eBay buyer threatens massacre over missing $15 iPhone

eBay Community Forum ^ | 10-02-2015 05:56 PM | techdealsforyou

[granite]

This is a post from a seller who recently sold an old phone on eBay and ran in to this little kerfuffle:

Seller: I sold an old broken iPhone 4 for $15. I shipped the item like I normally do and I definitely remembered to put the phone in the envelope along with my thank you for purchasing letter and packing slip. However I received a detailed message about what the buyer intended to do if he didn't receive his $15 back within 24 hours. Since I can't post a screen shot I'll copy the text of what he said.

" New message from: ****** (18Yellow Star) This is your address correct? "Types my business return address* you have 24 hours to give me my money you **bleep**ing bustard am a retired old man from the army and i stole a machine gun while serving for my country i have nothing to loose trust me, you son of a **bleep** send me an empty envelope if you don't give me my money back i will be taking a bus tomorrow i will arrive to this address and i will be shooting everybody there i don't care who is in there am used to seeing heads and arm all around me you think i still my money, you want to report me to the police you can report me to hell for all i care are you out of you mind i clearly ask you if you were going to send the **bleep**ing phone go ahead and try me, i will see you in a couple of days the reason why i aint taking a plane is because the wound let me take my machine gun."

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Smart move. It is nice when things like that happen. I’ve been burned several times. I have had questions but could not prove anything several times. And sometimes the buyer is right and I have happily refunded them.

It is tough to not be able to leave negative feedback, but I understand it. The other way sellers can hold buyers for ransom with the threat of retaliation negative feedback. That happened to me when some punk kid mailed me a computer wrapped in paper towels. It was damaged, of course.

You were smart to read the comments. Words can still make a difference.

It is good when ebayers are both buyers and sellers because they can then identify with the other side better.

[the OlLine Rebel]

Nor is he “old” and “retired”.

[sockmonkey]

Curiosity question to eBay sellers. Are you impacted sale wise by the e packet arrangement China has with the US Postal Service?

[the OlLine Rebel]

I’ve hardly used/touched eBay since they forced PayPal and stopped officially allowing checks/snail-mail. I loved it until then. Have stopped at 40 points.

About that time they started alot of nonsense. Including what kind of feedback. And hiding user names in bidding, etc., so we can see if someone is trying (stupidly) to harass the process. Ridiculous.

[granite]

Curiosity question to eBay sellers. Are you impacted sale wise by the e packet arrangement China has with the US Postal Service?

Not in my case because my buyers need it yesterday, they are mostly cell phone repair shops with clients that can not be without their phone for too long.

[familyop]

"am a retired old man from the army and i stole a machine gun while serving for my country"

Yeah, right. ;-)

[Vermont Lt]

I wouldn’t be too scared of an old army guy who is going to get on a bus to come shoot me with his machine gun over $15.

The letter alone is worth $15.

[familyop]

Soldiers in the Army are issued what is called a “weapon” or “rifle” (M-16, M-4, etc.—*not* a “gun”). A machine gun is something much heavier (e.g., M-60, 23 pounds not counting ammo belt, if I remember correctly).

In the Army, one “fires” a weapon. The target is “shot.” That’s why seeing comments reporting that someone “shot” their “gun” are so funny to me to this day.

[familyop]

...referring to combat soldiers, BTW. Rear echelon folks may shoot their guns all they like. ;-)

[Vendome]

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I will kick your ass.

Item # 1641798199

Everything Else:Services:Other

Currently

$99,999,999.00

First bid

$0.01

Quantity

1

# of bids

63 bid history

Time left

6 days, 19 hours +

Location

Albany, NY

Country/Region

USA/Albany

Started

Sep-23-01 14:06:38 PDT

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Ends

Sep-30-01 14:06:38 PDT

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Seller (Rating)

hail_brak (3)

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High bid

pricebeats (27)

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Seller assumes all responsibility for listing this item. You should contact the seller to resolve any questions before bidding. Auction currency is U.S. dollars ( $ ) unless otherwise noted.

