Beginning of the scam?

[beautifulbeauty2012]

Got a message from a buyer stating that I sent wrong item, which I don`t have or sell, don`t even know what it is. Replied to her that, and that she contacted wrong seller.

Buyer: strange, it is exactly the same tracking as what I bought from you

Me: My package is in Florida (she bought the item on 1/11, today is 1/13), no way it is my item (she is a couple of thousand miles away).

Buyer: (no apology) ok, only 12 first numbers as in your tracking.

Does this look like a repeat scam to you? First of all, nobody checks tracking by "first 12 numbers", it is a lie. Second, no apology as it would had been with a buyer who made a mistake.

eBay is a magnet for those scammers. I wonder if it is just the beginning of the scam, seems like she is very comfortable sending such generic (doesn`t state what is my item was, looks like copy and paste message).

Any advise would be appreciated. 

[dhbookds]

just let it go......you don't indicate she's asking for anything....she may have said that about the 12 numbers as an explanation of the mistake. 

[beautifulbeauty2012]

She was waiting for my response to ask for "something". Messaging back and forth until she realized nothing is available as of right now.

Btw, she has almost 40 (!) revised feedbacks! Looks like she is a snake who is not honest as a seller (maybe those are as a buyer when eBay allowed to leave negatives to buyers - makes sense) and then plays along to revise feedbacks. I had never seen a user with so many revised feedbacks. Definitely a **bleep**.

[a_c_green]

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@beautifulbeauty2012 wrote:

Btw, she has almost 40 (!) revised feedbacks!

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Yikes. That's a new one on me. I've seen bid retractions into the hundreds and thousands, but not feedback revisions. What does her Feedback Left for Others look like? 

I think what she's saying is that the first 12 digits of her problem shipment matched the first 12 digits of yours, and since the tracking numbers are constructed, not randomly generated, that is entirely possible. I would just stick with pointing out to her that her package from you has not actually arrived yet, and leave it at that.

[beautifulbeauty2012]

I see some feedback left to sellers being removed and in this format "--", but generally she leaves positives.

Then again - it depends on a temptation to switch Chanel perfume (she bought from me) to some pharmacy brand (that is what she claimed she received from me). If she buys pharmacy brand, then she obviously won`t claim she got Chanel.

[beautifulbeauty2012]

Not sure why someone would check first 12 digits of a shipment. I personally just click on a tracking of my order if I am a buyer, and even when I check packages as a seller, I check four last digits first, never 'the first 12".

Looks like she was sending exact same message to a few sellers with high end brands and "offered" i.e. claimed she got a pharmacy brand. Why would you sent a message if you just bough it (I didn`t even have to ship it for a week yet) - she saw Chanel was shipped and I was targeted. 

She is either living in a lala land and don`t know how to check tracking (which is hard to believe since she buys thousands of items), or a professional scammer who switches high end brands to some junk.

[deetsy2009]

I was scammed too!
I sent a product and the customer wrote to me - she got the wrong item - I NEVER had in my stock.
And Now it is again!!
The buyer got an Item and wrote to me- he did not like it.

I sell brand NEW items only and it stated in my listing - I do NOT take items back!!
BUT  Ebay sent a note to me - I have to take this item back and PAY for the return shipping!!

and I'm selling on ebay for 15 years and  I have 100% positive big feedback and Ebat do NOT care about US Sellers.

ANd this is opened a WIDE road to an ARMY of scammers.

I do not know what to do and how to Protect myself.

Any  Ideas?

[reallynicestamps]

and it stated in my listing - I do NOT take items back!!

You can refuse returns but you cannot refuse refunds.

If this is your first * Dispute in 15 years of selling, you are well above average. Retail average for Failed Transactions is around one percent.

AZ says they get about 40% returns. A good reason for not selling there.

It's business not personal.

Send the return shipping label.

If you get back what you sent, refund, relist it and Block the dipstick customer.

If you get something else, eBay will consider your complaint.

Remember that your costs for this transaction , even though it has failed, are tax deductible along with your eBay fees, and packaging costs.

And Now it is again!!
The buyer got an Item and wrote to me- he did not like it.

Hmmm-- normally that would be considered Buyer Remorse and she would have to pay for the return.

Were you so upset by the complaint that you did not bring that Message to eBay's attention?

* Oh, you have had two recent disputes, but none before? Still doing very well.

[reallynicestamps]

I see some feedback left to sellers being removed and in this format "--", but generally she leaves positives.

Ugh.

Those are removed because the seller complained -- they were either vulgar or mentioned a Dispute. Neither is allowed.

Bad news.

[futuremarine2011]

she thought you were her patsy and didnt pay attention and got her wires crossed to the other seller she was trying to swindle at the moment. hey, if its any consolation im sure shes sorry. 

[beautifulbeauty2012]

When I sense that something is fishy, I do the following:

1. Contact sellers who already left a buyer in question positive feedback right after payment, and ask then if they had any issues. Usually (in 99%) I get a positive response that they did indeed had an issue. You`d be surprised for how long eBay allows scammers to get free stuff and rip off sellers! From switching old plates to wearing a swimsuit to a shoot then returning it...I can write a booklet. Then, you have to feed eBay with the work you did and point to messages with those victims to get your money back.

2. Report to eBay in a form (click on Report Buyer), doesn`t really do anything, eBay doesn`t read those, but at least you do it for your own record. 

3. Report scammer buyer to Badbuyerlist.org The site doesn`t have a good database, but at least you`ll be helping other sellers who will come across the scammer, and it will be easier to get rid of them.

Sellers cannot leave a real negative feedback, and eBay really damages sellers by this policy. At least on Mercari, sellers can see not only what a buyer left to other sellers, but also how many returns was done (it calls cancellations - not when a seller cancels, but when you see by a profile number of cancellation), I do not ship to those potential buyers with red flags. 

[beautifulbeauty2012]

I highly doubt that a pathological liers who thrive on eBay feel sorry when scamming sellers. This scammer buys food items such as caviar...I bet she claims it doesn`t taste right after eating it and rips of sellers. 

eBay is the one to blame; it doesn`t allow sellers to leave an honest feedback, and scammers keep their game knowing that a scammed seller has to do investigation to prove that the buyer has a pattern of such a behavior and then to report him/her to appropriate institutions.