Buyer trying to scam me, any thoughts

[prez342]

So I have a buyer who bought a sony handycam from me. They wanted it shipped that day and I did. We live in the same state so they got it within a day.  Upon receiving it they sent me a message saying it was damaged.  .  I replied that I wanted pictures of the damaged box so I could start a case with the post office and offered my apology for the damage. I quickly received a negative and was accused of sending the wrong camara. They sent me pictures of a damaged camara with different serial numbers. (this was the only camara I had for sale). I take pictures of serial numbers on all items.

They sent the camara back to me (the wrong camara) and looking at the damage I saw that the camara bag had no damage, It looked like it was dragged on the floor. Ebay is taking a long time to review this case and I hear horror stories about the buyer is always right.  I've been doing this for 22 years and they have been on for only 2 months.  This is a $165 sale.  Any thoughts?

[prez342]

Yes I did submit all pictures and evidence. I did everything that the 3 phone calls to EBay told me to do. I know it’s a my word vs the buyers word however my long time with them should count for something. Another lesson learned. 

[mam98031]

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@prez342 wrote:

Yes I did submit all pictures and evidence. I did everything that the 3 phone calls to EBay told me to do. I know it’s a my word vs the buyers word however my long time with them should count for something. Another lesson learned. 

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Was that all submitted with the original Chargeback or on your Appeal?

If you haven't filed the Appeal yet, I would definitely file a Police Report first.  Just having that police report number can do wonders for you when fighting something like this.  You may even be able to file it online.

[e_tuner95]

Ebay often side with Buyer first if Camera is returned to you.

And then you can submit as must photo an evidence as you can to appeal their decision. Then you would be rolling a dice. Police report would also help your case too. You can file a police report for anything really.

Safest way is actually take a loss and refund 50% restocking fee. If you are willing to take the 50% loss rather than gamble with eBay decision.

[mam98031]

@e_tuner95 

The OP is dealing with a Chargeback, so this has nothing to do with Ebay siding with the buyer.

Sellers on Ebay are not allowed to charge a restocking fee.  Years ago we could, but Ebay stopped that a long time ago.

[chapeau-noir]

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@sextons-sweet-deals wrote:

Sound like the buyer was looking for a free replacement of their own device or even worse. Meaning they could be buying junk elsewhere and then getting online to try to get a working replacement for free and reselling. Who knows!

You caught them at their game based on serial number. eBay should make an easy quick decision on this and flag or even suspend the buyer for false claim. 

You requested photos of the damaged package and they refused. Damaged packages are normally delivered with tape marking it damaged. HUGE RED FLAG!

Electronics are a target for scammers who have no ethics. 

1. Don't let a buyer tell you when to ship. 

2. take photos of the packing process and the final package with shipping label. 

3. ship with signature required if needed

4. Google map the buyer's address

5. review the buyer's profile and all feedback categories. I find it interesting at times when a buyer has about 50 positive feedback from sellers, but they have left zero feedback for sellers.

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I'm wary of this advice.

Photos of the packing process do nothing - it's impossible for eBay to verify their authenticity.

What would google mapping the buyer's address do?

Some buyers don't leave feedback.

I've never had damaged packages arrive with "damaged" tape - they just arrive.

[e_tuner95]

Oh, I didn't see the charge Back.

EBay always eats chargeback and pay seller though, even if we lose. With that said, we still try our best to defend it.

Are you sure we are not allowed to charge restock fee? Or is this only for Top Rated seller?

I remember seeing a drop down menu of up to 50% restock fee when I refund my returns not long ago.

[mam98031]

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@e_tuner95 wrote:

Oh, I didn't see the charge Back.

EBay always eats chargeback and pay seller though, even if we lose. With that said, we still try our best to defend it.

Are you sure we are not allowed to charge restock fee? Or is this only for Top Rated seller?

I remember seeing a drop down menu of up to 50% restock fee when I refund my returns not long ago.

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@e_tuner95 

"EBay always eats chargeback and pay seller though, even if we lose."  What?  Ebay doesn't do this.

Yes I'm positive Ebay does not allow sellers to charge a restocking fee.

Yes there is a policy that allows TRS to deduct up to 50% from a refund providing it meets what the rule allows for.  It is limited and restocking fees are not among the reasons a seller can do this.

Guidelines for how much to deduct from the refund

Here are some guidelines to help you determine how much to deduct from the buyer's refund.