Description

Winning bid receives an ass-kicking from me personally. I am 6'0" and weigh over 230 lbs. If you win this auction, I will personally come to your house and kick your ass. I guarantee that I will not break any bones or kill you, nor will I use any weapons on you, but I will give you a good beating. I will do this under two conditions:

1) You or anyone else does not press charges against me(after all, you bought the ass-kicking),
2) You do not fight back or attempt to physically harm me in any other manner (this is your ass getting kicked, not mine).

Buyer provides round-trip plane ticket to the nearest airport, as well as cab fare to your house and back. If you are not close to an airport, you may provide me with a train ticket or other means of transportation. Do not pick me up, as I will be attacking you completely randomly. Buyer must also provide good, clear directions to their house, as well as any business expenses for if I need to stay in a hotel or buy food for myself during the trip. Most likely though I will just fly in, kick your ass, and then leave.

Upon my arrival, I will select a random time to come over and kick your ass. It may be when you are sleeping, or showering, or any other time during the day/night when you are most vulnerable. During this beating I may damage one or more of your household items, if I have to break glass to get into your home or knock over furniture if you attempt to run from me. This should be expected by you, and covered in my expenses. If you are married or have children, I may choose to slap around your family a little bit, but only if I'm feeling particularly generous. They should be informed of this, and expect it as well.

Bidding starts at one cent ($0.01) but remember the winner must pay all expenses for my travel if they wish for me to come and kick their ass.

I will accept check, money order, or Paypal. Or you could just let me use your valid credit card for a few days and we'll call it even.

Bidding

I will kick your ass. Item # 1641798199
	Current bid:		$99,999,999.00
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	(Minimum bid: $100,000,099.00 )

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[catnipman]

“One thing that bother me about ebay is that seller CANNOT leave a negative feedback to buyer. WHY NOT?”

Many years ago sellers were allowed to leave negative feedback for buyers, but they mostly used it to fraudulently trash the reputation of buyers who left the sellers negative feedback. As a consequence, buyers quit leaving negative feedback for fear of retaliatory feedback by the sellers. I for one would never leave a negative feedback, even when a seller was a total crook for that reason.

Now I have no such fear leaving a seller a negative feedback, though I will do that only in the most egregious situations.

[kingu]

No, don’t, immediately contact local police and eBay.

You would not believe the number of threats I’ve gotten over the years over penny items. (Also, it is amazing how many Americans bid on items and then immediately have to go into the hospital for weeks long procedures with zero Internet access...) Never make someone deal with your problem, always report these guys, get them off the system.

Though, no idea how much longer I’ll stay there, they’re looking at another fee increase in February.

[Mears]

$20.00 says it’s not even an old man.

It’s often a web of lies.

.

[Tuscaloosa Goldfinch]

I agree with calling the police.

[Salamander]

Couple years ago, I bought two Logitech laser mice on eBay.

Seller dutifully packed and shipped them in a bubble envelope.

When I got the package out of the mailbox, the bubble pack had been *carefully cut open and re-taped closed*.

Only one mouse remained.

The local postmaster had taped a note to it, saying that this was how it arrived at the local office.

Seller’s feedback was impeccable.

Even though it was blatantly obvious that *someone working for USPS had deftly stolen one of the mice*, the seller sent me another.

It’s *very* possible some sorting line maggot stole the phone from the package.

*Never* pack something in such a fashion that anyone can ‘feel’ what’s inside.

[Salamander]

Addendum:

The buyer in question is batsh*t.

:)

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Good advice. Oh the stories we ebayers can tell. LOL. That was a great seller who replaced it for you.

[Salamander]

Times sure have changed.

Used to be that mail was almost sacred.

Now, stuff is stolen all the time.

What a world.

:\

/off to watch The Postman

[BTCM]

Retired Army? More bullzit than an Obama gun control rant.

[Sans-Culotte]

I don't sell much on ebay anymore. It's really more oriented toward companies that use it to sell their inventory (though it is still a good source for finding obsure things, out of print books, etc).

I recently had a buyer who decided he didn't want the item after winning it. I could have made a second chance offer to the next highest bidder. I decided insted to file an unpaid item claim to put a strike against him. That meant I did not owe any fees for the first auction. I relisted and sold it for almost the original price as a 'buy it now'. I would report this loser for his threats. He may actually be due the $15, but ebay needs to dump this guy's account. I always have a gun in my pocket, so his threats mean little to me.