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An Example of an eBayJerk Transaction Let's look at a fictional transaction which goes bad and see if we can identify eBayJerk behavior:
Being a collector, Joe knows what "Mint" means, and asks the seller, Gary, for a little clarification. Here's where the trouble starts. Joe sends an email to Gary asking what state the HotWheels are in: Are they still in their packages? Do they have any scratches? Is there anything abnormal with them? In short, Joe asks, are these really in Mint condition without any problems at all? Joe waits for 3 days without a response. Finally he emails the seller again, and copies the same questions from his first email. Another day passes, and then a reply. "Yes." Joe doesn't know what to make of this...He asked several questions, and some could be answered with a "no" or a "yes" to indicate that the HotWheels were really in Mint condition or not. So, Joe sends another email asking for clarification. He gets a reply very soon this time, but the seller seems bothered by the question and hastily responds that "yes, just as I put in the auction text, they are in mint condition." Joe really wants one of the HotWheels to add to his collection of Mint cars, and bids on the auction, and wins. Joe pays immediately and awaits the shipment. After a week, Joe hasn't received confirmation of the shipment. Joe emails Gary, and asks for confirmation. He gets no immediate reply, and has to email an additional 2 times before Gary responds. When Gary does reply, he states that he left on vacation the day before the auction ended and is still away from home, checking his mail at a cyberCafe. Gary states he will return in a week, and will send out the package when he returns. This leaves Joe feeling more than a little abused. He resigns himself to wait for the shipment and waits another week. After another week has passed, he emails Gary again and asks about his package. Gary replies that it has been sent, and includes the following comment: "Oh, and by the way - the rivet on one of the cars is broken, but you can't tell by looking at it; you can only tell if you actually pick it up. It can be glued or something I imagine, but like I said, it you just display it, you won't notice. Thanks, Gary." Joe reads this to his utter amazement. Mint means Mint. If a rivet is broken, that's not mint. Joe is now angry, but maintains a professional attitude when he writes back. "Gary, I am disappointed that you would tell me this now, after you have my money, and have shipped the item. The statement you made regarding the broken rivet is a clear indication that the car is definitely NOT MINT, as you had stated. I will inspect the car when it arrives, but I'm afraid that I will most likely have to return it to you for a full refund. I'm sure you can understand this, given the fact that the condition of the car was misrepresented. Thanks, Joe" Two days pass, and then Joe gets his reply from Gary: "Blow Me" Joe can't believe his eyes. He waits for the package, and when it arrives, he inspects the cars. For the most part, they are mint, but the glaring exception is the one with the broken rivet. It happens to be the car he wanted for his collection, and he is heartbroken. Not so much because the car isn't perfect, but because he was taken advantage of. Joe replies to Gary, asking for a refund. He gets no reply. Joe decides that negative feedback is in order. He logs onto eBay, and sends the following Negative Feedback: "Not as described. Item Defective. Rude Reply." - This is about all Joe thinks he can do about the situation, and decides that it will have to be a lesson learned. He isn't really surprised when he sees a Negative Feedback for himself a few days later from Gary: "Moron Buyer - This guy is a Knuckle-Dragger" So, what did Gary do wrong?
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