eBay

lasantino · ‎01-31-2019

Hi, I had a buyer, open a return. They never used the return label and never shipped the item back. However,

somehow on the final day that was allowed for the buyer to ship the item back, instead of closing in my favor. Ebay bots automatically closed the case in the buyers favor and refunded them.

I immediately called into ebay and they saw the mistake ,, and did give me back the money"as a courtesy". however, the buyer still has the handbag.

I am livid, this buyer was beyond rude. The handbag was in pristine condition and I take very clear pictures and answered all questions. The buyer literally took a picture of the inside pocket of the handbag where there was a small sliver of napkin and said it wasn't pristine. blah blah

anyway,, I know I have my money back, but it's the principal. I called the buyer. As soon as I announced who I was, she hung up. Then I sent an email through ebay and informed her that she was incorrectly refunded. She needs to return the purse or resubmit payment.( I also called ebay and told them I was doing this, and once I got an answer, i would contact them, and if necessary, give them back the money(if she did return the bag))\

The buyer then emailed me, and said, she got off the phone with ebay and they said that ebay had made a mistake in the refund, however, they did give the seller their money. So she doesn't have to return it. I call **bleep**.

I emailed her and told her, the merchandise was not ebay's to give. I told her that she has merchandise that she did not pay for . Therfore if she doesn't return it. I'm planning on calling her local police department and filing theft charges. Can anyone give me advise on how to proceed.. I know I should just let it go. However, I'm SICK AND TIRED OF A SMALL SUBSET OF BUYERS GAMING THE SYSTEM...

she lives in a small town.. (3500-4000 people).. I may not get the bag back, but im not going to sit back and do nothing, does anyone have any experience with filing a report at a buyers local police office..etc..

any help would be appreciated.

sam9876 · ‎01-31-2019

The purse is legally owned by eBay at this point and they chose to give it to the buyer.

There is no theft.

parkersparrow · ‎01-31-2019

I know you're angry I would be too, but what you're doing by calling and emailing the buyer could backfire on you and you could be accused of harassment. eBay made the mistake and gave you back the money you were out so you were made whole. In my opinion best to just leave it alone now.

ohnojoey · ‎01-31-2019

"Can anyone give me advise on how to proceed.. I know I should just let it go. "

You answered your own question.

You got paid back by ebay, it was ebay's admitted mistake, they accidentally refunded the buyer, then ebay paid you.

You are out nothing.

The buyer got a free handbag but hardly gamed the system when it was ebay's refund mistake to begin with.

Ebay told them to keep it.

No crime was committed. Don't waste the police department's time, or yours. Ebay essentially bought the purse and gave it to the buyer.

I would strongly suggest for you to stop contacting (harassing) the buyer anymore or scheming other acts (" I may not get the bag back, but im not going to sit back and do nothing"), it's like participating in a road rage battle, you lose no matter what.

lasantino · ‎01-31-2019

ok, i hear what you all are saying..

If something is stolen from me,, even if an insurance policy pays me to make me whole.. i still want the crook who stole the item to return the item..

this buyer first nickle and dimed me down on the price, (first warning).. then opened a snad claim with pictures that showed nothing but a sliver of paper as her example of not pristine. then forced me to pay for a return shipping label.. .. ebay made the mistake on the refund.,.. the merchandise is still in the buyers posession.. If they want to keep the bag.. they need to reverse the refund.. if they intend to return it. then they need to do that..

castlemagicmemories · ‎01-31-2019

Pristine is where you went wrong. Buyer found something to show it wasn't pristine.

In these situations, since you got your money back, Ebay allows the buyer to keep the merchandise. They paid you, you are made whole. Ebay will tell the buyer there is no recourse or reason to send the item back, the case is closed.

Most likely they noted the buyer complaint that you called her when she called for their advice. That doesn't look good for you.

When you list here, you agree to abide by ebay's decisions in these matters. If you don't care to, that is your perogative but then you cannot list here.

You will be filing false charges that could cause you more trouble. I suggest letting this go. Ebay handled it, you have been paid, you have no recourse with this buyer.

castlemagicmemories · ‎01-31-2019

@lasantino wrote:
ok, i hear what you all are saying..

If something is stolen from me,, even if an insurance policy pays me to make me whole.. i still want the crook who stole the item to return the item..

this buyer first nickle and dimed me down on the price, (first warning).. then opened a snad claim with pictures that showed nothing but a sliver of paper as her example of not pristine. then forced me to pay for a return shipping label.. .. ebay made the mistake on the refund.,.. the merchandise is still in the buyers posession.. If they want to keep the bag.. they need to reverse the refund.. if they intend to return it. then they need to do that..

It wasn't stolen from you. That is what everyone has posted. Ebay paid you.

Let it go.

second-chance-sa1es · ‎01-31-2019

Ok so Im going to delve a little into my former line of employment to try to help you here, but you have to know that you are treading in dangerous water here. In my former line of work I arrested people for things. That said I was not a cop, but I was not what one thinks of when they think of that line of work. I have my fair share of being the reason other people got felony charges.

