Buyer contacted me from a “different” account asking for return

[idioteque928]

This is a new one for me. There is someone contacting me claiming they bought something from me from a different account that they can’t access because they can’t verify info saying that the item is defective and they would like to return. This feels suspicious to me. On top of that, the item is outside of the 30 day return window. Has anyone encountered this issue before?

[richards*collection]

Sure have. Let us be truthful in all our endeavors or why bother? Be polite and inform this person that it is against eBay policy, and that you would dislike reporting his request to management....

[janet9988]

I would not respond. You owe them nothing.  Make sure you block both their Ids.

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/resolving-buyer-issues/blocking-buyer-ebay?id=4082&st=12&pos=1&que...

[fern*wood]

I had it happen with a cancellation request.  I finally told them if they needed help contacting me using the correct buying ID to contact ebay for help.   Eventually they did.  Seemed really weird.

[joseh1445]

Wow, this is the first time that I hear some thing like this.  Any way, don't reply to this person.  On top of that, put them in your BBL.  If they continue to send you messages, report them to eBay.

[lonebuck-books]

Yes I have.  I never refund or allow returns from a different account.  If they want to do a return/refund they must do it through the correct account.  This is one hard and fast rule I have.  eBay has very minimal seller protections these days, no sense taking away the little bit you do have by doing a return/refund outside of the system which is what they are asking.

Just a reminder, if they truly can't get into their old account and it is past the 30 day window, there really isn't much that they can do to you.  

[redmodelt]

Do not contact or reply to the message and if sent through eBay, block them. Why open the door to them to continue messaging you? More than likely it is a scam taking it off the eBay platform. You would not be able to do anything anyway, because you could not refund etc to an account that it was not bought on. 

[popblox]

Hi, this has happened to me several times - usually the original purchase was made on an eBay "guest account" and the inquiry comes from their regular account. They may have got in a hurry, forgot their password at the time, etc.

However, I always let them know I can't share information about an order with anyone other than the owner of the account that placed the order. If they insist, I tell them it's a security issue outside of my control and suggest they contact eBay.

You're under no obligation to communicate with them if they haven't placed an order - if they get fussy, I would block/report/ignore.

[simba6]

They need to file a case but, if the time is up they can't.  Just sit tight and see what happens.  A charge back or paypal case might happen.  However, it does not sound legit.  Don't even reply to them.

[1tuna]

I feel sorry for the buyers who use a guest account

they are bound to be a newbie at buying

I have seen complaints from buyers who have used guest accounts

when problems arise with a purchase they appear to be at a disadvantage

I am not sure why ebay even lets a buyer open a guest account

[idioteque928]

The account that made the original purchase has almost 3000 feedback, and this account that is messaging me has nearly 500. Sounded like a seasoned eBayer for the first account at least. 

[idioteque928]

thank you everyone for the responses! I don’t think the original account was a guest one as they have nearly 3,000 feedback. The new account has over 400 so I don’t really know what is going on. Either way it feels fishy and it is outside of the 30 return window. Just wanted some other perspectives. Thanks again!

[idioteque928]

Also, in case anyone is curious, this was the message that I received: 

Hello
Hope you are doing well

I bought an item from you not so long ago and unfortunately it arrived defective.

My previous account (account *****) was suspended due to the reason ""Couldn't Verify Your Account Information"" - I mistakenly missed the call from eBay and now it's hard to recover the account. eBay recommended using another account for direct contact with sellers.

As I deeply appreciate your business and I wanted to informed that the item came defective-keeps powering off .

I would be glad to hear your opinion on this occasion. Can you please advise if we can proceed with the return?

Hope for your understanding
Thank you in advance

[714ricki]

Over the years, I have seen this happen a few times. Normally, the buyer purchases an item using a one-time guest account via the ebay system. Then for whatever reason needs to cancel the order & communicates via an established ebay account. I simply respond to the message by telling them to contact ebay customer support. Short & sweet & that keeps you out of problems. Normally, its an honest cancellation request. However, they need to go through the ebay customer support channels to properly request the cancellation. 

Good luck!

[lamber9347]

This is a scam. They tend to use what they perceive as proper English, and it comes across as overly wordy. Looks like Google translation too. You should ignore and move along. Don't reply as that makes it look like you are vulnerable to scams, and they may attempt again with another account. Best of luck to you....