Am I Being Scammed?

[pls-consignments]

 

 

 

Should I confront them now, or should I wait until the buyer starts a return?

 

[coastaltechsolution]

Wait and see what the buyer does

Could be a INAD or a CC chargeback, hard to say

Just wait and let the buyer make the first move , if they do 

[a_c_green]

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@pls-consignments wrote:

Should I confront them now, or should I wait until the buyer starts a return? 

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I wouldn't go "confronting" anyone at this point. I agree that the photos don't definitively show the item you shipped, although wrinkles in the box do show crushing damage, and, in general, I'm having a hard time imagining that the buyer already had a broken example of the very same item.

Maybe you can ask them for a right-side rear view that would show at least some of the triangular hole as well as that very large, very distinctive rusty-red blotch in the white spot that's most visible in your listing photo #6.

That aside, if they file a Not As Described claim due to shipping damage, it's up to you as to whether you want the damaged item back. I'm sure that if you ask for it to be sent back first, before refunding, you will indeed receive the broken example showing in the photos. You'll have to refund at that point, though you will at least have made the scam swapper (if it does turn out to be a different example) work for their free replacement.

[pls-consignments]

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@a_c_green wrote:

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@pls-consignments wrote:

Should I confront them now, or should I wait until the buyer starts a return? 

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Maybe you can ask them for a right-side rear view that would show at least some of the triangular hole as well as that very large, very distinctive rusty-red blotch in the white spot that's most visible in your listing photo #6.

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I did ask for additional photos of the breakage. This was the buyer's response...

"Morning, I sent all the photos I took. I believe it is clear that the hippo is broken. In the last photo, there are pieces of the broken hippo mouth in my hand.
There are photos of both sides of the box and you can see the top. The package didn’t look damaged before opening.
We are out of town for 10 days meeting family for my Dad’s 97th birthday. My husband took the trash out before we left so I won’t be able to take more photos when we get back...."

I feel her resistance is starting to confirm my suspicion.

[gator08041971]

From my seat, they don't appear to be the same item.  But I don't know if there is anything you can do about it.  Ebay tends to side on the buyer far more easily than the seller, even when there is proof.

I can clearly see the difference in the photo.  More likely, they are trying to replace one that broke and want to send you back the broken one.  But to confront them probably wouldn't be smart.  I would be more inclined to contact Ebay directly and provide the same evidence before doing anything.

I take pictures of everything I ship, as its shipped, and even message that to the buyer.  So far, it has been received positively.  But that doesn't mean that I won't eventually hit a buyer that will try something shady.

I would like to think that having  a thorough listing, excellent documentation of the item would help, but after reading so many threads about people that lost out to a shady buyer, I doubt any of those things would help me much.

Still, good luck. 

[fern*wood]

Personally their resistance sounds more Iike annoyance that you are questioning them so much over a low dollar item. Their communication doesn’t sound to me like a scammer. I’d be reluctant to confront anyone over this, especially when the lighting and different photo angles can be difficult to compare. 

How would you confront someone over this?

[coastaltechsolution]

Don't confront

Politely ask them to return 

Never ends well when getting attitude with a buyer 

[gator08041971]

especially when the lighting and different photo angles can be difficult to compare.

I don't see how you don't see the differences clear as day.  I certainly can.  I have no doubt the item is different based on the photos provided.

But if it is a low cost item, not sure there is going to be much you can do about it, but eat it, learn that some buyers are a holes and move on.

[pls-consignments]

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@fern*wood wrote:

Personally their resistance sounds more Iike annoyance that you are questioning them so much over a low dollar item. Their communication doesn’t sound to me like a scammer. I’d be reluctant to confront anyone over this, especially when the lighting and different photo angles can be difficult to compare. 

How would you confront someone over this?

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Really? You think holding two broken pieces in their hand while showing a suddenly "unbroken" rear after showing it broken is a "lighting" issue? To me, their effort to disguise the truth is clear. Whether or not it's a low value item is not the point. 

[coastaltechsolution]

And how is being anything but courteous going to help? 

Is eBay going to just accept that the seller is correct?

Really there is never a time to be a jerk to a buyer even if they are wrong 

[fern*wood]

So how do you plan on confronting them? 

[mtgraves7984]

@pls-consignments 

I'll be the oddball here, as I think the pictures are of the same hippo. I see the glaze marks in your photos, too... imagine them at the angle photographed.

[wastingtime101]

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@pls-consignments wrote:

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We are out of town for 10 days meeting family for my Dad’s 97th birthday. My husband took the trash out before we left so I won’t be able to take more photos when we get back...."

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To me, the paint spatter on your listing and her broken photos looks vastly different. I'd be suspicious of buyer pulling a swap.

Because she said they threw the item out, if she files a SNAD return you can try to use her inability to return anything to appeal to eBay.

[gator08041971]

as I think the pictures are of the same hippo.

You need to look at the last photo where they are holding the hippo with the broken pieces.  The rear no longer has a broken triangle out of it.

And I don't see the two bubble defects on the first "broken" image, nor do the spot's paint patterns match.

But again.  Good luck proving it, and getting anything done about it.  Confronting them about it will not work.  As I said, Ebay tends to side with the buyer, even if you are right and they are pulling one on you.

[jashermanco2]

Always ask them to start a return through eBay, end of story and once you receive your item back, you'll know... Usually, if it's a scam, they drop it once asked to return it or will ask for a partial at which point you again ask them to start a return.