I Should've Gone to Overstock.Com

I can't help myself. After this week's experience, I *have* to rant. I'm flat-out pissed.

I'm not a big Ebay user. Until this past month, I'd used Ebay exactly once. For a very special collector's item.

But, there's this old id Software game I bought when it was new and couldn't find the CD and wanted to play it so bad, I *had* to find it.

So I went to Ebay.

And so nonchalantly walked into hell, you'd think I knew what I was getting into. Sauntered, I did. Searched here and there. Found several people selling the game. Compared a couple of sellers and picked one. Placed my bid. Same seller had the add-on. Bid on that, too.

Big mistake.

I won. Bigger mistake.

As I watched dozens of people post positive feedback on orders they'd placed after me and had already received, I waited to get my little treasures. And waited. And waited.

Emailed the buyer (and, oh, yesssss--you *will* be treated to this seller's Ebay name and number, never you fear; after all, one good turn deserves another) not once, not twice, not three times -- but FOUR times I emailed the address given in his/her (I'm almost positive this person is female) account information. ALL FOUR TIMES, HIS/HER SERVER BOUNCED THE EMAIL BACK TO ME BECAUSE THEIR BOX WAS FULL.

Now, some of the negative feedback I'd read had mentioned this little problem. I groaned ...

But, he/she also gave a phone number in the cheery little form email sent to me congratulating me on my order and expressing his/her deepest desire to ensure I had a pleasant experience (again, I should know that when someone has to point out a specific behavior, it's not a typical behavior of that person).

So. I called the cheerily proffered number. It rang. And rang. And rang. And rang. And a machine answered saying, "Thanks for calling" -- and here comes your first ID -- "Bargain Buyers Software. We can't answer the phone right now. Please call again."

Click. Disbelieving, I called again.

Ditto.

And I remembered that, in some of those negative feedbacks, this little problem had been mentioned. I groaned again.

I then emailed their Ebay email account.

No response.

So, knowing almost everyone will respond to something heinous, I put in the next email's subject line: "NEGATIVE FEEDBACK PENDING, PLEASE RESPOND."

Here's the text of my email:

I have tried to email you FOUR TIMES at your [my edit]xxxxx.xxx[end edit] address; all attempts have been returned.

I have tried to call; no one answers the phone.

I have tried to contact you through this email; no response.

I HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE ITEMS I ORDERED. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED A RESPONSE TO -ANY- OF MY QUERIES. I AM BEING IGNORED.

YOU RECEIVED YOUR MONEY IN A -VERY- TIMELY MANNER. I HAVE FULFILLED MY PART OF THE TRANSACTION.

NEGATIVE FEEDBACK IS PENDING (ALTHOUGH I SUSPECT YOU WON'T CARE) AND A COPY OF THIS EMAIL IS BEING SENT TO EBAY CUSTOMER CARE, UNLESS I HEAR FROM YOU WITHIN 24 HOURS OF THIS DATE, [my edit]xxxxx, xx,[end edit] 2005.

THIS IS MY FINAL ATTEMPT TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. YOUR COOPERATION IS APPRECIATED.

P. Weber

I thought I'd kept my temper rather well and, after all, after numerous attempts, I was still willing to give this seller another chance.

Oh, yeah... I got a response. To wit:

Your [sic] right, I dont [sic]care. Ive [sic] not recieved ANY prior emails from you. Not one. If they are being returned the problem is with YOUR SERVER, not mine.

Ive [sic]sent and recieved over 3000 emails this week and you are the only problem so guess what? YOU HAVE THE PROBLEM HERE - NOT ME. So, im [sic]not even going to attempt to resolve anything with you based on your childish feedback extortion tactics and your items are not even late based on the times we quoted you. [NOTE: No times were quoted, which was why I was
trying to contact him/her.] You also have a feedback rating of a big ONE
(Zero now). That will impress ebay [sic]when you try to explain that a powerseller[sic] for 6yrs [sic] running with a 99% customer satisfation rate out of over 70,000 sales is giving you problems. You have no business doing mail order if you cant [sic] wait for the mail. Does that make sense to you? Your items have only been in route 7 USPS working days. [It was 14 days, but I won't quibble.]Grow up.............

And now for the feedback left by this seller, to wit:

Impatient child. Cancel this guys bids. Nothing but trouble.

and

Blames seller because they havnt a clue what they are doing

Just how much fun was that? I've not been happy with the condition of this country for a very long time. This person must be related to our good leader if grasp of the English language and deep driving compassion are indicators.

So, go ahead everyone: bid and buy from bargainbuyers621, Ebay seller number 77122. Just pray nothing goes wrong and you might need a little customer service.