STH. I get attacked on eBay

Well, its been almost year since the last post. Life and family kept us busy. However, I needed to get this warning out after a terrible experience on eBay. Its so scary that I'll probably stop using eBay (atleast for a while) and have to rethink how my information is given out - even if I take a lot of precautions!

If you are shopping online or on eBay. you have to read this but if its too long skip right to the bottom.

So it goes like this:
1. I purchase a used camcorder on eBay from a seller.

2. The camcorder comes in - there seems to be an AC adapter missing. So I send an e-mail asking for clarification from the seller. Seller cant even bother to read the e-mail and replies with a rude e-mail that has nothing to do with the question. I send another e-mail clarifying my question.. now the fun (or scare) begins...

3. He (I think its a he - a woman could not be so vitriolic - atleast not the women I know!) assumes I'm not an American and starts talking about a "village" and some other nonsense. I should have dropped this - only if I knew what followed. I persisted - informing that an AC adapter was needed to use the camcorder when the battery is out of charge. This is what I send:
"If you have used camcorders, you would understand that AC adapters are used so that you can RUN the camera with it and not just depend on the battery - which happens quite a lot when I'm recording long events. No camcorders are sold without AC Adapters. Charging the battery is not what I'm interested in. A D93U AC adapter is $16.50 atleast on ebay. I just dont understand your rude language and references to "Villages". Are you trying to make fun of customers or is this your idea of responding to a customers complaint? I dont have to pay $150 to be insulted. I said that I am not interested in complaining about this further. However, now your attitude is irking me to no extent. If there is ANY problem with the camcorder within 30 days, I will return it and expect a refund. This e-mail exchange will help in supporting my claim."

4: He then sends this e-mail:
"i don't like all you insults and impications.. just return it, go away. go insult someone else.. you are the rude one.. do not email or insult me again.."

I decide to ignore it and forget about this.

5. AND HE FINDS MY PHONE NUMBER FROM EBAY and CALLS ME - reaches my voicemail and
starts off with a rambling message which slowly deteriorates to f.. words and foul language - ending with "I know where you live and I'' come and get the camera - I'll get you.."

6. This is now getting dangerous. Before I can think past my fear for my family, he calls again - two more times and leaves worse messages with swear words and finally calls some racist names ( how does he think he knows my race?). All this is in the span of half hour.

7. I am able to get the voicemails in WAV format and so I have it on my computer. I go to my local police station - who show very little interest in pursuing this - even though in atleast one of the e-mails he is making a direct threat to "come up and take care of you". A case is recorded and I leave. I thought perhaps this seller was off his medication and I also decided to do some research on him.

8. I complained to eBay but explicitly asaked eBay not to inform him or do anything to him because now he has my number and address (but this part I'll explain below) and it would be obvious who was responsible the complaint.

9. I did some research on him. He is a "powerseller" and from other reports I have on eBay on the net - eBay will let PowerSellers get away with anything short of murder because they are revenue sources. I checked his feedback - his crazyness is revealed even in the positive replies he gives to buyers! Then I start finding negative ones - here are some of his replies to his negatives (xxx is the seller):

"DISONEST LIER! I HAVE PAID THROUGH PAYPAL AND MY ITEM NEVER ARRIVED. KID!
Reply by xxx : STUCK IN BRAZIL CUSTOMS, SO YOU STOP PAYMENT, I CALL THE POLICE YOU"

"Camera wasn't new as stated, but it works fine..
Follow-up by: !!! "NEW" to this seller means "Used less than 1000 times" ... don't buy !!!!!!!
Reply by xxxx: ex store display, its new. not happy return it and thanks for the freak show !"

"Never received the item, hardly ever get my money back. The worse seller.
Reply by xxxx: SUM BAG LIAR ! SEE MY EBAY STORE FOR PROOF , GET THIS BUMB OFF EBAY!
Follow-up by buyer: Unprofessional, mentally ill person, he tried to threaten me to get his way."

"Sent me a non-working camcorder. Harassed me by email. Offered no refund. AVOID!
Reply by xxxx: liar waited 2 months to say anything, i offered free replacement, he refused ."

"He tried to do outside deal Resent identical broken camera I returned Cheat!Bad!
Reply by xxx: buyer wanted a higher model without paying difference, rude and a liar !"

"couldn't ship, a little grumpy, but prompt refund.
Reply by xxx: i wasted 1 hour beause this guy provided invalid address , no sale . thanks
Follow-up by buyer: Left negative, wished my family dead and me hit by bus. Manipulative. Dangerous?"

"Very satisfied, fast shipping,but needs to improve Customer relation skills.
Follow-up by buyer: Left neutral Feedback after i left Positive FB Very Bad Customer Service & Rude
Reply by xxxxx: pushy man ,i returned all 10 emails . i do not sell the warranty ,square trade !"

"what was in the picture I did not receive he told me it was a different product
Reply by xxx: send me 12 emails , all f words because i forgot card , horrible man !!!!!!"

"This person is rude and unprofessional and discriminate against the handicap.
Reply by xxxx: STOPPED PAYPAL PAYMENT NEXT DAY, A THIEF AND A CRIMAL !! EBAY WILL PURSUE!!"

Now this is interesting - read the next feedback:
"He filed PAYPAL claim, tied the money up for 30+days- I WON CLAIM. BEWARE
Reply byxxx: ITEM NEVER WORKED, THIS GUY CHEAT ME, THE LEAVE A NEGATIVE, CLASS ACT
Follow-up by buyer: He called making threats- Laws been called - Item worked- READ ALL HIS FEEDBACK"

These feedbacks are over 2 years - there are many positive ones - but mostly the standard cut and paste "Thanks! Will buy again". However, his modus-operandi (he's not very bright) - is that as soon as someone complains, call them names, threaten, and put the fear into them of reprisals. So a normal person with family will shut up and go away - like I probably will.

10. He called again next day - left another racist, threatening voicemail.

11. Now he has my phone number and address and should I be worried - yes, if I had given my home address and home phone. Luckily, I had taken some precautions.

* I use a Mailbox service for ALL my correspondence - even with banks, credit card companies, utilities - UPS Store or PO Box will do. UPS Store is better since they will accept packages. Some companies will not allow you to use a PO box anyway. So this guy will not know where I live. Also, the mailbox allows forwarding of mail, so I could be in any state!

* I use a voicemail service from Maxemail (or Jfax or Grandcentral etc) - I give that number out for all my business correspondence including e-bay. I get messages as wav files in my e-mail and this is also good for proof against the crazies. If I have to cancel this number, no big deal.

* I periodically check my name on the internet to make sure I'm not listed anywhere with my home address or phone. So far so good. I think this is where the seller made assumptions about my race - doing a quick search with my name on google brings up some names with Indian ancestory - ha!. So try to keep your self off the net as much as possible. Use only first names in blogs - and never your home address.

I plan to follow-up with eBay and the Police just to make sure that this person knows that he is being watched. I will however try not to give out too much information about myself in the process. The police seem disinterested anayway - and eBay is all about making money - so its us normals that have to watch each others backs.

Let me know if you have had this kind of experience and what you did to protect yourself.

Thanks
AM