URGENT FRAUD REPORT - Order [Removed by Moderator] - Bait & Switch Scam
Summary: La discusión está centrada en un reporte urgente de fraude relacionado con una orden, identificado como un caso de 'Bait & Switch'. wall-0694 inicia el tema planteando el problema y varios participantes, incluyendo krazzykats, christworks y bonanza125, participan con sus propias contribuciones. Hay un intercambio continuo de mensajes entre wall-0694 y otros participantes, como soh.maryl, krazzykats y jonathanbrightlight, señalando preocupaciones y respuestas sobre el incidente de fraude. En paralelo, exclusive_deals_store_usa_1 y soh.maryl también añaden sus comentarios sobre la situación, lo que indica múltiples ramas de discusión en torno a este asunto urgente. La conversación refleja una preocupación activa por resolver el problema de fraude reportado.
I am reporting a serious bait and switch fraud case. I ordered 13 Samsung S22 Ultras, but I received 3 broken fake Chinese phones and 6 chargers.
The seller is a serial scammer. FedEx tracking #[Removed by Moderator] confirms the package weight is only 5 lbs, which makes it physically impossible to contain the 13 units I purchased. I have the entire unboxing recorded.
eBay support has repeatedly failed to escalate this to the Fraud Department and is forcing me to return fake products. I refuse to use the return label, as it validates the scammer’s fraud. I request an immediate manual override and a full refund. Please escalate this to a Trust and Safety supervisor.`
soh.maryl
·4 months agoPLEASE, when all of this is over and settled, PLEASE read the MBG. Not trying to beat you up, but if you had been equipped with the knowledge of how to handle a not as described case, this could have been over and done with quite awhile ago.
ANYONE, buyer or seller, who plans to use eBay seriously needs to read the MBG, preferably this should have happened BEFORE any sales or purchases were made here. It's not complicated. Just have to know about it and use it the right way.
Hope this works out positively for you.
powell-collectibles
·4 months agoNo one really needs to read the MBG before buying and selling. If you understand the basics of consumer protection laws, you know that you are covered. When an issue arises, maybe you read it to see what to do or for links to file. I can’t imagine going through terms for every online retailer that I consider using for a purchase before I decide to buy. IMO, it isn’t reasonable or necessary.
jonathanbrightlight
·4 months agoYou’re absolutely right. Knowing how to handle an issue before there’s an issue always takes the stress off the immediate situation, and there should be no disagreement. I mean, I remember many issues that could have been resolved much more easily if the buyer or seller had been prepared with the knowledge they needed. One involving an x86 PC comes to mind, though I don’t remember how it ultimately ended.
pickapaper
·4 months ago@wall-0694
Was the seller in another country?
You bought 13 Samsung S22 Ultra phones for about $3500, which comes out to about $270 each. I understand these are fairly expensive phones and I'm assuming you bought these to resell.
What I don't understand is that if these phones sell for a high price, why would a seller "dump" them for a cheap price of $270 each when they could sell the phones themselves for a much higher price? I don't think the phone companies even "dump" their phones for super cheap prices so why would a reseller? And then you received the junk phones instead of what you ordered so it sounds like a seller who knew what they were doing by sending you junk and making it difficult for you to return them and hoping you wouldn't know how to get your money back.
I'm not trying to beat up on you but if you are going to spend that kind of money on eBay, you need to be familiar with eBay's Money Back Guarantee so you will have some idea of what to do when something like this arises (and come here to this board and ask questions instead of calling Customer Service, which is known for giving wrong answers). Also, if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably isn't a good deal.
soh.maryl
·4 months agoIf you "refuse to use the return label", you will not be returning the items and therefore will not be refunded.
Is that the end result you want?
Maybe you've heard that eBay has a manual override available. I haven't.
wall-0694
OP4 months agoI sincerely apologize. You are right. I was just trying to vent because I was scammed out of $3,500, and eBay’s protocols are very complicated and frustrating.
I did return the junk that he sent me, but based on the complaints on his profile, he later claims that the buyer is the scammer and refuses to issue the refund. That is why I was afraid to send it back, but I understand there is no other option.
I am very worried. 😔
eoma689485
·4 months ago"I refuse to use the return label, as it validates the scammer’s fraud."
