Be aware! Scam on eBay!

[cerhio74]

Sent video card to buyer. He opened return case and the reason he indicated was: "I don't know who could change the package." I wrote him a few time asking to explain what happened, he didn't answer. After 5 days since he received my package I accepted a return and paid for return shipping label. The buyer didn't send item back and after more 1 week eBay decided to refund him because: "...buyer received an empty box" and "he was able to provide a documentation to support the claim". WHAT???!!! No money, no item and now I have to pay to eBay more than $100 for this scam transaction! That's insane! 12 years eBay account, more than 1000 feedbacks, positives only and now I sent empty box?! Who else was caught on this scheme?

[dbfolks166mt]

     Was this a domestic sale or did it ship overseas? I will preface my response with a couple of things. First everything I ship through USPS I take to the post office to have scanned and obtain a receipt. One of the reasons I do so is because the receipt not only has the tracking number but the weight of the package at the time USPS took possession of it. I also use a seal tape to cover every joint and seam on a package or box. The tape cannot be removed without damage to the package. While it can be cut that becomes obvious. I always take a picture of the package prior to taking it to the PO. The couple of times I have dealt with this. 

     1. Buyer send me a message indicating that an empty box arrived. I responded with a picture of the receipt from the post office that had the weight of the package and included a picture of the seal tape on the box. I asked the buyer to send me pictures of the box after he received it so I could open a mail theft report with law enforcement and the USPS. That was an easy one and I never heard anymore from the buyer. Quickly added to my BBL. 

     2. Buyer opened a SNAD case clamming the package did not contain the complete order. There were a number of parts in the package. Buyer send me a picture of the box, which while not opened had a significant hole in it. I could not prove the buyer had removed part of the contents so I accepted the return, provided a return shipping label and the buyer sent back what he received. Upon receipt  I fully refunded the buyer. I have since sold a couple of other items to this buyer with no issues so I can only assume the box was damaged and some of the contents fell out or somewhere in the shipping process the box was tampered with and some of the contents removed. 

     3. Buyer opened a SDAN case claiming empty box. I provided an image of the shipping receipt from USPS at check-in that showed the weight of the package which happened to be a regional box A. I also provided a picture of the weight of an empty regional box A and a picture of the package I sent with the sealant tape on it.  Surprisingly eBay ruled in my favor and the case was closed. Buyer also added to my BBL.

     All of these happened long before I was in managed payments and the chargeback was almost non-existent, times have changed and I doubt I would have won the 3 example in todays environment. I certainly would not have won a charge back. 

[kensgiftshop]

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@cerhio74 wrote:

 "he was able to provide a documentation to support the claim".

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What did they provide?

Was it from the carrier or a police report?

I know some have been making up fake police reports to give to Ebay.

[cerhio74]

The buyer never answered to me and he didn't provide to me anything.
eBay support just sent me a few emails where just stated:"...we requested a document coming from the buyer to support their claim for not receiving the item and they were able provide the necessary proof." They didn't provide me anything that I can see and define is this fake or not, just their words. He did that after almost 2 weeks since he received the package. Any my thoughts and suggestions to compare the pictures of package I took at post office and the pics he provided (I don't know if he did it, eBay didn't give me any answers on it) were declined by eBay support team.

[iart]

Sorry this happened to you. This is one of those tough ones. He said/she said.

Maybe the buyer did get an empty box, though not your fault.

In a claim like this, eBay will almost always side with the buyer. They expect sellers to work these things into their business model.

Does eBay track these buyers who make this claim? Do they do it often? Are they a 'new' buyer? Do they have alternate eBay IDs? Do they check their messages for threats? I don't think so.

[cerhio74]

Domestic, from IL to TX. 
I bought shipping label via eBay procedure. I don't do the selling business, I sell my personal items and during these 12 years did that probably no more than 10 times. Package was sealed with tape and as you said, it was not possible to repack that. I provided the pictures of it to eBay and told them about it, nothing. He opened a return case after 2 days as he received the package, didn't answer for all my messages, and after 11 days "provided": "...the necessary proof"! I accepted return September 9, but he didn't send my item back, and only September 15 eBay closed the case and refund him. I didn't get even empty box!

[cerhio74]

I'm not a seller doing a business on eBay, I sell just my personal stuff.
I was asking eBay support to compare the picture of the package I took at post office with his picture when he received this package, but they refused to do that. But the package was sealed with tape and it was not possible to repack that. If somebody changed the package for another one, so... he would receive completely another package and the picture could be a proof of it. But again, eBay refused to do that.
What about the weight?
The package was 3LB, but he indicated that he received empty box.

[asset_liquidators]

You need to file a complaint with your States Attorney General.

[nuclearomen]

video graphic cards have been risky sell on ebay for several months now, due to shortages from manufactures and the bitcoin mining industry buying them up people have been reporting scam claims with video cards for quite while now.  

[cerhio74]

Wow! 
Is it possible in this case?
Did you do that, or somebody else you know?
How it's look like?
Is there strong procedure, or I can write the letter?
Thank a lot in advance!

[ittybitnot]

@cerhio74 

That address is for a  commercial establishment.  Some sort of private mailbox and shipping service.  The "document" that the buyer probably provided was the usual "police report" requested by eBay.  See if you can get eBay  to give you a "copy" of this document.  Be creative, perhaps you need it for "insurance purposes"?     

Most of the times they won't,  but the occasions that the CS agent has "slipped up" and provided the copy, they were FAKE.     Contact eBay and see.   When you find out if you can get it or not, let us know. 

If you can't get it, that is OK, have them provide the reason they will not provide it.  Then come back here if you wish to continue.  You may have a chance for this.   This address has been used before for the same thing.  Imagine that. 

[ittybitnot]

@cerhio74 

[singular-source]

I am always terrified to sell expensive items on eBay.  ESPECIALLY items in certain categories.  Sellers have very little protection.  I got caught a couple times with a shipment being delayed by carrier, buyer opens a case and eBay forces you to refund and then the item is delivered the next day.  SOOL...

[singular-source]

I shipped a $1600 order to Taiwan once.  Oh man...Thankfully it all went smoothly.

[dbfolks166mt]

     One of those tough situations that happen to a lot of sellers on eBay.  The packing pictures are pretty good but the key piece that may have swayed eBay in your favor would have been a shot of the shipping receipt from the PO when you turned the package over to USPS. It has the tracking number and the weight of the package as weighed by the USPS agent when it was scanned. As a couple of others have mentioned and is eBay's standard position it's a he said, she said and eBay will almost always side with the buyer. 

     What is really sad is eBay has a large buyer base but it does nothing to protect the seller and that dissuades a lot of sellers from listing some high demand and high value items on this site. Those are also prime targets for the scammers and the seller is virtually defenceless.