eBay

circus_camel · ‎01-26-2021

I sold my Google Pixel 4a phone on E-bay using buy it now option. It was in like new condition. Buyer requested a return quickly after receiving the package by lying about its speakers being defective. I sent the USPS return label. A few days later I received a package by UPS, which was sent by Amazon 3rd party seller. I had not placed the Amazon order. There was no indication that it was sent by the buyer as the address was of some Pharma company. There was no indication that it was Ebay return. The package contained some cheap $3 markers.

After a few days the buyer opened and escalated a case with Ebay giving the same tracking number that was on Amazon shipment box. The Ebay system closed the case in a few min stating buyer provided return tracking and the item was delivered. I was never contacted by Ebay to check. I also chatted with Amazon who confirmed their 3rd party shipped the package to me and it was their tracking number. They told me to donate or keep the markers. The packing slip in the package matches the UPS shipping email, which has the same tracking number that Buyer provided to Ebay.

I tried for almost full day trying to appeal with Ebay, and send documents . First it was almost impossible to reach someone and finally when I did, the person submitted a poorly written appeals case. By ignoring all that I said, he said that I received the package in Amazon box. When I told him that this was not the full story, he said I can provide more info to appeals. Appeals emailed me after about ten hours stating they were closing the case as buyer provided return tracking that shows I got the item back. There was no way to send any documents as proof that buyer used Amazon tracking number. Appeals did not even ask me for documents with which I can clearly prove that the buyer had cheated.

The link on Seller Dashboard for "Closed without seller resolution" is also not showing the case. How can submit my evidence to appeals department? When I call or chat, first all day it keeps telling me live help not available and then shows an email window with which no files can be attached.

I had shipped the package to 8 McCullough Dr. U125558, New Castle DE 19726-9000. I saw on forums that others have also been cheated by asking to ship items to this address. I have reported the buyer, but need Ebay to act responsibly.

Now I am out of my phone and the buyer has full refund.

Very frustrating! I also contacted Paypal, but they asked me to contact Ebay.

It almost feels that Ebay was complicit in cheating the seller by easily enabling the buyer to get refund, keep the item, not seeing sellers proof and making it very hard for seller to reach them.

Could someone recommend what I could do?

circus_camel · ‎02-12-2021

Yes, the buyer is still registered with zero feedback. I have reported the buyer twice but they haven't taken any action.

In future I am never going to ship without checking an address and to those with zero feedback. Before I shipped, it did come to my mind that the buyer had no feedback. I shipped thinking that once I also had zero feedback and buyers and sellers trusted me. But I cannot take this risk anymore.

onnius · ‎02-12-2021

@circus_camel wrote:
In future I am never going to ship without checking an address and to those with zero feedback. Before I shipped, it did come to my mind that the buyer had no feedback. I shipped thinking that once I also had zero feedback and buyers and sellers trusted me. But I cannot take this risk anymore.

Yes, in my case I was already well-aware of freight-forwarder addresses often being scammers - and it's just not the worth risk in almost all cases, but the one day my scammer slipped past my radar and I shipped the order without canceling, it was because I was in a rush to ship 20 packages in an hour before Fedex closed, and I didn't notice the red flags:

Strike 1: Delaware -- it's a hotbed for euro freight-forwarders because it's a tax-free state, and close proximity for shipments to europe since it's east coast

Strike 2: The "P# 293482343" in the address <-- a bunch of digits that notate the customer# of the freight-forwarder

I had to explain the P# thing to a eBay CSR tonight, because she didn't understand how I knew the address is a freight-forwarder. The scammer believed he was clever by changing one digit in the address, thinking he'd either make the address google-proof against verifying it as a freight-forwarder, or to get around any eBay address-blacklist of the correct unit#. I provided some additional evidence.

onnius · ‎02-12-2021

@circus_camel wrote:
Based upon the number of sellers who have been scammed using this address, it should have been blocked long time ago. But Ebay does not care.

It's not a matter of eBay caring or not caring. But for the address my scammer used to still not be ebay-blacklisted - and there are reports going back years about this address, I wish eBay security would take a closer look.

It seems all the scammer has to do is change one digit or character in the address. In my case he said his shipment address was "701 Cornoll Dr. Unit F9" -- the real address is "701 Cornell Dr. Unit F8". The misspelling of Cornell as Cornoll was intentional, as was changing the unit from F8 to F9. If you google "701 Cornell Dr. Unit F8" then the scammer's real freight-forwarder comes up (Gzavnili).

The UPS/Fedex/USPS delivery people that bulk-deliver packages to these forwarders every day just interpret any misspelling as a mistake and deliver it to the correct unit anyway. The scammer knew this. But eBay might not.

b4b4b4b · ‎03-10-2021

@ittybitnot wrote:
Could someone recommend what I could do?

You have been a victim of the "cheap trinket from Amazon" scam. It is a favorite of those that use the reshipper at the address you posted. The CS reps that answer the phone ONLY look at the delivery notice, and for them any old D/confirmation to you seems to suffice.

eBay is aware of this scam. Your problem is going to be to get a higher tier CS rep on the phone to take care of this for you.

There was a time that using a reshipper voided any MBG that eBay provided for the buyer. That is no longer the case unless you can provided some sort of proof that the parcel/item was indeed forwarded. The shipping company may provide that, but they are under no obligation to do so.

I am going to tag an ebay board rep that perhaps can direct you in the right direction since the usual "calling CS for help" has obviously just made things worse for you as is often the case in this scenario. Do let us know how this turns out should they provide assistance.

tyler@ebay

brittanie@ebay

Yes, I remember reading on one of the weekly/weakly chats that Trinton/Ebay said that yes, maybe item was sent to that DE/reshipper address but need proof it was forwarded (to another country), that maybe the DE/reshipper address is where the buyer works. L O L No, I don't have the link but I remember the chat very well.

expert_elec_photo · ‎08-10-2021

If this happens to anyone now coming upon this thread, never give up. Collect all the proof you can, go to your local USPS post office to have them track the phony shipment if required (scammers will often send the phony return to a different address in your zip code), and take down names and numbers of people who help you out. The more concrete information and references you can collect and provide to EBay, the better.

If EBay decides against you, call back and calmly explain the situation to the new rep. Don't take it out on them, just walk them through the entire situation so it is clear to them that you likely got scammed (even if they can't doing anything about it during the call.) If they try to hardline you, ask to speak to their manager. If they open an appeal for you and decide against you, call back again and repeat. The person you are talking to won't have all the details, so it won't help to take out your frustration on them (if only it did!) The people you previously talked to probably won't have recorded all the details correctly, so yes you'll have to walk the new rep through it all again (for the 3rd or 4th time.) Scammers don't do this for a $12 widget, you probably got ripped off $300 or more, so it's worth your time and effort. To be honest I would probably still do it for a $12 widget, if only to prevent the scammer from getting rewarded for their crime.

Yes, it appears obvious that EBay could be doing a lot more to prevent fraudulent transactions/returns (especially when the same tricks are being used over and over.) But you will be talking to human beings (incompetent or not), and they generally will make some minimum effort to help prevent honest people from getting ripped off. I think scammers generally count on their victims throwing up their hands and giving up at some point. If you get really stuck, post about it here and you will get advice.

It will likely take multiple phone calls, a trip to your post office, and possibly a trip to your local police station (EBay may ask you to file a police report.) One time a fraudulent return was sent to a nearby store, so I was able to go there and find the package. I've gone through this entire rigamarole multiple times as both buyer and seller, but have always been able to get my funds back in the end (knock on wood!!)