Bait and Switch?

[slh0519]

Buyer purchases book in new condition, valued at $150. Buyer then claims item not as described and returns book. However, the returned book is not the book that was shipped. The shipped book was a second edition in mint condition; the returned book is a third edition in passable condition. I disputed the refund. Buyer then went to their credit card company and filed a dispute. Also, there is a receipt in the book with a June 23 purchase date. What should I do?

[1786davycrockett]

@slh0519 

Report the buyer (this option is offered on the drop-down column on the "Shipped orders" page, to the right of "View order details".  I'm not sure what actions eBay may take against the buyer; but if enough sellers file complaints against this buyer, perhaps eBay will remove them.

Contact the post office at the ZIP Code from which the book was finally delivered, and open up a "Mail Fraud" case against the buyer.  Again, nothing may happen; but at least the fraud case will be on the buyer's record.

Contact the police department in the locale in which the buyer is located, and request that a theft case be opened against the buyer.  Again, nothing may happen; but at least there will be a police complaint against the buyer.

Check to see if there is a computer crimes unit in your own state, as well as the state in which the buyer lives, and file claims against the buyer with each unit.

After all of the above, contact the buyer to inform him of ALL the actions which you have taken against him, and request that the buyer return the REAL book that the buyer has stolen.

Perhaps the buyer will return your book.  

If not, you have a $150.00 tax write-off for theft.

Good luck.

[duffy4444]

    I had nearly the same thing happen to me abut 15 years ago with a new $75 book I sent. The scammer said it was used, sent me a photo of what was obviously his old, damaged book he wanted replaced. I emailed back that he is welcome to return the book, and upon receiving it I would confirm it was the new book I sent to him by an invisible secret mark on one of the pages, which I said I put into all my valuable books. Upon revealing the mark on the returned book, I would then cheerfully refund him.

   I never heard from him again, and there was no return.

  This may not deter all scammers or prevent a credit card chargeback, but it's worth a shot in the future. It worked for me. By the way, there was no invisible secret mark, but it did let him know I was onto his scam without my saying so. That way it was up to the scammer to think of the possible consequences of pulling a stunt like that on a smart seller who is onto the scam, and just may go so far as to report the fraud.

Cheers, Duffy 

[slh0519]

Great advice. My daughter is an online theft attorney and she mentioned several of the things you suggested (I was so upset I didn’t even call her until after I had posted). 

[inhawaii]

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@slh0519 wrote:

What should I do?

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Block the buyer and move on.

[slh0519]

Thank you. I thought of doing this in future sales. I can add a mark that you’d have to know about to notice.

Thanks for responding. 

S. Hemphill

[maxine*j]

Hope you get a satisfactory resolution of this, and I'm sorry it happened to you.

Just a word of friendly advice:  When you discuss this situation, do not call it "bait and switch."  Bait and switch is a selling tactic, illegal in most jurisdictions, where a seller advertises some desirable item at a low price to lure buyers in, and then claims it is out of stock and/or pressures the buyer to purchase something else that is either inferior or more expensive.

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[maxine*j]

I knew a bookseller who actually did this.  On page 32 of every book he sold, he oh-so-lightly filled in with pencil the first lower-case letter o that appeared on that page.

I honestly do not know if it ever did him any good, push come to shove;  but, like you, he felt it would be a deterrent.

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