Buying Online from BidorBuy is not Safe - My Opinion

[CliffieJacobs 10]

I won an auction from a Seller for a laptop i won the auction on . The Seller does not answer his phone whole day and nor my emails .

I can not make any contact with him and i see from his raitings im not the only one having this problem with him .

Upon phonning bidorbuy and telling them about the situation and requesting my money to be given back to me because of the dodgy seller , paid through BOB , i was told that the seller had requested a pay out earlier this morning .

 

Now the problem i have is , how can bidorbuy give the seller MY MONEY before the product is even posted yet ? I paid for over night delivery and till now no tracking number nothing . What if he runs away now and then what ? Im R7000.00 short . Hes got my money and the laptop i won the bid on .

 

i taught paying bidorbuy (BOB) is a safe way of online shopping when infact its just as dodgy than buying from any other unreliable online source .

 

This is my opinion .

[mrmouse 11]

who is the seller?

[qball 12]

I won an auction from a Seller for a laptop i won the auction on . The Seller does not answer his phone whole day and nor my emails .

I can not make any contact with him and i see from his raitings im not the only one having this problem with him .

Upon phonning bidorbuy and telling them about the situation and requesting my money to be given back to me because of the dodgy seller , paid through BOB , i was told that the seller had requested a pay out earlier this morning .

 

Now the problem i have is , how can bidorbuy give the seller MY MONEY before the product is even posted yet ? I paid for over night delivery and till now no tracking number nothing . What if he runs away now and then what ? Im R7000.00 short . Hes got my money and the laptop i won the bid on .

 

i taught paying bidorbuy (BOB) is a safe way of online shopping when infact its just as dodgy than buying from any other unreliable online source .

 

This is my opinion .

 

Thanks for your opinion Cliffie, although a little hasty, in my view. The seller currently sits on over 97% positive with only 3 negatives in the last month out of 35 transactions. Your payment only came in at 22.55pm last night, it's a little ptremature to scream fraud..... at this stage.

 

Please note there is currently a postal strike on, this may affect the prompt delivery of the item, however, it must be noted that we do not with hold funds nor act as escrow service, particularly if the seller has a good track record of selling on the site. If he had no ratings and was a new seller, we may restrict the funds until goods are delivered, but we do not guarantree delivery of goods. This is clearly explained in the bobPay terms of use. IF the seller does not get hold of you or continues to ignore your attempts at conmtact then please feel free to contact us so we can follow up, but claiming the site is unsafe after less than 24 hours has passed, based on little or no evidenece, other than the seller didn't answer his phone, is in my opinion, a bit extreme. Please contact us if you have not heard from him by tomorrow, we will escalate the matter with the seller if need be.

 

I can assure you, buying on bidorbuy is FAR more secure and safe than any other platform or classified site out there. Learn more about trading safely on bidorbuy here - Building Trust and Safety on bidorbuy - Powered by Kayako Help Desk Software

[mrmouse 11]

Also a lot of sellers will not send the goods untill the money reflects in their account irrespective of how it was paid.

[qball 12]

Items for sale from markingbird on bidorbuy.co.za

[CliffieJacobs 10]

Hi , Gball thank you for your response it is very much appreciated . Yes , I understand that I had paid last night and it had cleared payment minutes after I had paid . Secondly , I paid R350.00 for Overnight Courier - Not Via Postal Services (if so seller should say so and postal over night is not R350.00) . This Guys phone has been off all day today and therefore I was getting very concerned and worried . The whole point of this Thread is , What happens if this guy goes missing and runs away with my money ? Will Bidorbuy take action or is it just my loss ?

[mrmouse 11]

To be honest , I think the negatives so far are baseless , I wouldnt worry , cellphone off , ( maybe he works in an environment that doesnt allow personal calls ) , give seller a chance his ratings are good .Not everyone carries a phone all day , he cleared youre funds ,so he is aware of the sale .

Dont stress yet..

