Pretty sure I got (not) scammed by a eBay seller from Japan selling radios

[rockstarhero79]

Long story short, I ordered an RT-523 and a R-442 radio from two different sellers. Strangely, they are both from Japan and were super responsive in answering my questions before purchasing. It's been about three days, and I keep trying to contact both sellers, and radio silence. It appears that they are both the same person.

As a test, I asked a question about another item they were selling and got an immediate response. I then mentioned that I purchased a radio from him and wondered when it would ship. Again radio silence. I spent a pretty penny on both radios and starting to feel like I might have lost out on a big chunk of money. Anyway thought I would share my story so others can be on the lookout as he is selling lots of expensive military gear.

Seller Names
- hirose1117 (sold the RT-523)
- pum313 (sold the RT-442)

After doing some research, all his listings seem a bit sketchy. Any advice anyone can give me on how to get my money back potentially and when to start panicking would be helpful.

 

[rockstarhero79]

Long story short, I ordered an RT-523 and a R-442 radio from two different sellers. Strangely, they are both from Japan and were super responsive in answering my questions before purchasing. It's been about three days, and I keep trying to contact both sellers, and radio silence. It appears that they are both the same person.

As a test, I asked a question about another item they were selling and got an immediate response. I then mentioned that I purchased a radio from him and wondered when it would ship. Again radio silence. I spent a pretty penny on both radios and starting to feel like I might have lost out on a big chunk of money. Anyway thought I would share my story so others can be on the lookout as he is selling lots of expensive military gear.

Seller Names
- hirose1117 (sold the RT-523)
- pum313 (sold the RT-442)

After doing some research, all his listings seem a bit sketchy. Any advice anyone can give me on how to get my money back potentially and when to start panicking would be helpful.

Well, just after I posted this, I got a shipment confirmation and tracking number going to my location. This was after I asked about five times when it would ship. I will keep everyone posted on the outcome, and sorry if I wasted anyone's time. I just spent more than I should have and was super nervous about it.

 

[Hummer Guy]

Long story short, I ordered an RT-523 and a R-442 radio from two different sellers. Strangely, they are both from Japan and were super responsive in answering my questions before purchasing. It's been about three days, and I keep trying to contact both sellers, and radio silence. It appears that they are both the same person.

As a test, I asked a question about another item they were selling and got an immediate response. I then mentioned that I purchased a radio from him and wondered when it would ship. Again radio silence. I spent a pretty penny on both radios and starting to feel like I might have lost out on a big chunk of money. Anyway thought I would share my story so others can be on the lookout as he is selling lots of expensive military gear.

Seller Names
- hirose1117 (sold the RT-523)
- pum313 (sold the RT-442)

After doing some research, all his listings seem a bit sketchy. Any advice anyone can give me on how to get my money back potentially and when to start panicking would be helpful.

File a dispute, don't wait to long, the longer you wait, the harder it is to get your money back.

Add to the list of scammers: FourTankMen

 

[rockstarhero79]

File a dispute, don't wait to long, the longer you wait, the harder it is to get your money back.

Add to the list of scammers: FourTankMen

He ironically just shipped it. However, I was bugging him about it a shipping ETA, and no response. I will keep everyone informed if and when it arrives. It's supposed to be here maybe next week, according to FedEx. It's just super strange no communication after the purchase, but he is super responsive on questions prior to the purchase.

Also, thanks for the advice. Is there a master list where scammers are maintained somewhere?

 

[Hummer Guy]

I don't think so, but I may end up making one or at least try to

 

[Mogman]

You really should not open a dispute as long as it has shipped and not overdue.
" I keep trying" How many times did you contact them?
He has had only 1 neg. feedback on one account in the last year and if actually the same seller no neg on the other.
The person answering the questions may only know about the products and not the shipping, the actual shipping people may be to damn busy to answer multiple questions from a buyer whose item may not have been shipped yet, three days is a very reasonable time to set up international shipping, there are export documents, customs etc...
You may have been had but it really does not look that way to me at this point.
Chill out and have a cold one!!

 

[Mogman]

I am curious if you posted a want here, they are hard to find but not impossible.

 

[rockstarhero79]

I am curious if you posted a want here, they are hard to find but not impossible.

Well I got one hopefully. But yes if this falls through then I will look for another one.


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[G744]

eBay will cover your purchase if it turns out to be not as described or fails to show up.

I've had to file a case or two this year and the $ was back in my account without delay.

Pestering the seller for tracking data isn't as reliable as going direct to the carrier with the number. Remember, shipping from foreign countries will never be as fast as within the US.

 

[SCSG-G4]

eBay will cover your purchase if it turns out to be not as described or fails to show up.

I've had to file a case or two this year and the $ was back in my account without delay.

