How to counter this scam
So it appears I will be losing an Iphone 13 to a scam.
Here is how it works:
Buyer purchased my phone. Upon receipt he immediately reported an issue with the phone. At first it was that it would not boot up. The second time he claimed the sim car could not find a network. So Ebay approved a refund.
The buyer provided a tracking number to Ebay and Ebay returned the buyers money.
However, it appears the buyer intentionally mislabeled the address on the phone return package. I had the tracking number and called USPS customer service and they confirmed the tracking number showed my correct address. However if you looked on USPS.com tracking it indicated a non-existent address. So USPS did a return to sender. So it appears the buyer handwrote the address on the box (or modified a label). Intentionally using an address on my street that did not exist. The buyer also shipped with a service that was not included in the ability for me to intercept the package through USPS.com.
So basically Ebay said the phone had an attempted delivery. They did not care the address was wrong. So any appeal is denied at this point.
Has anyone else experienced this? Is there any recourse with Ebay?
miyasamaco
·2 years agoUnfortunately, this is a common scam on eBay to steal items. Request a refund, then send an empty package to a non-existent address. Beware!
vintagecraze50
·2 years agoSimple but maybe not so simple solution is for ebay to require buyer use the labels provided by the seller and ebay, but these scammers can still alter the labels.
vintagecraze50
·2 years agoThe scammers have learned this tactic by sending nothing or a trinket to an address within the same zip code so it looks like it has been delivered. You have to get info from the USPS on the package and what address was on that package. You are in for a long process here proving to ebay officially from the PO that your scammer committed mail fraud.
dryophelia
·2 years ago@toottoot727
Can you contact Apple and report the phone stolen. I thought I read others suggesting to ‘brick’ the phone.
At least the thief won’t be able to use the phone.
toomuchstuffagain35
·2 years agoBricking the phone doesn't do anything if it went overseas though.
ittybitnot
·2 years agoBricking the phone doesn't do anything if it went overseas though.
@toomuchstuffagain35
It doesn't get the scammed victim's money back either.
toottoot727
OP2 years agoFrom what I read Apple does not accept reports on stolen phone . It has to be done with a carrier. I am calling aT&T but the phone was no longer under contract and they had unlocked it.
duffy4444
·2 years agoWhen I first saw the title of your post, I thought, "I'll bet this is yet another iPhone scam complaint". Yup!
For the benefit of those sellers that do visit this board:
NEVER, EVER try to sell a higher-value item like an iPhone anywhere online. It's at the top of the list, or very close to it, as the most scammed item online - right up there with other electronics. Sell it locally for CASH, where you have complete control over its disposition and your payment for it.
Ebay has yet to adequately face and tackle this return scam, which is growing in popularity along with many others. Until it does better with the current joke of "Seller Protections" and actually puts teeth in them, eBay's bottom line will continue to lose the confidence of sellers, on top of a massive increase in their own fee revenue. And sellers currently have no choice but to totally avoid listing higher value items that have potential buyer scam written all over them.
Many years ago I stopped online selling of items valued over $80-$100. I now successfully put them on Craigslist or other local means for CASH only (which also totally avoids the ultimate nearly 100% successful scam of a credit card chargeback). Sure, it may take a bit longer to sell them, but I haven't lost my shirt over any of them listed and sold this way.
Sorry this happened to you...
Cheers, Duffy
toottoot727
OP2 years agoI normally do my due diligence.. I haven't used Ebay much in the last few years just a busy time and thought Ebay would be the quickest way to dump a couple of phones. The address I sent the phone to is a freight forwarder. I should have checked the address when the phone was first sold. I did now and I see that address in fraud posts up to 6 years old online. Hopefully I will get my money back in time. Just a lot of hassle. Learned my lesson though. I did end up selling my other phone on facebook marketplace. No more Ebay for me.
dolcetreasures
·2 years agoAmazingly the defect rate on iPhones on eBay is inordinately higher than it is in the real world. It’s either defective or the box is empty. Somehow eBay allows this pathetic charade to go on and on…
toottoot727
OP2 years agoThe buyer first sent a photo of the phone not booting up. They must have forget because they then starting claiming they put in a sim card and no network was found.
adkhighker
·2 years agoOf course they allow it to go on when they're making a bundle of money on the transactions where the scammers are ripping off the sellers.
If eBay doesn't care that a scammer gets to keep an iphone on top of getting a refund for it that comes straight out of the seller's pocket, then who is the bigger scammer, eBay or the iphone scammer?
vintagecraze50
·2 years agoGet proactive and get with ebay on facebook and stop it.
toottoot727
OP2 years agoExactly.. my phone was stolen and Ebay charged me $92.79 in transaction fees.
ittybitnot
·2 years agoHas anyone else experienced this? Is there any recourse with Ebay?
