Video: Get Jesse: Sued for 'OK' eBay feedback

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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.

"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.

The seller "is a few cards short of a deck," she said.

The judge in Buncombe County, North Carolina might not agree with that assessment, but he recently tossed out the suit.

KING

Steve Shellhorn was sued for $10,000 by an eBay seller.

It cost Shellhorn $500 to hire an attorney.

"I'm very leery. I won't leave feedback for people 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. And so there's always, in theory, with business transactions - even if they're a small dollar amount - there's always the threat 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.

As for person who hauled Shellhorn into court because he was worried about his reputation? We just learned he's a wanted sex offender in North Carolina.

If you have a consumer concern, call Jesse Jones toll-free at 877-51-JESSE or e-mail him at getjesse@king5.com.