Short story is I need to contact a kiter from Southampton/Bournemouth/Lincoln. Guy Named Jon Macrae or Tastyweat on various internet forums. I need a postal address, preferably home, but southampton uni address would do too.
The Long story is that this guy sold me a kite on ebay. I didn't win the auction first time round, but he offered me a second chance buy it now because it hadnt met reserve 1st time round. Now it was for a relatively small amount, but this guy made the offer to me, so he must have been willing to accept it.
So I accept the second chance offer and pay, in full, immediately through paypal. Week or so goes by and nothing arrives (either email or kite) so I email asking him if everything is ok. His response is wanting an extra £100 on top of what he offered first time round! His explanation (another week later) of this jump in price was to meet the reserve of the first auction. So I told him as far as I was concerned (and ebay) I had paid in full and had no obligation to meet his new increase in price.
To be fair to him, he didnt know how the second chance offer system works and jumped into it head first, thinking his first reserve would still be the lowest amount he would receive from a buyer. After I explained this to him that this was not the case through various links to ebay help pages he eventually emailed me saying that he would not send me the kite unless I sent him more money, that or he would refund me the amount I had paid him.
So... I accept that mistakes can be made (we've all been there) and gave him the benefit of the doubt and settled for a refund. He agreed to this and I left him to it.
Another week or so passes and no refund, so I contact him again... his paypal account was locked due to other various negative-feedback-related business on ebay, which all happened after my auction ended. So he said this would be sorted out as soon as he had gone through a few security checks with paypal.
This is where I went on holiday expecting this to all be sorted out by the time I got back, no such luck. Still no refund and no reply to any emails I send. So I decide to start an objection through ebay/paypal - neither of them will let me use thier system anymore because the auction ended more than 30 days ago (HUGE WARNING TO EVERYONE HERE), all they can do is supply any informations to police/court officers if it goes to small claims court.
After this disappointment I posted on here asking for a phone number to see if I could get in touch with him that way and see what he had to say for himself. Not a lot really. "I'm a poor student, I don't have any money" etc etc. Well guess what, I just graduated and I'm a poor ex-student too, so no sympathy there, especially when his photoblog has him visiting the caribbean on kiting holidays!
So if you've read this far can you either a. help me out here and send me his details for the small claims court or b. have a word with him if you ever see him and tell him to sort himself out. I'm sick of this little **** hanging up on me or playing me music down his phone when I call him.
I'm shocked and appalled at the way this clown is acting, especially in such a close knit sport like kiting.
Anyway I appreciate any help I get.
Thanks,
Rob.