Received a return from a buyer that I didn't sell to

Not sure if this is the genesis of a possible scam, but today I received a vacuum bot battery misaddressed to me. I recently ordered one, for a different model, but don't see how that would be related.

I have a "packing slip" (a folded-up white piece of paper) which was included along with the item...

Item: Battery For Ecovacs Deebot 605 665 DC3G D03G DO3G. 11 DO3G.12 DO3G.23 DS5G DN620

Return reason: Wrong size or doesn't fit
eBay return ID: (for ebay)

eBay item number: 358253224883
eBay buyer ID: (for ebay)

eBay order number: (for ebay)

I figure I should just hold onto it, not try to contact the putative buyer (who I have the name and address for) and wait for the seller to initiate an action as "if the item is shown as "delivered" to the wrong person, it is treated as a fraudulent return. The seller should file a police/postal report and submit this evidence to eBay to appeal."

I've only sold a few things on ebay, and not in the past 15+ years.

samhabash

105 View listings

Posted 4 months ago · Edited 4 months ago·Last reply 4 months ago

8 comments

samhabash

OP4 months ago

105 View listings

@a_c_green makes a lot of sense - now I have to worry about my own purchased knockoff battery, but at that point I can get a different robot vac. You live, you learn.

albertabrightalberta

·4 months ago

I can explain it to you but I can't understand it for you.104 View listings

@samhabash wrote:
@a_c_greenmakes a lot of sense - now I have to worry about my own purchased knockoff battery, but at that point I can get a different robot vac. You live, you learn.

@samhabash

The seller is the scammer, not the buyer.

Since the seller is dropshipping, he couldn't have the item returned to Amazon or whoever sent it but since you were also a buyer of the same seller, he just used your address for the return shipping label.

kensgiftshop

·4 months ago

389 View listings

@samhabash

It's probably like @a_c_green said.

Don't be surprised if you receive some more returns from that seller.

They'll use your address for a little bit, then change it, so another member will receive them.

samhabash

OP4 months ago

105 View listings

Here's what I bought, I can't think the seller told the buyer to send it elsewhere besides to them, assuming this is not some drop-ship or I'm getting roped into something fishy.

Item number: 358253373311

a_c_green

·4 months ago

4168 View listings

@samhabash wrote:
Here's what I bought, I can't think the seller told the buyer to send it elsewhere besides to them, assuming this is not some drop-ship or I'm getting roped into something fishy.

No, you're fine. The seller, according to their feedback from unhappy buyers (as well as some less-than-convincing listing photos) sells fake and knockoff batteries intended to fit popular devices. They don't want the batteries returned to them (all the way back to China at their expense), so they pick some randomly-selected US address (yours, in this case) and have the return go there (using a Return label that they generate and send to their buyer). That satisfies eBay's return policy and keeps their record clean at minimal cost.

You might be surprised by more returns in the future, but you're not on the hook for anything. Maybe you'll get something more interesting next time. 😉

kensgiftshop

·4 months ago

389 View listings

@a_c_green wrote:
@samhabash wrote:
Here's what I bought, I can't think the seller told the buyer to send it elsewhere besides to them, assuming this is not some drop-ship or I'm getting roped into something fishy.
No, you're fine. The seller, according to their feedback from unhappy buyers (as well as some less-than-convincing listing photos) sells fake and knockoff batteries intended to fit popular devices. They don't want the batteries returned to them (all the way back to China at their expense), so they pick some randomly-selected US address (yours, in this case) and have the return go there (using a Return label that they generate and send to their buyer). That satisfies eBay's return policy and keeps their record clean at minimal cost.

You might be surprised by more returns in the future, but you're not on the hook for anything. Maybe you'll get something more interesting next time. 😉

I've never understood why they do that?

If they don't want the item back, just refund and let them keep the item and not be out any money on the return shipping.

a_c_green

·4 months ago

4168 View listings

@kensgiftshop wrote:
I've never understood why they do that?
If they don't want the item back, just refund and let them keep the item and not be out any money on the return shipping.

I've wondered that myself. I can come up with a couple of theories:

Either the seller thinks (rightly or wrongly) that eBay doesn't penalize sellers as much (if at all) if they send Return labels instead of just refunding outright, or...
(and here we get into Irony territory 😉) they're afraid that if word gets around that they provide free refunds without requiring returns first, they'll be getting ripped off all the time by dubious buyers of their dubious products.

christworks

·4 months ago

1329 View listings

@a_c_green wrote:

You might be surprised by more returns in the future, but you're not on the hook for anything. Maybe you'll get something more interesting next time. 😉

You mean something like this? 😆