@toottoot727
Yes, there are a few posts about this every week and it has been going on for years. You are going to need written documentation from your Post Office/Post Master that the parcel was not intended for you. USPS is getting real tired of this and may even give you a photo of the actual label used to defraud you.
Did you ship this to a freight forwarder for a buyer that is registered in another country? Popular f.fowarders are typically in Delaware, Oregon, Texas, and Florida but not always. You can google the address. If your buyer had ZERO feedback, you may not be able to determine the country of origin. It can be found, just come back for directions HOW.
Basically, if a buyer uses a Freight Forwarder, they give up the protections offered by the eBay Money Back Guarantee. Unfortunately, it is up the the seller to inform eBay as such, and you have already lost your appeal. The regular customer service here you get in call back or chat are typically outsourced call center people in foreign countries whose only option appears to be DENIAL, and more denial, until you give up and go away.
But all is not lost. If this indeed was sent to a freight forwarder (google the address) their typical scam is to send something back to an address in your zipcode to satisfy ebay bots that the product was returned to you. It works, and has been working for years. The scammer either uses "their own" label, or they use the one you sent them and simply alter the addresses, keeping the same tracking/barcode. Make a copy of the one you sent them if it is still available to you.
The next thing a seller that is a victim should do is contact eBay through one of their social media portals and ask for assistance. One such is to use the blue message box on this page:
https://www.facebook.com/eBayForBusiness
This leads to US based CS reps that are very familiar with the fake tracking issues and do have the authority to help if they so choose, where the regular call back/chat reps can do nothing.
A variation of this scam is also used by "sellers" who ship cheap items to a buyer's zipcode instead of the item they purchased. At least a buyer can do a credit card chargeback if eBay throws them under the bus, seller victims cannot.
Let us know if you need additional information or have questions.
toottoot727
OP2 years agoThanks for the info. I did start an appeal with Ebay and getting all my reports and statements ready. I am hopeful because it does appear the address I sent the phone to is a freight forwarder. Now I just have to convince Ebay of this.
ittybitnot
·2 years agoNow I just have to convince Ebay of this.
@toottoot727
Yes, and PLEASE use a social media portal. I gave you one, but there are others and unfortunately I lost my list. Hopefully, someone will chime in with the current links for X and instagram.
A fellow victim (just one of many) :
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Scammed-on-e-Bay-by-buyer/td-p/34170804
And DO let us know how it works out for you.
ittybitnot
·2 years ago@toottoot727
In the link I provided to you about a "fellow" victim, there is a very interesting screen shot of the eBay generated return label, and what actually was used (changed/altered address) using the same tracking number and barcode. They are getting "slicker" at this...
toottoot727
OP2 years agoFirst off thanks to everyone for the good advice. here is where we are at:
The facebook link to ebay business was what helped the most. They still require a lot of information but unlike regular Ebay customer service they have been responding and do not give a canned "appeal denied" email.
I went back to the post office and they were able to get me a scan of the package. I went before Christmas and was told they could not find a scan.. but I guess things are calmer and the worker there spent a lot more time and came through.
So now I am awaiting on a a letter from the postmaster verifying the photo is authentic. It is a valid address in my town. Different name and street so not sure why it did not get delivered to them. But it is clearly different from the Ebay generated label which contains my address.
Once I get that I just send it to the chat I have with the facebook ebay business customer service.
Ever since the Unabomber.. the post office scans all mail so not sure why Ebay still lets this happen.
stacy_pme
·2 years agoContact eBay for businesses on Facebook now. Message them them the whole scenario and ask for their help. The fact that the item isn't showing delivered to YOUR ADDRESS is enough for you to appeal and win.
kensgiftshop
·2 years agoNo it's not.
Doesn't matter where it's delivered, just has to show delivered somewhere.
vintagecraze50
·2 years agoAh, no, Scammer send to wrong return address-go after them.
vintagecraze50
·2 years agoYes, get with ebay on Facebook because going through a regular CSR on this issue will get you nowhere.
kensgiftshop
·2 years agoA lot of sellers experience it trying to sell those iPhones.
Get a letter from USPS stating that the address on the label was changed and it was not addressed to you.
File mail fraud and a police report.
Once you have all that, appeal the case.
toottoot727
OP2 years agoUnfortunately in this case the USPS did not have a photo of the package. From what I understand all parcels are photographed but somehow this one was missed. I will get a statement from the local postmaster saying that the tracking number information and the address on the package were not a match. Also doing the police report and will file a fraud report with the US postal inspector website.
The more I search on this the more I see that this is a very common scam.