Actually it isn't validating the "scammer's fraud," it's how you get a refund. If you are drawing a hard line in the sand - you will not get a refund, and the seller gets to keep the money, so erase that line if you want your money back.
Curious, you don't state if the seller is in the U.S. - if not receiving a prepaid postage label is somewhat problematic - and to get one you have to work with the seller so they can pay for it.
mudshark61369
·4 months ago@wall-0694 ,
This is pretty much a simple Not as Described issue that is easily covered by the Money Back Guarantee policy, Link Below.
Go to your purchase history click on More Actions select Return item, and from the menu choose Not as Described or Missing parts and pieces. Follow through to file the dispute. The seller will have 3 days to either send you a return shipping label, or issue a full refund, if they do neither or make excuses, on day 4, go back to your My ebay page open the return and click on Ask ebay to step in. If your seller is located outside of the U.S. they may ask you to get a return shipping estimate and send you the funds to purchase the postage.
https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy?id=4210
exclusive_deals_store_usa_1
·4 months agoRequest for call from eBay in help section. They will call you on your registered number. Explain the situation completely including the video recording. They are very good at helping buyers.
pickapaper
·4 months agoNo need to call eBay for help. The buyer can take care of this situation himself and several posters have told him what to do: file a Not as Described claim or contact his payment source for a chargeback. eBay does not accept video recordings as proof; they can be doctored. Customer Service agents are notorious for giving wrong information, both to buyers and sellers.
soh.maryl
·4 months agoThis would appear to be a simple item not as described case which would be covered by the MBG.
There's no need to call anyone, the OP just needs to proceed with the NAD case.
bonanza125
·4 months ago"I request an immediate manual override and a full refund. Please escalate this to a Trust and Safety supervisor."
Ebay supervisors are not here. We are buyers and sellers who answer questions and give advice only. You must contact your payment source and have the charges reversed. This is a classic tracking scam which is well known around here. We have no authority to do anything as far as reviewing records or providing refunds.
soh.maryl
·4 months agoIf the OP did actually receive something, but the wrong thing, why is it a classic tracking scam and not just an ordinary item not as described case where he should be able to open an NAD case within 30 days of receipt?
wall-0694
OP4 months agoI am reporting a 'bait-and-switch' fraud by the seller . I ordered 13 Samsung S22 Ultra units, but they sent 3 broken, fake Chinese phones and 5 chargers instead.
The agent I spoke to ignored my evidence and processed a 'Return,' forcing me to return 13 S22 Ultras that I never received. How can I return 13 units when the seller never sent them?
FedEx tracking confirms the package weight is only 5 lbs, making it physically impossible to contain 13 S22 Ultras. I have checked the profile of , and it is full of complaints from other victims of this exact same fraud.
I am posting this to warn others about this serial scammer.
kathiec
·4 months agoSince you can't mention the seller, you can't warn anyone. And to be refunded you have to return the items you received to the seller. For better or worse that's the way eBay's Money Back Guarantee works. There's no "manual override" available. So your options are 1) use the label you've been provided, return the three broken phones and six chargers, and get a refund, or 2) stand on principle and not get a refund.
One thing to note is that 'item not as described' returns are one of the main things that impact seller metrics. If the other buyers who left bad feedback actually opened cases the seller won't be around long.
jonathanbrightlight
·4 months agoYou’re not reporting anything by posting here, you’re just talking about it. Follow the instructions and get your money back. No one here is being warned by your post.
wall-0694
OP4 months agoI sincerely apologize. You are right. I was just trying to vent because I was scammed out of $3,500, and eBay’s protocols are very complicated and frustrating.
I did return the junk that he sent me, but based on the complaints on his profile, he later claims that the buyer is the scammer and refuses to issue the refund. That is why I was afraid to send it back, but I understand there is no other option.
I am very worried. 😔
jonathanbrightlight
·4 months agoAs long as you follow the process, there’s no way for him to refuse to issue the refund. He may choose not to voluntarily issue it, so you need to keep an eye on it and ask eBay to step in if needed, once it’s returned.
soh.maryl
·4 months agoIf you returned it using the label sent to you by the seller, there's no way that I can see that the seller could refuse to refund; however, if that happens, you return to the case you opened and ask eBay to step in. They'll refund you from the seller's funds and tell you to keep the item.
