

    • Bellpop on 25/05/2019 - 11:45

      Bummer. At least in your case the negative feedback stayed. In my case the seller somehow made the negative feedback disappear.

  • yellowfever on 25/05/2019 - 13:27

    Just use the fake channel no. 5. It's half the price of the real deal so you're not really losing out. You just may not get that prime middle aged man driving a Telsa you may have been chasing for. You may even attract a younger guy with better sense of scent in a woman, for example the scent from a $30 bottle from Taylor Swift latest collection from My Chemist :)

    • Bellpop on 25/05/2019 - 14:19

      Haha

  • chumlee on 25/05/2019 - 14:25
    +1

    Why don't you just raise it with Chanel company directly as I'm sure they have a department that works with ebay to remove counterfeit goods that are violating their trademark

    • Bellpop on 25/05/2019 - 14:46

      Yeah, I did as per the link someone here supplied. The seller still has lots of chanel stock on eBay. It appears they don’t care. And with his ability to remove negative feedback, I don’t see anything changing.

  • MelCheapo on 25/05/2019 - 17:20

    Report it to the group that have a vested interest in stopping this occurring: Chanel

    They're the only ones that might actually do something about it using the appropriate legal processes.

    • Bellpop on 25/05/2019 - 19:20

      Yep, seems the go

  • Winston100s on 25/05/2019 - 18:37

    I once was bought a watch in the $200 range by a power seller from the USA, however the watch wasn't new.
    I asked for a refund through eBay as the watch had scratches all over it and left negative feedback.
    Then I receive a message from eBay support that I will get no refund unless I revise the feedback to positive, which reluctantly I did and shipped the watch back to the seller on my expense, there was no free return shipping back then. eBay stood up for the seller as they made a lot of money out of him. …all about politics lol

    • Bellpop on 25/05/2019 - 19:20

      That is insane. I’m guessing that’s what is happening here since the guy has a store

  • Neptunesblood on 25/05/2019 - 20:33

    I’m not condoning this but if you want revenge. Buy another product and leave negative feedback. This seller is obviously doing anything to protect their 100% feedback. Again I do not condone this.

    • Bellpop on 25/05/2019 - 21:03

      Haha that’s funny. But he had my negative feedback removed somehow. Not sure how he does it but I assume he can do it again. “I don’t condone this” 😂😂😂

    • Bellpop on 25/05/2019 - 21:06

      Ok I just tried and I got this message “Sorry, the seller isn't accepting bids or offers from you at this time.
      This may occur for various reasons. For example, the seller might have a limit for the amount of items that can be purchased within a given time”

  • imurgod on 26/05/2019 - 08:18

    I've had worse with eBay. I had a weird dude stalk me and my family! Ebay were no help at all and neither were the police.

    All for a whopping $20 item!

    • Bellpop on 26/05/2019 - 08:48

      Haha I had a similar one years ago. Sold some dude some random thing back when I was at uni in about 2001 and he said it didn’t work. Since this was before iPhones I didn’t check my email daily. By the time I went to process the refund he had tracked me down to my Uni somehow, found a mailing list and emailed everyone on it saying I was a scammer, he was a Vietnam vet and that he was gonna kill me 😂✋😅. I processed the refund as soon as possible and he still said he was going to kill me. Like u, I think the item was worth about $20.

  • fozzie on 26/05/2019 - 09:20

    Gosh you got refunded, “cut my losses”. Which losses? You also kept the perfume. It’s bad he removed the feedback but your post is pointless

  • aussieolfaction on 26/05/2019 - 17:18

    Wow, that sucks. I have several dozens of perfumes, and I sell samples on ebay myself. However, I'd probably never buy perfumes from ebay because I'm afraid something like this could happen.

    Especially CHANEL scents?! I'd much rather get mine from Myer/DJs/Sephora/Mecca Maxima, etc. even if it means paying more. When you think about it, you're paying more for your peace of mind, and it's totally worth it.

    I hope you got the money back in full?

    • Bellpop on 26/05/2019 - 17:29

      Hey, yeah I got the cash back eventually, thanks. Can’t believe the dude can keep doing it despite all my efforts. Crazy.

  • tik tok on 26/05/2019 - 21:15

    You really thought you are scoring with a Chanel No. 5 for a $115 mate ? Seriously ?

    • Bellpop on 27/05/2019 - 09:36

      Yeah. Sorry 😔

  • idonotknowwhy on 27/05/2019 - 04:10

    Sounds line material for one of those ACA type shows. Contact one of them about it? They'll have paid professionals available to harass ebay over it.

    • Bellpop on 27/05/2019 - 09:36

      Haha I would love for someone to go on there on my behalf. I would die before going on there with a crazy camera crew kicking down the Ebay scammer’s door

  • ChaLuo on 27/05/2019 - 09:33

    Perhaps they sold you the Channel 5, not to be confused with Chanel no. 5

    • Bellpop on 27/05/2019 - 09:35

      Haha

  • Will Mcdonald on 03/06/2019 - 00:23

    I have over 1000 ratings as a buyer and this guy has 28 feedback. You got to be pretty gullible to give him $115 dollars.

  • justaperson on 06/06/2019 - 23:15

    Looks like he/she is now trading under the account nycperfumes with the account based in UK with only two items, one of them being Chanel no5, both located in Australia. Can't be certain but looks like most of the same red flags as the other seller and their listings.

  • Public21 on 18/06/2019 - 17:58
    +1

    I've just had an interesting experience with an eBay seller in China.
    https://www.ebay.com.au/usr/au.supershop?_trksid=p2047675.l2…

    I paid for some batteries a couple of months ago and received notification that they had been shipped via Belgian Post. A bit unusual, but hey… The tracking said the shipment was on its way to Belgium. Again a bit unusual.

    The due date came and went so I sent a note to the seller and got the usual eBay we'll fix it message.

    After assuring me they had sent the batteries, I asked the seller to reship, which they said they would. A day later I get a refund… and of course now it has been closed and there is nothing I can do, including offer feedback about the seller who has a 99% rating. Just makes you wonder about those ratings???

    Interestingly, eBay has removed all trace of that purchase from my history.

    Oh and by the way, those batteries are now listed for about 50% more. Call me suspicious, but….

    I'm not going to waste any more time on this because it is a small amount of money, but I think I will try again on Banggood - have had no problems with them.

    Ahhh. I feel better now I've vented.

    • Bellpop on 18/06/2019 - 18:09

      There’s a lot of loopholes there it seems hey!

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