Alan Tessier sold a Canon 90D camera on eBay in late February, but the buyer said it was not what he wanted and received a refund. Tessie was unaccounted for for months without a camera or payment, until Monday, when eBay returned his money. (Dan Taekema / CBC)
Alan Tessier has been buying and selling items on eBay for two decades, but has never encountered problems like the one he faced in his last sale, making him poorer by more than $ 1,000.
An Ottawa resident sold his Canon 90D camera in late February and sent it to a buyer who bought it from the eBay market. When the camera arrived, this man changed his mind and didn’t want it anymore.
The man in London, Ont., Who bought the camera, shared photos with Tessie showing that the camera was dirty, not the “virgin” condition he sent it in the mail.
Ebay ruled that the buyer had a valid claim and issued a refund.
Tessie said he agreed to buy a prepaid return label. He also showed CBC the balance of the March statement from eBay, where he was charged $ 21.20 Cdn for delivery labels.
But the label the company provided was for the United States Postal Service, according to Tessie, which did not help with sending something to Ontario.
“Obviously, because it didn’t work, they just raised their hands,” he said.
Alan Tessier holds the camera he bought after selling his Canon 90D on eBay. (Dan Taekema / CBC)
Tessie says his camera was never returned. He did get $ 160 from eBay, but that wasn’t close to the value of the camera. After three months of disappointment, he turned to the CBC.
On June 6, after CBC contacted eBay about the situation, Tessier said he received an email from the company saying he had been paid $ 985, the remaining amount owed to him.
Ebay spoke to the seller and managed to “solve the problem in a friendly way,” a spokesman said in an email to the CBC the same day.
WATCH After months of fighting, eBay is reimbursing the seller after the buyer escapes with a camera:
After months of fighting, eBay returns the money to the seller after the buyer goes into hiding with a camera
Alan Tessier sold his Canon 90D camera on eBay to a buyer in London, Ont., Who immediately complained about his condition and demanded a refund. EBay gave him one – but he never returned the camera, leaving Tessie over $ 1,000.
“Seller beware”
Tessier said he was involved in 112 eBay transactions, both as a buyer and a seller, and felt “safe” using the site. This transaction was a different story, taking disappointing months of calls and emails.
Consumer advocate Daniel Tsai said it was a warning story for anyone looking to sell through online platforms.
“For me, it’s a seller’s situation to keep,” said Tsai, a Toronto-based business lawyer. – In this case, the seller is left to hold the bag.
An EBay spokesman said the company took the complaints seriously and was investigating them. People who buy and sell on the site are protected by “policies, transaction monitoring and data systems”, according to his statement.
After reviewing eBay’s policies, Tsai had a different opinion.
“From a contractual point of view, the seller has nothing to do because eBay has left it so ambiguous and has not given them any protection in the contract,” he said.
Daniel Tsai is a consumer advocate who teaches business law in Toronto. (Greg Bruce / CBC)
This leaves the seller with little right of defense other than going through “a very long, expensive and stressful litigation process” while the buyer keeps his property and a refund, the lawyer said.
If this happens to a salesman like Tessie who has lost a “significant” amount of money, “it probably happens to other people,” Tsai added.
Watch out for scams and “jokes”
Tessie said he was still trying to contact the buyer because, as he said, “It’s $ 1,125. I mean, if it was a pair of shoes for $ 30, you’d say live and learn. “
All of his subsequent emails returned as “undeliverable.”
Tessier, a business analyst by profession, suggests that eBay use an easy-to-find return label link. He also wants sellers to “read everything and see who is responsible for paying for what.”
Tsai repeated Tessie’s mood.
“Indeed, eBay needs to strengthen and protect these sellers as much as it protects buyers,” he said.
“Sellers need to be much more careful and aware to protect themselves from potential scams or buyers who are just fools.”
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