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]

Just looking at that tracking gives me anxiety 😫

[dbfolks166mt]

     Seeing cell phone and scam in the same sentence does not surprise me in the least. Probably one of the scammers favorite targets on eBay. If you have the IMEI number you can report it to the blacklist as I suspect you will never actually get the phone back. You don't need the package back to report the phone as stolen.

     Was/is the buyer actually located in PA? What was the address you shipped to? Has scam written all over it given return address was to someplace in FL. 

[popartsy1]

Buyer's address was in MIAMI, FL, where it was shipped to by me. The return package originated from BRONX, NY. I'm trying to blacklist the IMEI although I have a feeling that the original IMEI will probably be reprogrammed to a new one...

[e-e1832]

Wow! I thought I was alone with this one..

I believe I was scammed by the same buyer and ebay doesn't do a thing! 

I sold an Apple Watch Ultra to this buyer. I normally watch the ship to address and look for that code they include in the address. Unfortunately, I was dealing with a family emergency at the time.

I shipped my watch to Miami, Fl. The day after it was delivered the buyer said there was a problem and asked for help. Then immediately did a return request. The buyer has yet to reply to any of my messages. I contacted ebay with my concerns, especially after looking up the address and checking the business on the BBB website (F rating). The ebay CSR told me to just accept the return and if there was a problem later to report it. Reluctantly, I accepted the return. A return label was sent. Next thing I know, my item is being returned from Bronx, NY. I immediately contacted ebay again and reported the buyer. The ebay CSR reported the buyer up the chain. Several days later tracking said my item was delivered back to me. It was not! I have Informed Delivery with the USPS. Whenever a package with a tracking number is scanned with my address on it, it will show up in Informed Delivery. This return did not show up. When I entered my name and address, along with the tracking number into the USPS website to report it missing, the site tells me the information doesn't match what is in the system. Which means, the label was edited and my address was not on it!. Any kid with a computer can edit a label. I called my local post office and they manually put in a search request. The next day, they said it was delivered as addressed. I have requested the address it was delivered to but have not heard back from the post office. So, I filed a complaint with the Inspector General's office. I forwarded all this info to ebay and they still granted the refund and even denied my appeal. They keep telling me it was delivered to me according to tracking. I also have video doorbells and NO package was delivered to me that day. I also, personally talked to our mail carrier and he said he didn't have any packages for me that day.

Also, looking at this buyer's recent feedback, another seller reported being scammed. Ebay continues to ignore the facts and all the red flags. I am in the process of filing a police report with the Miami PD against this buyer for theft by deception and listing ebay as an accessory to the crime. I'm working on blacklisting the IMEI on the watch and report it as stolen to Apple. I will attempt to contact the post office in Bronx, NY. to get more info on where it was shipped. I have reported this buyer to USPS for mail fraud as well. I'm meeting with an attorney next week to discuss my options.

Ebay is protecting a known scammer / criminal and ignoring all the facts! Ebay fails to do any REAL investigating on this case. I did it for them, and again, they still ignore the facts!

I hope the OP has better luck than I have had so far. 

[bonjourami]

Usually, the USPS will not give out the address it was shipped to, they have privacy laws too. But they can pull that address up on their gps monitor and give you a statement that it was not delivered to your address.As far as the Ebay csr 'reporting' the buyer up the chain, Im sorry, but thats just not true. They will tell you what you want to hear to get onto the next call, and are totally scripted with these type of problems.I do wish you good luck with your appeal.

[sextons-sweet-deals]

the buyer tampered with the label. 

[e-e1832]

Yeah, this is the issue I'm experiencing. They are closed tomorrow, so I will try Tuesday. 

[e-e1832]

It's pretty obvious, but ebay doesn't believe so.

[stuff4divas]

@popartsy1   Not sure, but maybe this community post will help>

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Fraud-with-the-help-of-eBay/m-p/32449690/highlight/true#M378234

[popartsy1]

Wow, that sucks. Did you ship your item to 8020 NW 66th Street? It's a freight forwarder so the business seems to rent out boxes like PO box to their customers. Seems like scammers use their service to receive packages. I'm continuing my investigation and will soon be filing an appeal. Good luck with your appeal.

[popartsy1]

Thanks. That post was written by one of the commenters here so I'm following his recommendations.

[e-e1832]

Yep, that's the one! I was contacted by ebay, via email, that they are reversing their decision. They said I'll get my money back in 3-5 days. They were able to verify that the buyer's checkout address is associated to a freight forwarding address thus this case is not covered by eBay money back guarantee.

Hopefully, they follow through with this. I'll keep you posted.

[popartsy1]

UPDATE : 6/19

6/14 - I filed a report with USPS regarding the supposedly delivered package. Surprisingly, the local USPS office called me that evening to inform me that they are working on it and will let me know about the investigation.

6/16 - USPS person called again to inform me that the package has been indeed delivered but not to my address. The package was delivered to Rite-Aid (like Walgreens), which is actually not too far from my house. She also sent me an email containing a photo of the GPS location of the delivery (Rite-Aid parking lot). I stopped by that Rite-Aid just now to talk to the manager. He told me that they did receive a package. It was addressed to "Manager" so they took it over to the pharmacy department, put on some gloves (his words), opened it, and it was full of folded notebook pages. They thought it was strange and discarded the package.

6/17 - Now that I know where the package went to (not to me) and it was indeed a scam, I filed a police with my local police dept and the buyer's police dept. I also filed a report with IC3.gov, and reported the phone stolen on IMEI.info. I received a temporary tracking #s for the police reports while they are reviewing them, and once approved and sent final case #s, I will file an appeal with ebay.

[e-e1832]

Wow! I have not heard back from my local post office. I think they're closed tomorrow, but I will go in person on Tuesday. I hope to get more information as to where it was delivered, just in case ebay back tracks on their decision. Thanks for the update / info.

[rugerskick]

I'd file,the police report locally first.  Then contsct the police in the area of the scammer.  They wont do anything if you havent filed locally, but they can get the info you filed locally and start something on their end.

Also file with the post office for mail fraud.  Its a large amount.

Then make sure ebay knows you've filed and that you're serious about this.  Their site policies enable scam "buyers" like this to thrive.