Buyer Fraud Please Help

[smallandexpensive]

I sold a vintage toy for $200 to a buyer with a feedback of 1. The toy is a little doll set from 1992. I bought it myself at the toy store in 1992, Mint in a Sealed box and it was never opened or unsealed. It has a number of tiny accessories that were sealed inside.  The buyer’s shipping address is a warehouse so I filmed myself packing the item into the shipping box as proof of what was shipped.  I offered a two week return and charged 20 shipping for priority, insurance and delivery signature confirmation. After two weeks the buyer sends photos of the tiny toys from inside the box which they supposedly unsealed, already dropping the item value. The toys are not what was in the sealed box, they are used versions of the mint toy I sent. The buyer points out the toys are dirty, scratched and they tried to clean them but they are just too terrible condition to accept and they are so sadly disappointed that the toy did not match my description. The buyer sent a photo of the battery case showing rusted contacts. My sealed toy did not come with batteries and no batteries were ever inserted because it was never opened. I know if I approve a return I will get back toys worth $10 and will be out  the $200 value of my rare toy, which I owned and stored for decades and ebay will force me to pay shipping both ways because the buyer is claiming not as described.  I really want to cry about this because I have been on ebay since 1998 with over 900 transactions, mainly as a buyer, but also as a seller. I used to love ebay and have happily spent a lot of money as a buyer and never pulled this sickening fraud on anyone. I have 100 percent positive feedback as both buyer and seller. I knew it was a risk to sell to a one feedback buyer but ebay won’t let me block those buyers and I imagined that filming the item and requiring signature confirmation would protect me.  I feel so angry about this because the fradulent buyer really pulled it off smoothly, set up the return scam in advance with a note about her sick daughter and how happy she was to be the winner of my item and now mentions she could not look at the item sooner because of her hospitalized daughter. An absolute load of **bleep**. How can I fight this disgusting person from getting away with fraud?  How should I handle ebay and paypal?  How can I prevent this in the future other than leaving ebay?  

[bonjourami]

Im sorry, its a waste of time to film anything, videos can be doctored, and neither Ebay nor PP accepts them. As for sig confirmation what would that prove? A delivery confirmation proves the same thing..that your so called buyer received the item. All you can do is provide the return label, and refund after return,then dispute the case...for whatever good that will do...sorry.

[*madison]

The buyer is bidding on other Polly Pocket toys, and may have already bought and received others.

Because the buyer mentioned the battery case being rusted, and dirty scratched toys, it might be worth just checking that the buyer is complaining to the right seller...

Otherwise, the buyer is a liar, but there isn't much you can do about it..

[smallandexpensive]

Thank you for taking the time to reply. I didn’t know that ebay would not accept video. Also did not know that signature confirmation does not offer additional protection. Since the address was a warehouse, which I googled and saw online, I thought it might help in case they claimed it was delivered to someone else. At least I won’t waste my time and money on those two things again!  

[tr3ats]

    I feel for you, been through the same scam multiple times. The best advice I can offer is to realize that everyone claims their rightful Karma sooner or later. Big Hug from Minnesota. 

[patd3283]

Where was the warehouse?  There are a few dodgie ones.

[stuff4divas]

If it was delivered to a 3rd party, buyer protection is lost

[numisnorway]

Welcome to the club.

Things are getting out of hand on ebay. The only thing you can do is to dispute the return and then report him to the police, then upload a bunch of information about the police report which may result in ebay giving you money from their own pocket. The scammer is of course free to keep the item and his money, repeat the process on another unsuspecting seller because these criminals need protection you know because if not they might take their "business" elsewhere.

[smallandexpensive]

Oh, wow, I didn’t realize they were bidding on other Polly Pocket items!  How can you tell?  Sorry if that sounds naive, in the wild west days of ebay all the usernames and history were public but I don’t know how to check that now. I did report the buyer to ebay because I don’t want someone else to get scammed. Not sure if that will save another seller or not. Thank you for responding!  Very helpful to know this. Is there any way I can decline low feedback buyers in the future?  How can I possibly screen anyone with a single transaction? I had a bad feeling about this buyer because of the address and the 1 feedback. I thought about cancelling the transaction. Would that have been a better decision?  

[smallandexpensive]

Also had a thought that maybe they bought a used set like my new one and that is what I will be getting back if they do send it back!  So sad. Ebay used to be so much fun.

[smallandexpensive]

Ok, figured out how to see other items they are bidding on.  Thanks again. 

[bonjourami]

Is that warehouse a freight forwarder? If so, you are only responsible for getting the items delivered to that location.

[bonjourami]

' Since the address was a warehouse, which I googled and saw online, I thought it might help in case they claimed it was delivered to someone else"

Unfortunately, the Usps usually doesnt care who signs for a sig confirmation..as long as it was delivered to the right address. Many different people can live in one location.

[m60driver]

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@smallandexpensive wrote:

  So sad. Ebay used to be so much fun.

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Yea, some 20 years ago selling Ebay was fun.  But it has long been nothing but a "retail"  business with the equivalent of shoplifting being being a daily threat, with little consequence to scammers.  

[jayjaspersgarage]

Not sure what to say except the result is in your username; expensive mistake.  At least it will be a write off for this years taxes at your cost basis.