Condition of return	Refund deduction guidance
Excellent condition: Unused, undamaged, or unaltered All items included in the original package Factory or vacuum seal must not be broken/opened (if applicable) Original tags included & attached (where applicable) Must include provided certificates of authenticity, grading, or appraisal	No deductions
Good condition: Missing original packaging Factory or vacuum seal is broken/opened, but the item is still in its original condition Original tags included but unattached	5%–10% deduction
Fair condition: Missing parts Some signs of wear or use Item has been installed Item has been registered or user has not logged out of the device's account, and it cannot easily be set back to factory settings Original tags missing	15%–30% deduction
Poor condition: Significant signs of wear, or significantly different than how it was shipped to the buyer Missing essential parts Item is damaged, scratched, defective, or requires service or repair  Missing provided certificates of authenticity, grading, or appraisal Opened items that cannot be resold (perishables, liquor, makeup)  Sold multiple items but the buyer didn’t return all of them	35%–50% deduction

Misuse of this protection

Sellers may only deduct an amount from the buyer's refund in order to recover lost value when an item is returned used, altered or damaged. Sellers may not use this protection to recoup market losses on items returned in the same condition or recoup return postage and/or restocking costs.

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/managing-returns-refunds/handle-return-request-seller?id=4115#:~:t....

[e_tuner95]

@mam98031 

Yes, eBay do protect sellers from charge back.

And we are allowed to deduct 50% if buyer returns broken or wrong item. Maybe you are calling it something else, but most merchants call it restock fee.

[mam98031]

@e_tuner95 

Was it an INR?  Ebay's seller protection on INRs is excellent.  So if the tracking shows that it was delivered, and the CCC still rules for the buyer, Ebay should step up and protect the seller.

However the same is just not true for INADs.  

Yes, you can deduct up to 50% for broken items.  You are absolutely correct, but then I never said you couldn't.  What you had originally suggested was to deduct 50% for a restocking fee and I just let you know that that is not allowed.  You stated "Safest way is actually take a loss and refund 50% restocking fee."

[e_tuner95]

OP originally said the buyer had sent back a Camera that is broken and not even the same serial number.

That is a ground for 50% restock fee. Sometimes eBay would just refund the buyer and fund the 50% for the seller.

You talking about my Charge back case? No is not an INR, it was an INAD. 

Most scammers uses that because they know they will lose the INR when I ship with signature req.

I had multiple charge backs of various reason in the past, I won some and lost some, eBay ate all of them. Charge back coverage seem to be automated.

@mam98031 

[yuzuha]

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@chapeau-noir wrote:

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I've never had damaged packages arrive with "damaged" tape - they just arrive.

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Was going to say. I've had some arrive with the "damaged" tape and others (that were very clearly visibly crushed) arrive with nothing at all.

[mam98031]

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@e_tuner95 wrote:

OP originally said the buyer had sent back a Camera that is broken and not even the same serial number.

That is a ground for 50% restock fee. Sometimes eBay would just refund the buyer and fund the 50% for the seller.

You talking about my Charge back case? No is not an INR, it was an INAD. 

Most scammers uses that because they know they will lose the INR when I ship with signature req.

I had multiple charge backs of various reason in the past, I won some and lost some, eBay ate all of them. Charge back coverage seem to be automated.

@mam98031 

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It may be grounds per your opinion for charging the buyer a 50% restocking fee, but Ebay would disagree with you on that.  And we do need to abide by the rules.  But with that said, the OP does not have a partial refund as an option here.  The buyer filed a Chargeback.

Well congratulations.  It is pretty rare for Ebay to refund a seller on a Chargeback that was for a item not as described or defective when the CCC refunded the buyer.  But in certain cases I can see where it would happen.  I don't know the particulars of your case, so I really can't say.  

A Chargeback can be for an INAD or it can be for an INR or even something simple like the buyer didn't recognize the charge on their CC.  

A seller has protections for an INR whether it was a claim filed in Ebay or if the buyer decided to go to their payment source and file a Chargeback.  Same with INADs.  They can be opened on Ebay or as a Chargeback.  

IDK what you are referring to that Ebay pays for all your Chargebacks.  And there is no way to accurately discuss them without the details of each one.  

[mrphilf]

When this stuff happens to me I threaten the buyer with fraud charges and report them to ebay, and tell them I reported them.  Sometimes they stop pursuing it at that point.  Otherwise if they still push the return you have to fight ebay at every step, get police reports, etc.  even then most of the time ebay reps act in direct contradiction to ebays published policies and when confronted with this they just terminate the conversation.  Or they flat out lie and say they are processing the refund which you never receive.  You call back and the next rep claims there were no notes of any refund and promises to do it.  Lather, rinse, repeat.  I have learned to accept that ebay stealing from me and lying to me is a cost of doing business here.

[prez342]

You are so right on this. In my 22 years I’ve only had maybe 5 cases like this. I’ve won some and lost some. On all of them I believe I was right. I don’t have a lot invested on anything I sell so that makes it easier. 

[e_tuner95]

It means every single 1 of my Charge back was funded by eBay and I got the same notification as the email I screen shot, whether it is filed as INR, INAD, or Fraudulent purchase. I probably had like 5 ot 6 of them happened in the last 3 years of selling, and they were several hundred dollar.

As for the 50% restock fee, I had one occasion where eBay refunded the buyer his 50% because he complained but not deducted from me. Email explained is a perk for TRS.

Did have have a charge back that was not funded by eBay before?

Maybe I got lucky on every single one of them?