[CliffieJacobs 10]

I will give him a chance , after all like you say he cleared the funds , hes aware of my payment but then why didn't he post it ? As I paid over night delivery at a hefty price of R350.00 . But anyway , id still like to know how bid or buy protects the buyers from the sellers "I can assure you, buying on bidorbuy is FAR more secure and safe than any other platform or classified site out there " - as Gball said .

[qball 12]

The seller will probably only process the order once he has received the payout from us. It may day a day to process the order, many of these sellers are not professional sellers, they often have a day job or other commitments. You cannot jump to conclusions after less than 24 hrs. We do not guarantee delivery of goods nor recovery of funds - unless the seller is a Verified Seller or a Store, where we cover you up to R7500 in the event of fraud. It is important to understand that any transaction you enter into on bidorbuy you do so at your own risk. That is why it's important to stick to the safety tips or buy from Verified Sellers. Bobpay is merely a payment system, a means to transfer funds to the seller, there are no guarantees when transferring the funds. It would the same as using the bank to transfer monies to a seller, it's purely a payment mechanism, you would stand the same risk by paying the seller directly. If the seller was new, selling expensive goods with no track record we may, at our discretion, withhold payment to them, but this was not the case here.

 

If the seller fails to deliver the goods we will assist you in any way we can, however, as we are legally neither buyer nor seller, we cannot enforce your legal rights. Only you can take action against the seller. But I doubt that the seller has absconded with your funds. If he has not replied by tomorrow, please contact us again and ask us to follow up with the seller, if he doesn't get back to us, we can restrict his account or stop him from selling, but we cannot recover the funds once he has been paid.

Edited September 8, 2014 by qball
Spelling

[qball 12]

I will give him a chance , after all like you say he cleared the funds , hes aware of my payment but then why didn't he post it ? As I paid over night delivery at a hefty price of R350.00 . But anyway , id still like to know how bid or buy protects the buyers from the sellers "I can assure you, buying on bidorbuy is FAR more secure and safe than any other platform or classified site out there " - as Gball said .

 

Please see the post above as well as the tips I have already posted. You don't get that protection on any other platform....

Edited September 8, 2014 by qball
Spelling

[CliffieJacobs 10]

the Seller sent me an email this morning , claiming he was sick and therefore his phone was off and he was out of contact . so lets see what happens now . he said he will send it today . atleast now i know where i stand when i buy something from bidorbuy how safe i am from getting robbed .

 

best option : buy from big Sellers - that way bidorbuy can help its customers if something really goes wrong .

[mrmouse 11]

the Seller sent me an email this morning , claiming he was sick and therefore his phone was off and he was out of contact . so lets see what happens now . he said he will send it today . atleast now i know where i stand when i buy something from bidorbuy how safe i am from getting robbed .

 

best option : buy from big Sellers - that way bidorbuy can help its customers if something really goes wrong .

 

Lets see , seller now has to go to second hand shop to finish paying off his laybuy which he took on the product last month , youre payout was needed for it , today he will collect , pay and ship item .A lot of sellers do this , I was good friends with someone who did laybuys for people ,for resale purposes .also I suspect that is why loads of sellers cannot/willnot post an actual photo of the item for sale , A physical photo of said item should be mandatory before listing .Just my thoughts !There are big businesses inJHB that buy up discontinued stock/ demo units / warranty return/ CPA return units and then offer them for resale to brokers / shops / cash crusaders etc , that is why if you frequent different branches of cash convertors etc you will find the same items at the same prices throughout dealerships , all purchased from above mentioned companys , Game has the same facility where you register with them and can then go and peruse all the returns and buy what is needed , Sorry for me if its Demo it must have a box , books etc if it doesnt , its a return more than likely .( customer didnt like the colour , didnt have a red button etc.)I see you did get a 12 month warranty so all should be good .Im not Cynical ,,He`s my brother .( No not the seller , he`s definately not my brother ):biggrin:Ok Ok im going back to my tree now!

