Bad Autograph bought on eBay

[powderfinger]

On January 4th, I purchased an autograph on eBay and paid immediately on PayPal as I ususally do. The next morning, while checking my watch summary on eBay, I noticed that the seller had been suspended by eBay, but when I tried to contact eBay, the site instructed me to wait 14 days before I did anytihing.

In the meantime, I received the signed photo. The autograph was sold to me as an original and I did receive a copy of an "auction house" JSA letter in which the autograph was listed. As I was preparing it for shipment back to JSA for an individual cert number, I looked at it closely for the first time and noticed the signature was integral to the photo - not laid on top as would have occurred if signed with a Sharpie or other pen. In short, it wasn't a forgery, it was just a preprint. While I'm glad I didn't embarass myself by spending another $58 on fees and shipping, eBay won't let me access the item and I can't file a claim. The seller has never verified receipt of the payment (which is as really clever additon to this type of fraud) and I'm wondering if I have any recourse at all. Anyone who'se ever found him/herself in a similar situation, I could use some guidance. Anyone have a phone number?

[w7imel]

Ebay usually pretty good about taking care of buyers...have you opened a dispute?

[vthobby]

If you paid with a credit card then all you need to do is file a claim with your credit card issuer. If you paid with paypal funds, sorry but I do not know how you will recoup this.

Good luck, mike

[D. Bergin]

If you can't file an Ebay dispute because they have disappeared that sellers items, file a dispute directly with Paypal. That should get you your money back as long as the seller didn't convince you to send a Gift payment before he got canned.

[powderfinger]

I want to let everyone know that the seller that prompted the initial post has emailed me and others with news that (s)he is now auctioning signed celebrity items with Coach's Corner. A match made in hell, for sure.

I never did get any satisfaction from any of the parties involved in the initial purchase. I was ignored by eBay, PayPal and, obviously, the seller. Since I did make this seller aware of the fact that the autograph I purchsed was indeed a preprint, it really takes some steel cohones to send me an email telling me about what are undoubtedly more bogus items. (Example: Farrah Fawcett - long deceased, incredibly tough because of well forged secretarials, no authentication, $5 minimum bid. Wow! Really?)

By the way, I wrote to JSA as well and mentioned the fact that this seller uses "jsa" as a part of her/his email ID and claimed an "auction house" letter from JSA, that I received with the bogus item, made it real. Crickets from JSA as well. Maybe now that their name will go through a CC auction, they'll take some action.

[shelly]

That is amazing that JSA does not care I just can not get over that.