Can things get any worse from this point on?

[popartsy1]

I'm pretty sure I got scammed and there's nothing I can do at this point but posting this anyway as a therapy and maybe it will help future sellers...

I sold a Samsung phone that I bought directly from Samsung which arrived in a sealed packaging.

• March 27 - Sold it for $685 to this person in MIAMI, FL, with an address that looked like it's a shipping or fulfillment center. The buyer had 7 feedback and the account was created in April 28, 2023. Fishy but I've shipped items to fulfillment centers before so...
• June 1 - Item delievered.
• June 6 - Received a message from the buyer saying, "I have a problem with the Phone and I want to ask you a question, if you can help me?". Immediately after this message was received, I received a return request. The return request had one photo taken of the screen in the DARK and very blurry. Because of the poor photo quality, I couldn't tell what was happening with the phone.
• June 6 (cont'd) - Minutes after I received the return request, I replied to the message asking to explain the problem. No replies from the buyer. I asked to send the IMEI of the phone to make sure it's the phone I sold. No replies.
• June 7 - Still no reply so I went ahead and accepted the return request since there's no use to hold out for replies. I chose the ebay issued return label.
• June 10 - USPS tracking showed that it received the shipment in BRONX, NY! Not a transit location, the package was admitted to the USPS system in BRONX, NY...
• June 12 - Arrived at my local USPS location and out for delivery. Package didn't show. Later that day, USPS tracking showed the address couldn't be verified so it's being return to the local USPS office (this was an ebay-issued return shipping label). At the same time, ebay sent me a messaging saying that the buyer asked them to step in and immediately issued a refund since the tracking showed the package has been delivered (WHAT? WHY??? It wasn't and the tracking showed it that it wasn't). I checked my address on file with ebay and everything was fine so not sure why USPS says the address couldn't be verified.
• June 13 - USPS tracking showed that the package has gone back to the local USPS and will be delivered if the address checks out.
• June 14 - Tracking showed that it's getting ready to deliver it again. In the afternoon, I checked the tracking and it showed as delivered. I went to my mail box but nothing. The tracking said, "Delivered, Left with Individual"... Was home all day and didn't receive anything. No one came to my door, nothings left on my porch.

By now, everything that could have gone wrong has gone wrong... I was planning to file a police report along with having the IMEI blacklisted but I can't even do that now without the return package.

One regret I have is not checking the buyer's address when I felt that spidey sense of something not quite right. I should've googled the buyer's address before shipping as there are numerous scam related message online regarding that address. If I'm allowed I can divulge that address. It's a commercial address.

I believe that I'm in a situation where I am $685 poorer, but if anyone has any ideas to recoop something back I'm all ears.

[popartsy1]

Not sure how to edit the OP so here it is. The first date should be May 27, not March 27.

[bonjourami]

Wow..sorry that happened to you, unfortunately, Ebay considers an attempted delivery as a delivery.Can you get a statement from the p.o. that the pkg was not delivered to you? They can pull it up on their Gps monitor..tho they wont tell you where it was delivered.You can use that to appeal the case.

[dqdistribution]

If it was an eBay generated label I don't see how there could have been tampering with the address. 

Have you tried to contact the USPS to see what might have happened?

When an item goes out for delivery and fails because of an issue, buyers have the right to request refund regardless of actual delivery. 

If they paid for their own label, this would make more sense to me, maybe some others have experience on this.

[isaiah53-57]

Looks like you may have fallen prey to the old "buyer sends a package from another company to your zip code"  to show it was delivered to you scam - Are you sure it was the ebay label tracking number and not a tracking number the buyer provided?

Regardless of the "type" of scam, you were targeted and victimized - Not a good feeling - I find it unbelievable ebay can charge what they do in fees, knowing you are being put in harms way EVERY TIME you list something of value on their site - Utterly ridiculous - You take ALL THE RISK, lose your item and they still get their cut - how about that?

Now you need to investigate with the Post Office and get all the info you can to file a police report so you can appeal the decision and have a shot at winning.

I'm sure you, your family, your circle of friends, and your circle of friends, friends will learn a valuable lesson from this after all is said and done - Best of luck to you

[ittybitnot]

@popartsy1 

First, since you shipped to a freight forwarder, the buyer should not have been allowed to file an MBG claim in the first place.  However, since eBay proceeds as this is just a regular sale, you accepted the return and the label was for a return from the Miami reshipper. 

The parcel was already shipped out of the US, so that label is useless for the buyer.  The usual scenario is for the buyer to use their "own" tracking number.  This is typically accomplished by purchasing a cheap trinket on the net and having it sent to an address in your Zipcode.   This satisfies the eBay bot, and the seller is thrown under the bus.  

The other option being employed more recently, is to actually use the eBay label, but alter the addresses before using it.  It is a simple matter, and becoming more popular.  Again, the parcel is addressed to your local Walgreens or KFC restaurant etc. just to satisfy the return requirements for eBay. 

Just as a buyer that is a victim of the fake tracking scam, it is likely that you, as a seller, are a victim of the fake tracking return scam.  You need to take your documentation to your local Post Office and have them affirm in writing that the parcel WAS NOT DELIVERED TO YOU or NOT INTENDED FOR YOU. You don't need to know where it actually was delivered.  

Report the buyer, then use the blue MESSAGE button on this page: 

https://www.facebook.com/eBayForBusiness

OR

https://twitter.com/askebay

The regular Customer Service you get in a call back or chat, will likely not help you.  All they can say is "tracking shows delivered".  The reps in the social media portals are quite familiar with this, and do have the authority to help you.  The use of this format is a means to an end.  If you are not willing to give it a try, then YES, you are $685 poorer.  

Good luck and let us know how it turns out. 

[retrogames10000]

Sorry about your luck, friend!

I don't have any good advice but there is nothing stopping you from filing a police report

[popartsy1]

Sigh... Going to the PO is like pulling teeth here but I guess I have no choice... Thanks for the support!

[popartsy1]

It's actually quite easy to save the return label as PDF and change anything on the label using a simple software. I did file a report with USPS so let's what happens but I'm not getting my hopes up.

[popartsy1]

Yeah, it's my first (somewhat high valued item scam. If it was for a $20 item I wouldn't mind but losing that much money stings. I think I'm going to explore another venue to sell expensive items, probably in person like Offer Up.

[inhawaii]

This has happened to me once before and I won the appeal.

I just needed proof from the carrier (in my case it was not the usps) that the package was NOT delivered to me.

Good luck!

[popartsy1]

Thanks for the info.

I believe it's the altered address case since the tracking number is the same as the one sent by ebay for the return. I have opened a case with USPS so I'll see where that takes me to. I will also reach out to the FB and TW contact.

It's frustrating to realize that no matter how much precaution you take as a seller, once the item is sold and shipped, there's nothing a seller can do to protect against scammers according to the ebay policy.

[popartsy1]

Thanks. Yeah, I plan to file a police report.

[ten_o_nine]

The problem is with USPS scanning, once item is delivered, it will show delivered, but you'd better take a photo of it as it will change in the future.

Look at this tracking that showed delivered, they reversed the delivery scan, and started 2 weeks later by refusal of package when buyer admitted receiving it and the customer started a return case, this info as of today. I have messages with customer that started a return case and sent them a return label, delivery scan is missing as the buyer filed a dispute with credit card as INR.

[popartsy1]

Thanks, I'm hoping I can get the proof from USPS and ebay will honor it (keeping my expectation super low though...)