Possible Mac/Apple ID scammer

[jaysgotgadgets]

I've never posted here before, and I've been selling stuff since 2003 - hello 👋

I am working with a very erratic buyer and I want to get eyes on this to see if anything similar has happened out there.

I've sold probably 50 or more Mac computers with no issues within the last 20 years, but this buyer insists that the Apple ID previously connected with the device is preventing her from setting up the computer.

This was a red flag. Whenever I sell a Mac it is wiped clean, unlinking "find my", clearing data, etc so I can sell it. It's a standard process and I've done it a ton of times. Regardless I assured her that I verified that the account in fact was not linked to the machine (it's not).

I've gone back and forth with her about it and she insists that the laptop must be "stolen" and that I must refund her immediately. I sent her a pdf of the receipt and a shot I took of the Mac's initial setup screen to prove it was ready to sell. 

She'd already done a refund request. I offered a small partial refund in good faith for the trouble she had (she left me hanging for a while so I assumed she was good to go.)

But tonight it's back to "it stolen, gimme me a refund immediately!!". So I asked her to do another refund request since the partial refund was not warranted. Of course, given her bizarre behavior I'm very concerned that the Mac I get back will not be in the condition it was sent. 

I am also worried that she could use this as an excuse rip us off by elevating it to eBay who might give her a refund and allow her to keep the Mac. We'd be out $800.

Has this happened to anyone?

[benjahoo · Accepted solution]

Hi there,

If it was me, I would have her open a return request, send her a label and have her ship it back. I never do partial refunds and unless it is a low value item, I don't do refunds till I have the item(s) back.

You know it isn't stolen, assuming you get the same item back and it is still useable (or not), sell it again. I've had a ton of returns in the last few months with people trying to scam me, and even some who have succeeded, I've learned to accept it. If she doesn't send the laptop back, file a police report with the serial number and proof of purchase that you have, and she will possibly get into trouble at some point in her life when she sells it.

Now if she does a charge back to her credit card company or bank then you will be out the item and the money, maybe she doesn't know of that one yet. 

HTH

[dbfolks166mt]

     Refund requests happen all the time for various reasons. If you sell long enough you will eventually get one. I agree with the advice  benjahoo  provided offer them a full refund upon return of the item and issue them a return shipping label. 

     There is a risk that you may not get back the item you sent but that is the risk you take as a seller on eBay. There are some actions you can take if that happens but most are pretty limited in their income and almost none will get you compensated for any loss you may have suffered as a result of the sale. 

     Please follow up with the outcome of this especially if things go bad and the sellers on the forum can provide some additional advice based on similar experiences. 

[femmefan1946]

You have over 300 transactions that went well, and now you have a bad one.

Take a deep breath.

Send a Message "I regret you are unhappy with your purchase. Please return the iMac for a refund."

If she demands the partial refund, that was off the table when she refused it.

"I regret you are unhappy with your purchase. Please return the iMac for a refund."

If she demands a full refund without return.

"I regret you are unhappy with your purchase. Please return the iMac for a refund."

If she demands a return shipping label.

"I regret you are unhappy with your purchase. Please return the iMac for a refund. I enclose a return shipping label."

If she opens a Not As Described dispute, eBay will likely tell you to send her a label.

"I regret you are unhappy with your purchase. Please return the iMac for a refund. I enclose a return shipping label."

If you are concerned you could draw this attention to Customer Service.

Keep in mind that the phone reps do not work for eBay, but are subcontracted.

You want the social media mavens. They are eBay employees  AND you get a transcript you can refer to if problems get worse.




https://www.facebook.com/eBayForBusiness/ — Message button in upper right on landing page.
https://twitter.com/askebay?lang=en
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/How-do-I-contact-Customer-Support/m-p/32016431#M1783851 -> Automated Assistant, type AGENT -> enter. You will then get more options.



As you know, computers and electronics are difficult categories.

Try to keep your cool and remember it's business, not personal.

Which is difficult with dimwits.

____________________________________________________

Politely. -- Captain Malcolm Reynolds.

[lightlily_arts]

I'm not going to tell you that this isn't a scam because it could very well be exactly that.  However, some people just aren't savvy enough to get through the setup process.  Perhaps not the same, but I have sold preowned GPS devices.  I reset them to the manufacturer's default before selling them. You have to download the setup software and then configure it for your location.  But it has to be done where you can get the satellite signal.  I had a buyer that just couldn't figure it out so I just had to accept the return.  No problem as I just resold it.

In your case just have the buyer return your Mac before refunding. If it isn't what you sent then police reports need to be obtained.

[jaysgotgadgets]

The way she went about it threw up all kinds of red flags, and to be honest I wasn't sure if she'd deliberately damage it to be vindictive. She was off the wall.

The good news is I had her cancel the initial partial refund and return the laptop. I got it today and while the retail box is damaged the MacBook is in the same condition I sold it, so that's a relief.

As I mentioned I formatted it completely prior to selling it. When I got it back it appears they tried to format it themselves and totally botched it. I had to reinstall MacOS from the internet to get it reset again. 

Ooof, I appreciate all the replies, thanks all.

[andsciamm_0]

this woman purchased an item that is still in transit. The tracking number is up for everyone to see. Meaning her and the seller, me and eBay.  On top of that, ebay put up that the item is not supposed to be received until the 24th through the 27th of feb 2024. It was shipped on the 16th and according to the tracking number it should actually get there by the 20th!. Besides, what usps does or does not do is not quite under my control. However, she has given me a negative review on the night of the 18th because it has not arrived! I am done with ebay! I requested that they remove that review since it is nonsensical. I am pulling all of my stuff down, I should have done my research about this woman, everything seemed fishy to me and I went against my better judgment. eBay is continuously siding with the buyer. At this point she can keep the backpack, the money and her review. And her bunch of nonsense.

[nobody*s_perfect]

Yikes, that's one very impatient buyer !  You're right, that neg was totally unwarranted. Looks like your only hope of getting rid of it is to get the buyer to calm down, and revise the feedback after the item arrives.

[kh-cathy]

Hi everyone,

Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.

Thank you for understanding.