This post may contain an affiliate link that helps support GBFans.com when you make a purchase at no additional cost to you.DISCLAIMER: This post recounts my experience canceling an order from Bob’s Prop Shop. I have no intention of slandering Bob or his company. This is my personal account of our interaction and I will attempt to be as subjective as possible. It should be said up top that I have not received a Bob’s Prop Replica and cannot personally attest to it’s quality. My interactions with Bob’s Prop Shop were limited to what is outlined in this email, which I present subjectively for this forum.
I can also not claim to know who specifically authored the emails pasted here from Bob’s Prop Shop, only that I received them in my correspondence from their email address. The emails presented here are cut and pasted, along with their time-stamps from my personal email. I am hiding my personal email address and altering Bob’s Prop Shop’s even though I believe it is public knowledge.
If anyone wants to claim they are false, they have that right. I don’t know how to prove they are real, except to say I have no motivation to lie. Fonts change slightly in some of the pasted areas, I don’t know why. My only motivation in posting here at all is to help people understand their buyer’s rights and to have some insight into dealings with Bob’s Prop Shop, such as they are. Thank you.
————
My name is Dan, longtime GB fan and a lurker here on the forums.
This Halloween Season, I decided that after 10 years of GB Cosplay and a brand new job, I deserved to celebrate and finally get myself a gorgeous, dedicated GB1 hero pack. I saw some amazing options at a variety of prices, but soon happened upon a site that promised me the best money could buy.
So I purchased a Bob’s Prop Shop Proton Pack, directly from a link on their website.
Cost: $2580.00 paid through a Paypal link on the Bob’s Prop Shop Website.
Sep 28, 2014 at 4:33 PM
Bob's Prop Shop Moseley <bobspropshop@.com>
I got your order for the Proton Pack.
We had taken down our ebay sales because we are totally overwhelmed with orders right now.
It will take us a few weeks to get this order done and there is no way i can assure you that with shipping
that it will be there in time for Halloween.
We will do everything in our power, with the exception of sacrificing quality, to make sure that happens.
Please be patient and we will do our best!
Thanks! ——
After making the purchase I was disappointed to not be getting the pack by Halloween, but decided that quality was better than speed and that I should just sit tight and be glad I got an order in.
The link to purchase packs from the Bob’s Shop website was removed soon after this email. I was the last lucky customer!!!
But as I surfed the web looking at more packs, I quickly found the thread on Bob’s Prop Shop here at GB FANS.
Post after post, I found people online reporting their packs not working, deteriorating quickly, the danger of rigging Matty wands to packs, the overall poor quality of the shell, etc… I understood this was all hearsay, but it was enough to leave me rattled. The sheer QUANTITY of negative reviews were difficult to ignore.
I started doing the math on the parts, I started doing more specific comparison shopping — and before long I realized I’d very possibly made a terrible mistake. …And I wasn’t even going to get it in time for Halloween.
I decided to make the attempt to cancel the item and get a refund. I used the fact that the item would not be ready in time as an excuse to cancel.
After my first email, Bob’s Shop replied that they’d “speed up” the build on my pack so that it could come in time for Halloween.
I appreciated the prompt reply and adjustment to the schedule, but still had a sick feeling in my stomach.
Maybe Bob’s Packs are indeed the best in the country. I no longer wanted to find out. After talking it over with my wife, who supports my hobbies (and has her own paypal store, so she knows their policies,) she told me I should get a refund through Paypal.
I’m easily prone to guilt. So I immediately decide I’m awful to inconvenience the good folks at Bob’s Prop Shop. I want my refund, but I also don’t want any trouble. The GBFans forum painted a negative picture of their customer service and I didn’t want to incite any drama.
I also ASSUMED that asking for a refund through Paypal might be too harsh an action, or one that would drag on forever.
So, I made what I thought was a very fair offer to Bob’s Prop Shop, in the hopes that we could resolve the matter immediately:
———
Fri, Oct 3, 2014 at 1:29 PM
Bob,
Wanted to offer you a 15% "restocking fee" to immediately stop work on my pack. I apologize but have gotten cold feet on the purchase - after some research I feel it's not the pack I am looking for. I'm aware of your seller's rights but would hope to amicably settle the matter and pay you the fee for your time instead of taking the matter up with paypal. If this is agreeable to you please refund my money minus 15% via the paypal service.
