A problem with a substantial purchase! What's a Knifer to do.

[just bob]

How do you communicate with an ebay seller/buyer unless it is through the ebay message system? Is there another way? They have done away with the direct communication to prevent buying/selling outside of ebay. I tried to get a buyer's email address and ebay kept blocking the message saying it was a violation of policy to exchange email addresses? How do you get that? Once you open a claim are you given the other parties phone number or something? I'm lost here.

[jerryd6818]

How do you communicate with an ebay seller/buyer unless it is through the ebay message system? Is there another way? They have done away with the direct communication to prevent buying/selling outside of ebay. I tried to get a buyer's email address and ebay kept blocking the message saying it was a violation of policy to exchange email addresses? How do you get that? Once you open a claim are you given the other parties phone number or something? I'm lost here.

Nothing stopping you from sending an image with your email address in it (or phone number). Although I will say, the only time I ever completed a transaction outside of eBay, I ended up losing my money and didn't get the knife.

[gsmith7158]

Just a little update on this thread. My ordeal is over. A settlement has been reached after some of the most ridiculous accusations and and outlandish claims I have ever heard from an eBay seller. I am in possession of all the items ,I received A partial refund and I am ecstatic that this guy is not my next door nieghbor!

[bighomer]

Good deal Snuffy, glad that it work out and you got to keep that beautiful knife, now go on and get the other one rehandled in some knice ?.

[steve99f]

Pleased that worked out for you Greg. After reading knifaholics experience with ebay it gives me pause to even think about buying there again.

[Mumbleypeg]

Good deal Snuffy, glad that it work out and you got to keep that beautiful knife, now go on and get the other one rehandled in some knice ?.

What Homer said! If it was mine I'd replace the pearl with.........pearl.

Ken

[gsmith7158]

Pleased that worked out for you Greg. After reading knifaholics experience with ebay it gives me pause to even think about buying there again.

Steve it has certainly taught me a lesson! Require crisp in focus pictures of all items in the deal and do not buy from seller's that do not provide no questions asked returns. I have been skittish about bidding on anything since this incident occurred but I can feel my addiction screaming to buy a knife.

[kootenay joe]

Good to hear this has been favorably resolved. Really there is no reason to be skittish of ebay. The vast majority of sellers are honest & straight forward. There always are a few dishonest people in all areas of life, including ebay, but they are not the norm.
kj

[bighomer]

I agree Roland, I've got a couple of dogs off the bay but I had a sneaking suspicion that they were dogs and very little money was involved . I did purchase a Queen all metal utility knife that the back springs were broke, but I got my money back and got to keep the knife, not that I need a broken knife.

[americanedgetech]

Glad to know it worked out in a manner that you can at least tolerate.

I also agree that there is no reason to be wary of FleaBay.
For an on-line system it is about the safest venue to purchase from but there is a caveat to this... I would NEVER buy anything of high value without seeing it first person. This means EVERYTHING from diapers to a house.

To Me 500.00 is the limit I can bear to have tied up on something that I have not inspected myself so I do not ever spend more than 500.00 on a FleaBay item.
Knock on wood that in 8 years, and 421 purchases I have not been cheated once. I have had three items that I returned, and they were corrected very quickly, and I had one seller that I had to leave poor feedback (3 stars rather than 5) due to very slow shipping (three weeks before a tracking number was posted), and no answers to my questions after purchase.

That's a pretty good track record in my opinion.