You cant argue that any theft occurred here because.

1. any chance of proving intent vanished when ebay made a 'mistake'
2. any damages you had vanished the moment ebay decided to make you whole

You have to understand that no police department anywhere, and I mean anywhere is going to prosecute a hand bag case with that level of murkiness to it. and even if ebay hadnt made a mistake and hadnt made you whole you would have a real real tough time getting their local police to do anything more than go have a chat with her.

You have to understand that there is a world of difference between knowing that something wrong occurred, and having any shot in a blue moon of a chance of doing anything about it legally in a successful manner.

This is a waste of time that honestly and truly could result in action taken against you. I once held an arrestee for 8 1/2 hours before the local police decided to pick him up, and he had just committed felony vandalism and Felony theft and had undisclosed outstanding felony warrants. I promise you, perusing this is a waste of energy, wrong or not.

This is the society we live in now, as sad as that is to know, and to say.

parkersparrow · ‎01-31-2019

I would think of it along the lines of if someone steals you credit card/info. Most likely the bank/cc company will refund your money on all the charges the thief made. But won't really then involve the police or pursue the thief.

lasantino · ‎01-31-2019

ok,, I will take everyone's advise.

but I want to emphasize,,, the buyer has an item in their possesion that they did not pay for.

they know they did not pay for it.

I have been given the wrong amount of change back before at a store.. I didn't just say, too bad so sad,, I went back and give the money back to the clerk..

ebay making a mistake, then making me whole.. still costs us all money in the end.... I wanted to file a police report,, not to get the purse bac, I'm sure i won't see it again. But to make sure that there was a record on file in her small town and maybe in a small town they would call and ask questions..

second-chance-sa1es · ‎01-31-2019

@lasantino wrote:
ok,, I will take everyone's advise.

but I want to emphasize,,, the buyer has an item in their possesion that they did not pay for.
they know they did not pay for it.

I have been given the wrong amount of change back before at a store.. I didn't just say, too bad so sad,, I went back and give the money back to the clerk..

ebay making a mistake, then making me whole.. still costs us all money in the end.... I wanted to file a police report,, not to get the purse bac, I'm sure i won't see it again. But to make sure that there was a record on file in her small town and maybe in a small town they would call and ask questions..

I know it sucks, trust me I know. As a person who has real principals and morals, as someone who has had a plethora of opportunity and the smarts to get away with robbing people blind, but has always chosen the high road.....it is real real hard to turn the other cheek when it just happened in such a personal and disrespectful way. It is wrong that she got away with it. But try to remember that enforcement of the law is a lot like fishing, not every day is a catching day.

and you may be right, maybe in that small town it would amount to something, but then again you are just a voice on the other end of a line, long on accusations and short on the ability to prove it.

I had to get out of that line of work because it was killing me, both ethically and spiritually. 5-6 days a week I would strap on my tools (everything a cop carries) I would hop into a p71 and I would drive into the ghetto for 12 hour injections of liquid hate on society. I live in a state that wont pick up an arrestee in possession of class 1 substances and class 1 indicators. I live in a state where a lot of serious crimes get ignored, or are site release territory.

Its safe to say that when I put cuffs on people, typically it was for some serious -bleep-. it doesnt take long before dealing with that sort of stuff starts to diminish you personally and your views on the world.

cream_couture · ‎01-31-2019

The buyer didn't steal anything. Ebay made a mistake, which essentially resulted in them buying the bag from you and gifting it to your buyer. Ebay has essentially told the buyer to keep the bag and their money. You get the full proceeds from the sale, don't have to worry about the return, feedback, a defect or dealing with a problem buyer anymore. That sounds like a win to me.

That said, I am not sure why you are upset about being made whole. I get that the buyer haggled you down to a low price and then falsely opened a claim, which I truly sympathize with. However, why do you want to process a return in which you have to pay for the return to you (at least until you file and win an appeal)? Then you have to worry about what the buyer actually sends you back and reselling the bag. That, to me, would be even more of a headache.

If anybody should demand the bag back, it should be eBay - not you. Block the buyer, stop messaging them and go do something that you enjoy to take your mind off the bad buyer:)

lasantino · ‎01-31-2019

actually.,, i do get a defect on my seller metric count on this return,,

if a buyer opens a return , but fails to return the item, it's counted as a strike on a sellers metric measurement.

ga-8370 · ‎01-31-2019

@second-chance-sa1es wrote:
You have to understand that no police department anywhere, and I mean anywhere is going to prosecute a hand bag case with that level of murkiness to it.

Is there any police department anywhere able to prosecute?

castlemagicmemories · ‎02-01-2019

@ga-8370 wrote:
@second-chance-sa1es wrote:
You have to understand that no police department anywhere, and I mean anywhere is going to prosecute a hand bag case with that level of murkiness to it.
Is there any police department anywhere able to prosecute?

As the above bolded, enlarged, and underlined text shows, no.