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how to prove fake returns to ebay?
buyer requests a return, you receive a box with a different item in it.
apart from video taping opening the box, or video taping retrieving the box from an amazon locker (if they do deliver to the locker) how else would you prove to ebay that the buyer is returning a different item to scam me?
26 comments
kh-vince
·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.
gurlcat
·1 year agoOLD THREAD
annadryl
·1 year agoI remember this OP, supposedly an agent of a celebrity of some repute? Used her pic as an avatar.
I think they sold art, like prints...
fern*wood
·1 year agoOh yes, I remember that OP. Some will understand me asking did you ever open the box!
jonathanbrightlight
·1 year agoSo many times, you and a few others asked that question.
luckythewinner
·1 year agoapart from video taping opening the box, or video taping retrieving the box from an amazon locker (if they do deliver to the locker)
You make it sound as if any of that would prove anything to eBay.
how else would you prove to ebay that the buyer is returning a different item to scam me?
There is no way to prove to eBay that the buyer is returning a different item. Every eBay transaction carries the risk of a fraudulent dispute.
25thstreetpeddler
·1 year agoI don’t get those responses because they don’t seem to answer your question. How you prove that what you shipped is the same as what was returned depends on the type of item, not on the price or whether you accept free returns. It’s especially straightforward with items that have serial or lot numbers, expiration dates, or signs of use. You can even document material quality with close-up photos.
Photograph every angle and surface of the item you ship, focusing on distinctive marks or assigned numbers. Many packaged goods also have identifying marks or codes that a counterfeiter wouldn’t know to replicate. You don’t need to post all those photos in the listing, but keep them for later. Consistent photography and image metadata—between photos you do and don’t post—can prove they were taken at the same time and show it’s the same item.
So, if a return is requested and the returned item doesn’t match what you shipped, something in your photos should reveal that. The pre-shipment photos should be easy to reproduce on the alleged return and demonstrate the two items aren’t the same. That’s how you prove to eBay or another platform that the items don’t match. It isn’t foolproof, but it’s far better than having no documentation.
How far you go depends on the sale price. Would I do this for items under $20? No—I don’t accept returns under $20 and typically issue refunds because it isn’t worth the time or cost. For items over $50 or $100, I definitely take the extra photos and archive them in the cloud. I save each item’s photos in a folder named with the item ID so I can find them quickly.
Otherwise, for lower-value items, it can be simpler to accept the fake return, document that you believe the items are different and explain how you think the customer swapped them, then refund only 50% of the purchase price (minus any shipping you covered). Let them complain—chances are they won’t pursue the full amount.
1786davycrockett
·1 year ago@iamcara
You can always report the theft as a loss on your income tax returns.
janet9988
·1 year agoNot sure what you mean by fake.....
Ebay allows buyers to return anything a buyer contended is counterfeit, fake, etc..
tobaccocardyahoo
·1 year agoOne of the ways to aid returns fraud is to sell items which are likely to be returned or lead to a request to return.
Key to that is to avoid listing items which are easily converted into cash.
Items which can be turned into cash with a local sale on Craigslist or Facebook marketplace are high risk.
Its which people receive which displease them are also at risk of returns fraud because they blame the seller for their displeasure.
You have some thousand dollar paintings which are by unidentified artists and offered as brand new. Should they sell, they might boomerang. Unless the buyer thinks they can identify the artist they are unlikely to buy. If they receive it and the artist is not who they thought it was -- here goes the return risk.
One of the skills sellers develop as they sell in Ebay is how to avoid risk and hassle. I do a lot more to avoid hassle than I did 20 years ago, both on Ebay and in life. So many things I would have offered for sale online are sold in other ways, or avoided.
iamcara
OP1 year agoIt was a bit of an odd problem, but eBay kept delisting my paintings because there was a full name associated with the listings (even though it is an artist's pen name and not their full legal name).
Thus I have been uploading the rest of the inventory (which consists up to around 500+ paintings, without any names in the title or description.
And yes I had to raise the prices of all of my gold and silver items for the reasons you listed.
lakefor94
·1 year agoYou are not going to be able to prove anything.
As another poster stated, I go with the Free Returns and can do the 50% refund if I need to use it.
If you are a Top Rated Seller, all you have to do is accept 30 day returns.
This will deter some of the fraud, especially the experienced fraudsters.
I am Top rated and do free returns anyways to garner more sales with buyer confidence.
stephenmorgan
·1 year agoIf you make one continuous taping of the package and can clearly the package is not opened to start with why would eBay not accept it? A Court of Law often accepts video taped occurrences as evidence the same as they do with eMails.
Someone posted on the Community a while ago that eBay did accept their video and approved their claim.
1786davycrockett
·1 year ago@stephenmorgan
"If you make one continuous taping of the package and can clearly the package is not opened to start with why would eBay not accept it?"
