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Buyer falsely claiming to have received an empty box!
I have been a buy and seller on Ebay for 22 years and a relatively new Ebay user is claiming that a $950 watch that I sold to them was not received, that they received an empty watch box. I have let the user know that I have reported this to UPS and they will be starting an investigation. I have asked the buyer to file a local police report and he said that the police told him there is nothing they can do as it was likely the seller or shipping company who is responsible for the missing watch.
I am almost 100% certain that the buyer is scamming me after reading online about the "empty box" scam on Ebay. To top it off, I looked up the buyer and he has several criminal records that are public including 3rd and 6th degree larceny. I'm not even sure how to bring that to Ebay's attention or if I should confront the buyer with this information. Ebay is currently reviewing this case and I am afraid that in the end they will side with the buyer as they seem to always do.
Any help or assistant would be greatly appreciated.
kh-leslie
·2 years agoHi everyone,
Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread HERE if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.
Thank you for understanding.
kiimayo-0
·2 years agoIf the weight of the box is visible, you can use that against them!
annuljesus
OP3 years agoThis situation is really unbelievable. So Ebay is essentially letting the world know that if you order any item that does not need to be authenticated (apparently <$2000) then you can simply claim that the item was not in the box and a week later, you will receive your refund and get to keep the item for free! This is the best deal on the internet!
Ebay closed the case and refunded the buyer. Ebayer closed my appeal stating that I should seek an investigation with UPS as they honor their 100% Buyer Guarantee.
UPS investigation outcome is that the evidence was not tampered with at all and delivered to the recipient. They have gone to obtain the packaging as part of their investigation and have not been able to pick it up. They are stating that they do not provide insurance claims unless they have proof that the package was tampered with or lost in transit, because receipt sent photos of having received the package, they will not. The UPS manager also looked up the recipient's name and states that they have criminal activity noted Google. The weight of the package was unchanged from the time of shipping to delivery. Ebay did not care about ANY of that.
ittybitnot
·3 years agothen you can simply claim that the item was not in the box and a week later, you will receive your refund and get to keep the item for free! This is the best deal on the internet!
@annuljesus
It sure is! Just about anything for sale on eBay can be had for free at the seller's expense with the right kind of claim. The "empty box" scenario is just one of the ways. The 'empty box' is an "item not described" issue, and eBay provides NO seller protection for items not as described.
Generally speaking, delivery or signature confirmation is helpful when there is an "item not received" claim by the buyer. Your buyer did not claim INR. The only thing I can think of that could save your monetary loss in this instance is if your buyer was outside the US, and had used a freight forwarder to receive the package.
For a long time, it was a tried and true way for an international buyer who used a forwarding service to get free merchandise and a full refund from the seller's proceeds. Now, it is not quite so easy for them to do so, as long as the seller is informed about the unpublished process for recompense.
stefvik
·3 years agoThis is terrible so sorry for you. I lost a $110 watch I sold to a buyer who made a false claim for not as described. Ebay CS agents on the phone were confusing and misleading _don't worry, ebay has your back".
I ended up with ebay refunding the unresponsive buyer with 1 feedback, and overlook my communication and evidence.
Did the buyer who scammed you have a lot of feedback? In recent years ebay did away with the possibility of giving negative feedback to a buyer, so it is a catch 22 situation.
Ebay should have some liability in these disputes, and at least do some investigations. But the burden is all on the sellers. It is time for me to consider other marketplaces, like FB.
albertabrightalberta
·3 years ago@annuljesus
You didn't mention this in the OP.
Although this is a bit separate from your allegation, did you send the package with signature confirmation? Any sale in which the total payment received from the buyer (including shipping and taxes) is $750 or more must have s.c.
And I'm curious....is there anything in the buyer's feedback or feedback left for others that implies past issues?
stefvik
·3 years agoThere is no more Negative Feedback for buyers on eBay, so scammers can easily conceal their traces. You can report a buyer to eBay, but nothing is public, and I doubt ebay does anything about it