Deadbeat Sellers on MBok/YJA
Hello all! As a community we have developed comprehensive lists of deadbeat sellers/scammers here on LJ and even through Facebook, Ebay, and other independent sites. However, I don't believe we have really talked about foreign auction sites such as Yahoo Japan Auctions or Mbok.
Summary: Recently I 'won' an Alice Auaa set that I zealously bid on through Mbok. The auction ended on 6/3 and the item has yet to arrive at the warehouse of my shopping service. I have emailed them twice asking for an update but they have only been able to get contact with the seller after many messages. I was also told that there is no real protection for buyers through Mbok.
Detailed:
5/30 Begin bidding on the dress
6/3 Win the item at the auction's end
6/15 I noticed everything I had ordered had arrived except this dress (and another item) so I asked the SS what was going on. They reply...
"Thank you very much for your email. For your item from 6/8, that actually arrived at our office today, so for this you do not need to worry. Also, for the item from 5/30, because contact with the seller took a little longer than expected the payment for this made on 6/12. Therefore, even the the package has not arrived yet, there is no reason to feel there is a problem.As the item should be here soon, please be patient while we wait for it. We appreciate your cooperation."
7/10 Many shipments later, the item has not arrived so I emailed again still saying I was "worried" about this seller. I also asked what their policy was for a situation where an item is never sent by the auction seller. They reply...
"Thank you for your email. We have contacted the seller to find out the situation. We shall get back to you as soon as we hear anything. Unfortunately, if we never get hold of the seller or they do not send the item, there is not much we can do. The site does not really provide buyers with protection in cases like this. If you have any further questions then please let us know."
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So apparently through MBok there is not much protection for buyers except through the use of their rating system. I have found that this auction seller (http://www.mbok.jp/_u?u=7477178) receives many many negative or neutral feedbacks but they seem to either disappear or move columns over time. From what I can kind of read a user can change from negative to neutral once an issue has been worked out somehow. Can anyone confirm that a feedback comment can change like this?
Also,
> Does MBok provide automatic relisting for items?
> Is there a setting where an item decreases in value automatically as it is automatically relisted?
> How about on YJA?
I know for sure she/he has been continually relisting Alice Auaa and Lolita (AP, BTSSB, AATP) items each time they end which would make me think they are available to read messages and ship the dress. I am not sure if its automatic which may mean they are just very bad at checking the sales.
I have also had one skirt from YJA go "missing" in the post and another seller who stated he was going on vacation so he would have to send 15 days later (and he did so there was no problem there except frustration).
----------> Has anyone else experiences issues with bad sellers and what was the outcome? As a community do we think it would be a valuable resource to make a list of issues with foreign sellers?
As with this item, I might receive it eventually because the seller seems to respond to my SS eventually or... I won't get it and there is no policy for a refund nor is there any way for the SS to get the money back from the seller. Had I have known the seller had a history of being this shady I would not have bid. At the time, she/he didn't have any negatives and I think this is because they had been moved over. I would also like to note that there was a proof picture for the item I bought (as there seems to be with auaa items) However, the AP dresses almost never have proof images.
With the case of the "missing" skirt if, hypothetically, others had documented that the same seller had "lost" items in the past we would know it was a scam.
Just to say it clearly > I don't mean it should be linked in the banner here and of course this is nothing concerning the sales community directly. However, I still think it might be a useful list to keep as long as others agree and participate.
Thanks for any input!