Ebay Minefield

Buying on Ebay. There are some bargains...and the chance to buy a rarity...but there is also the 'minefield'. As in the 'real' world...you can't trust all of the people all of the time.
A few months ago I bought a wine and transferred the said amount. A week later I received a KIA Dashboard! Checking the details on the package...the sender was the person I had bought the wine from. I sent a message...but received no answer. Somewhere, someone had received my wine, and was trying to fit it into his car. No doubt they had also made an attempt to contact the seller. The only solution was, I thought, to sell my 'Dashboard Spätburgunder' again on Ebay. This I did, recuperating a little more than the wine had cost.

My last 'experience' was at the end of November last year. I purchased a wine and transferred the money to an account in Vienna. Then I waited...and waited...and waited. After 2 weeks I sent the usual message asking where the wine was. No reply! After a few more attempts I contacted Ebay to explain the problem. They asked if I had paid by Pay-Pal...the answer being negative as the seller had only offered bank transfer or personal collection. As much as a trip to Vienna would have been very pleasant...not really an alternative. Ebay closed the case.
I checked the seller's recent feedback comments...and they were down to 89%...some buyers wrote they had received no goods and no answer to their inquiries. What to do?...well...you behave like a bulldog...dig your teeth in and shake! I checked in daily to the seller's articles...and...you don't believe it...but the wine was offered for sale a second time. I bid again for 'MY' wine (don't worry I was not gonna pay twice). I won the auction...and decided I would bid for all his products and then not send any money. I wrote to Ebay explaining what I had in mind and said I could understand they could do nothing as I had not used Pay-Pal, but that the person was still selling freely and was getting complaints. Why couldn't they ban him. A couple of days later...no wines on offer and a message that the user no longer had an Ebay account. Ah...well...end of story. That's what I thought...until...a few days ago a package arrives. I was waiting on a 2 & 3 bottle delivery from reliable sellers...but not a single bottle. Only on opening...did I find the 'lost' wine inside. Why it now arrived?...no idea...maybe the user wants to use Ebay again...maybe the customs kept the wine for 3 months (no...I don't believe this either). Whatever the reason...it could be tasted a few days later...and here it is...after it's long journey...
Fritz Wieninger
Pinot Noir Select 2007
Wien, Austria
An earthy fruity nose...a touch rough & ready...developed a cherry smell...well put together. Over 2 days it broadened and showed some plums. This is the 'basic' Pinot Noir from the property and is an advert to try their top reds... Grand Select and Tribute...but from a more reliable source.
Points 16.25