My money is safe
The world of online auctions has been good to me, usually. Over a period of sixteen years, I’ve completed somewhere in excess of three hundred transactions. Most of them as micro-payments, actually; going to the shops for that connector or utility cable is easier via the web and the mail system, in comparison with a trip “into the city”. As I said, usually.
I’m about to close on a net loss. Nothing substantial; I can’t buy a hamburger for the amount in question. But there are principles. Back about seven months ago, needing some cheap USB cables, I turned to a seller in China. The price was right, and delivery from the other side of the globe isn’t that big of a deal. Except when it is. As time wore on, and my envelope failed to arrive, I contacted the seller.
Immediate apology, linked to a request for more patience on my part. The article would be reshipped. And I waited. Weeks add up, to months, and I finally asked the seller to clarify. What followed? So far, almost twenty messages. All asking for patience; all would be right, eventually. But it wasn’t, and my request for a refund went nowhere.
So, today, I turned to the auction site; the resolution of
disputes section. They were apologetic, but given the lase of more than thirty
days (!!), it was out of their hands. All I could do was to request a refund
from the “bank”. I did, after navigating a very confused voice operated system.
And, within the matter of a few seconds, I had my response. Final, without
appeal. My case was denied, because more than one hundred and twenty days had
elapse.
I get it. My money is safe with them. I can’t have it back, but it is safe.
