Lotus Online X-Channel Lotus.Online EBay Vendor are SCAM ARTISTS Hong Kong

I ordered a Samsung Galaxy J5 cell phone from Lotus Online (aka X-Channel) on eBay on 11/8/18.  It took 2 weeks and 1 day to arrive, and within a week, I discovered that the phone was incompatible with my service provider.  I returned the phone using the return shipping label that they provided, and I selected a new phone that would be compatible.  It costed $40 more, so I sent them the additional money via PayPal.  THEY CONFIRMED RECEIPT OF THE RETURNED PHONE AND THEY CONFIRMED RECEIPT OF THE ADDITIONAL PAYMENT.

This is where the hell started whereby they held my money AND the phone hostage. 

By this time, it was late-ish December, and they said I would receive my new phone "soon."  I asked for an estimated date and was told it would arrive by January 4-5.  That date came and went and nothing arrived.  They then proceeded to play a hellish game of cat and mouse with me where they promised that the phone would arrive by January 12-13, then January 15-16, then January 23-24, then January 26, and finally today, they claim it will arrive on January 30-31.  All throughout, they've cited "shipping delays" as the problem, and I've been frustrated beyond measure, exchanging 4 PAGES of messages with these scammers (through eBay) and holding out hope that a phone that I PAID FOR IN FULL OVER A MONTH AGO would arrive. 

It finally became crystal clear that they don't intend to ever send my phone, so I canceled my order and now I'm fighting (through PayPal) for my money back since of course, eBay's 30-day money back guarantee has long expired. After this ordeal, I googled "Lotus Online reviews" and saw a litany of complaints dating back to 2016.  They've done the same thing to countless others!  And how eBay still allows them to sell on their website is beyond me. 

Don't be seduced by Lotus Online's low prices.  They're low because what they advertise as "new unlocked phones" are actually refurbished "rooted" phones.  

They strung me along by telling me that the tracking number they provided only updates 3 days prior to the item arriving, but nothing ever updated!  It only showed that a PRE-shipment label was generated on 12/30/18.  "PRE-shipment" means "before shipment" - as in nothing was ever actually shipped.  Beware of this vendor.  You'll be sorry if you order from them.  What you think you're saving in money will cost you big time in aggravation and money because you won't ever get your product.