I recently sold a laptop for $800 on Ebay. The buyer returned it using a fraudulent excuse. I was very uncomfortable with this so I told Ebay that I think this is fraud. They ignored me. The buyer sent the item back to me and I was given a tracking number for the returned item but it never arrived. I notified Ebay that I had not received the item. I also informed Fedex that I never received the package. Both Ebay and Fedex said that I received my returned item, but I did not. I sent several inquiries and complaints to both Ebay and Fedex. Fedex came back saying the item was received and signed for. It was signed by someone I had never heard of. I tried to further my complaint with Fedex but I could not because I didn't pay for the postage. The buyer smply ghosted me. I told all of this to Ebay but they denied my request and took money out of my bank account for the purchase price.... and for the sellers fee. Yes, you read that right. Not only did Ebay facilitate fraud, but they charged me for it. What kind of business does that? At least return the sellers fee.
But nothing in your post shows you provided eBay any evidence.
If you don't then eBay has to go by the evidence that is avaliable.
The carrier can't tell you details because you didn't buy the label, but have you asked the carrier if they can give you a statement that the location was not your address?
If you can get that statement, eBay can use It for appeal to get your funds back.
You are an infrequent seller who sold one of the most highly scammed items, a laptop. These scammers feast upon new/infrequent sellers. There are many threads over many years on this very forum of new/infrequent sellers lamenting such losses to scammers. Better to stick to your artsy decanters, items low on the scam list. Ebay will never change itself.
This is the second complaint on this forum today regarding a computer sale gone wrong.
NEVER, EVER sell, and especially ship, any high-value item anywhere online, particularly electronics, that you and your business model are not prepared to lose, in addition to the final insult of losing your payment for it on a forced eBay refund, over which you will almost automatically lose regardless of the circumstances. It should be sold locally, in person, for cash only.
To what city/state did you ship this product? Did it go to a freight forwarder perhaps (usually but not always in Florida, Delaware, Oregon)? What you are experiencing is the "fake tracking return scam". It is quite popular, especially for users of the forwarders.
If a F. Forwarder was used, there may be some hope for you. OR if you can get some written documentation from FedEx that the parcel was not intended for you.
Let us know what you find out about this, and we can give you the next steps.
If you need to find the country of origin of your buyer, you can use this link:
I sent all of the documentation I had available to Ebay, including the name of the person who supposedly signed for it (which wasn't me). I submitted an appeal but was rejected.
mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999
