claim after shipping through third party shipper/freight forwarder
Summary: time.traveller sold an iPhone through a freight forwarder, and the buyer now claims it has a scratch, demanding a $30 compensation. time.traveller expressed concern about potential eBay claims and losing money since the phone was intact when shipped. Suggestions from participants included asking the buyer to return the item instead of offering a partial refund, as well as reporting the buyer for attempting partial refund scams. It's noted that once a package is delivered to a forwarder, many protections like 'item not received' claims become voided. time.traveller decided to tell the buyer to file a claim and reported her actions to eBay, hoping to resolve the situation without a refund.
I sold an iPhone and it went through a third party shipper/freight forwarder to somewhere in Europe (I think anyway, since the FF was in Dover, DE). I insured it for $550 (at my expense) and paid for signature on delivery per the buyer's request (also at my expense). The buyer now claims the phone has a scratch. It was fine when it left here, as evidenced by the photos I posted in the listing. She is now asking for compensation ($30) and apparently plans to open a case against me.
I'm not sure what to tell her. File a claim with USPS insurance? She says the packaging was not damaged, and she's overseas so that seems to not be an option for her. File a claim with eBay? I don't want to lose out on any money because the phone was fine when I shipped it. What are the odds they will side with the buyer? Am I okay since there is was a FF?
Incidentally, I have requested eBay assistance through chat and asked them to call me four times, but keep getting a message that the call won't go through (even though it's not a problem for anyone else to call me), and yes, I have checked my settings and see no reason for the call to not go through.
annadryl
·1 week agoUGGH, a $550 item and they are trying to bleed you for 30 bucks back.
They're probably in Monaco having caviar for brunch.
I used to work in a food bank where a box of food was free and they asked if I could have someone (all older lady volunteers) load it into their Mercedes. There are those people in this world, unfortunately they are few.
arijitmandal
·1 week agoMissing delivery scans are the whole problem here, and there is not much a seller can do about a buyer's history before a sale, so the protection has to come from what you can produce afterwards.
When an item not received request opens:
Answer inside 3 business days. Once that window passes the buyer can ask eBay to step in.
Upload tracking from an integrated carrier that shows the address on the order, the date sent and the date delivered. A "delivered" or "attempted delivery" status is what settles it.
Add signature confirmation on orders of $750 or more. Without it you are not protected on a high-value claim, even with a delivery scan.
Report the buyer through the order menu if the request looks invented. eBay will not tell you what it does with the report, but the pattern is on record for the next seller.
On the tracking gap: eBay resolves some claims by itself when the label came from eBay, was scanned before the estimated delivery date and the order was no more than $750. Worth knowing which of your claims fall outside those three.
https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/managing-returns-refunds/help-buyer-item-didnt-receive?id=4116
Do you buy labels through eBay on most of these, or from your own carrier?
arijitmandal
·2 weeks agoA scratch claim after a forwarder is one of those cases where the paper trail matters more than an argument. I would keep the next step inside the eBay return flow:
Ask for the return request rather than negotiating a partial refund in Messages.
Add the record: the listing photos, dispatch photos, tracking, signature record, insurance details, and the buyer's note about the forwarder.
Keep each reply factual: the condition you recorded, what the carrier delivered, and what the buyer is asking for. No speculation.
Use the deadline shown in the request and ask eBay to step in if you cannot resolve it.
The forwarder detail may matter, but I would not assume the outcome from that alone. Let eBay decide from the order and delivery record. Its seller-protection guidance explains the evidence it may consider. That keeps the review anchored to things eBay can verify, rather than an interpretation of what may have happened after the parcel left the documented delivery chain: https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/selling-policies/payment-dispute-seller-protections?id=5293
What does the order show as the delivery address and signature event?
mam98031
·2 weeks agoAll that work @arijitmandal isn't necessary. Sellers are only responsible for the package to the address in which appears on the buyer's order, period. This is covered in the MBG. Once a buyer has an item shipped to another address, it voids most of the MBG as anything could have happened. @ryry-jj and @albertabrightalberta gave great advice and guidance in this matter for the OP.
