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Hoping someone in the OzB community can give me their advice with how I should proceed next with an eBay dispute…
I bought what I thought was a genuine Belkin laptop bag on eBay at the end of January- original listing http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=251217…
Since I purchased the bag the item has been removed from eBay. After going through the listing thoroughly I've noticed a few errors with the bag model, and realised the majority of the seller's feedback is either private or for small value make up accessories… The alarm bells were ringing!
I finally received the bag on Wednesday the first thing I noticed was that it absolutely stunk of plastic- that cheap plasticy smell. I've had a Belkin bag and laptop case, purchased from JB, and neither of them smelled like this when they were brand new. This arose my suspicions along with a few small flaws in the stitching, the swing tag doesn't look right (Chinese characters, looks like it's been printed rather than a real, original Belkin one), and the inner lining which was supposed to read 'Born in California' saying 'Bom in California' !
I sent a polite eBay message to the seller on Wednesday, which said:
"Dear XXXX …
I was however, very disappointed to find that it was not an authentic Belkin bag, as the listing states. I am sure that you were not aware of this and I will be happy to return it to you ASAP for a full refund if you pay for the return shipping.
Alternatively, I would consider keeping the bag for a substantial discount as I'm aware of how cheaply I can purchase copies of bags.
Please let me know what is your preferred option and how quickly I can expect to be refunded.
If I haven't heard from you within three days I will begin a complaint with eBay and Paypal.
Thanks so much, xxx"
Surprise surprise I didn't hear from the seller until 3 hours after I initiated a PayPal dispute this afternoon.
In my dispute I listed all the flaws I found with the product, my concern that the bag will fail shortly and Belkin will not uphold the warranty, and that I cannot send the item back through AusPost as it's illegal to send counterfeit items.
I requested a refund of $30 (so I'd be paying $5 for the bag… a bit cheeky I know, but I figured I'd try my luck)
They replied to my original message (not the PayPal dispute…) just now and wrote:
Dear xxxx,
Thank you for updating the status with us. All items we selling are 100% authentic and directly stocked from authorized dealer. As a business seller we have provided proof to eBay and PayPal (stocking invoice, product details etc.). This is no point for us to sell fake items and ruin the business. We got many Belkin items and if they are fake, we won't be doing business any longer (We.never receive any complaints of Belkin items authenticity) . But of course, anyone can doubt the authenticity of any items because this is online trading.
Anyway, if you not happy with the product and surely we can resolve the problem by discussion. The best we can do is to offer a 50% refund for your purchase, and you may keep the item. Your satisfaction is always important to us. If you agree with that please let us know so the PayPal case can be closed. Or we have no choice but let PayPal make decision.
Thank you very much for your cooperation and understanding. Look forward to your reply. "
I genuinely don't think it's authentic- but I know I don't have a way of verifying it as it isn't sold in Australia. I've gone through their feedback and items they're currently selling (they've sold 3 of these bags, mine and two others a few days later) and can't find any feedback for the purchase of a Belkin bag- just a few Belkin armbands that have positive feedback.
To me if he's offering a 50% refund straight away he's trying to buy my silence and stop me from taking it further.
I'm happy to keep the bag if I could knock the price down a bit… I don't trust that it will last and know I don't have a Belkin lifetime warranty.
Anyone with experience disputing transactions and obtaining refunds, your advice would be greatly appreciated! (sorry for the epic post, just wanted to make sure I got all the info across)
if you file a complaint with paypal. you will likely need to contact belkin direct, either in aus or overseas and provide proof of some sort that they have verified the bag is a copy.
Usually a serial number of some sort on a fax letter head from the company will do.
But so time doesnt pass its always a good idea to open a dispute now, and take any further conversation in paypal chat so they can review everything.
good luck