Yup, sounds like an "OEM" packaging deal.

I've bought hard drives from reputable places and received a drive in an anti-static bag, no instructions, no packaging, nothing.

OEM packaging.

Chances are, you are getting a BRAND NEW piece that was packaged with something else, like a computer. They rip out the freebies, and then sell them on Ebay.

Result? You get a good deal on a piece of equipment, that is exactly what you are looking for, without the "retail" box.

If it works, enjoy it. A memory stick like that doesn't wear out. If it works, it works. OK, something can go wrong with it in the long run, but you are no worse off than if you bought it over the counter. You should still be able to warranty it if need be.

art k.

 

But previous feedback for the seller had many unhappy buyers stating that their memory card had PHOTOS on them when it arrived!

 

If you read the feedback and noticed that , then no one is to blame but you.

I was looking at a flash drive this morning and I started reading the description ,

of it is in perfect unused condition great for yada yada....

Then I looked and the person said all auctions are as is with no returns no exceptions.

I guess that covers her when stuff doesn't work.

Moral of the story if you choose to believe someone with a questionable reputation because it has a great price on it then that falls into the Greed category.

MIke

 

One other thing about Ebay.

I buy stuff off of there all the time that could be damaged or not working if

The price is low enough and I feel something can be used for parts.
It is a gamble and I am rolling the dice.

I will also buy from people with negative feedback if I read the feedbacks and can see that the seller described what they were selling truthfully and the buyer chose to ignore that something was scratched or non functional or used or whatever.

I won't buy from people that refuse to work with buyer OR Don't ship in a reasonable time or doesn't answer emails.

Mike

 

Sounds like the seller should have stated it was OEM in the listing, or not in retail packaging. Also, try going to a computer store that maybe has a demo PC with a card reader built in. Maybe you can check it that way. If it works and is blank, I wouldn't sweat it. Its an unfortunate part of Ebay that you have some shady sellers/buyers. Consider it a lesson learned.

 

I hate to sound cynical, but here goes.

1) AFTER you buy something is the wrong time to start reading a sellers feedback. 2) If the seller charged you high shipping, you can only complain if he offered you something different. Did you agree on a shipping sprice first? 3) The only way someone can sell products in retail packaging at lower than retail prices is if it's stolen. I'd guess you wouldn't want to buy anything stolen, would you?
Ebay is great, but it's not like buying from a regular store. Your example about buying a truck from a dealership doesn't apply. Ebay is more like buying a truck from a private seller. It's strickly "buyer beware."

Good luck.

 

The guys has over 1000 feedback with 99% positive so I didn't bother to read every single one of them before I bid.

I got suspicious after I received the bare/semi-dirty card in the envelope. Then I went back and started to scrutinize his previous negative feedbacks. Amazingly, some unhappy buyers stated the card they received actually had PHOTOS on them. Some are not even working.

He described it as "new, unopened". Of course the price is lower than places like Best Buy, then aren't we all expecting a little cheaper price when we buy online?

 

1) He has like 1000 feedbacks. I didn't bother to go scrutinize everyone of them because it was 99% positive. I only scrutinized his feedback after I got the thing.

2. I agreed on the shipping. But I was expecting a well packaged box with a fully packaged product. Not a bare piece of gum in an envelope.

3. No I would not buy anything that's stolen. But didn't I say the seller advertised it as "new, UNOPENED"?

4. Buyer Beware indeed, and I've learned my lesson. Now I'm trying to get Paypal to kick his butt.

 

It is not uncommon to buy without retail packaging. We call it "white box" or OEM. No big deal, but usually big savings. If it works well, give him a good feedback. I did feel his explanation was a bit curt.

 

99% good feedback is very good

> stating that their memory card had PHOTOS on them when it arrived!

Maybe it was someone unhappy with OEM packaging lying?

Entirely possible to receive something like that from the OEM, that they repackaged when it was returned. TI and Dell were sued over this when they were using returned components in "new" computers.

I think this seller did you no wrong. Unlike the seller that advertised it as retail and sent me OEM software (just a disc in a bag), which did not work anyways. Which earned me one of my two negatives when I explained it on my negative feedback and reported him to E-bay.

