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Assistance with Fraudulent Buyer and Lack of eBay Support
Hello,
I’m trying to figure out what options I have. I was recently taken advantage of by a buyer on eBay. They placed a bid on a laptop I was selling, made me an offer, and I accepted. After I shipped the product, the buyer began asking numerous questions about the laptop—questions that should have been asked before making the purchase.
The buyer was clearly unhappy and began implying they wanted a partial refund or would open a case with eBay. Rather than deal with the threat of a forced return or refund dispute, I decided to file a package intercept request with USPS—something I had never done before. The next day, USPS indicated that the intercept was successful and that the package was being returned to me. Naturally, I was relieved.
Based on that update and being in need of funds, I canceled the order, issued a full refund to the buyer, and relisted the item for a 7-day auction. However, the very next day, I received an eBay notification stating that the package had been delivered. I checked the USPS tracking number, and sure enough, it was marked as “delivered.â€
After reviewing the tracking history, it became clear that the package was originally marked “Return to Sender,†but USPS mistakenly placed it on the wrong outbound rack. As a result, it was sent to the buyer’s local post office. The buyer, likely notified of the delivery, physically went there and picked up the package—after receiving their refund.
I’ve contacted eBay multiple times, but they refuse to take any action, stating that the buyer received a refund and still ended up with the laptop. This individual is now unresponsive and has completely ghosted me.
After some online research, I discovered that the same address has been reported multiple times for scamming people on eBay. Yet somehow, this buyer still has an active account. I’ve opened a case with USPS, but they’ve provided little to no help. I’ve also filed a police report with the Delaware Police Department, but it feels like I’ve exhausted all my options.
I truly believed eBay had seller protections in place for situations like this. It’s clear from both the case details and the tracking number that the buyer now has the laptop and the refund—and yet eBay won’t step in, despite having the power to do so.
This has been an absolute nightmare of an experience.
house*of*paws
Mentor1 year agoHi @cas81802mvl
The item sold only 6 days ago (July 19th) … and during that time you say you intercepted the package, cancelled the transaction (which automatically refunded the buyer), and relisted the item … all without the buyer’s consent. [You also left feedback that violates eBay’s policies.]
I don’t think you save any money by intercepting the package as compared to paying return shipping … and nothing you’ve told us indicates that the buyer actually did anything wrong. [You didn’t give them a chance to wrong you. Their ‘intentions’ cannot be proven.] I’m afraid your impatience didn’t serve you well.
I have no idea what you could have reported to the police … but the only action you may have is with USPS IF you have written proof they told you that the package had been successfully intercepted. I’m sorry.
cas81802mvl
OP1 year agoThank you for your reply, but I believe several key points in your response overlook the facts and mischaracterize the situation.
First, the timeline is exactly why this case is so frustrating. Yes, the item was sold on July 19th, but within that short timeframe:
The buyer made an offer, and I accepted.
After shipment, they immediately expressed dissatisfaction and hinted at opening a case or requesting a partial refund—despite having full access to the listing before purchase.
In an attempt to avoid what clearly appeared to be a looming dispute, I filed a package intercept request with USPS.
USPS confirmed the package was intercepted and en route back to me. Based on that confirmation, I canceled the order and issued a full refund.
This was not a matter of impatience—it was a direct reaction to the buyer’s post-sale behavior and USPS’s confirmation of the intercept.
Contrary to your suggestion, the buyer absolutely did do something wrong: after receiving the full refund, they still picked up the item from the post office. That is not speculation—it’s verifiable through the USPS tracking history and timeline. I canceled the sale only after being told by USPS that the package would not reach the buyer.
The issue is not about saving on return shipping costs. It’s about a buyer ending up with both the item and their money. That’s fraud—plain and simple. If this same scenario happened to you, I doubt you’d feel "impatience" was your biggest mistake.
As for the police report, it was filed due to the fact that goods were taken under false pretenses and the buyer has since ghosted me. This is a documented scam address that has been reported before—again, not just my opinion, but a pattern visible in public forums.
I’m all for civil discourse, but reducing this to “impatience†while ignoring the sequence of documented facts isn’t helpful.
Best regards,
jonathanbrightlight
·1 year agoYou should never cancel a sale that has been shipped. You can refund if you retrieve an item such as through a package intercept, but cancelling (and therefore issuing a refund) when you do not have the item in hand is basically the same thing as just giving the item to the customer.
@house*of*paws was characterizing the situation correctly, and you need to learn the proper procedures for situations like this before you sell anything else on eBay. You are not allowed to cancel orders on suspicion that the buyer will open a case, and since you haven't provided the details of what they were expressing concern about, we don't even know if there was a reasonable cause for concern. Even if there was, the way you handled it caused your loss, not eBay's policies or procedures.
cas81802mvl
OP1 year agoI understand your perspective, but I think it’s important to distinguish between theory and real-world scenarios—especially when fraud or bad-faith behavior is involved.
