A little preface, I’m not a store or some power seller. I don’t sell much at all, I’m just a regular guy that believed eBay was the place to go if I needed to sell things I owned but didn’t use any more. That is how they advertise themselves. Little did I know how much a dishonest buyer with the help of eBay could rip off sellers. I have never felt so betrayed and frauded by a platform I trusted in all my life. Towards the end of December I sold a 2018 Mac mini on ebay in a buy it now listing for $780 to help get my family through the holidays during a rough period due to unemployment issues that had stemmed from the pandemic. The buyer had already messaged me a week earlier offering me a lowball offer that also asked for me to include extras that I hadn’t listed (a wall Mount because I said in the listing that the computer was in great condition and had been in a wall Mount since I brought it home). He sent me the offer through messages and I ignored it because I had the listing set up for no offers. A week later they bought it and I noticed when I read the sold email that it was the same person. The buyer decided 11 days after delivery that they wanted to return my non returnable item due to the cause of “item not as described” and claimed the computer had a small dent, which it wasn’t dented at all when I packaged it in the original box that was within a new box with lots of bubble wrap. They also claimed it was experiencing kernel panics, which I had never experienced before either. I called eBay and asked what I had to do because my listing offer was listed as no returns and was told to message them and work it out with them. So I messaged them within 24 hours and asked about the damage, and asked about what devices they might have hooked up to the computer because I also sent solutions that I found from Apple when I was trying to figure out what problem it was that they were describing to me, and it suggested that maybe incompatible hardware was attached. I told them that I really needed to know what kind of damage there was and if they could send a picture so I could see the damage because if it was seriously damaged I would have to make a Usps claim because I had insured it for $900 The buyer didn’t respond, so the next day I sent a follow up email asking if they received my message and what they found out about devices attached. The buyer responded the following day and told me that they made a Usps claim and that they would let me know as the deadline approached. A week later they messaged back and said “Please accept the return as I do not wish to be responsible for this issue. The USPS just dropped this off with another delivery moments ago. I do not wish to release this item out my custody unless it’s heading back to you. The intermittent kernel panic is not our issue nor is it a attached device issue unless USB-C monitor. Accept the return or I’ll be forced to elevate to eBay to disposition. Sorry!” To which I responded with ”I asked previously just for a picture of the damage and I asked if the box was damaged when you received it. I never asked or expected you to file a claim, you took that up yourself. Can you send me a picture of the damage and can you tell me what Usps has delivered you today regarding the package? I’m just trying to figure out what’s going on with it and if it is damaged and what my next steps are.” The buyer decided then to escalate the case to eBay and wouldn’t respond to me. I received two emails from ebay on January 26th. The first email telling me to send a shipping label, the second email saying the case was placed on hold while they asked the buyer for more information about the damage. I called ebay that same day, the 26th and asked what I had to do because the emails were conflicting. The ebay representative I spoke to told me to wait until I heard back from ebay because they were asking the buyer for more information regarding the damage. I waited, like I was asked to do, and then ebay closed the case in favor of the buyer, without any requirement for the buyer to send the computer back. Any contact with ebay now is unsuccessful because they claim the case is closed now because I failed to respond and they can't reopen it. Ebay won't acknowledge the fact that I didn't choose to not respond, but chose to wait for further direction from ebay like I was asked when I contacted ebay. Now that the case is closed, I also no longer have an option to send the buyer a return shipping label. When I message the buyer, the buyer tells me they won't send the computer back and that I’ll have to go through ebay to get the computer back the same way they had to go through eBay to get their money back, but ebay won't let me send a shipping label, which is what the buyer claims is the only way they’ll send it back. I’ve called and emailed ebay multiple times seeking for a way to get my computer back but they won’t help me. I’ve reported the buyer for making false claims but that hasn’t seemed to help either. What do I do? I don’t know how to send a shipping label because I don’t know the weight or box size or anything. I took it to the post office when I shipped it originally and they put it on a scale and gave me a price. Is there a universal shipping label I can buy and send the buyer that will adjust to whatever it needs to be and charge me when it’s shipped? Do I have any options if the buyer decides to continue to ignore my messages and requests? I’m out of a nice Mac computer and $780 and I have a defect on my account now.
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