Edited September 9, 2014 by mrmouse

[RISadler 10]

From the Consumer Protection Act Regulations, section 30(3): "An auctioneer conducting an auction via the internet or other electronic medium or platform may not exclude liability if any goods purchased by auction are not delivered to the purchaser thereof."

 

Important definitions to clarify above, from section 18(1) of the same regulations: "auctioneer" means the person conducting an auction, irrespective of whether he or she is doing so for his or her own account or as employee of or agent for an auction house or other person; and "auction house" means a company or other juristic person which from time to time conducts auctions as part of its business.

[qball 12]

By definition, we are NOT an auctioneer. The seller is the auctioneer, technically speaking. We are confident, both legally and from a liability aspect, we are not auctioneers. The seller actually conducts the auction, sets it up, lists it, controls the content, times, sells the item and delivers it. Best you check your definition again...

[CliffieJacobs 10]

well now this thread is getting interesting , Well I sure hope this laptop wasn't a faulty return or something like that or even an item that was on lay buy .

 

the post above : "From the Consumer Protection Act Regulations, section 30(3): "An auctioneer conducting an auction via the internet or other electronic medium or platform may not exclude liability if any goods purchased by auction are not delivered to the purchaser thereof."

 

can anyone kindly make this more understandable for me please ? "...may not exclude liability if any goods purchased by auction are not delivered to the purchaser thereof." "

[qball 12]

well now this thread is getting interesting , Well I sure hope this laptop wasn't a faulty return or something like that or even an item that was on lay buy .

 

the post above : "From the Consumer Protection Act Regulations, section 30(3): "An auctioneer conducting an auction via the internet or other electronic medium or platform may not exclude liability if any goods purchased by auction are not delivered to the purchaser thereof."

 

can anyone kindly make this more understandable for me please ? "...may not exclude liability if any goods purchased by auction are not delivered to the purchaser thereof." "

 

In plain english, your legal contract is with the seller not bidorbuy = bidorbuy cannot be held liable for any auction or buy now you transact in, as you are dealing directly with a seller.

 

As I stated to you previously, the sales contract is between you and the seller, not you and bidorbuy. We are very confident that this will be upheld in law. So your recourse is against the seller for non delivery, not bidorbuy, that should be clear enough, don't mind RISadler, he is a troll and flamer... he just likes to cause trouble and stir the proverbial pot... with a very long stick... ;-)

[mrmouse 11]

well now this thread is getting interesting , Well I sure hope this laptop wasn't a faulty return or something like that or even an item that was on lay buy .

 

Some of the coolest products I have ever purchased have been through Brokers , it can save you a fortune , .being held on lay buy is certainly nothing to worry about , its just reserving a product untill needed so nobody else snaps it up before the cash is acquired .

Edited September 10, 2014 by mrmouse

[Colin_P 10]

I can not make any contact with him and i see from his raitings im not the only one having this problem with him .

 

I'm sorry, but those negative ratings with comments on poor communication and not answering the phone were on the system before you bought your laptop, and you went ahead anyway. While I sympathise with your position, it's hard to blame the seller when he is pretty much doing what he has been doing for a while now.

 

You should always check the seller out carefully BEFORE putting a bid in, especially when the amount concerned is high enough to make the loss uncomfortable. Take a flyer on a small item, but for something big like that, you really need to do your homework properly.

[RISadler 10]

By definition, we are NOT an auctioneer. ...

 

BoB charges a (success) fee based on the value realised through the auction ... that translates to "commission" ... and THAT makes BoB the auctioneer.

[RISadler 10]

... don't mind RISadler, he is a troll and flamer... he just likes to cause trouble and stir the proverbial pot... with a very long stick...