time.traveller
OP1 week agoIt was delivered to the FF on Sept 8. The buyer asked for $30 (several times) and I finally told her to file a claim. That was a few days ago and I haven't heard from her since. I hope that's the end of it.
time.traveller
OP2 weeks agoI suggested to the buyer to file a claim with USPS. She said the box was not damaged and asked if she should open a case for return and then almost immediately asked for a $30 refund. I told her to open a case for return. She replied, didn't mention a return, and again asked for a $30 refund so I reported her per someone's suggestion in this forum. Thanks for all the info. I appreciate it!
albertabrightalberta
·2 weeks ago@time.traveller
Do as instructed by @ryry-jj and tell the buyer to open a return request. They will have to pay to get the item back to the freight forwarder from their country and chances are, they'll decide it's too expensive to ship it to the FF.
They're just fishing for a partial refund, which is, BTW, a policy violation. You can report that request explaining that they're asking for a partial refund:
https://spd.ebay.com/RBASellerHub
Here's the policy:
https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/rules-policies-buyers/abusive-buyer-policy?id=4374
And the violation:
florida_pcsurplus
·2 weeks agoIf a buyer ships the package via a forwarder they lose the ebays buyer protection. If she opens a case, all you have to do is call ebay, show the chat whete she says she is out of country and used a forwarder..you get your money ebay tells them to pound sand.
Policy Rules
• Delivery to the forwarder counts as final delivery.
• "Item not received" claims are typically blocked.
• "Significantly not as described" claims are also voided.
• Items forwarded via official eBay programs remain covered.
ryry-jj
·2 weeks agoBtw, first off, insurance and signature confirmation is a seller expense.
Second, I'd just tell them, "oh, Im so sorry you are not happy with the product. But returns are very easy, just file for a return and I can get a return label off to the FF for you for a full refund once I receive the item back"
I wouldn't worry about a charge back, these type of charge backs when a buyer uses a FF are not as easy to win, especially if you offer the refund and provide a return label. This is one of the things the banks look into when they contact eBay. When sellers dig in and don't provide a return option, that's when charge backs are easy
gurlcat
·2 weeks ago^ Agree 100% ^
mam98031
·2 weeks agoPerfect advice. And just so you know, this is covered by the MBG too. Sellers are ONLY responsible for the item to the address they ship it to from the order by the buyer.
gurlcat
·2 weeks agoHow long ago was the package delivered to the DE address (what date)? Did the buyer send you a photo of this alleged scratch?
time.traveller
OP2 weeks agoSeptember 8. The buyer messaged on Monday and said she just opened the package because she was out of town and she sent a youtube video showing the scratch (which I can't see) but it did confirm it was the phone I sent. The date on the phone in the video was this past Thursday, so she obviously didn't just open the package that day.
gurlcat
·2 weeks agoThank you, I was just wanting to know whether it was possible if she even had received the package yet (you didn't cite any dates at all in your post).
Whether she scratched it herself is a moot point unfortunately. Buyers have 30 days from the delivery date (in this case the delivery date at the freight forwarder, since that's all ebay has a real record of), to start a return. If she does, you must accept it and issue a return label. But I think she's bluffing, just seeing if you're scared enough to give her a post-sale discount. And if you just accept a return instead, she won't actully ship it back, through the FF at her own expense and all that.
Stay strong, don't give in to extortionists scum like this!
caldreamer
·2 weeks agoEBAY will not help you. EBAY always sides with the customer. I would pay them the $30 just to shut them up.
Also, be aware if they contact their credit card company to "reverse payment" they get a "full refund" and get to keep both (phone + your money).
gurlcat
·2 weeks agoPlease don't encourage going along with partial refund scammers. This is how they get emboldened to do it every time they buy something.
time.traveller
OP2 weeks agoI was considering this, but gurlcat is absolutely right. This is part of the scam.
kensgiftshop
·2 weeks agoSounds like the buyer is just looking for a discount.
Tell them to return it for a refund.