Ebay & the Royal Ambassador experience = beware ?

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Feb 5, 2011, 12:15 pm

#16

pegleg

Join Date: Jan 2011

Posts: 3

Bought thru eBay seller with US address with 78 100% positive ratings, just a couple of weeks ago for a bit more than five benjis. Arrived with no problems.

Don't know the worth of this post other than to say that there are legit sellers.

Feb 5, 2011, 1:21 pm

#17

chipsodg

Join Date: Mar 2007

Programs: ba miles

Posts: 275

Quote:

Originally Posted by nikconnor

Just thought I would warn others in case this happens to you.

Recently saw on eBay a Royal Ambassador referral certificate, this was from a long time eBayer with 98% positive feedback. ^

Bid a considerable sum of money for the item and won ^

The seller dispatched the item with 'deutschepost' registered post the day after the Paypal payment went through. ^

Three days later the envelope arrives ^,
opened and found, my RA certificate ?, NO all that was in it was 'two BLANK pieces of paper'

The seller replied that it must have been the post office (can't see the postman putting blank paper back in the envelope) and he will get Intercontinental to send another certificate (can't see that happening).

3 days now and no communication from the seller. have escalated the case with eBay and they tell me they have 'got it covered.'

Reminder to self,
Don't buy RA Certificate from anyone in 35641 Schöffengrund.
If the 'deutschepost' postman has luggage tag with RA platinum, follow him home.
Buy a stranger a beer or two, to visit Schöffengrund and ask for my certificate in person.
Get another RA certificate before my wife's anniversary (only from RA member)

Any more suggestions guys/girls

a bit off topic - but where were you planning on taking your wife?

Feb 5, 2011, 2:21 pm

#18

Sohan

Join Date: Nov 2009

Location: Bangkok

Programs: Bonvoy Amb, Hilton Diamond

Posts: 553

If you paid with a credit card, charge back the paypal payment and they'll automatically take it off the seller.

Feb 6, 2011, 10:27 am

#19

uk1

Suspended

Join Date: Jan 2004

Location: UK

Posts: 11,969

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sohan

If you paid with a credit card, charge back the paypal payment and they'll automatically take it off the seller.

I think you'll find that you cannot reverse the payment made to PayPal. They completed the service they were paid for ie paying the supplier.

Feb 6, 2011, 11:49 am

#20

DoubleJ

Join Date: Nov 2003

Location: NRT/PDX

Programs: Willamette Valley Cropdusters Silver Elite, National Tent Frequent Stay program, Ed's Rent-a-tractor

Posts: 3,357

Quote:

Originally Posted by nikconnor

Three days later the envelope arrives ^,
opened and found, my RA certificate ?, NO all that was in it was 'two BLANK pieces of paper'

By any chance did the seller advertise the bid item as something like, "You are bidding on a blank piece of paper only. An Intercontinental Royal Ambassador certificate will be added as a free bonus"?

Feb 6, 2011, 11:58 am

#21

Jaimito Cartero

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Sep 2003

Location: HH Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Gold, Hyatt something

Posts: 33,539

Over the 14 or 15 years I've been on eBay, I've gotten 2 negatives. One as retaliation for leaving a negative for a $15 toner cartridge that was messed up, the other for sending out a package a week after the auction ended since I was out of town.

If you buy/sell a lot of items, one negative won't hurt you much. If you only do a couple items a year, then it will. I think that after a year any negative scrolls off.

I think very hard about buying anything from someone with a less than 99% rating. I try to see who gave them a negative, and why.

Feb 6, 2011, 12:10 pm

#22

benzemalyonnais

Join Date: May 2008

Location: BOS/SIN

Programs: SQ

Posts: 2,704

ebay will back you up on this, as long as the seller didn't trick you in his item description.

Feb 6, 2011, 1:11 pm

#23

TravelGuy1965

Join Date: May 2004

Programs: Various Programs of Interest & LT Collector.

Posts: 1,483

Look at this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/InterContinental...item230dfa561b

The guy has 100% positive feedback but 4 of them are from the same guy also for an RA cert. Yah -right... wouldn't touch this with a 10ft pole...

Feb 6, 2011, 8:25 pm

#24

Jaimito Cartero

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Sep 2003

Location: HH Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Gold, Hyatt something

Posts: 33,539

Quote:

Originally Posted by TravelGuy1965

Geeze, $88 shipping.

Feb 6, 2011, 9:38 pm

#25

CanuckinKL

Join Date: Jun 2008

Location: CT, USA

Programs: Delta Silver, United 2P, SQ, SPG Plat, PC Plat AMB, Hyatt Dia, Hilton Gold, Accor Plat

Posts: 371

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaimito Cartero

Geeze, $88 shipping.

ya saw that also - honestly the only seriously trustworthy place would be coupon connection or an RA you know personally.

Feb 7, 2011, 8:33 am

#26

TheBeerHunter

Join Date: Apr 2008

Location: bay area, ca

Programs: AS 100K, AA Gold, IC Diamond AMB, HH Diamond

Posts: 1,840

Quote:

Originally Posted by TravelGuy1965

He also seems to magically have a new RA cert to sell each month. ??

Feb 7, 2011, 8:45 am

#27

andyandy

Join Date: Aug 2004

Location: MGM

Programs: United Silver, PC Plat/Amb, HH Dmnd

Posts: 805

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheBeerHunter

He also seems to magically have a new RA cert to sell each month. ??

I don't recall, do the RA certs have a unique identifying number? If not, it would be relatively easy to forge them. I feel fairly confident about trades on the CC, I don't think I could say the same about Ebay.

Andyandy

Feb 7, 2011, 11:26 pm

#28

MattGreenfield

Join Date: May 2010

Location: Tampa, FL

Programs: PC Royal Amb

Posts: 86

Seeing as how the free weekend night certificate has a Serial # I can't imagine a RA referral certificate not having one.

FYI, I have asked the seller what's the Serial # on the current RA certificate he's selling, but he hasn't replied yet.