AuctionCut

If you rely on Ebay rating to determine good or bad morals of the sellers, it is a big mistake. You may experience bitterness as I did, because I lost my savings and have to leave my newborn baby in hospital because I've run out of money to pay the cost of hospital.

This incident started when I was about to buy goods from a seller named Patrick Donovan. For information, I was a labor in Indonesia, payed salary $250 per month. Since I can speak English, I have a side job helping Indonesian people who want to buy things from Ebay. From this side job, I received a fee of about 2.5-5%, depend on negotiation.

This is his modus operandi: There is a client of mine who wanted to buy the equipment advertised by Patrick Donovan. The first step, I checked the feedback Patrick Donovan who showed good performance (his profile). Then I started to make contacts. Contact I did the first time can be viewed at this link.

When we reach an agreement, the auction has closed. Then Patrick Donovan contact me, out of nowhere he got my first email, and tried to send the invoice [invoice link].

At first I hesitated, but because I see feedback from Patrick Donovan's performance is excellent, I continue to make contacts. Patrick Donovan can not wait, then ask for Down Payment [DP link]. Then I convinced my client to send payment for device for a total $16,000 [link][first payment][second payment] dated 20 December 2010. Patrick Donovan began to show signs of poor. Several times I sent emails and no response. When he responded, he said that the advertised equipment had damages and offers a tool that is worse with a much cheaper price ($10,000) and promised to send back the remaining of money [link]

After it was Patrick Donovan increasingly difficult to be contacted. He attempted to escape from its responsibility to pay the remaining sum of $6,000 [link]. Since I had already promised to refund the remaining money promised by Patrick Donovan, finally I used my own money to pay the client because I felt responsible to him [link]. You know, with a monthly salary of $250 per month, $6000 is my saving for years, and it's my last savings.

I repeatedly send email to Patrick Donovan, but he was always trying to escape from the responsibility of [link]. Three months after I sent payment, but Patrick Donovan has not been transferring my money. Up until the time my wife will give birth, predicted by the doctor on 19 March. I kept contact Patrick Donovan, but he continued to make promises and try to run away from his responsibility [link]

Until my wife gave birth, Patrick Donovan kept dodging to escape from responsibility. The reason, he was just duped by the scammers. Though the value of the goods he sold more than $75,000 at that time.

Then I tried to bid one item he sold, in the hope that he would deliver the goods so that I can use as collateral for borrowing money to my client. But again, Patrick Donovan refused to complete their responsibilities, and relisted the item. I tried to open the case to Ebay, but Ebay won the Patrick Donovan.

I understand, that this is not the fault of Ebay, because Ebay has previously warned not to conduct the transaction outside of Ebay. It's my fault, because I only use the feedback status of Patrick Donovan to conclude that he is a good seller and turned out wrong. But I did it before with some previous sellers and had no problem. This is the first time I had problem with other Ebayer since I joined Ebay for 9 years.

I just want to give information to fellow Ebay buyers to not repeat my mistakes. Currently, Patrick Donovan is happy because he can get money by cheating and will probably repeat his actions to other buyers. Be careful, do not let you experience the bitter experience like me.

These are photos of my daughter who is still detained by the hospital until I could pay off the cost of labor. I took these photos to look at when we went home.

photo 1: just born
photo 2: 9 days old
photo 3: 20 days old
photo 4: 30 days old


By preaching this bitter experience, anyone who felt the benefit of this writing, please pray for me that I could get the money to redeem my daughter so she could return to her own home.