Be careful when leaving feedback on eBay! 
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11:31 PM PDT on Wednesday, April 23, 2008
By JESSE JONES / KING 5 News (Seattle)
Steve Shellhorn was sued for $10,000 by an eBay seller who sold him some coins. Shellhorn bought some Morgan silver dollars from a man in North Carolina. The price was fair, but Shellhorn says the coins were packed poorly.
"The coins were hanging out of the envelope, loose, with no packing whatsoever around them," he said.
The seller wanted feedback. Shellhorn couldn't honestly say the deal was good or bad so he took the middle ground ... leaving a Neutral comment.
"This is neutral feedback, not even negative feedback, but neutral. He sued me for $10,000," he said.
We took the lawsuit to University of Washington law professor Jane Winn.
"I thought that seller was a few cards short of a deck," she said.
The judge in Buncome County, North Carolina might not agree with that assessment, but he recently tossed out the suit. But it cost Shellhorn $500 to hire an attorney.
"I'm very leery. I won't leave feedback for anyone anymore," he said.
Winn says there are options. EBay does have a company that handles third party disputes. Since eBay rules prevented the seller from leaving Shellhorn negative feedback, he dropped the lawsuit against him.
"In the United States, when you buy something on eBay, that's a contract. There's always in theory with business transactions even if there a small dollar amount, there's always the treat of litigation," said Winn.
And no one knows that better Steve Shellhorn.
"Just be careful with your dealings on the internet, that's for sure," he said.
Update: The seller of the coins in North Carolina who sued for the neutral feedback ... is a registered sex offender.
----------------------------------------------------------
11:31 PM PDT on Wednesday, April 23, 2008
By JESSE JONES / KING 5 News (Seattle)
Steve Shellhorn was sued for $10,000 by an eBay seller who sold him some coins. Shellhorn bought some Morgan silver dollars from a man in North Carolina. The price was fair, but Shellhorn says the coins were packed poorly.
"The coins were hanging out of the envelope, loose, with no packing whatsoever around them," he said.
The seller wanted feedback. Shellhorn couldn't honestly say the deal was good or bad so he took the middle ground ... leaving a Neutral comment.
"This is neutral feedback, not even negative feedback, but neutral. He sued me for $10,000," he said.
We took the lawsuit to University of Washington law professor Jane Winn.
"I thought that seller was a few cards short of a deck," she said.
The judge in Buncome County, North Carolina might not agree with that assessment, but he recently tossed out the suit. But it cost Shellhorn $500 to hire an attorney.
"I'm very leery. I won't leave feedback for anyone anymore," he said.
Winn says there are options. EBay does have a company that handles third party disputes. Since eBay rules prevented the seller from leaving Shellhorn negative feedback, he dropped the lawsuit against him.
"In the United States, when you buy something on eBay, that's a contract. There's always in theory with business transactions even if there a small dollar amount, there's always the treat of litigation," said Winn.
And no one knows that better Steve Shellhorn.
"Just be careful with your dealings on the internet, that's for sure," he said.
Update: The seller of the coins in North Carolina who sued for the neutral feedback ... is a registered sex offender.