I truly apologize for any inconvenience this has caused, but I presume since you'd moved me up in your build schedule the pack can now go to it's originally intended customer.
Thank you
Dan —————
I received the following notification an hour later:
From:
service@paypal.com <
service@paypal.com>
Date: Fri, Oct 3, 2014 at 2:30 PM
Subject: Cancelled Shipment with PayPal Shipping with U.S. Postal Service®
To: Dan (OMITTED)
Hello,
Bob's Prop Shop, LLC has cancelled the shipping label for the reason below:
Changed Mind
Your package will no longer be shipped using PayPal Shipping with U.S. Postal Service.
——————
It seemed perhaps my offer had been accepted.
Nine minutes later, I received an email from Bob’s Prop Shop directly:
———————
Fri, Oct 3, 2014 at 2:39 PM
Bob's Prop Shop Moseley <bobspropshop@….>
I have already printed the non refundable $55.91 shipping label,
I also paid ebay 10% fee of $250 for the transaction, and Paypal takes another $75.12
for a total of $381.03
You would rather pay me that instead of having one of the best built packs in the country?
And, what "research".
Have you seen my feedback and testimonials?
Despite what ever any competition tries to make up, our stuff is all that we say it is.
If you want to paypal me the $381.03 as a "friend" payment to this email, let me know.
Maybe you should give me a call?
(OMITTED HIS PHONE NUMBER FOR THIS POST) ————
I resisted the urge to call personally.
I wanted to accept the proposal made in the email but I just didn’t understand why he/they were asking for additional payments when they could just refund me my money minus the difference.
The idea of sending more money gave me a bad feeling.
Why was I being asked for shipping fees for a package I’d just been notified was cancelled?
Why am I being charged Ebay fees when I purchased the pack on his website?
I decided to call Paypal and find out what my buyer’s rights were.
As I was doing that, Bob’s shop sent me another email saying:
————
Fri, Oct 3, 2014 at 2:59 PM
Bob's Prop Shop Moseley <bobspropshop@…>
we actually have 2 proton packs ready to ship tomorrow. ——————
I appreciated that they wanted to send me a pack right away, but timing wasn’t the issue.
In the email below I actually ACCEPT Bob’s Shop’s proposal.
In the same email, I also question the fees - but rather than suggest they were false I instead took the stance that THEY might not know their rights (Because maybe they didn’t.) I mistakingly refer to Paypal as “Ebay,” toward the end. Not sure why the font appears this way. Perhaps because part of my original email was composed in a text editor and then pasted into my gmail.
——————
Fri, Oct 3, 2014 at 3:43 PM
Bob,
I appreciate your working with me on this and don't doubt the quality of
your product. Your feedback and testimonials are without a doubt
impressive. That said, I would rather pay you the amount you proposed
and go separate ways.
I appreciate your proposal - just remember that I didn't buy this pack through Ebay, I bought it directly from your website. You'd told me you already had shut your Ebay store down by the time I sent my order in through paypal, so luckily you didn't need to pay Ebay $250 for my particular order.
I have a paypal store too, so just to ease your mind you should know they will refund your $75.12 to you when you refund my money. So you're covered there, too.
USPS normally refunds printed labels (it does take two weeks however,) so since I've inconvenienced you enough I'll gladly pay that fee for you.
I've already sent you a $2,500 balance. So I prefer not to make any more paypal payments.
Can you not just refund my payment minus the fee for your trouble?
You can also friend me a new payment to my email address, but I prefer it were handled cleanly though Ebay's system.
I appreciate your position and thank you for accommodating my customer
needs. I'd like to cleanly take the refund and part ways, but if you'd
feel better doing this with paypal as a moderator, I'm fine with that
too.
Thank you ——
After awaiting a response and becoming overall nervous, I decide it’s best to go through Paypal, no matter how long it takes.
So without awaiting a reply from Bob’s Prop Shop, I decide to leap ahead and go through Paypal’s cancellation service.
I notify Bob’s Shop:
————
Fri, Oct 3, 2014 at 4:54 PM
Bob,
Decided to just go through paypal, they'll send a formal request - makes things easier and will clear up for you your rights regarding all the fees owed to you. Sorry for all the back and forth - know I've inundated you with emails.