Because your videotape does not show continuous "chain of custody," from the seller's hands directly to the buyer. Unless the seller can provide a continuous video record, from the seller placing the item into the container and sealing the container; followed without interruption, cutting or splicing by the same seller delivering it directly into the buyer's hands, then there is no video proof of whatever may have occurred to the package between Point A and Point B.
The seller has no proof of what may have happened to the package between the time the package was dropped off at the carrier, and the time that the carrier made the delivery into the buyer's hands.
Too many variables may have occurred between those two times, and the seller would be unable to provide 100% "chain of custody" as verification.
annadryl
·1 year agoI'm sorry it happened, but it's bound to happen eventually when you sell online. You kind of have to eat it up.
That said: You have many listings with the asking price of thousands of dollars each. Are you sure you want to sell such things to people unseen on the internet? Sellers can rarely win a dispute because ebay isn't there to know what really went down. Videos can be faked on both sides.
My comfort zone is about $200 tops.
iamcara
OP1 year agoits very difficult to sell paintings in physical gallery settings.
one needs many connections and be invited to the right parties, etc, etc
family ties.. etc maybe country clubs.. have no idea
indeed if u owned a thousand pounds of gold and had nothing else.. maybe u are in a desert or something, you would be a poor man doomed to die
its the nature of our society that everything is spread apart. like we are on some kind of human farm or something. we got to drive to places instead of walk most of the time
so selling online is ideal.
most expensive thing ive sold thus far is around 300 dollars, about twice.
hope to sell something worth a thousand soon, and it wouldn't surprise me if my first sale ends up being some kind of scam, but then again been selling expensive paintings on saatchi for a few years without issue (though very slowly)
vintagecraze50
·1 year agoThe solution here on ebay for these occasional thefts is to offer fre returns. In doing so you can deduct up to 50 percent off the refund if the thief steal the merch. This practice most definately slows down these thieves on here when they get a surprise with Hal of what they spent back.
stainlessenginecovers
·1 year ago@vintagecraze50 does NOT have to be FREE Returns; just has to be 30 Day Returns (even 'buyer pays shipping' still qualifies) as well as be Top Rated.
albertabrightalberta
·1 year agoIf a buyer returns a different item, you have no other option than to issue a refund and report the buyer.
Ebay won't tell you anything but it'll be on the buyer's record and if there's a pattern, ebay will probably take action against the buyer at some point in the future.
As for your belief that videotaping yourself opening the box, that's a waste of time. Ebay doesn't accept videos.
iamcara
OP1 year agois there any kind of way of taking this person to court if he is a buyer who is out of state?
dnasilver
·1 year agoYou can sue anyone you want or level charges against them to law enforcement. Where it goes from there depends on the evidence you have.
reallynicestamps
·1 year agoou can sue anyone you want or level charges against them to law enforcement.
This would usually be considered a civil dispute by the police , unless there is a record of such behaviour, surely?
Small Claims Courts are more and more flexible about boundaries.
DD had a Small Claims case (admittedly with the landlord of the property next door) and the whole thing was handled online, mostly with emails, not even a Zoom or FaceTime hearing. She won. The guy sold the house to the current lovely owners.
@stainlessenginecovers Lawyers are allowed in Small Claims. They are not required and are generally too expensive for the small amounts being disputed.
But large firms, for example, will send in a legal team if they believe the principle is worth arguing.
stainlessenginecovers
·1 year ago@reallynicestamps not in Cali (native there 60 years) but after 'googling, yes, you CAN have them in a handful of states- most of the 'bigger' states- no no.
johnrj1226
·1 year agoThere is always a way to sue somebody - if you have the time $$ and evidence. You might want to check into small claims court in your home town and see what they say. Or contact "Judge Judy" to see if you can get on her show or one of those other TV court shows where you wouldn't have pony up some funds but just your time and a ride to get to & from the airport and get a paid for plane ride, hotel stay and meals. Worth a shot EH?
GL
stainlessenginecovers
·1 year agoAssuming you're talking Small Claims (note- no lawyers allowed in Small Claims) and if you want to 'Sue' in Superior Court, costs you probably much more out of pocket that the item is worth, then you can add 'costs' to your case, but- you have to
a.) go to THEIR State (after finding someone to 'serve' them)
b.) Even if you win, then you have to fight them back in court or get a court order for Non Payment if they choose not to pay, something YOU Have to pay out of pocket for all those costs.
Seldom is something sold on ebay that is worth all that
luckythewinner
·1 year agois there any kind of way of taking this person to court if he is a buyer who is out of state?
Sure - just file a lawsuit in the proper jurisdiction. But taking someone to court is one thing; winning the case (and collecting on any judgement) is something else entirely.