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Unhelpful seller - what to do?
I have a problem that doesn't fit into any of eBay's automated categories, so I can't figure out how to get hold of an agent. This is the situation: I bought a Samsung cell phone that was advertised as new. I didn't have a chance to use it until after the return window closed. When I did try to use the cell phone, the stylus didn't work correctly on the screen. I took the phone to two repair shops for evaluation, and both technicians immediately recognized that the screen was not an OEM Samsung screen; they said the screen had been replaced, so the phone was not 'new'. I contacted the seller. He wanted his own technician to look at the phone, so he told me to send the phone back to him. I sent it to the address he gave me. He claims he did not get the cell phone, but USPS shows it was delivered. I have asked him multiple times to go to his post office to find out what happened to the package, but he has only given me excuses. All of our correspondence has been through eBay. As it stands now, I paid for a phone that I don't even have anymore, and the seller has my payment, and probably my phone (or at least won't do anything to find the phone). What do I do now?
eastlaneave
Mentor4 months ago@416matt
I am sorry that happened.
I would file a chargeback with my credit card, but before I did that I would get all my ducks in a row.
(when I say print, I would save as a PDF or JPG)
- Make sure your his advice where to mail the returned phone, and the tracking number to return the phone is in your eBay messages
- Print a copy of the return tracking
- Screenshot or print the conversations
- Print a copy of the listing
- Print a copy of your receipt.
- Go here https://www.ebay.com/mye/myebay/purchase
- Find your item, click on "View Order Details" (it may be in "More Actions")
- Click "Printer Friendly Page" in the Upper Right Corner
- Then Click the Printer Icon to Print
Then I would:
1) Since it was delivered by US Mail, file a Postal inspector mail fraud report https://www.uspis.gov/report
It's an online form, save a copy
2) File an Internet Crime IC3.gov case https://www.ic3.gov/Home/ComplaintChoice
It's an online form, save a copy
3) Depending on how expensive it was, File a written police report with your police department. They won't investigate, but you want a copy of the report.
Use the documentation you gathered to file a credit card chargeback.
416matt
OP4 months agoHi EastLaneAve,
Thank you for your advice. It is too late to go back to my credit card, but I will pursue the Post Office fraud report and Internet Crime investigation. I was hoping to get some help from eBay, but I can't get through their automated systems.
eastlaneave
Mentor4 months ago@416matt
1) You can report the seller here
https://www.ebay.com/help/buying/resolving-issues-sellers/report-issue-seller?id=4022
Select:
1) Suspicious seller activity
2) Other
Explain in the box what happened.
2) use eBay's social media customer service to get assistance, but have copies of the IC3 and postal inspector reports ready to send them.
- https://www.instagram.com/ebay/
Just sent a private message to the page explaining what happened.
416matt
OP4 months agoThank you EastLaneAve for the links to eBay.