Pestering the seller for tracking data isn't as reliable as going direct to the carrier with the number. Remember, shipping from foreign countries will never be as fast as within the US.

And shipping within the US is sometimes sketchy! Even with the 'big carriers'. If you have a tracking number, you should be fine!

 

[Buck69]

I had sold some electronics on Ebay recently. They were shipped across Canada. Ebay, withheld the funds from me for close to 8 weeks in the event the purchaser was not satisfied. There was no problems and funds were eventually deposited. It gave me the impression they are out to protect the purchaser more than the seller. I would think you will be alright.

 

[Mainsail]

Does the tracking show it's moving? I get emails from all sorts of vendors telling me my purchase has shipped, only to look at the tracking number and see they did nothing more than print the label, then it sits for days and days before someone gets it to the shipper and it actually starts moving.

If it's moving, then all you really know is something is coming, whether it's a radio, the radio you believed you were buying, or neither.

The good news is you're protected by ebay/paypal, and whatever credit card you have attached to paypal. I had a dispute with a seller and paypal was reluctant to make it right (it was just complicated enough that they couldn't grasp the scam), so I disputed it with my bank and they refunded the money.

I all likelihood you will get the radio you ordered. Outright thieves don't last long on ebay; it catches up to them in short order. The lack of response is probably a cultural issue- their view may be that you paid them and the wheels are turning; no further communication is necessary, and if it's not necessary, we aren't going to.

 

[mhoge]

Ebay protects the buyer more than the seller. If you file a dispute you are highly likely to get every cent of your money spent back.
If you haven't received a shipping confirmation after three days you should dispute it, though I personally try to be patient and wait up to a week).

From my selling experience on eBay, you get dinged for not providing tracking, shipping an item late - that includes printing the label but not actually shipping the item and shipping within three business days. So if a seller screws up enough they can lose the ability to sell or get higher selling fees.

 

[Mogman]

Ebay protects the buyer more than the seller. If you file a dispute you are highly likely to get every cent of your money spent back.
If you haven't received a shipping confirmation after three days you should dispute it, though I personally try to be patient and wait up to a week).

From my selling experience on eBay, you get dinged for not providing tracking, shipping an item late - that includes printing the label but not actually shipping the item and shipping within three business days. So if a seller screws up enough they can lose the ability to sell or get higher selling fees.

The only successful scam I have had run on me in the last few years was not on eBay, it was just an "internet" company and they manipulated the UPS system to show it had been delivered (a day before it was shipped) PayPal was no help as it showed to be delivered and it was only for $35 so I did not pursue it through UPS because you would have to pay me much more than $35 to deal with those people..

 

[B3.3T]

With the buyer protection system of Ebay, you can't be scammed.

 

[G744]

Since eBay instituted their new funds system for sellers, the $ goes into an escrow account regardless of source and is only disbursed to the seller if things go right.

I sell occasionally there and it works just fine, just not if you need quick cash.

 

[Coug]

I had a coworker a decade ago that was really into older radios.
He sold a few on ebay from time to time, but as the seller he got ripped off a few times because of how much ebay favors the buyers over sellers.
He'd sell radios as "non working/parts only" and have them returned for full refund after the buyer stripped out all of the original, expensive components, replaced them with cheap imported crap, the complain that the radio didn't work. They were clearly and repeatedly marked in the description as non functional, but that didn't matter to ebay.

Long story short, as the buyer it's unlikely you're going to get scammed too much on ebay, unless you are stupid about it.

 

[Mogman]

I purchase hundreds of items a year on fleabay, I never bug the seller until the delivery due date has past, then I open a case. (EDIT, and even then only if it is not moving through the shipping company)
I have had many items that never showed to actually be shipped show up before on on the due date, sometimes the seller does not post the tracking number (usually for small items just stuffed into an envelope) and sometimes the shipping company does not update the tracking.
The only thing that makes me REALLY made is when I buy something on fleabay and it is "fulfilled" by that other on line company that I do not like giving my money to to be used against me.

 

[mhoge]

The only successful scam I have had run on me in the last few years was not on eBay, it was just an "internet" company and they manipulated the UPS system to show it had been delivered (a day before it was shipped) PayPal was no help as it showed to be delivered and it was only for $35 so I did not pursue it through UPS because you would have to pay me much more than $35 to deal with those people..

I had a similar instance on ebay, about after a month it was delivered the buyer disputed the purchase as not his but lost since it was delivered. One of the few times the system beat someone scamming me.
I don't trust random internet stores anymore. If they have no physical address that can be found or aren't mentioned anywhere on the forums, I don't risk it.
Of course there are certain sellers on eBay with their knockoff junk.

 

[rockstarhero79]

UPDATE: This was delivered today and was the same in the pictures. Sorry to freak out early and waste anyone's time.


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