This will be easiest for both of us. ——————
We email each other almost simultaneously, because they respond:
————————
Fri, Oct 3, 2014 at 4:54 PM
Bob's Prop Shop Moseley <bobspropshop@…com>
So you want a refund, less 15%, as you suggested to me originally?
That is $375.00
I have a pack ready to ship to you today/morning if you change your mind.
Let me know! ———
My reply:
————
Fri, Oct 3, 2014 at 4:55 PM
OMG I literally just wrote you in another window that I sent a paypal request. The fees got confusing so I'm letting them handle it - sorry for all the back and forth. I'll handle it however they see fit - that should be best for us both. Thanks for letting me know and have a good weekend. ———
Fri, Oct 3, 2014 at 4:57 PM
Bob's Prop Shop Moseley <bobspropshop@…com>
I don't see the request, if you want to cancel it we can resolve this ourselves instead of some long drawn out thing. —————
Fri, Oct 3, 2014 at 5:01 PM
It was put in by phone so it should show up through their system soon. If not, let me know. I'm leaving work so I'll be away from my PC but I'll check in soon. I should receive a copy of the same email from paypal if it goes though. Have a good weekend, I hope this resolves things. Hope it wont be drawn out, they made it sound very simple. If so, at least you know you're covered properly. Thanks again man. ——————
Truth be known, I wasn’t in the least confused. I was playing it that way to avoid any drama, but the fact was I had become suspicious of the fees and had learned my buyer’s rights from Paypal:
1. I was entitled to a full refund, no questions asked, even though the Bob’s Prop Shop Website says NO REFUNDS.
2. Paypal refunds the seller their fee when my refund is issued.
3. Paypal refunds the seller their shipping fees.
4. There were no Ebay fees incurred, if there were they would have also been refunded.
I leave work and go out to dinner.
Meantime, another email comes from Bob’s Shop:
———————
Fri, Oct 3, 2014 at 5:09 PM
Bob's Prop Shop Moseley <bobspropshop@…com>
So what's the problem with my pack?
You write me this long drawn out email about how much you want it, we build the best stuff, I even put you at the top of the list
and then you change your mind for no reason?
I can't afford to lose sales, I spend the money from these on equipment, parts, costs, labor, etc.
My account will end up going negative and I don't even really have the money to give back to you right now.
It costs a lot more to make these than people think!
I just don't understand what the problem is? ————
I acknowledge it’s difficult to have a customer cancel an order and not be given a concrete reason other than I no longer wanted the item. But it was my right. I felt it best not to engage, since I did not want to argue and because the topic was irrelevant. I was canceling the order. And any storefront that claims to be a professional service should understand the fact.
The tone of the email felt a bit desperate so it made me nervous. I call Paypal back just to REASSURE ME of my rights.
This time, the rep I spoke to was not happy to hear that Bob’s Shop had asked me for a "friend" transaction. That is apparently a huge no-no for sellers.
As a result, They immediately froze the money so Bob’s Shop could not use it.
They then informed me that if Bob’s Shop did not refund my money in full by the coming Monday, Paypal would. The latest my money would be returned was Oct 13th. The full amount - 2580 to be exact. This was iron clad. I needed to do nothing further. It was a done deal.
But Bob’s Shop doesn’t know this, so they write back.
—————
Fri, Oct 3, 2014 at 7:50 PM
Bob's Prop Shop Moseley <bobspropshop@…com>
OK, so just to clarify things...
I am going to give you a refund less a 15% restocking fee.
The original price was $2580.00, less 15% which is $387.00, giving you a refund of $2193.00
OK?
————
….I think to myself, Yes, that would have been the deal and I would have honored it if Bob’s Shop had accepted my initial proposal.
Unfortunately they instead asked me for even more money, to compensate for fees I later learned were false.
Perhaps they were ignorant of their seller’s rights. But in any case, it did not sit well with me that I was expected to pay more.
And quite nervous to send a “Friend” payment to what had been advertised as a professional storefront.
So not feeling good at this point - I DO NOT WRITE BACK to Bob’s Prop Shop.
They receive the official refund request from Paypal.
Their response follows.
——————
Fri, Oct 3, 2014 at 7:41 PM
Dear Robert Moseley ,
Your buyer — for the transaction of $2,580.00 USD made on Sep 28, 2014 is asking for a full refund since the transaction has been canceled already between the two of you. Now in issuing a full refund to your buyer the fee which was deducted from the payment will be reversed back.
