Strange email from seller - what would you do?

[sphil]

I bought a DS game a couple of days ago in a rash moment - probably daft as I didn't read properly and item is coming from Singapore. No other bids apart from mine, even though there had been a bidding frenzy on the same game from a UK seller only minutes earlier.

have just received this email:

Greeting,

My paypal account was temporary limit for verification. The item you purchase will still be send out accordingly as past week my grandma was pass away ,I'm busy arranging and attend the funeral had cause some delay in sending.

If you have any query ,please email me 1st. I will try to resolve it asap.

Please don't log /open dispute to paypal as this will cause my account not be able to complete the verification on time . Thanks.

Rgds
(initials of seller)

I've emailed him and said I'll give him five days before opening a paypal dispute. Any other advice?

I'll feel really mean if his granny really has died

Oh forgot to say - when I logged on to Ebay it says that he's no longer registered!

Have been dim haven't I?

What is their rating like?

Do you still have to leave it 10 days before raising a paypal dispute?

Ooops. Hopefully it didnt cost you much ?

oh x posts.

Contact paypal straight away then

Have you paid for it? If he's no longer registered I would try to claim my money back straight away through paypal.

I think there is always a problem when there's a language barrier. Also the fact it is coming from such a long way, it can take a long time for things to come in the post. I'd say give it a week or so - I don't think they will let you open a dispute until quite a long time has passed anyway. But from my experience both Paypal and Ebay are both "pro" buyer, so you shouldn't have any problems if it is a scam. Hope that helps.

I had one of these emails last year, I paid for a signed photo of the Harry Potter cast for ds, his excuse for sending it out late was the same. I did report him to ebay but only because the 'signed picture' was infact a print out off a computer!

Thanks all. He's got 8 very positive feedback comments, including one from yesterday saying that he offered a refund when an item took a long time coming.

Could he have deregistered himself to avoid negative feedback (assuming the story about grandma is true?)

I paid £8.60, so not a fortune, but still...

Yes FluffyBunny - I've resigned myself to the fact that if it does arrive it may well be a cheap copy - have already posted elsewhere about that! Note to self - do not dive headfirst into auction without reading carefully first.

I bid on a very good ds game from Australia for ds. It was not a copy, just a different style of box. It was alot cheaper then the UK ds games. My brother recommended one of those sites where you can rent the games rather then buy them, it works out better as ds completes then quickly so they get expensive.
We have a few games if you wanted to play swapsies with a couple? Harry potter, garfield's nightmares, Ben 10, Star wars etc.

I had this with a Hong Kong seller (not the grandmother part ). He became unregistered and the item took longer then expected.I opened a PayPal dispute, stating that I was prepared to cancel it should the item turn up - it did turn up a day later. Give it a decent time to arrive but not so long that you can't raise a dispute.

Oh, and the game will be a fake, IMO.

FluffyBunny - I think it's a great idea but Ds1 is unfortunately a huge hoarder so probably wouldn't go for it.