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?  

[smallandexpensive]

Thank you!  Actually does make me feel better. I’m just a collector and sometimes a seller. Usually more of a buyer. But recently started selling part of my toy collection and a few household items.  I have had great experiences as a buyer and always leave five star feedback to sellers because I have been able to locate things on ebay that can’t be purchased elsewhere. I don’t remember  ever returning an item. Even on ebay an auction used to actually be an auction and considered a final sale except for truly misleading listings. Now sellers are stomped on with all of the policies created to supposedly protect buyers. I have never needed buyer protection!  I feel ebay has really lost their way. A lot of sellers I used to collect from have gone elsewhere. Still not going to let this ruin my experience, just trying to learn from it. 

[smallandexpensive]

The warehouse is in delaware.  It has cars parked outside but seems to be used furniture storage and repair but not open to the public. The tracking shows it was delivered to the “front desk” and then to the “agent.”  Whatever that means. 

[smallandexpensive]

Lol. True. 

[smallandexpensive]

I think it’s a used furniture warehouse without public access. Maybe went to someone that hangs out there or works there but it was not a business name and no indication it was going to a business. 

[bonjourami]

I see...

[bonjourami]

There is a reshipper in Delaware..you can give us the address and we'd be able to tell.That 'agent' sounds like a reshipper.

[smallandexpensive]

The seller is now asking me for a partial refund. Hasn’t said how much. Guess I have no choice. But how do I issue a partial refund and make sure the transaction is permanently closed?  

[bonjourami]

You are giving in to extortion, but your decision,then ask to close the case.

To offer a partial refund:

1. Go to your Returns dashboard - opens in new window or tab.
2. Select View return details beside the item.
3. Select Offer a partial refund and then Continue.
4. Enter the amount you wish to offer the buyer.
5. You can choose to add a message to the buyer.
6. Select Send offer.

[ittybitnot]

The warehouse is in delaware. 

Sounds like a reshipper address.  It is used by buyers to purchase products from sellers who do not wish to ship internationally.   Good news is, that when you accept the return for an ebay claim, you only have to provide a label for the US address back to you.   It used to be that using a reshipper service voided the Money Back Guarantee for a buyer, but that is no longer true.  

Shipping to reshippers has not been too problematic in the past.  Lately, however, there has been a lot of buyer fraud reported with regards to a specific couple of New Castle and Wilmington addresses in Delaware. 

Basically, what happens is the buyer pays.
Files a not as described claim.
Purchases a cheap item that is sent to you with delivery confirmation to satisfy their requirement for a return. 
eBay refunds them out of your proceeds, even when you got back a package of erasers instead of your item. 

Appeals denied since d/confirmation shows a "return".

I have never heard of this happening for a "toy", but who knows.  The scam has been quite successful so maybe they are branching out?  

THERE IS STILL HOPE (somewhat, but don't expect much from eBay Customer Service) 

Read here, these are but a few: 

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Cheated-by-Buyer-Unable-to-send-proof-to-appeals-department/m-...

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Sold-an-item-and-the-buyer-sent-a-cheap-item-through-Amazon-ba...

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Obviously-fake-police-report-submitted-to-ebay-ebay-using-it-t...

[ittybitnot]

 But how do I issue a partial refund and make sure the transaction is permanently closed?  

You can't.  They can come back for the rest even if you do a partial refund.  

[gamersbaystore]

Where is your buyer located, look at their profile. According to your shipping policies, you don't ship internationally. If the buyer is located outside of the U.S. and had the item shipped overseas, they lose their money back guarantee. While there is no rule that says buyers cant use reshippers, buyers are not allowed to circumvent your shipping policies.

[kensgiftshop]

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@smallandexpensive wrote:

 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, 

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And if you don't accept the return, Ebay could just refund the buyer from your account without them having to return anything.

[smallandexpensive]

Wow.   Thank you all so much for your excellent and helpful replies. The address is on East 16th Street in Wilmington, DE. Also has a strange code listed on the line below the buyer name. All in uppercase letters and numbers, a thing I have never seen in a US address before. Then just the street address so no actual business listing in the address at all. I don’t have managed pay so could not offer a refund that way. They asked for $120 refund, so 50 percent off plus my shipping cost. I just  decided to do it through my paypal account and try to move on. Going to change all of my paypal login info and I hope I am done with it and have definitely learned from my misjudgement and from all of you. I got a note from ebay saying they will investigate “confidentially” and I won’t know the outcome of the action they take or not. Not sure what good that does! I am on mobile and don’t see a way to close the case but I will investigate on my laptop later for more details. 
Thank you, again. 

[smallandexpensive]

1245 E 16th St
# GA78363
Wilmington, DE 19802-5200
United States

Feb 5th around 9:30 am Tracking states Delivered Front Desk/Reception/Mail Room

then also on Feb 5th around 10:40 Tracking states Delivered to Agent for Final Delivery

Maybe why I heard nothing from the buyer for 10 days after delivery and why the message was sent to me around 2 am from the buyer. Not in US time zone. I was smarter 20 years ago, ugh. 

[bonjourami]

Did you let Ebay know this was a freight forwarder?