PLEASE read the MBG.
wall-0694
OP4 months agoI was not able to use the return label sent by the seller because it was denied. I had to ship the package using a different tracking number, but I sent it to the exact same address shown on the seller’s return label. I also sent the tracking number to the seller through eBay messages.
The seller is only mocking the situation and keeps sending me offer messages instead of taking responsibility.
eBay told me that it does not matter and that the tracking number I provided should work, but I honestly feel that eBay may still side with the scammer. His profile has many complaints describing the same kind of issue, and what makes me the most upset is that eBay still shows him as an excellent seller despite all these claims.
The seller has around 500 positive feedback comments and a 97% positive rating, mostly from cheap products, apparently to build trust. Then, with expensive products, he has scammed several people, including me.
krazzykats
·4 months agoIf you’re not refunded on eBay, consider initiating a chargeback through your credit card. This assumes the transaction was ultimately paid for with a credit card. Keep good documentation/pictures of everything.
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jonathanbrightlight
·4 months agoI’m very concerned about this statement from you.
You purchased your own shipping label, outside of eBay, and shipped back the phones?
Did you contact eBay (not the seller) and see if they could input the tracking number into the return case?
If not, do not expect a refund via eBay. They will see no evidence that the return was shipped and will close the case. If that happens, you need to hope your credit card provider will believe you and decide in your favor in a chargeback.
christworks
·4 months agoI'm sorry this happened. I do have to disagree with you. eBay strongly back buyers. It really isn't that complicated unless you don't take time to read how ebay protects buyers. With all due respect, by refusing to send the items back, you made it more complicated than it needed to be and you wasted precious time, particularly if you stewed over this very long.
You need to read eBay's Money Back Guarantee Policy . It will explain to you what happens now that you've sent it back. This is almost always why buyers end up screwed over is that they do not want to take a few moments and read what protections they have. Therefore, they either do not file claims, refuse to send items back, and/or let deadlines pass. For the most part it is an automated process, which can be intimidated for some. Like everything there is room for improvement. The bottom line is keeping a bunch of fake phones wasn't going to get your money back. In theory sending them back could allow them to send them on to another buyer, but you cannot let that concern you.
For reference, here is part of the relevant portion of the Money Back Guarantee. You will still want to go find that section in the link I provided and read through it as it goes into more details should eBay have to step in, and talks about certain exclussions.
wall-0694
OP4 months agoHello friend, thank you. eBay agents confirmed this is a bait-and-switch case. When I bought from this seller, he had only 4 negative reviews with the same issue, but now, in less than 15 days, he has around 50 complaints describing the same scam.
He sends broken or incorrect items, asks for a return, and then only refunds 50%, blaming the buyer for the damage. Many affected buyers reported the same pattern, and they also said eBay eventually refunded them in full.
The return label he provided did not work, so FedEx created a new label to the same address. The seller presents himself as a large company with warehouses, but his profile clearly operates from China, and the return address is actually a garage in a residential area in California. Other buyers shared photos showing it is not a real warehouse or official business. He appears to be a serial scammer.
soh.maryl
·4 months agoI have no idea where you're getting your information, but most of it is WRONG.
You bought and paid for 13 items. You received 3 items, none of which were correct.
That's not a bait and switch, that's an item not as described case. An item not as described case is when you paid for something but what you received is not what you paid for.
This will be my last attempt at trying to help you. I just hope this all works out well. Please return and let us know the outcome.
stainlessenginecovers
·4 months ago@wall-0694
That's how it works. Stop trying to get a 'manual' anything, as there simply is NO such thing. Open return for 'not as described' and then 'return'
Nobody reads/sees that.
Nobody sees the seller so nobody will know who you are talking about.
christworks
·4 months ago@wall-0694 So I guess you will be keeping the fake phones and letting the seller keep your money then?
eBay has a very buyer friendly Money Back Guarantee. A part of that allows the seller to require you to return the item they sent you. If you don't do that, the seller does not have to refund you and eBay isn't going to make them. Keep in mind, eBay has no way to know who is telling the truth so they do not sort out who is right and who is wrong. What they do is give you the option to return your order and the seller then must refund you. It's that simple. I'm not sure why you are making it so difficult. Your recording means nothing. I could have AI generate a video of me unpacking a box of phones as well.
By the way, nobody from eBay is here. We are just sellers and buyers like yourself.
krazzykats
·4 months agoSecurity Center - Report a Concern on eBay.com
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