My history with cheapcomputerparts on EBay. :-)
Well, it all starts with this item.
To start, his feedback was mainly positive, and like most eBay users, I looked at this to determine whether I should purchase from them. Transaction took place Jan-27-04 11:54:45 PST at which time I made a paypal payment.
This email confirms that you, playmeout, have paid cheapcomputerparts (cheapcomputerparts2001@yahoo.com) $44.50 USD using PayPal. This credit card transaction will appear on your bill as "PAYPAL *CHEAPCOMPUT". Payment Details Item # Item Title Quantity Price Subtotal 2782546812 20GB Quantum Fireball Plus AS IDE Hard Drive. 1 $34.50 USD $34.50 USD Shipping: $10.00 USD Shipping Insurance: (optional): -- Sales Tax: $0.00 USD Total: $44.50 USD
Any other eBay transactions I have had, I heard back from the seller within a day or so, but not in this case, so I sent him a message the following day through eBay, but did not receive a reply once again, so I then went to his website, and sent him the following message to that address along with sending through eBay on Fri, 30 Jan 2004 09:53:47 a.m.. - Remember - we are now three days into this sale and NO replies.
The message was the following.
Item number: 2782546812 I purchased this item a couple of days ago and paid via paypal. I sent a message and have not heard anything back about shipping and need this drive urgently. Can someone please let me know the ETA on the drive, and if anything else is required, please send that request, ASAP. Thanks
He replied that afternoon at 2:38 saying the following... O Yes. You have paid only US shipping and handling fees. Please send $5 more for us shipping. You can get this drive much cheaper on our website- www.jlmtech.net Thanks
I replied at 3:06 that afternoon with the following...
No problem, but where do I go to send another $5.00? We need this exact drive model in order to extract data from a drive with a defective board ASAP. Thanks
No reply, and once again, I sent this to his email address and through eBay! So I sent another email at 6:50 p.m. on the 30th stating the following...
Listen.. How about this. If I don't hear anything back, I'll get a refund from Paypal and post a negative on you, not that you really care I guess. How hard is it to reply to my email? I'll wait until tomorrow, Jan. 31 at noon, and if there is no reply, I'll look elsewhere. All I want to do is send you the additional $5.00 and have it shipped. This was purchased on the 27th of January, and seems not even be close to being shipped.
So, here we are. I decided rather then just post a negative, I would put the facts down which I have done. The point is this is not over much money - it's a principle. He sells on eBay and has a web site, but once you send money, he seems to be busy trying to get other sales and not complete the one's he has. At least that has been my experience, and to be honest, the first negative one I have had on eBay. I have only sold two items on eBay, but purchased about a dozen and some high dollar ones at that, and each and every one went without a hitch. So, before you press that bid button, just be aware. To be fair, I will post any replies if and when I get them. In the meantime, I am going to try and purchase another drive, and then attempt to get my money back through my Credit Card Company.
Here's the next reply I received on Sunday at 12:15 a.m. from the seller... Now 5 days into the transaction!
Hello, How did you send the money first? It is the same email address. You have paid short and what do you expect?
Geez! Does this guy NOT get it or does he just like waiting a few days and not answering my question?
My reply Sunday afternoon at 1:45 p.m. was as follows...
It took three days for you to tell me I was
short by $5.00, and then only after I sent you numerous emails asking
about the status. I sent it automatically by Paypal, but it does not show your Paypal
address on eBay, so that's what I still require so I can send the
$5.00.
What did I expect? A reply stating I was short paying $5.00 for shipping within
a day of purchasing the item - not a few days later. I don't
think that should be too much to expect, but obviously it is. Anyhow, once you
send me your Paypal address, I'll send the $5.00 right away.
Update! Well, it gets better. Still no reply at it's Feb. 2/04, coming close to seven days into this mess! Remember - this is only for a hard disk!!!
He has time to post a negative on me on Feb. 2 as seen here. http://cgi2.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback&userid=playmeout
And in his words, all for a stupid reason - like product not even close to being delivered and no reply for a simple request - What is your Paypal account that I should send the $5.00 to? And no buddy - I'm not a first time EBuyer.
Update! Feb. 2/04 1:20 p.m.. I got a reply with his paypal address!
Here is the paypal ID:cheapcomputerparts2001@yahoo.com
I sent the $5.00 flippin dollars as soon as I got his email. Now, hopefully, the drive will show up. From feedback they have, I assume that will not be a problem, but this sure was!
Update! Feb. 2/04 3:08 p.m.. OK. Your package will be shipping out tomorrow by USPS.
I replied "Thank you!" All this for a used hard disk! :-)
In the end, I suspect he means well - just does not follow-up promptly.
Feb. 12/04 Received drive as promised and it runs like new!
Additional notes. I have received more then one email about these guys. In two cases, users had been burnt, but the real problem both purchaser's had 100% scores and did not want to jeopardize loosing those giving this guy a negative! Talk about a catch 22! Screw it guys! Jokers like cheapcomputerparts give EBay a bad name, and it's up to us to give them negatives! I just purchased a RV Hauler for 37,650.00 after this fool posted a negative back on me, and it did NOT affect the sale! If you post a negative, do it like this! Just be fair and include both sides of the story.
R.
Here's a new one! Just got an email from michaelquickbytes This email was sent by an eBay member via eBay's email forwarding system. If you reply to the email, your response will go directly to the member and not through eBay. Message From eBay Member If this email is an offer to directly sell you an item without bidding on and winning the item on eBay, please report it to us immediately and do not respond. An offer to sell an item directly to another eBay member through email violates eBay rules. It is also extremely unsafe to purchase an item through this email system regardless of the seller's claims or feedback, as you lose the benefit of eBay's purchase protection programs and risk losing your money. Never pay for your eBay item through instant cash transfer services such as Western Union or MoneyGram. Such services offer Internet shoppers no protection against fraud. "Hi Russ, I was perusing your feedback of your friend, cheapcomputerparts, my collegue bought two CPU coolers off him - basically the same set of emails he sent you - but this was September last year - we're still to get the goods! I even went so far as to buy two of the exact (same?) items from him, told him to substitute the payment from the first two for these - guess what nothing from him now -check his feedback now - last couple of weeks, we've filed with FBI, USPS, FTC - for the same reason - principal!" It's getting interesting people! BEWARE of LAMERS! POST Negatives!!!