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.

[stuff4divas]

---

@popartsy1 wrote:

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.

---

@popartsy1   AWESOME!!! Plz keep us posted! So happy for you and thank u for ur diligence !😣

[popartsy1]

Great to hear that. I have some hope now 😊

How did you initiate the contact with ebay? Did you use the appeal link?

[e-e1832]

I did phone, live-chat, and ultimately the appeal link. After a rep emailed me denying the appeal, I kept replying to that email with more details. I kept requesting this gets escalated up the chain and eventually someone listened.

[dbfolks166mt]

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...

     While that can be done unless the buyer is doing it themselves it is not a cheap or easy thing to do. In the US if you take a cell phone in to get the IMEI changed and honest shop is going to check the current IMEI and realize the phone is stolen. 

[dbfolks166mt]

I did phone, live-chat, and ultimately the appeal link. After a rep emailed me denying the appeal, I kept replying to that email with more details. I kept requesting this gets escalated up the chain and eventually someone listened.

     While eBay has the policy in place that covers the seller once the package is delivered to the FF and the buyer looses their MBG coverage there have been multiple posts on this forum about the battles with eBay to get them to stand behind that policy. I suspect some of it has to do with the bots but a simple appeal to reverse the decision stating buyer used a FF along with the address of the FF and a link to the FF business should be sufficient. It should not be a long drawn out fight. 

[popartsy1]

I suspect that this phone will not be resold in the US. Most likely shipped out of the US and sold somewhere else with a new IMEI where it's easier to change IMEI from what I've read so far.

[popartsy1]

One thing I noticed is how the scammer used a random address with the same city and zip code as mine so that the tracking, which only shows you the city and zip, seems to show that the package has been delivered to my address when in fact it wasn't. And no one would know the difference unless there's an investigation by USPS who KNOWS the location of the actual delivery.

[e-e1832]

While eBay has the policy in place that covers the seller once the package is delivered to the FF and the buyer looses their MBG coverage there have been multiple posts on this forum about the battles with eBay to get them to stand behind that policy. I suspect some of it has to do with the bots but a simple appeal to reverse the decision stating buyer used a FF along with the address of the FF and a link to the FF business should be sufficient. It should not be a long drawn out fight. 

I agree, it should not be a long drawn out fight. I mentioned the freight forwarder address, since day one, in every communication with ebay. 

[cardxcraft]

What the scammers do is cut out the address section of the Ebay issued label and insert their own, non-deliverable address; or, just tape over the address with their own.

[cardxcraft]

There's were a few sellers posting on here in the last 3-5 months with caess just like yours.  I know for sure one of them were able to get their money back.  Search for a post by Ebay user mudshark.  He listed a how to method on appealing these types of scams.

[cardxcraft]

Here is the post:  after following the steps, there's a link at the bottom to file an appeal.

Just a few weeks ago there was a seller who beat a scammer by going to the post office:

1.  Getting a written letter regarding the return item not matching.  What the scammer does is get the return label, alter it with an address that is undeliverable, but, Ebay bot takes this as item was returned.  So go to your post office with the tracking number to show that its been altered.  Get  a written letter stating this. 

2.  Appeal through Ebay: Follow the steps below:

Here is mudsharks post:

eBay's and other 3rd party online retail site's automated Item not received (INR) system can only look for a Delivered scan when a tracking number is uploaded.  Since they are neither the sender or recipient they are not entitled to more info from the USPS, FedEx, UPS and other shipping agencies.

You can appeal the decision (link below) however, you have to do a bit of leg work to win the appeal.

Go to your  local Post Office, UPS or FedEx store and bring proof of you being the recipient, eBay Order Details and Purchase History pages w/ the tracking number on it.   If you used a phone/tablet etc. for the purchase bring that, or print copies of those pages if you used a computer.

  At the store ask the clerk to compare the shipping label info address, package type/size/weight to the Order details info. They cannot give out specific information, but they can write a note on company stationary  saying things like; the shipping label's address does not match yours, and if applicable that the package type/size/weight. doesn't match what you should have received. 

The note needs to be signed and dated by the clerk and give the store# or P.O. zip code.

With that info you can file an appeal. When you do there will be a place to upload documentation, a clear photo or scan of the note.  Appeals are looked at by real people and the info you provide will cause you to win.

https://www.ebay.com/help/buying/returns-refunds/appeal-ebays-decision-return-missing-item-buyers?id...

[popartsy1]

This article popped up on my phone today. It's almost exactly the same experience I had down to the buyer's address and shipping anomalies!

https://milesperday.com/2023/06/the-ebay-freight-forward-return-scam/

[popartsy1]

UPDATE : 6/22

This morning, I filed an appeal on ebay with all documents I collected (police reports from the buyer's and seller 's city, IC3 report, US Postal Inspection Service mail fraud report, email from the local USPS investigation containing actual delivery location, screenshot of the return tracking). This evening, I got an email from ebay approving my appeal so it looks like I will be getting my money back! It was a surprisingly quick resolution by ebay, which I am grateful for. Ebay asked to report the buyer using their sytem, which I did. Just as a DP, here's the buyer's info to watch out for. I have a feeling that the name is fake but the address has been used in other scams that I found.

Ebay ID: alealm_78

ALEXIS A. NOLBERTO CAPELLAN
8020 NW 66th Street
(BP-047139)
MIAMI, FL 33166-3900
United States

Thanks everyone who posted here with tips and hints. Couldn't have done it by myself!

[wgraggio]

USPS is a disaster in 33166 and 33152 zip codes, if you are a seller only use FEDEX or UPS on those zip codes, USPS will show as delivered in their website just to complain with amazon delivery times, but in reality they still have them in their warehouse and will not scan the packages at the actual delivery. This leads to bad practices by workers when delivering, as it already says delivered on the website. They do not accept the claims either, they always deny them.

[olboycal]

Hey sir this same exact individual just purchased a phone from me same address. The address didn't feel right to me so I copied and pasted into Google which led me to this post. I'm definitely not shipping my phone to this person