eBay

Anonymous · ‎08-03-2021

Has anyone else had issues with buyer's uploading a tracking # immediately after opening a return request and when the return arrives is it something silly like a new shoe string or a key chain but not the $905 iPhone 12 Pro Max 128GB that they purchased? This has happened to us several times in the past month but when we ask eBay to step in and help they decide in the buyers favor. These buyer's are obviously running a shipping scam and eBay says it not the buyer's fault for returning the wrong item. After doing some research we discovered they all have something in common in that they were all shipped to forwarding services which is supposed to strictly prohibited by eBay. We have exhausted many hours on the phone with eBay agents that do not understand the situation and couldn't make decisions on cases even if they do. Any shared experiences or suggested resolutions would be greatly appreciated.

Kind regards

lamber9347 · ‎08-03-2021

@Anonymous Yes, this is a known scam. Mainly targets electronics, mobile phones, and newer sellers. The reason eBay doesn't get involved is because you cannot prove what was shipped back to you. It becomes he said/she said. Although we all know what really occurred here. Your best bet is to notify the authorities. You have all the contact info for this buyer. If more sellers would follow through on reporting them then they will be stopped in the end. Sometimes all is takes is a visit from the local police to make them stop. Obviously this only applies to domestic buyers.

Those agents you are referring to are not trained, nor equipped to speak on these cases. So you are exhausting your hours talking to them because they cannot assist you any further. You should still report the buyer to eBay because if the same account receives enough complaints, they will get suspended. Best of luck to you....

Anonymous · ‎08-03-2021

Thank you so much for the reply. We did file police reports and because all these transactions where with buyers that are using accounts from the US but are actually in other countries like Georgia and Lithuania we have no legal recourse. Additionally, we have started taking videos as we receive suspicious returns and provided those, along with still images, showing the tracking # on the package which matches the one uploaded by the buyer. We then sent eBay customer help links to said videos and even after viewing the videos they still decide in the buyers favor. Really frustrating that eBay is failing, on what we would assume is a fairly large scale, to protect sellers from criminals. Sellers definitely need to ban together as eBay would be more likely to listen when we speak in numbers.

stainlessenginecovers · ‎08-03-2021

Videos and Pictures can easily be manipulated, as well as 'not the item that you actually received' 'actually sent' etc. so that is why they are not permitted as 'evidence' of anything.

collage*paper*glue · ‎08-03-2021

Yes. Apparently this is a “thing”. I accept returns and a buyer complained of an item having a horrible smell - which it did not but I apologized and went along with “the customer”.

I received and shipping notice and tracking number immediately and was stupid enough to believe a package was on the way and hit “refund”. BIG mistake. Should have waited on the actual return delivery because once she got her refund she never took the item to the post office - per my informed delivery.

Never got the item back. Discovered she’s a reseller of items like the one she bought from me and also sells other places. Makes it look very shady. So, basically Ebay did nothing to the buyer and I refunded her money AND she kept the item.

The more I read posts in the community forums, the more it’s looking like these people (in your case, at least) are making your ebay store a place to source inventory for resell? In any event, I’m sorry this happened to you. It’s infuriating. It appears that buyers are catching on to this and using any excuse to get refunded and keep the item. Where I come from, that’s called stealing.

Anonymous · ‎08-04-2021

Just had another return opened today reporting that the iPhone they bought from us is carrier locked and we actually got the return last week. These iPhone 12s were not ever carrier locked as they were original purchased from Apple. When we asked the buyer when they returned the item and where they returned it from they went silent. Again the return label on the package is from a business (Asics America Corp. - the shoe company) not the address we shipped the order to. See attached image. The tracking # is the same tracking # that the buyer provided for the return.

Conversation with buyer:

New message from:

)

I Sent item back to you in original packaging via fedex: 526092233540

please refund me as soon as possible. thank you.

Reply

Your previous message

Hello buyer,

These phones were not and never have been carrier locked as these are factory unlocked, nor do we guarantee they will work with all carries. We would be happy to accept your return but we would ask that you close the return request that reports the device as defective and open another request with reason "changed my mind" as claiming this device is defective when it is not is a reportable offense. We take these matters very seriously because we have been experiencing a high volume of fraudulent returns with these. eBay has informed us that this particular model is highly targeted by criminals and to be aware. Were will you be returning the device from so that we can get started on the return on our end? Thank you so much for your understanding in this matter and you cooperation in processing this return.

Kind regards,

Still sealed in packaging (Front)Still sealed in packaging (back)Way too small to be an iPhone 12

DO NOT SHIP ORDERS TO THE ADDRESS BELOW AS THEY ARE A FORWARDING SERVICE THAT FACILITATES THESE SCAMS:

We will be filling a police report tomorrow but any other suggestions on how to convince eBay that this is clearly a fraudulent return would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for any support.

Anonymous · ‎08-14-2021

Another shipping address to be aware of :

Do not ship to the following as they are forwarding services that are facilitating this criminal activity!

They may use different unit #s or unusual suite #s but all the same company! They ship to countries in eastern Europe like Georgia.

donsdetour · ‎08-14-2021

Screaming at us users don't help.

DE is a know fright forward shipping addy...

Do a search on addys with out the persons names before shipping to see what comes up..

And all them law enforcement reports you are doing: get a copy to file on the user that perpetrated the act with eBay.

You may not get them to do any thing: but such reports adding up will eventually get looked at as a security issue.

Anonymous · ‎08-14-2021

Absolutely! We are reporting every instance from here on out and also posting these address as we discover them in hope to help our fellow sellers since eBay cannot figure out how to protect us (The Sellers) from this type of criminal activity.

Anonymous · ‎08-14-2021

Yet another address to beware of!

This forwarding service is called DHL EasyShop.

The thought of a big company like DHL facilitating criminal activity like this is unnerving!

Maybe if enough sellers join together to raise the issue someone will listen.

DHL EasyShop

katzrul15 · ‎08-14-2021

@Anonymous

We are dealing with this today as well. We received a parcel back that contains an item we do not even sell.

Please report your Buyer to ebay (choose the option in the drop down box for this transaction). State they do not qualify for the Money Back Guarantee as they used a freight forwarder.

Once you have reported your Buyer, post a message to e-Bay on their Facebook for Business page. Outline what occurred, including the use of a freight forwarder.

Good luck to you. So very frustrating for sure.

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Anonymous · ‎08-15-2021

Another bad order. This make 3 in 3 days. Very disruptive to business and still causing a loss in revenue even though we are reporting the buyer and canceling the orders. We have to spend time/labor ($$$) recounting our inventory and calling eBay to get these items relisted. We also have a restriction set to bock all buyers/bidders with feedback score of less than (5). How are buyers with low feed back scores getting past the restrictions. Is eBays platform failing to implement these simple restrictions?

mama_583368 · ‎08-15-2021

@Anonymous wrote:
We also have a restriction set to bock all buyers/bidders with feedback score of less than (5). How are buyers with low feed back scores getting past the restrictions. Is eBays platform failing to implement these simple restrictions?

Unfortunately, eBay doesn't have any provision to bock bidders with a feedback score lower than any number. And that is how they are getting past these simple restrictions.

Anonymous · ‎08-15-2021

We pay extra for subscription that is supposed to allow us to do this. Like many of the other seller protections features it just fails. See 4th option under "Buyer Requirements"