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Had my first negative experience as a seller
I sold an internet modem to this guy last month. The item was working right before we moved so I had no doubt it worked. He messaged me 10 days later kind of demeaning me because the item didn't work and requested a refund. He also included photos of the item I sent with the request. So I asked him to describe the problem and asked what the pictures were showing me as I felt it was weird he included photos for no evident reason. He replied saying it worked intermittently and it's not acceptable. I don't normally return items but I figured I could verify his claim when he returned the item. I'll be honest I didn't belive him but I didn't want to be a bad seller so I allowed him to return the item without him making a return claim.
Upon receiving the item it was very apparent the item was not the same one I sent and it had things inside rattling around clearly broken. I proceeded to look at the serial number and MAC address and it's completely different than the one I listed and even the ones he sent me photos of when he requested the return.
I knew it in my gut the situation wasn't right but figured worst case I could prove he swapped put the internals if it has a different internet address but he made it even easier for me and sent a completely different one in return. At the very least I can prove my case.
Thanks for listening.
kh-shakhib
·1 year agoHi everyone,
Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.
Thank you for understanding.
magikplp
·1 year agoThat’s rough to read. Clearly, eBay takes no liability except when they collect your 14% for sales.
june_elizabeth1971
·2 years agoAlways a good idea to put your own identification mark somewhere that only you know where it is and what it is. Photograph that mark and file it away so you have proof the item sent back wasn't the one you send. Gotta cover your arss in ways we didn't use to
magikplp
·1 year agoI’m sorry you’ve gone through this. Clearly eBay doesn’t protect its smaller sellers.
joiewhogoodbuy
·2 years agoHi, your post is over a year old but thought I would respond anyway. If I can help even one (prospective) seller by sharing my experience, it would make my wretched experience "make sense". I have been a buyer on eBay for many years (100% rating): I pay immediately. I read the description of the item carefully and if I can accept an item the way it's described, I buy it. If not. I don't bother. I respect sellers for their time and efforts - whether eBay is their sole source of income or a part-time undertaking.
My very first time effort at selling - only just RECENTLY - I was scammed by a buyer and the worst of it - the proverbial "adding insult to injury" - eBay 100% took the buyer's side and not only made me refund 100% but also charged me for shipping - even though they told the buyer he didn't have to return the item!
I sold an S23 Ultra to this buyer. The heading clearly stated it was FOR PARTS ONLY - not for use. Which is generally understood that the phone can only be used for its parts - screen, storage (512 gb), battery, SPen, etc. The phone I shipped was in "as new" condition, other than being locked by Samsung (*fuller history of my sad saga provided below for context). The buyer took the phone for repair (he admitted it) then wanted a refund claiming the battery leaked. What likely happened was the buyer took the phone to a non-Samsung certified repair place and the phone was damaged by them. The buyer sent a photo of the damaged area (the bottom, where the SPen and charging port are located). I have photos as well - sent when the phone was listed. And it was definitely not damaged.The S23 Ultra was only released in February. There has been no report of battery malfunctioning and any recall. A phone that was in as-new condition suddenly "leaked liquid' after being "repaired". eBay's generic description stated that it was "not in working condition" - and the heading stated FOR PARTS ONLY. The buyer was not even supposed to have the phone repaired. And if he chose to do so, the seller should not be held responsible.
I tried to compromise with the buyer on his refund request - even thought I was convinced he was scamming me. He refused. eBay 100% sided with him, no question asked. They didn't even give me a chance to tell my side of the story. They also charged me for shipment while telling the buyer he didn't have to ship the phone back to me. I feel so battered by this experience - after all the experience that preceded this latest - that for sure I will never sell on eBay again. And even though I have been buying on eBay for over ten years, as a matter of principle, I cannot continue to give the company my business as a buyer either.
Takeaway of this post: eBay will side with buyer basically 99.9% of the time. I don't know how sellers make money - much less a living - selling on eBay. Perhaps non-electronic items fare better. Most likely, sellers who do business on eBay just factor in fraudulent buyers as a cost of doing business.
Generally, people are decent and there will always be scammers and cons everywhere - who would rather steal than do an honest day's work.
*For context, the sad history of my S23 Ultra experience:
(1) I bought the phone from someone who used to work at my company - basically a friend of a friend. He sold it to me as he was moving out of state for personal reasons. The phone had been well taken care of - screen protector and in a case from day one. After he moved, he filed a lost/stolen claim, got the insurance money and the phone was locked by Samsung. I'm major screwed #1.
(2) I bought an iPhone 15 Pro Max on eBay as a replacement - thinking maybe I should just give Apple a try. The phone turned out to be a counterfeit and I had to go through eBay to get refunded. Less major screwed #2 - but still a waste of time and kind of adding on the trauma.
(3) I listed the phone in (1) and ended up losing even more money than what I had already lost in the original scam. Of course, in all of this, eBay gets to charge me 13.5%+ fees - regardless.
Question: I bought a phone - on eBay - to replace counterfeit iPhone referenced in (2). Since this is not an original purchase from Samsung or carrier, can I still purchase insurance for it?