Return Scam

[spooky_cookie]

Hi Everyone, does anyone have experiences with this: 

I sold a 100% authentic 2004 Dior Jacket to a guy. Everything went well, money is on my bank account. Almost two weeks later he initiated a return/refund process and wrote me that the buttons are fake (which we cleared up aren't). He already has three of these jackets at home and saw that the button/backsides are the same on all of them including the one he bought from me. Now he claims the positioning/ratio of the imprint on the back buttons "does not seem" the same. He sent pics, that is not true either. 
To me it looks like he just changed his mind and would like his money back. Maybe he's a scammer, I don't know that. I won't refund, I will wait until Ebay get's in. I can prove the jacket is authentic - from what I've been reading online, Ebay does not care much about what the seller says. 
Does anyone have experience with how this goes down if Ebay gets into the process? 
Much appreciated. 

[12345jamesstamps · Accepted solution]

'how this goes down if eBay gets into the process'...eBay will take refund from you and buyer will usually keep the item. That's in a 'nutshell'.

Do a return shipping label and refund buyer.

[house*of*paws]

Hi @spooky_cookie 

Waiting for eBay to get involved is one of the worst things you can do.   eBay will refund the buyer with your money and let them keep the item.  They’ll also charge you fees and add a ‘defect’ to your account.

If the buyer filed a formal return request … then provide a prepaid shipping label so that you’ll at least get your item back before being forced to refund.

With so many counterfeit items being listed … the buyer may just be being overly cautious.  Hopefully, you’ll be able to sell the jacket again quickly … this time to someone who recognizes its authenticity.  🙂

[soh.maryl]

If the buyer has already opened an item not as described case, you really need to quit wasting time.

You need to send this person a prepaid return label and to refund when you receive the item back.

The very last thing you want is for eBay to get involved.  If/when that happens, they will refund the buyer in total from your funds and tell the buyer to keep it.  

Is that really the result you want?  

[soh.maryl]

And then re-read the Money Back Guarantee for buyers so that you'll see what your options actually are in a case like this.  

[albertabrightalberta]

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@spooky_cookie wrote:

To me it looks like he just changed his mind and would like his money back.

*snip*

I won't refund, I will wait until Ebay get's in. 

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That's not the smartest move you'll make! When you let ebay step in, they will give the buyer a refund (from your funds) AND let him keep the jacket! 

So what if he changed his mind? With your "no return" policy, maybe the buyer assumed he needed an excuse to return it so he claimed it was fake. 

Whether it's an honest allegation or not, you won't be happy if you wait for ebay's decision! 

[kensgiftshop]

If you let Ebay get involved, you won't liken the ending.

They'll refund the buyer from your account, let them keep the jacket, keep their fee's and you'll get a defect for not handling the return.

[mtgraves7984]

Does anyone have experience with how this goes down if Ebay gets into the process? 

@spooky_cookie 

A lot of sellers have experience with what happens. A lot of sellers have knowledge about what happens. 

Take the advice of these knowledgeable posters... if a Return is initiated, approve it, get the jacket back, refund the buyer... then reprice and relist it for the right buyer. Good luck.

[bonjourami]

"This is a private sale, no guarantees, no refunds."

It seems to me that having this in your tos was just asking for trouble. As you have found out, it does not protect you from a return and refunding with Ebays MBG. I hope you get your original jacket back, good luck. 

[vonandron]

There's no such thing as no returns on eBay.  They buyer will claim "not as advertised" and eBay will ALWAYS side with the buyer.  As others have said, if you get eBay involved you will lose the money AND the jacket.  I changed my listings to accepting returns several months ago due to this very issue.  At least that way the buyer has to pay for return shipping.  If you're lucky, the buyer will return the actual jacket and you'll only be out the initial shipping charge.  There has been a dramatic increase lately in buyers "renting" clothes.  They buy something nice on eBay, wear the item, then claim it doesn't fit or whatever, and start a return.  To add insult to injury, they have a MONTH to do this and then three MORE weeks to actually ship the item back.  eBay will do nothing to help you - seller support is nonexistent.    

[fbusoni]

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@vonandron wrote:

I changed my listings to accepting returns several months ago due to this very issue.  At least that way the buyer has to pay for return shipping.      

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@vonandron 

That's true if the buyer files a remorse return.  But most buyers know that all they need to do is file an "item not as described" and that will obligate you, the seller, to pay for the return.   

And you will get a defect / strike in your metrics, to boot.

It's better to just offer to pay for returns... that way you avoid INADs.  The return is going to happen one way or another.

A few years back I started offering paid returns and I've gotten one since -- a remorse return that I offered to pay for.  The customer was so happy that she returned and bought more from me. 

[aproudparent2010]

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@spooky_cookie wrote:

Hi Everyone, does anyone have experiences with this: 

I sold an (absof***kinglutely) 100% authentic 2004 Dior Jacket to a guy. Everything went well, money is on my bank account. Almost two weeks later he initiated a return/refund process and wrote me that the buttons are fake (which we cleared up aren't). He already has three of these jackets at home and saw that the button/backsides are the same on all of them including the one he bought from me. Now he claims the positioning/ratio of the imprint on the back buttons "does not seem" the same. He sent pics, that is not true either. 
To me it looks like he just changed his mind and would like his money back. Maybe he's a scammer, I don't know that. I won't refund, I will wait until Ebay get's in. I can prove the jacket is authentic - from what I've been reading online, Ebay does not care much about what the seller says. 
Does anyone have experience with how this goes down if Ebay gets into the process? 
Much appreciated. 

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If you don't supply a return label then eBay can step in and let the buyer keep the item and get a refund.

You are better off to not get eBay involved

[vonandron]

You're very fortunate.  I've had four returns in the past two months - all saying something like "didn't fit".  It wouldn't be that big of a deal except one waited 29 days to initiate the return - I guess it took her that long to determine it was too small.  Then, she took 2.5 weeks to bring it to the post office.  I still haven't received the item back and it will be out of season by the time I do receive it and therefore difficult to sell.  Another buyer did a similar thing a few months ago.  Waited 3.5 weeks to initiate the return, finally returned it two weeks later.  When I got it back it was obvious it had been worn - had deoderant stains and smelled of cheap perfume.  It was an expensive blouse that I then had to pay to have cleaned before I could try and sell it again, but since it was a holiday blouse when I finally sold it, it was for half of what it initially sold for.  During the holiday season social media was full of posts stating people were "renting" expensive clothing from eBay, wearing the item to a holiday party, and then returning it claiming it didn't fit.  The only thing it cost them was the return postage.  Since I only sell my own things, this isn't a "business" for me.  It's really sad and makes selling on eBay a lot less enjoyable.   

[grand-and-glorious-purpose]

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@spooky_cookie wrote:

I won't refund 

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Oh you most certainly will.

[spooky_cookie]

Thanks all! You were all very helpful. He luckily retracted the return process, I kept my money, he kept the jacket. 

But for the future I at least know now. The last time I sold anything on ebay was probably 10 years ago. Things changed haha.