What Would You Do?

Difficult to vote on this one because as far as I'm concerned, as phrased, both situations are true. He MAY have lied, but its within his rights as an ebay seller to cancel.

However, now I see you are really asking:

A) I would not buy from this seller in the future
B) I would not buy from this seller in the future

With no other information to go on (for example, years of positive experience with the seller), I vote BA.

Edit: I had the options reversed

Because of recent changes on ebay, a seller is less likely to lie. If a seller cancels a transaction their defect rate increases.

Also people do make mistakes. I prefer to consider someone innocent until proven guilty.

B) Stuff happens. The majority of sellers are not evil

While I agree that "stuff happens", I think the critical aspect of the way the question was posed by Don is that the buyer still was willing to buy the stamp in the damaged condition claimed by the seller. By refusing THAT request, I think at that point the seller has exposed himself as a liar. Either he does not really have the stamp - in which case he lied about the "damaged" part, or he DOES have it but won't sell it for some other reason - so in that scenario he lied about the real reason he won't sell it.

The seller DOES have the right to withdraw the item from sale before it is sold. And ebay provides a number of "reasons" which allow for such early withdrawal. But not completing the transaction AFTER the sale is a whole different ethical matter. What Don is describing is an after-sale situation, so I think it must be evaluated only from that perspective.

Too many assumptions - too little proof. The seller may simply not want to sell a damaged stamp and risk negative feedback/a phony refund request. Too many unethical buyers to take any chances.

Assumptions work both directions

Battlestamps makes a good point, ebay obviously now considers it as a 'bad' thing. Previously a seller could list an item, wait to see if it sells for a price he wanted, and then pull the plug it didn't meet his expectation after a buyer paid. Although not probably applicable a single stamp, it could be that a seller discovered the buyer was on the opposite coast and did not expect the higher cost of shipping. It also opened the door for possible discrimination based on all kinds of reasons. Imagine walking into a local store, buying an item, paying for it, seeing your last name on your check, then suddenly the clerk says 'never mind' and refuses to sell to you. Was it because he saw you had a ethnic name?

I'm not following you - what does discrimination have to do with this? Seriously too many assumptions LOL!

Jenny,
Exactly my point, assumptions can work in all directions. The only real 'fact' we have is that I presented. A transaction was closed, a meeting of the minds was completed. Then something happens and seller backs out with whatever the reason may be. The damage claim seems dubious but who knows? We could assume many things. Perhaps the seller 'double' sold it. Maybe it is as you state, fearful of a negative feedback. But this is why I am asking for feedback, to see if folks would trust a seller like this in the future.
Don

OK understood. It's just that I was taught to accept the facts in front of me instead of trying to distort them by coming up with all sorts of theories. You will never know if the seller is being truthful or not, but that is his story and you have to accept it as fact (kind of like Oscar Pistorius hehehe ...) The only thing that would prove him to be dishonest is if he relisted the exact same stamp showing no damage. Until then, I would trust him in the future.

It's only a stamp...forget the whole thing and carry on.

Since the buyer has completed transaction from the seller by paying for it, the buyer is entitled to proof of damage like a scan of the item at least from the seller.

Jogil, I do agree with you. Two years ago I bid on a Plate Strip of 5 of a misperforated Ambulance precancel, Scott 2128a, plate # 2. I won it for around $9.00 and waited for a few days for it to arrive. Instead of the stamps I got an Email that the seller lost or misplaced my stamps. I did receive a full refund. It is funny, but the very same strip appeared back on sale about six months ago, this time for a minimum bid of 39.95! How did I recognize the strip? I do have a similar strip, bought from the same seller earlier, with plate # 1. The strips were misperfed identical and the precancel was in exactly the same spot.
Anyway, the seller lost a customer!

Peter

Did the buyer get his money back???

This is Bill W getting his puppet Don to post a transaction
that happened between Bill and myself.
Since they are beating around the bush about things....
Here is what happened.....
Bill W purchased a item from me thru ebay....$9.99 (reguardless of value).
I was happy to sell it.
I have known Bill for many years....I knew his ebay user id....I have
submitted items to him for expertization....OK.
While packing this item....inserting into a 102 card....i jammed it
against the glassine part and it tore. I immediately refunded his money
and sent him a note with what happened. Next time I checked my email I
received a email from Bill stating he still wanted this item and I
was to forward it to him immediately and he will repay once he received it.
To me that is not the problem, payment. It was the way it was written.
He had it all in CAPITAL LETTERS....demanding I do what he said.
I refused based on that fact alone.
Sure...he left me negative feedback. You think I want a negative for $9.99???

So...now he goes ahead and gets his partner to post a
"hypothetical" sceniero.
Really???

http://www.ebay.com/itm/161-10c-Jef...221517424990
The item in question.