Fake MAC brush set from eBay

[bellarossa]

Hi. I'm new to Specktra - just found it today when I googled for information about fake brush sets. So I am one of those folks who did end up buying that infamous 8-piece brush set from an eBayer who had 100%FB, etc. I wish I had found this forum earlier! This whole eBay thing has been a frustrating experience altogether. I bought the set on Monday--next day I check my account only to discover that the seller is no longer a registered user--I e-mailed seller using address from my paypal receipt (no response)--I searched eBay forums and discovered another buyer experienced the same thing. The item did arrive today and the brushes are not authentic (went to my MAC store to compare). Should I contact paypal since the seller is no longer a registered user? Has this happened to anyone before? Definitely learned my lesson though.

 

[semtexgirl]

Hi Bellarossa and

to Spektra! It NEVER ceases to amaze what people will knockoff and sell as the real McCoy. That said, I would file a claim through Ebay and Paypal. Even though the user isn't registered on Ebay anymore, it may be easier to receive a refund through Paypal if Ebay is also alerted. You could also call your credit card company (assuming that your Paypal account was funded by this means unless you had a credit balance from selling on Ebay) and dispute the transaction. Explain the situation to them - it may buy you some time so you don't have to pay for the brushes when your credit card bill comes in only to receive a credit afterwards. Good luck!

 

[bellarossa]

Thanks very much, semtexgirl! I wasn't sure where to start first, but your suggestion to contact both eBay & PayPal makes most sense. While I'm disappointed with my first eBay experience, I'm more frustrated with my decision to not trust my instincts to cough up the extra dough to buy authentic brushes at the MAC store (I spend so much time in there anyway!). I spent almost $100 that could have been spent on 2-3 REAL MAC brushes, so I'll see what I can do to send these back and get my $$ back.

 

[caffn8me]

Welcome to Specktra! I'm really sorry your bad experience is what led you here but we'll do our best to try and help..

What was the seller's ID? If they weren't based in somewhere like China then you may also have the option of contacting consumer protection departments for professional help and advice (they'll help for free).

 

[semtexgirl]

You're welcome!

 

[bellarossa]

Thought I would post an update. Here is the message I received from PayPal today regarding my claim:
The seller has offered to provide a full refund once you return the item in its original condition. Please send the item to the seller at the following address: wengniuteqi, chifengshi, Nei Mongol, 024525, China
You are responsible for shipping and handling costs associated with returning the item. Once you ship the item, please provide us with an online tracking number by Apr. 24, 2007. This tracking number allows us to confirm that you shipped the item. Please understand that if you fail to provide this information, your case will automatically be closed. We recommend that you ship the item using a service that can supply proof of shipment or a tracking number. Otherwise, you may need to rely on the seller to confirm if the item was received.

I'm so frustrated with this entire experience for the following reasons:
1. Not sure why I have to pay for return shipping when the seller has sold me a counterfeit item. I'm being asked to pay for something that the seller is doing wrong.
2. The address given to me to return the item to is in China...this is different from the address given to me by the seller which was in Georgia.
3. I received an e-mail from PayPal which states that I may not get a full refund, yet the message in my PayPal account says that I will. Well, which is it? Why would I risk not getting my money back?

I'm not sure what I should do. Should I return the item and lose $$ in shipping? I imagine that the seller will just turn around and re-sell the item anyway to some other fool. I tried to contact PayPal to ask them about the shipping cost, but there is no option for that - just close dispute or provide tracking number. <end venting>

 

[huggablesecret]

Paypal is going down the pan, it really doesn't have any seller/buyer protection anymore. I once bought a fake handbag, thankfully the seller didn't know it was fake so refunded me my money and shipping charges, but paypal seem to think it's your fault for not knowing you were buying a fake item...HELLO!???
Anyway, I don't think there's a great deal you can do, paypal have probably frozen the seller's funds in their account atm, so that you'll definitely get some monies back. If I were you I'd just spend the money returning the item, although I'm confused about the 2 different addresses? Did the person in Georgia maybe buy from China, and they have some kind of scam going on? Anyway, yeah, just send the item back to the one paypal gave you, provide tracking info, and they'll have to refund your money

Good luck!

 

[bellarossa]

Thanks, huggablesecret. I absolutely have learned my lesson about buying from eBay. The amount of time and energy spent on resolving this issue during the past few weeks is not worth it. I could have just gone to the MAC counter and bought legit brushes and be done with it. And yes, I am also confused about the 2 addresses. I wasn't going to post any of the seller's information before in case they were honest and didn't realize that they were selling counterfeit goods (In hindsight, I should have known that they were probably aware that they were since they had several of the same items). Here is the address that the seller sent to me when I tried to resolve this matter through them: brushsale, 1035 Gables Ln, Atlanta GA 30350, yet paypal has given me an address in China. The brushes were mailed from Georgia, as indicated on the postmark on the envelope. It's all so weird and none of it seems honest. The seller's id was brushwolesale, but is no longer registered. I imagine that they probably opened up another account and are selling fake goods there.

 

[caffn8me]

Contact consumer protection in Georgia. I've posted a link in another thread. The seller is shipping from there.