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feedback extortion.

420 replies

sixlostmonkeys · 16/01/2013 19:44

I reported a buyer for feedback extortion.

I've received this back from ebay CS

"I gathered from your email that the buyer has threatened to leave negative feedback on your account if you will not send them money.

We've looked into the situation again and can see that this isn't a case of feedback extortion"

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coffeewhitenosugar · 16/01/2013 20:28

Shock I've not heard of feedback extortion before! Are they saying they aren't happy with the item they bought and want their money back? I once bought something on ebay and couldn't arrange with the seller to collect it, it was all very odd so complained anad got my money back plus sold some curtains which the buyer said they didn't receive so I was made to credit them and claim the money back from the Post Office. Surely they can't just ask for money - that would defnitely be extortion and I would take that up with ebay customer services.

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LineRunner · 16/01/2013 20:33

eBay cs are shit, that's the problem.

They don't know anything. I had a clear case of feedback extortion last year - a buyer sent vile messages wanting money and to keep the item or she would leave me negative feedback - and eBay cs just said 'that's her experience of the transaction'.

I realised then that eBay was a very poorly managed company, with a fair bit of risk for sellers attached. Luckily there were enough honest buyers to make it worthwhile to sell privately last year; but eBay cs are dreadful.

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sixlostmonkeys · 16/01/2013 21:06

My buyer claimed the item was damaged in the post. I told her to return it for a full refund. She eventually did and I gave her a full refund. The money she is demanding is ...well.just money. Simple as that really. She just wants me to send her some money.
Oh, and she's taking me to court!
She has done this before to another seller, including taking them to court.

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LineRunner · 16/01/2013 23:37

Well, for what it's worth, do report her to eBay.

Obviously she won't take you to court. If she starts bothering you I think you can block her from being able to message you. And/or you could tell the police.

Sadly there are real fruitloops and scammers using eBay.

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sixlostmonkeys · 17/01/2013 11:06

I have reported her to ebay - obviously nothing has happened.

It seems she actually is taking me to court. She issued a formal intention to issue summons, then confirmed she had submitted the papers. I just need to wait for the papers to arrive now.

IF it does get to court then it should be a straightforward case in my favour. BUT, then I thought that her demanding money was a straightforward case of extortion! Everything depends on the mood of the ebay CS team or Judge I guess.

She is indeed a fruitloop! She has been using a made up person with a separate email address to harass me directly to my email (not ebay) I am currently trying to find out how the law stands on this (so if you know anything about this kind of stuff I'd really appreciate some pointers)

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Havingkitties · 17/01/2013 18:14

Is she trying to take you to small claims court? If so you can always counter claim, that should send her even loopier!
Just to get this straight, she wants extra money on top of the refund?

You're going to have to keep us updated. I'm so intrigued now!

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DeepPurple · 17/01/2013 18:17

Her sending you emails is harassment. I really doubt she's taking you to court. I would just refuse to engage with her but keep copies of any messages she sends you. If you receive a summons then go along with all the copies of the messages you have sent each other.
If she continues to harass you via email then contact the police.

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fuzzpig · 17/01/2013 18:20

Bloody hell.

How do you know she's done it to someone else before?

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Ebayaholic · 17/01/2013 18:21

I had someone from overseas send me an email bomb and ebay did nothing at all. It caused me quite a lot of stress and inconvenience and even though it was a year ago, it still impacts on my life a little. They really don't care.

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diamondee · 17/01/2013 18:35

What's an email bomb?

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fergoose · 17/01/2013 18:37

I think you should go to the community boards and start a thread using a posting id. What exactly is she taking you to court for? - sounds bonkers.

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Ebayaholic · 17/01/2013 19:06

Diamondee it's where someone savvy puts your personal details somewhere which means you get hundreds of thousands of emails, effectively rendering your email addresses unusable. In my case I think the seller put my name on some sort of sex site based on the nature of the emails I was receiving. Even now I am still getting Facebook friend requests from dubious people daily. (I am double barrelled and therefore very easy to track down- am actually unique in the world!)

