Buyer claims received empty box on order of graphics card

[dqupgrade]

The item sold above $900.

Buyer simply filed a return case saying package doesn't have the item and ask for refund.

From this forum I can see previously in many such cases sellers had to refund to those buyers even if they are scammers, thanks to eBay.

I just post here to get a little hope there may be better solution for this kind of scam.

[coolections]

Tell us you did send the package with delivery confirmation, right ?  File postal insurance claim. File postal mail fraud. File police report. 

[duncanvr]

What happened to you is why I never would list a $900 computer part on here. There is not much you can do except file a police report on the buyer for online theft and sadly you will have to lose the money and the item in this case. Don't list expensive things in high target scam categories. You have to be able to cover the loss of the item, the money and the shipping. Report buyer to ebay hit report button and if all other sellers do this to such scammers hopefully ebay will ban their account if they get reported to much.

[dariudaudery_0]

Graphics cards, phones, computers, etc., are the most sought out item by scammers as they are easy to resell for quick cash. 

Accept return, film opening it maybe, file police and postal office reports.

Try contacting eBay CS and maybe you will get lucky (would not put much hope into that).

As example i would say antique lamp, likely unique or only few exist for 1000 usd vs graphic cards for 1000 usd that there are tons of in the market. Which is easier to resell locally? Which is less likely to be found by the seller on online venues if it ends up there again? Which is gonna sell faster? 

I would not sell such a thing on eBay myself as there is plenty of demand locally.

[jayjaspersgarage]

Given your level of sales I would think you would just add the real cost of the item to your COGS when you file your taxes.   If you had a retail store you could be cleaned out in less than ten minutes by the thugs targeting B&M stores at the moment.  I don't think ebay has the corner on the INAD fraud cases when it comes to third party selling platforms.

The one aspect of the on-line fraud and B&M retail gang attacks making the news is that the connection between the two has not been reported on the news yet.  

[ittybitnot]

@dqupgrade 

The empty box claim for this product line is a favorite for "buyers" that use a freight forwarder address typically in Delaware, Texas, or Oregon.  

Where did you send yours?   Hopefully, you had signature confirmation.   What carrier did you use? 

Often in these types of cases, eBay will require a buyer to file a police report.  Unfortunately, a fake police report will suffice and they will not provide the report to the seller and just state the buyer "provided a document" (so you lose).   

Do not let the timelines expire for answering the claim. 

[dbfolks166mt]

     The difference is with a B&M thugs one has the ability to defend themselves. 

[dbfolks166mt]

     If the package went through a FF and was delivered to the FF the seller should be covered and the case ruled in their favor provided they respond to the case providing the tracking information showing the item was delivered and that it went to a FF. 

[dbfolks166mt]

     Graphics cards appear to have become a favorite high value, high target item for the scammers as of late. As others noted depending on the details of your case you may or may not be covered by seller protection. I have a dollar threshold for listing on eBay due to the risk and following the #1 rule for a seller on eBay and that is never list anything you are not willing to take the financial loss on. 

[dqupgrade]

I checked

https://www.uspis.gov/report

and seems like "Mail fraud" assumes you are the mail's recevier, not sender. I wonder if as sender I can file something.

[southern*sweet*tea]

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@dqupgrade wrote:

I checked

https://www.uspis.gov/report

and seems like "Mail fraud" assumes you are the mail's recevier, not sender. I wonder if as sender I can file something.

---

No, it is for the seller if the buyer is pulling a scam.   If the buyer is using the mail to steal from you, that's a Federal offense.

[free.deal · Accepted solution]

OP should prepare the potential loss from this scam.  Contact buyer's local post office or other couriers as soon as possible, they will know if the package is delivered intact or not.

FF address doesn't matter to eBay (It used to, but not any more according to recent complaints here). Usually for an empty box claim, eBay just needs a police report (real or fake) to refund the buyer. eBay won't disclose any details of buyer's police report, but sellers can contact buyer's local police department to check if the buyer has really filed something. If you talk to a nice police officer (your local or buyer's local), who may help get a copy of police report from the portal: https://pages.ebay.com/securitycenter/law_enforcement.html. I also heard in one case, the police officer drove to buyer's address to check (surprise to the buyer if the buyer lives there😀).

OP may have to accept the return anyway. If the buyer returns something different, report to eBay immediately. If the buyer won't return but submit a police report, need extra work to get the money back...

[chalah39]

Although there seems to be a problem here, it is not acceptable for the buyer to simply say that the item is not in the package.

[dogchow747]

This just simply blows my mind.

I can not remember how many claims of

"Shipped a item, buyer says the box was empty"

I think there was 1, yes one, where buyer complained of actually receiving an empty box.

(Sure I missed some)

It is so disturbing that average folks get burned so often with no backup...

Multiply that with everyone that did not complain here...

I know there are scams on both sides, but I am sure there is a fix for this.

[dqupgrade]

I don't understand. So this is the link can be used to file "mail fraud" case if I am seller and buyer is scammer?

https://www.uspis.gov/report

If not, which shall I use?