eBay fraud $4000

[glehns]

We as a seller were just victims of a fraud on eBay on a transaction of $4000. We sold an item to a buyer, after a few days he filled a claim on eBay that the device doesn't turns on. We suggested to call the manufacture for warranty purposes, he denied. We were obligated in this case to accept the return and pay postage. Upon arrival there were only 3 boxes of copy paper. We immediately called eBay, they suggested not to escalate the case because we will immediately will loss it, they asked that somebody at the high value department calls me back. I talked to an agent and he said he will send a request to check this buyer and if they find he was abusing their servers, etc. In the meantime the buyer escalated the case and was closed in his favor. I called again eBay and asked to talk to the same department, Dave called us and asked my name, then the call was disconnected, he didn't call back and there is no way to reach them directly. After a half an hour we got an email from him starting "I am reaching out to you as a follow up to our phone conversation" and that he read the details and that the decision was made and final.

I have made a further research since eBay didn't make it and sent an email to the high value department with new evidences. This buyer was arrested a few times in the past by the police for theft of goods. We also sent to eBay a copy of their USPS label confirming he shipped 16.8 lbs, almost 7 lbs less than the original weight of this device. We didn't receive any reply just a new email they they decision was final.

[casey768]

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@glehns wrote:
eBay didn't check any of the obviuos details, they ignored. New member, invalid phone number, printed weight in the usps label is less than real item weight, buyer arrested in the past for theft, buyer didn't reply our messages. Something else?

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buyer police record outside Ebay is not counted toward this case,repeated scamming by returning wrong item will get his buying privilege suspended on Ebay.

if it makes you feel better, 2years ago a Florida shop sold a Rolex $24K,buyer returned an empty box,they called the police and open the box and file report,does not matter,they were told to return $24k in 3 days else Ebay will do it for them.

[casey768]

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@glehns wrote:
Sorry @baggs-2024 we are trying to get back to everyone that wrote. Yes, it was returned to our warehouse together with other 20 boxes that the USPS driver brought. All confirmation of contents is made after the goods are received into our facility and not as the cartons are signed for. Even if we sign for the delivered packages, it doesn't means we checked what was inside, the same as buyers can claim they received a different item even if they sign for it.

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did you sign one piece of paper for all 20 packages from USPS?

DO THIS-go to USPS website and type in the return tracking and ask for signature confirmation,it would take 1 day to get it from USPS,lets see if it has signature ?

[casey768]

you have to decide,either quit selling on eBAY high ticket items or just take your chances.

Unless Ebay allows sellers to accept non credit card payments,a buyer can always go to Paypal,then his credit card issuer if he loses on Ebay.

Unless he is a serial offender,

[glehns]

Hi, where is this thread?

[glehns]

This is the thing, all of us are taking chances, high or low value items, doesn't matter. I want to see you say the same thing when you will lose 100 fraudulent cases of $40 and eBay doing nothing in your favor. All of us want to keep selling, losses are and always will be in any business but it's unfair you make business with a giant as eBay is, pay thousands of dollars a month in fees and they state they offer great seller protection when they did NOTHING in our favor with a $4000 transaction. Not in private and not in public they didn't provide a reasonable reply as what they did in order to save us this $4000 instead of giving them to a scammer. Not in this thread and not in the chat, trinton@ebay just mentioned again in the chat they cannot provide any information, and that is right, they cannot provide any details as what they did because they didn't do anything to protect us.

[keithharrierenterprises]

@glehns every shipping carrier weighs everthing as it moves on the belt at every tracking update. 

my suggestion, call that shipping carrier and tell them the situation. im sure in an instance like this they will give you documented proof of your weight and theirs at every movement. after you get this evidence, then the rest is in your court. 

stay off this thread. get your evidince, and then go back to trying to bring charges on the buyer.from the operation u have, it would seem that anything in your building is on cctv. take tthat recording from what u shipped and when the return showed up, along with the weights from the carrier i mentioned and then go back to the authorities

i wish u the best in this

[bubbleman2010]

Once it soaks in that anything and I mean anything you list for sale on ebay if a buyer is intent on stealing the item you,ebay and paypal are powerless to stop them. Paypal accepting credit cards in your behalf is the elephant in the room and as long as that payment form remains mandatory nothing much will change. Thinking law enforcement will step in and fight for you is wishful thinking whern you mention fraud and ebay both in the same sentence they just chuckle....

[glehns]

We are doing this, thank you for writing. Before we went into legal issues, we were trying to have this resolved with eBay as this is their fault. We provided the weight of the label we paid to eBay to the high value department and they refunded the buyer.

[keithharrierenterprises]

@glehns your welcome. in this instance ebay wont help (if they do ill give u a high five as i buy u drinks all night somewhere).

your best bet is get all the evidence and bring charges. and dont listen to the other people that act like ebay is the law. cause they are not. 

the local police probably will push u off. but most likely the sales was across state lines, meaning interstate commerce. and that puts it to the feds. 

if you have pretty good complelling proof to make your case to the feds when u go down to the office in person, they will get way more evidence than anyone one on this forum can with everything we know.

[d-k_treasures]

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@casey768 wrote:

How about allowing sellers to accept non credit card payments?

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If someone is buying an ice making machine or A/C system, those would be under busimess and industrial, where you CAN take checks or money orders.

[chrysylys]

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@glehns wrote:
 Not in this thread and not in the chat, trinton@ebay just mentioned again in the chat they cannot provide any information, and that is right, they cannot provide any details as what they did because they didn't do anything to protect us.

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Yeah.  Ain't it a shame?

[siayan]

I don't have any specific advice but just a thought.

Until this problem is addressed where it is supposed to be it will not be solved. 

In the United States, mail and wire fraud is any fraudulent scheme to intentionally deprive another of property or honest services via mail or wire communication. It has been a federal crime in the United States since 1872.

With the increased online selling the Post Office needs to step up here. They should set up a program where packages can be opened in from of an employee and contents noted. They should them investigate mail fraud and prosecute. A few publicized cases would cut this down. I don't think this would stop it but this is the law that is being broken, eBay is stuck in the middle.

[siayan]

From the US Postal inspections site

Mail Fraud

U.S. Postal Inspectors investigate any crime in which the U.S. Mail is used to further a scheme--whether it originated in the mail, by telephone, or on the Internet. The use of the U.S. Mail is what makes it mail fraud.

If evidence of a postal violation exists, Postal Inspectors may seek prosecutive or administrative action against the violator. However, if money is lost through a fraudulent scheme conducted via the mail, Postal Inspectors lack the authority to ensure you receive a refund and can't require that products, services, or advertisements--on the Internet or elsewhere--be altered.

Postal Inspectors base investigations of mail fraud on the number, pattern, and substance of complaints received from the public. The Postal Inspection Service will carefully review the information you provide. We may share the information with other agencies when there is a possible violation within their jurisdiction.

If you feel you've been victimized in a fraud scheme that involves the U.S. Mail, submit a Mail Fraud Complaint Form to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

[glehns]

Thank you. We already filled it a few weeks ago but not sure how this will help.

[18704d]

"With the increased online selling the Post Office needs to step up here. They should set up a program where packages can be opened in from of an employee and contents noted."

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That won't work for two obvious reasons.

Lynn