eBay Let a Buyer Scam Me and Keep My Item-I’m Done
I’ve been using eBay for over 10 years. I’ve bought and sold hundreds of items without issue—until now.
A few months ago, I sold an expensive piece of electronics. Nearly a full month after delivery, one day before the return deadline, the buyer opened a case claiming the item was damaged during shipping. I refused the return because he had the item for 30 days with no complaints. That’s not a shipping issue—that’s buyer’s remorse or worse.
I contacted eBay expecting support. Instead, they refunded the buyer in full, and he got to keep the item. So now I’m out both the money and the product.
eBay did nothing to help the seller in this situation. Absolutely no protection, no fair process, no accountability for buyer abuse.
I’m done with this platform. This post is a warning to other sellers: eBay will not protect you—even when the facts are on your side.
stuff4divas
·11 months ago@soh.maryl
@chapeau-noir
@jpyrett
this post is from 7/17 and person is no longer registered on ebay
soh.maryl
·11 months agoThank you. Guess I wasn't paying attention.
stuff4divas
·11 months ago@soh.maryl Ha Ha, i've done the same, just didn't want u to expect any answers from the OP
chapeau-noir
·11 months ago"one day before the return deadline, the buyer opened a case claiming the item was damaged during shipping. I refused the return because he had the item for 30 days with no complaints. That’s not a shipping issue—that’s buyer’s remorse or worse."
I think this turns on what the OP unilaterally decided was the issue, rather than the INAD itself, and wanted eBay to back him up on it.
However, eBay has no way to adjudicate - they don't have the item, can't tell what was packed or what was received, when the buyer opened it or anything else. So, since the seller doesn't want to deal with it, they refund the buyer.
It would be nice if eBay was more clear about this "If you ask us to step in, we will refund the buyer, they keep the item and YOU'VE GOT NOTHING!" But logic does decree that a site struggling to retain buyers but with an over-plus of sellers is going to be buyer-centric.
jpyrett
·11 months agoIt goes both ways. A seller scammed thru well known method: fake tracking scam. A seller can attach ANY tracking info number from a shipment to your city - random addresss - any item- and it looks delivered and eBay says its delivered and no refund. Buyer is SCREWED. I'm still working thru chargeback.
soh.maryl
·11 months agoDid you notice that this wasn't a fake tracking scam?
ittybitnot
·1 year agoI sold an expensive piece of electronics. Nearly a full month after delivery, one day before the return deadline, the buyer opened a case claiming the item was damaged during shipping.
@Anonymous
FWIW
To what city/state did you ship this item? Did you notice if it went to a US Freight Forwarder? Typically, these addresses are located in, but not limited to Delaware, Oregon, Florida, Texas). The reason I am asking is that there are some "added protections" for sellers that ship to such addresses (i.e. buyers who use these services are not supposed to benefit from "item not described" claims on eBay. Of course, eBay will not tell you that, and treats it like any other sale. It is up to the SELLER to know better and what needs to be done.
kensgiftshop
·1 year ago@Anonymous
Sorry, but you scammed yourself by not accepting the return and getting Ebay involved.
You could have accepted the return and got the item back before refunding.
It's possible the item was damaged during shipping and the buyer just got around to opening the packages.
I bought a few new tools at the beginning of the year, and it was 3months or so before I even opened the packages.
Can't tell you if they work or not, haven't even plugged them in yet.
estate_echoes
·1 year agoI am guessing you did not report the buyer. Not doing so allows this to continue to happen.
Why make a new account just to say you are done with this platform?
kensgiftshop
·1 year agoReport the buyer for what?
The buyer filed the INAD within 30 days of receiving the item.
It was sellers fault for refusing the return and getting Ebay involved.
estate_echoes
·1 year agoFor what happened. If it is a one off event... no big deal. But if the buyer has a history of doing this with every item, maybe reporting will help with that accountability.
soh.maryl
·11 months agoAgain, what's reportable?
You have no way of knowing if the buyer has done this multiple times or if this is a one-off.
The best reaction would to have sent the prepaid return label and to have refunded when the item was received. All sellers need to read the MBG.
soh.maryl
·11 months agoJust curious: What action did the buyer take that would've been reportable?
goodbrakes
·1 year agoA Buyer can request a refund up to 30 days from the time they receive the item. If you refused the return you caused the loss of money and item, not eBay. If it was past the 30 days then you can refuse the return and then hope they don't do a charge back on the payment method they used.
m60driver
·1 year agoAs someone who has been on Ebay for over 10 years you should have known that once a buyer files an INAD you have no choice but to issue either a return label or a refund; otherwise Ebay will issue a refund and allow the buyer to keep the item.