Buyer Used Reshipper, Put in Bogus Claim. I Reported. Now Their Account is Suspended, Bids Canceled

[grandmothersgold]

I listed a busted iphone. It was bought by an overseas buyer using a U.S. reshipping address (that when googled you can see is tied to countless instances of fraud.) They are obviously based in Russia, I now realize.

I shipped the phone, it arrived in one day according to tracking. Then 8 days later they opened a return claim saying they were sent the wrong item.

Once I researched to find out what was really going on, I called ebay to report the situation.

Ebay Trust & Safety said they would investigate. That was last night.

This morning I got a "Suspicious Buyer For Item" email saying the buyer has been suspended (they have, according to their profile) and their bids have been removed.

The email says:
"We recommend you take the following actions if this buyer won the item:
- If you haven't received payment, don't complete the sale or send the item to the buyer.
- Don't communicate with the buyer directly.
- Verify any payments you've been notified of by logging into your payment account (or other online payment service).
- If the buyer requests a refund or additional payments, don't send any money without contacting eBay first.
- If you've already sent the item, try contacting the shipping carrier to find out if you can stop shipment."

But the return request is still open and my paypal account is still in the negative. What do I do at this point? I have to authorize the refund by Nov 6th, and ebay says they can't step in until that date?

[gakni_76]

Call ebay

[lewisburggold]

Looks like you just have to wait untill the date they told you.  Then should get money back.  Good job busting those scammers that almost made our day.  Best regards

[grandmothersgold]

I mean, I will, but what exactly are they going to do at this point? This outcome is a result of the last time I called them (yesterday).

[ersatz_sobriquet]

If it's enough money to bother, call ebay and get their "courtesy" refund if they're not going to release your paypal funds.

[siamdao]

We have had difficulties with reshippers twice.  Both with final destinations in South America (where the bidders were located).  We now refuse to ship to anywhere else but the country the buyer is registered in.  Don't care if they make waves, sell sob stories or leave negative feedback.   It's not worth the hassle.  

[grandmothersgold]

If they used a reshipper they are forbidden from leaving negative feedback in the first place.

[missjen831]

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@grandmothersgold wrote:

If they used a reshipper they are forbidden from leaving negative feedback in the first place.

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@grandmothersgold No they aren’t. 

[tulen_2000]

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@grandmothersgold wrote:
What exactly are they going to do at this point?

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Call ebay and you'll find out)))

[grandmothersgold]

Yes, they are. eBay's rules are very clear: you cannot use a reshipping company, because once you do, a third party handles the package. At any time that third party could steal the contents of the package, or mishandle the contents and damage them or lose a part. Because of this, the seller cannot be held responsible for the contents of the package and what may happen to them between the address you give them to deliver to, and the ultimate destimate they reach once they are reshipped.

Thus the buyer is forbidden from leaving feedback when they have used a reshipping company. They are also forbidden from requesting a refund or return. They can try, but as soon as it is pointed out to ebay that they used a reshipper, they will be refused.

I know this because I previously shared an account with my (now former) spouse, and we had scammers try this with us several times. In each case, once we contacted ebay and pointed out it was a reshipping situation forwarded to a foreign country, they investigated, and they closed the buyer's account and removed the negative feedback they left on our profile.

[grandmothersgold]

I'm on the line with them now and they're not helping really at all.

Trust and Safety suspended the buyer's account and sent me an email saying I should under no circumstances send a refund, but I have no option to refuse the refund, and ebay refuses to step in and close out the refund request until the full 3 business days (November 6th) have passed. Even though they have already deemed the buyer's account fraudulent and told me NOT to issue a refund.

Seems like a bunch of nonsense but whatever, I guess it's not the end of the world.

[missjen831]

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@grandmothersgold wrote:

Yes, they are. eBay's rules are very clear: you cannot use a reshipping company, because once you do, a third party handles the package. At any time that third party could steal the contents of the package, or mishandle the contents and damage them or lose a part. Because of this, the seller cannot be held responsible for the contents of the package and what may happen to them between the address you give them to deliver to, and the ultimate destimate they reach once they are reshipped.

Thus the buyer is forbidden from leaving feedback when they have used a reshipping company. They are also forbidden from requesting a refund or return. They can try, but as soon as it is pointed out to ebay that they used a reshipper, they will be refused.

I know this because I previously shared an account with my (now former) spouse, and we had scammers try this with us several times. In each case, once we contacted ebay and pointed out it was a reshipping situation forwarded to a foreign country, they investigated, and they closed the buyer's account and removed the negative feedback they left on our profile.

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@grandmothersgold Where are those rules? Buyers CAN use reshippers. It’s allowed. There’s no policy that says otherwise. And there’s no policy that says they can’t neg you. The only policy that addresses reshipping is the money back guarantee guarantee. And it only says that items that are reshipped are not legible for for the MBG.