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LineRunner · 17/01/2013 21:28

She issued a formal intention to issue summons

How, OP? Did she send you another email?

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sixlostmonkeys · 17/01/2013 23:10

she sent the intention to issue summons as PDF file attached to an email.

This is all very complicated but I'll try and explain.

I received this email (and a lot of others) from (lets call him) John Smith. John Smith has his own email address. He signed the letter/email "John Smith on behalf of Ms Fruitloop. John Smith put his address on the top of the letter.

14 days later (though there were many emails during that 14 days) John Smith confirmed he had submitted the claim to the court.

John Smith claims in his emails to me that he is a friend of Ms Fruitloop.

Now, here's the thing. John Smith isn't a real person. Ms Fruitloop has made him up.

Ms Fruitloop is very secretive. She only gives her name as Ms Fruitloop; never Ms Edith Fruitloop. She uses a P O Box instead of her address.

Ms Fruitloop actually lives at the address that John Smith put on top of his letter.

This is the bit I need to find an answer to. If/when I receive the court papers, obviously Ms Fruitloop will have had to put her real name on them. I'm curious about the importance of the details given on the "letter of intention". I will probably phone the court and ask when I get the papers.
I have already phoned the court over this (I won't go into details because it's too confusing already) and the woman I spoke to was really helpful and lovely. The best thing was though she laughed. She really laughed and then apologised for laughing Grin This made me feel so much better. Honestly, this is the craziest thing I have ever encountered.

I'll keep you informed of updates. If I relate the entire saga though i warn you it will have to be in short bursts - it's so darn confusing to explain.

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LineRunner · 17/01/2013 23:13

Mad. Just mad.

I'd have gone to the police and reported her for harrassment tbh.

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hhhhhhh · 17/01/2013 23:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

YouOldSlag · 17/01/2013 23:16

I think the court letter was a fake. She is trying to intimidate you. Report your to the police for intimidation, extortion and harassment and tell her you have done so.

That ought to do it.

Also write to eBay and explain the situation again. Describe it as harassment, rather than feedback extortion. As far as you're concerned, you did your bit when you issued the full refund. No further contact necessary.

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hhhhhhh · 17/01/2013 23:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

YouOldSlag · 17/01/2013 23:16

Sorry, report HER to the police, not your.

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sixlostmonkeys · 17/01/2013 23:29

I've reported her to ebay over it all. they aren't interested.

As for going to the police - well, as it stands it's just harassment, intimidation, trying to obtain money by (something) - tbh honest it's all stuff I can deal with - even the court - although it's going to take up time, there really isn't a case (but who knows) I just can't bring myself to go to the police and tell them that a 76 year old woman is bullying me!!! How do I know she's 76? I know a lot about her now - if you dig deep enough you find a lot of dirt :)

I am intrigued though - she is definitely hiding 'something' and has been for a long time. John Smith didn't just appear for the purpose of intimidating me. So why does she have him? and how long has she had him?

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LeaveIt · 17/01/2013 23:41

Blimey. You could have rights to a tv programme here Wink good luck with the outcome though.

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LineRunner · 17/01/2013 23:46

That would be a good Panorama documentary - 'When Ebay Turns Shit'.

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Redbindy · 17/01/2013 23:48

The post office is obliged to tell you the name and address of post office box holders.

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YouOldSlag · 18/01/2013 13:11

No, you should go to the police. Sometimes that's enough to scare the perpetrator and makes them realise you are not to be bullied. Ring your local police station, you can them give them a statement in your own home, and they do the rest. It doesn't have to end up in a complicated court case, and it might stop her doing it someone else.

Bullies are bullies because nobody stops them.

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fergoose · 18/01/2013 14:44

I don't understand what case they are bringing, they want extra money from you - for what? Inconvenience? I wonder if the court papers are in the made up name? Sounds like your buyer needs a doctor not a court case. Is very bizarre anyway. I would call the police too and have a chinwag. Worth a try isn't it?

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