It would have been easier to judge if you left the E-Bay #. But, going by what you have left, you should leave a positive feedback and just leave a note in e-mail that it was your fault for being uneducated and call it a day and ask for positive feedback too.

Now you know better, it was a cheap lesson in expections, and do not worry about it. I use to make computers for a living and that is how memory comes. It was unopened as in it was never used. There was no deception there. Taking it out of the tray is opening it if you use it. Otherwise that is how they come and it is basically unopened because it is unused.

 

If it originally came bundled with another piece of equipment it could very well have sample pictures on it. When I bought my camcorder, it came with a memory stick. On that "new" memory stick were a bunch of sample pictures. Should I scream at Sony for giving me a used memory stick? Nope.
Don't sweat it, chalk it up as a learning experience. In the future ask all questions and read ALL negative/neutral feedback before committing to the purchase.

 

Your mistake is that you assumed instead of ASKING before you bid.

He is right and you are wrong.

I don't know what the big deal is anyway. If it works it works, it was cheap because it was bulk. Enjoy the card!

 

But why would anyone lie in a negative feedback? Beside, he's not the only one. The seller also had a ton of neutral feedbacks (which do not affect his rating) from buyers that are just as annoyed as I am on this issue.

So how come the seller doesn't label it more carefully by adding a sentence like "no packaging, or OEM" if he knows many people would care? You said "maybe someone was unhappy with OEM", so why doesn't the seller be more upfront? It's obviously misleading advertisement.

Here is the Ebay number to an identical auction going on right now by the seller: 7559916214

You can even go read some of his previous feedbacks and see what they say. Make sure it shows 200 feedbacks per page for faster read. Just look yourself and see how many complain of used/scatched/dirty/sticky/not working/have photos/ on this so called "OEM" memory card.

That's not even counting the rip offs in shipping. Won't combine shipping? ($13 to ship in an USPS envelope)?

The fact this guy have a 99% feedback just shows how many suckers there are in the world. I probably would've not made it such a fuss too have I not noticed some dirty marks on my "new" card.

 

Considering that that same card sells at Best Buy Electronics for $89 to $109, I think it's a great deal. He covered himself on that auction. Nowhere does it show or mention retail packaging. Chalk that one up to a learning experience. IMHO, I wouldn't leave him negative feedback. If you felt so betrayed and soured by the whole deal, you might want to consider neutral. But I would wait a couple weeks to calm down and use and enjoy the card. You got a great deal.

 

I'm gonna sound like a big fat jerkhead here but please don't take any of this personally. I used to work from home with multiple ebay stores and got to deal with this kind of stuff all the time. Here's something to consider: If the seller states a price to ship an item and you bid then you agree to pay the price. If you don't like it, too bad. THOUSANDS of sellers use shipping/handling costs to pad their profit margin a bit which is why you have to read the entire description before you bid. You think $13 for a memory card is bad? Go do a search for angle grinders. If you didn't want to pay that much for shipping then you should have bought from someone else. YOU choose whether or not you're going to pay it by your bid. If a buyer doesn't have the common sense to read the fine print then they shouldn't be complaining to the seller.

REGARDLESS of what other buyers have said in feedback you have no room to complain until you can test the card. If you get your camera, pop in the card and there's pics on it then fine, I'll sit here and complain about this seller too. If the card doesn't work, ditto. But until you know there's a problem why are you complaining???????? You have no right to say that the seller falsely represented this product until you can test it. You made an assumption that the card would come in the same package you see at the store. This assumption was incorrect and that is your problem, not the seller's.

Feedback is there for a reason, so buyers can check out the seller, and vice versa. It takes 2 minutes to change the page setting to 200 feedback per page and scroll through all of 1000 feeback (5 pages) and all you have to do is look at the red ones and ignore the rest. If you'd have done this perhaps you'd decide it's not a gamble you want to take. Again, the info is already there, you just didn't read it. One more thing to check is when you see negative feedback, if the buyer has very few feedback read their's as well. Often times inexperienced or problem buyers will leave negative feedback in haste. You might find that some of those buyers have a slew of bad transactions themselves so their word can't be trusted. Either way, 99% of the people who purchased from this seller are happy with the product they received.

Please don't take this as a personal attack on you, but don't blame a seller for your lack of prowess when it comes to buying online.