Jayco_Tech - An Ebay Power Seller Attempt at Fraud

I'm on Ebay searching for a replacement motherboard for a customer laptop repair job. My research shows that these complete motherboards with base and plastics sell for an average of $139.00, with a usual starting price of $89 to $99.

I stumble on Jayco_Tech and see that he has one listed for a "Buy It Now" price of $99.00 and think that is a great price.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=290232006856&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=019

I check his feedback and see that he has some issues, but decide to purchase anyway because he offers a 15 day DOA policy. I make immediate payment through PayPal and receive a confirmation from Ebay and PayPal. The same night I get an automated email from Jayco_Tech offering a Square Trade extended warranty. The next day I get an automated email from UPS indicating that it had shipped and providing a tracking number. I wait patiently for 6 business days (9 calendar days from payment) for delivery by UPS.

The big day arrives and I receive the package from UPS and notice how well it is packaged:

I don't see any visible damage to the package. So I get out my knife and split the tape open and see lots of packing peanuts and again notice the great packing job. I also notice that there is no damage to the packaging on the inside.

Now the fun begins....I pull out the motherboard base with plastics that is in a SEALED plastic bag and I am so shocked I nearly have to change my pants. Inside the plastic bag (sealed with carton sealing tape) is the item listed as "a working motherboard pulled from a Dell Inspiron 600m" with a stock photo. Well what I'm holding in my hands was an Inspiron 600m in a previous life, but it looks as if it was straddled between 2 cinder blocks and hit with a 10lb sledge hammer. I examine it much closer, never opening the bag, and see that pieces of the plastic are broken, but are no where to be found inside the sealed bag.

I'm beginning to get an understanding of what is really going on. I'm now thinking Jayco_Tech realized his mistake listing this item at a "Buy It Now" of $99 instead of a "starting price".

So instead of admitting his mistake and honoring the transaction as required by Ebay, he concocts this plan to send out a piece of junk and be willing to accept it back and refund my money. Later to file a request to get his FV value fee back.  This is confirmed by the following communications with him through the Ebay message system.

I send him a message through the Ebay system as follows:

His response:

I'm thinking ok, he is going to handle this in a professional manner.... so I respond with the following:

OK, I know what you are thinking "Is he out of his mind asking for another", but I am still trying to give Jayco_Tech the benefit of the doubt. But, I'm not really encouraged by his response:

So I wait patiently for UPS to do it's job returning the damaged item to him. When I have confirmation from UPS that it has been delivered, I send the following message:

Notice that I have been very reasonable and polite throughout this ordeal so far. Two days later I get an email from PayPal saying that I have a refund from Jayco_Tech. So I check out my PayPal account and see that I have a refund for the original amount of the transaction. I then send him the following:

Several days go by and I have not received a reply or the additional refund. I try to file a claim through PayPal and it is not possible because the transaction is closed because a full refund was issued. In the mean time I log into my web mail for my weekly check of the SPAM folder to see if any important emails were blocked and sure enough, there is one from Jayco_Tech that was sent outside the Ebay message system and of course was blocked as SPAM. Here is his reply to my last query:

I'm thinking ok, no problem, just send him a PayPal request for money (a bill if you will) for the $8.64 I spent to return the item by UPS, so I did. Now, around the same time I get the following "alert" from Ebay:

Well, I responded, but not to this alert notification. I sent him the following message through the message system:

Notice that I have stopped being so polite and understanding as my frustration has been building for several days now. Now today I get 2 communications. The first is from PayPal saying that my request for $8.64 from Jayco_Tech has been cancelled by him with no explanation. I then get a message from him through the Ebay message system as follows:

He has now stooped to "feedback extortion". I guess I must have pissed him off somehow, go figure. Well, needless to say, I will not leave a positive feedback for this example of one of EBay's finest "Power Seller's".

So now I have to get $8.64 worth of satisfaction by posting this warning to all potential buyers who take the time to read his negative feedbacks. I gave him plenty of opportunities to handle this in a professional manner. Never once did I threaten him with a negative feedback. I have been an Ebay user for over 9 years and this is the first time I have had to resort to something like this. Ebay has changed a lot through the years and not all of those changes are for the good. Ebay relies on Power Sellers for a large part of their income, and by doing so, grant them a little more leeway in what they can get away with.

But this old time Ebay user isn't done with this saga yet. Behavior like this can't be allowed to continue. I will pursue both Ebay and PayPal to make them aware of this Power Sellers tactics.

More to follow