You're correct in saying that canceling an order after shipment isn't typically advised. However, this wasn’t a matter of routine procedure—it was a direct response to a clear attempt at manipulation. The buyer made a purchase, then immediately expressed dissatisfaction and strongly implied they'd open a case if they didn’t receive a partial refund. That, combined with unusual behavior and an address that has been reported multiple times for eBay scams, raised enough red flags for me to act.
I didn't cancel the order on a hunch—I acted after USPS confirmed the package intercept was successful and in transit back to me. That’s not speculation. Based on that official confirmation, I refunded the buyer and relisted the item. Unfortunately, USPS later made a handling error that allowed the buyer—who had already been refunded—to pick up the package. They’ve since refused to respond. That is theft, and that is the root issue here.
Your comment that "my actions caused my loss" completely ignores the fact that the buyer now has both the item and the money. That is not a seller procedure issue; it’s a breakdown in system safeguards that should have protected both parties.
I welcome constructive discussion, but dismissing this as a case of seller ignorance misses the bigger picture. This isn’t about not knowing the rules—it’s about trying to follow them in good faith while dealing with someone who wasn’t.
Thanks,
house*of*paws
Mentor1 year ago@cas81802mvl
I did follow all the documented facts. If you don’t realize that your impatience (to relist the item) is what caused you to be out both the item and your money … then I’m afraid you’ve learned nothing to avoid making similar mistakes.
Cancelling the item before tracking showed that the item was clearly on its way back to you is mainly what cost you the money and the item.
There’s no way to know whether or not the buyer received a notification of a refund prior to picking up the package … or it they realized that it was your package they were retrieving.
If the buyer DID receive the notification … they likely were told the item was theirs to do with whatever they wished.
The buyer’s mistake was not to ask all their questions prior to purchasing the item. From there on … the successive mistakes were all yours.
BTW, I haven’t requested a package interception myself … but I’ve heard that the cost of interception is more than the cost of a return shipping label for your item IF the buyer had decided to open a return request.
AND if the package was really intercepted … it likely would have taken longer to get back to you than a 7-day auction, so you wouldn’t have had the item to ship to a new buyer on time. [Refused or intercepted items usually take MUCH longer than the original shipping time.]
cas81802mvl
OP1 year agoI appreciate your continued engagement, but it’s important to clarify some inaccurate assumptions you're presenting as facts.
You're basing your entire argument on the idea that this situation was caused by “impatience†and a premature cancellation. But what you're overlooking is this: I didn’t just assume the package was intercepted—I was explicitly informed by USPS that the intercept was successful and that the package was on its way back to me. That’s not speculation or impatience—it was acting on the official status provided by the postal service.
You mention there's "no way to know" if the buyer saw the refund notification or knew what package they were picking up. That’s irrelevant. The buyer picked up a package that wasn’t theirs to keep—after being refunded. Even if it were a misunderstanding at first, the right thing to do would have been to respond to my messages or return the item. Instead, they ghosted me. That’s not a neutral act; it’s theft by retention.
Suggesting that the buyer was told they could “do whatever they wished†with a refunded item is simply not how fraud or basic ethics work. A refund doesn’t entitle someone to keep merchandise they didn’t pay for.
As for the package intercept cost: yes, it might be more than a return label. But again, this wasn’t about saving money. It was about avoiding a potentially dishonest return request after clear red flags were raised. And regarding the time it takes for a package to return via intercept, I was willing to wait. My concern was regaining possession of the laptop—not relisting it hastily.
You’re treating this situation as if it were some avoidable seller mishap. But the core issue remains: the buyer ended up with both the item and the refund and has refused to communicate further. That’s not a learning moment—it’s a textbook case of platform abuse.
I did what any reasonable seller would do in light of clear warning signs and USPS confirmation. The result is that I was defrauded, and sadly, the process of getting support from eBay and USPS has been opaque at best.
house*of*paws
Mentor1 year ago@cas81802mvl
It is not at all unusual for a buyer to end up with both the item and the money when a seller hasn’t followed eBay policy. Sellers that ‘improvise’ often lose money. That’s simply a fact.
If the buyer had posted here … I would have recommended that they return the item to you AFTER receiving a prepaid shipping label from you. But the buyer hasn’t posted here.
I’ve already recommended you contact USPS … since you continually claim that they provided you with the false information that you acted on. I don’t understand why you ignore that recommendation.
You keep repeating the same information … apparently expecting a different response. I have none to give you. You ignored eBay policies and took matters into your own hands and lost.
I am a fellow eBay member who volunteers answering questions about eBay policy … and I have done that. I am NOT here to debate ethics with someone who has violated eBay policy more than once in this transaction … yet continues to hold others responsible for having a negative outcome.
Your buyer didn’t request either a cancellation or a refund. You voluntarily gave them both … and are having trouble living with the consequences. I’m sorry for you … but cannot change what happened. I have my own mistakes to be responsible for. I doubt that I will respond further to your repetitions.