Doc, here's a quick rundown on my dealing with ephantcc.
Bought a DT175A swing arm for $9.99.
Got slugged with $20 for postage.
Sent him an email politely making it clear that I knew that $20 is a rip off.
Nothing for ~2 weeks.
Sent anothe email saying "Did you get my first email?"
Got a reply (and I quote in full): "$20".
Yeah, OK buddy, serves me right for not checking postage costs first.
Go and do the checkout thing and on top of the rip off postage there's an extra handling charge of $2 (WTF!?).
Coughed up the dough, but was pissed off.
Item turns up, with $11.15 postage...
Now, charging a handling fee when you've almost doubled the postage cost is just not cricket in my books. Because I'd studied his form, I asked for a refund (and explained why) before handing out the neg feedback.
To my surprise, he offers me a $5 refund!
Sweet - thanks - you're only half the wanker I'd thought you were. Maybe this will have a happy ending after all.
Send him my account details.
Nothing.
We're now another two weeks down the track and I've still heard nothing.
Sent another email earlier this arvo - I'll keep you posted.
I know I'm not the only forum member to have had hassles with him.
Check his ebay feedback like my other idiot, he keeps his own feedback rating looking good effectively by bullying people with retalitory feedback when they (at least sometimes) fairly hand out neg feedback. Sure you have to deal with plenty of idiots as an Ebay seller, but treating everyone like shit is not a good way to do business in my books... And as a business, he has to understand that customer dissatisfaction will sometimes result in public posts like this one...
As you say, it's a small world - and it works both ways.