This request was made by the buyer because he doesn't want to file a case against you.
Your prompt response on this matter will be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely, Bryan PayPal Customer Solutions PayPal, an eBay Company
————
Fri, Oct 3, 2014 at 9:36 PM
Bob's Prop Shop Moseley <bobspropshop@…com>
so are you trying to deny my the restocking fee you offered now?
I was trying to resolve this but you keep jumping ahead and making this difficult.
If you want a swift refund we can do this now, otherwise it will be the long and drawn out version with paypal
Sent from my iPad ————
….So despite the fact that Paypal was already acknowledging my refund, Bob’s Shop again implies that by my going to Paypal things will now be “long and drawn out” instead of “swift.’
I do indeed keep jumping ahead, but I’m not making things more difficult, I’m making them extremely simple.
Then I get this notification:
——
Sat, Oct 4, 2014 at 10:00 PM
Hello Dan,
Your package from Bob's Prop Shop, LLC is on its way. You can track it online using this tracking number.
U.S. Postal Service: 9464109699937929454704
—————
I’m not quite sure what to think at this point.
They’d already sent me a shipment cancellation. How could they then turn around and claim to have shipped the item?
According to Paypal, it didn’t matter. I could refuse delivery of any package sent, and even if it were left with me, the refund was going through.
Had a pack arrived, I would have returned it of course. But no pack ever came.
Paypal informed me on a phone call that the tracking number above was submitted to them by Bob’s Shop as proof of shipment when they protested my refund request.
Paypal said it was a dead link that showed no delivery activity.
By this time the situation had now escalated to a formal complaint and a case was opened against Bob’s Prop Shop.
I followed up with the consumer complaint department of Ebay services, and file a formal case since I am now concerned about the way the Prop Shop has handled the transaction.
Wed, Oct 8, 2014 at 11:23 AM
TO:
consumertech@ebay.com I email “Jessica,” after speaking to her on the phone.
I send her a full account of all that transpired with Bob’s Shop.
Out of fairness, I make sure they know I have no personal grudge against Bob’s Prop Shop.
I didn’t want to make any claims that were unjust. I stuck to the facts, just as they are presented here.
I also make sure they knew I had no first-hand problem with the product in question.
I make clear that my motivation for canceling the order was initially the GB Forums fan thread I’d read concerning the seller.
I forward all Bob’s Shop’s emails, including their requests for fees and “friend” payments as well as their discouragements that I not handle my refund through Paypal.
Finally, I send them the link to the GBFans forum regarding Bob’s Shop.
At this point I have not heard back regarding their investigation of their seller’s account.
I don’t know what happened since except of course for my refund:
—————
Tue, Oct 14, 2014 at 7:05 PM
Dear Dan ——,
We have concluded our investigation into your case and have decided in your
favor.
We were able to recover $2,580.00 USD and this amount has been credited to
you. Please allow five business days for this adjustment to be posted.
———————
With the money returned I was able to purchase a GB 1 Hero Pack with a Bigi330 shell, an aluminum thrower (from Freeky Geeky) and even Dan Aykroyd’s autograph. I had it for Halloween and since then it’s been turning heads and busting others (In a spiritual sense of course.)
Would I have been happy with a Bob’s Pack?
I cannot say. Maybe all the stories on this thread are ghost stories and I was just spooked by a phantom.
But I did not want to find out the hard way that I was one of the unhappy ones. And it turns out, I didn’t have to.
I AM NOT PERSONALLY DISCOURAGING OTHERS FROM BUYING FROM BOB’S PROP SHOP.
BUT I AM posting my experience for posterity, so that people can infer their own opinions and that investigative buyers understand their rights when buying/selling from ANY online storefront, especially at higher price points.
I’m quite thankful to everyone at GBFans who posted on the subject of Bob’s Prop Shop and to friends at the SoCal Ghostbusters for helping direct me to what I feel was a great quality build for my $$ when I reached out to them online.
KNOW YOUR BUYER’S RIGHTS. IF YOU ARE A SELLER, KNOW YOUR SELLER’S RIGHTS as well as those of your customers.
And when shopping, never forget to DO YOUR RESEARCH.
Thanks to all and now onto what’s important - love of the franchise and wishing you all a holiday of happy ‘busting!
Dan