eBay

paulauryn1 · ‎08-12-2021

Hi, my daughter, a private seller, sold her old iPhone with no returns. She shipped it via UPS as soon as eBay said the buyer paid. The buyer filed for a return stating the item was not as described when they opened it and requested a refund. The issue is the buyer has not received the item. It’s still in transport. As a matter of fact the return was filed while my daughter was still at the UPS store. She is very concerned she will lose the phone and the money paid for it. What recourse does she have? This really sounds like a professional scammer. Thanks for any advice.

gjs_16 · ‎08-12-2021

a) https://www.ups.com/us/en/help-center/tracking-support/delivery-intercept.page

b) Accept the return and issue a label.

c) Wait and hope.

duffy4444 · ‎08-12-2021

Here we go again...

View a lot of other similar complaints on this forum and the shipping and returns forums...

IF this is actually a scam, -- which it sounds like it is because of the INAD timing when the buyer hasn't even received it yet -- and the phone cannot be intercepted by UPS and returned, the seller will almost automatically lose.

Never, Ever sell and ship a higher-value item on eBay, that you or your business model cannot afford to lose, along with possibly your money as well for a double insult. Shipping also opens up a pandora's box of scams. This is especially true, but not limited to, electronic items, graphics cards, phones, etc. eBay does not yet have adequate seller protections against the incredible rise in very smart scammers. This includes cc chargebacks, which can happen even months after you think the sale is successfully in the bag and done with.

Instead, list with local pickup and cash, or use a venue like Craigslist, where you can completely avoid scams by insisting on local pickup in person and cash for a higher-value item AS IS.

Don't rely on eBay Customer Service helping you out. It's currently in an identity crisis, with a lot of non-US reps who cannot be understood, who have no authority to solve a common-sense problem, or will often tell you anything you want to hear just to get you off the phone.

Ebay has got to do something with teeth in it about the huge rise in scams. Sellers don't join eBay to have to file multiple police and FBI reports, complain to the USPS Postal Inspector Division, try to intercept shipments and get them returned, deal with multiple eBay CS reps that don't talk with one voice, or have to accept the loss of their item AND their money.

Until eBay actually does something better to protect sellers, it will be facing an increasing loss of revenue from higher-value items that sellers don't want to list anymore. All eBay would have to do is provide optional anti-scam insurance for a small fee. A lot of sellers, including myself, would jump at the opportunity and resume selling higher-value items... just a thought...

Cheers, Duffy

dryophelia · ‎08-12-2021

@paulauryn1

If you are unable to retrieve the phone, be sure to report it stolen. At least the scammer won’t be able to get the full use of it that way.

dbfolks166mt · ‎08-12-2021

In addition to the advise given by others, especially the intercept, it amazes me that people still think eBay is the best place to sell high end electronics which are also high value targets for scammers. There is usually at least one posting a day about a scammer in essence stealing a electronic device.

Hopefully you wrote down the IMIE number of the phone. If you are unable to intercept the package you will need the IMIE number to report it to the IMIE blacklist.

https://imei24.com/blacklist_check/

You may also want to take a look at the buyers account, where are they located and what is the shipping address. A lot of foreign scammers setup US accounts to appear to be in the US so they can purchase from sellers who do not ship internationally. They then route the shipment through a freight forwarder. Once it reaches the freight forwarder the tracking disappears into the ether but the seller is still responsible for final deliver to the buyer.

If the buyer has a lot of positive feedback, which is all they can get, and their account has been active for quite awhile then it is possible that they made a mistake on filing the claim against the wrong order but I highly doubt this is the case.