Police help shopper get refund from eBay

Police have helped a computer hardware enthusiast get a $1,300 refund from eBay after he bought a rare computer processor from an overseas online vendor who sent him nothing but a box of polystyrene foam, Pudong police said Friday.

The buyer, surnamed Li, reported his problem after he received the nearly empty package earlier this year, according to a press release from the Pudong New Area Public Security Bureau.

Li had bought the processor through eBay from a vendor based in Athens, Greece.

He often purchased computer hardware online and preferred overseas vendors because they offered better prices and a wider selection of hard-to-find components, police said.

This product was a special edition processor that was made more than 20 years ago. Although Li could not get in touch with the seller, he still decided to spend $1,300 on the processor because he had purchased other expensive products on eBay before.

When he opened the suspiciously light package 10 days later, however, there was no processor inside, police said. Li tried to straighten out the matter on his own, but the vendor was unreachable. Li also noticed that the vendor did not provide a detailed address on the package.

After reporting the matter to police, officers took photos of the package and provided police transcripts so Li could apply for a refund from eBay.

Police warned consumers that it can be risky to buy products from overseas websites because of the difficulty of returning products and obtaining refunds. Language can also be a problem if a consumer needs to file a complaint with an overseas website.