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]

I will. But have little hope they will investigate it since I issued a refund. No way am I going to drop this if the buyer tries to get back the total amount and keep my item. I called Paypal and told them to stop the refund but it was too late. I explained it may be linked to fraud and I could get a chargeback for more in the future. They told me a chargeback is totally up to the buyer’s credit card provider and Paypal had no suggestions to protect me from it and no responsibility. The buyer can file a chargeback up to 75 days from the transaction. They also had low level of concern about it for obvious reasons. Not their money at risk. I asked them to flag the transaction as suspect because it was a known method of fraud. I need to confirm it is a reshipper address. 

[smallandexpensive]

I think the best I can hope for is the buyer will settle for the extortionate refund. 

[tellmemama]

Just finished reading the OP's last few posts and am sitting here shaking my head.  If s/he sent a partial through PAYPAL and not from the original transaction, there is nothing to prevent the scam buyer from doing a charge back or INAD and get the full amount refunded as well.  So the attempt to mitigate the damage/protect your feedback/make it go away could cost much more in the long run.

For me there is no such thing as a partial refund and I could throttle the first cowardly seller who offered one.  There is no such thing on any other site.  Your only choices are  return for refund or keep it and live with it.   If I think the buyer is up to no good, I still insist on the item being returned before they get a penny back.  Even if I lose money from double shipping costs.  The reason is if there really is a problem with the item, most honest buyers wouldn't want to keep it at any price.  Once all of the back and forth messages start, you can pretty much bet there was nothing wrong with what was received.  It's been said thousands of times on these boards but it still bears repeating:

"I'm sorry you are unhappy with your item.  Please return it for a refund."

[ittybitnot]

Just finished reading the OP's last few posts and am sitting here shaking my head.

I just re read the entire thread.  I don't even think the buyer ever filed a not as described claim at all. It appears the "shakedown" was only through ebay messages.  Whatever, it worked.  You are correct though, if the op just sent money instead of a partial refund from the original transaction, the "buyer" can come back for the whole amount with little recourse.   

@tellmemama 

[ittybitnot]

 The buyer can file a chargeback up to 75 days from the transaction.

The buyer has 180 days to file a PayPal claim if they don't get what they want from an ebay dispute.  Credit card chargebacks can even be longer depending on the carrier.   I only hope you just didn't "send money" and at least refunded through the transaction. 

I am so sorry this happened to you. 

@smallandexpensive 

[thebeernuts]

Wouldn't they send back the fake damaged items they said she sent to them?

[jahood1984]

Was a case ever actually opened?  Doesn't sound like it in which case this is an age old scam tactic.  Did you actually refund through PayPal?  If so I'd wager now your going to see a case opened, if you don't accept it within 3 days eBay WILL step in and WILL refund in full and you will never get anything back.  If you do accept the refund you will pay return shipping for the old, dirty, rusty Dolls.  

No case opened means you insist they open one and return in full, even if your just going to do a partial.  As mentioned a partial means nothing, they will still come back for the rest if they want.  This scammer will see you refunded outside of eBay and will know they got a live one and believe there's a good chance when they open a case that you won't know what to do and wait for eBay to step in.  I hope  case doesn't happen but eh...

Best of luck, scammers suck.

[dbfolks166mt]

     First has the buyer actually filed a SNAD case through eBay? If so he/she has admitted to receiving the product so INR is off the table. Check the buyers ID location is their account in the US or overseas? I am assuming the shipping address is US based on the other responses.  If the buyer is in fact in a foreign country and used a freight forwarder they loose their MBG coverage under eBay policy. Following is a link to that policy. 

     Do nothing if the buyer has not filed an official case other than put them on your BBL. If they have fed a eBay case, refuse the return and reference the eBay policy exclusions. They may still file a chargeback which is more difficult to win since eBay is out of the picture in that situation and the CC Company is 100% in charge of making the decision. 

https://www.ebay.com/help/default/default/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy?id=4210