 

There is no need to get personal, just because we disagree on just about everything. The easiest way to shut me up regarding this issue (section 30(3) of the Consumer Protection Act Regulations) would be to post the legal brief submitted by your lawyer(s) on which you base your stance that BoB is not the auctioneer. :idea:

[qball 12]

There is no need to get personal, just because we disagree on just about everything. The easiest way to shut me up regarding this issue (section 30(3) of the Consumer Protection Act Regulations) would be to post the legal brief submitted by your lawyer(s) on which you base your stance that BoB is not the auctioneer. :idea:

 

Not being personal, this is generally the case when you post, you like to incite and cause disagreements, this is known as being a flamer or a troll. Definitions as per Wikipedia:

 

Flaming is a hostile and insulting interaction between Internet users, often involving the use of profanity.

Flaming usually occurs in the social context of an Internet forum, Internet Relay Chat (IRC), Usenet, by e-mail, game servers such as Xbox Live or PlayStation Network, and on video-sharing websites. It is frequently the result of the discussion of heated real-world issues such as politics, religion, and philosophy, or of issues that polarize sub-populations, but can also be provoked by seemingly trivial differences.

Deliberate flaming, as opposed to flaming as a result of emotional discussions, is carried out by individuals known as flamers, who are specifically motivated to incite flaming. These users specialize in flaming and target specific aspects of a controversial conversation.

 

In Internet slang, a troll (/ˈtroʊl/, /ˈtrɒl/) is a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people,^[1] by posting inflammatory,^[2] extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a newsgroup, forum, chat room, or blog) with the deliberate intent of provoking readers into an emotional response^[3] or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.^[4]

This sense of the word troll and its associated verb trolling are associated with Internet discourse, but have been used more widely. Media attention in recent years has equated trolling with online harassment. For example, mass media has used troll to describe "a person who defaces Internet tribute sites with the aim of causing grief to families."^[5][6]

 

We don't have to base it on anything but the facts as they stand, nor do we have to provide you with a lawyers brief. Let's stick to the topic and please stop trying to make this about you....

 

Thanks!

[RISadler 10]

Let's stick to the topic and please stop trying to make this about you....

 

I never made this thread about me ... you did.

 

I also felt that that particular section of a South African law was applicable to this thread. YOU disagreed, probably due to a knee-jerk CYA.

 

Also, in the context of this thread, neither of your definitions of "flamer" and "troll" are applicable ... to me, at least. However, your comment ... :whistling:

 

Personal animosities aside, I do feel that a proper analysis of that section of the regulations is in order ... just to clarify things for all us idiots who apparently read it wrong. I mean, you did consult a lawyer regarding your/BoB's liabilities as per the CPA, yes? So, how about sharing that info with the community, huh?

[qball 12]

I never made this thread about me ... you did.

 

I also felt that that particular section of a South African law was applicable to this thread. YOU disagreed, probably due to a knee-jerk CYA.

 

Also, in the context of this thread, neither of your definitions of "flamer" and "troll" are applicable ... to me, at least. However, your comment ... :whistling:

 

Personal animosities aside, I do feel that a proper analysis of that section of the regulations is in order ... just to clarify things for all us idiots who apparently read it wrong. I mean, you did consult a lawyer regarding your/BoB's liabilities as per the CPA, yes? So, how about sharing that info with the community, huh?

 

I am afraid you try to make everything about you. It is not applicable at all. I believe in the context of this discussion you are purley attempting to incite mistrust and blame.

 

We have already done proper legal analysis and I have repeatedly said we are not liable and shared this with all on this thread - yet you continue to harp on about it, which technically has NOTHING to do with this matter.

 

If you have nothing else positive to contribute to this thread, please refrain from posting here. Thank you.

[YiaYia1 10]

:worried:Maybe we should get the input of a legal expert. Dont know if BOB is an agent?

[mrmouse 11]

As an importer , wholesaler and retailer ,( I also dabble in the supernatural) my interpretation is that BoB has squat to do with the sale, the auctioneer is the seller ,,BoB is merely taking commision for the floorspace rented to the auctioneer , and has no say in anything that the auctioneer does as long as he abides by the rules of the rented floorspace .

Edited September 10, 2014 by mrmouse