Ebay has allowed us to be DEFRAUDED 4 times in the last 30 days - each time protecting the SCAMMER!

[westextelpyc]

It is sad what Ebay has become, we are a seller of 18 years with 100% feedback over 2000+ reviews, and it seems blatantly obvious that instead of looking out for our best interest, Ebay is more concerned with protecting FRAUDSTERS and SCAMMERS!

In the past 30 days on now 4 different occasions, a buy with an Ebay account opened less than a month has purchased out Hot Tub Supplies.  Once the item was receieved, the SCAMMER made FRADULENT CLAIMS to open a RETURN.  Once the return was in fact approved, the SCAMMER returned WORTHLESS JUNK, one time was a PIECE OF PAPER another time was PIECES OF PLASTICS.

Each time we received these items, we photographed everything, pictures of the unopened return showing the return tracking # and then pictures of us opening the item and then pictures of the contents.

Now in 2 of the 4 cases Ebay has denied our reimbursement claims because "somehow" we didn't prove that the "PIECE OF PAPER" sent to us, was not a hot tub product and we did not prove that it was sent by a SCAMMER.

At this point, we will have no choice but after 18 YEARS we will be REMOVING OUR PRODUCTS from Ebay.  WHAT A TOTAL SHAME!!!

[gurlcat]

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@dbfolks166mt wrote:

     About the only move eBay has made to enhance seller protection was/is the EIS program where seller protection is virtually absolute. I have often wondered if eBay and/or EIS deals with scammers with the same impunity. 

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I wonder about this all the time.  And not just scam buyers but scam sellers to, because it would be SO EASY, unless they open all packages at the hub before shipping them overseas.  Seems like that would take a lot of labor though, not to mention shipping materials, to replace busted-open ones.  

[gurlcat]

What can I say, I am a poet 
And a werewolf.  Shhh....

[fbusoni]

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@westextelpyc wrote:

The addresses were all different, all in the mid Atlantic region but yes that is what we got 3 times and 1 time a piece of folded paper. 

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@gurlcat @westextelpyc 

Please read this article from @valueaddedresource and see if your experience shares anything in common.

In particular, please watch the video and note the reference to small notches in the top black line above the words "USPS Tracking #" as shown in the image below (clipped from the larger image provided below by @westextelpyc )

 @westextelpyc, do all three of your labels share those small white gaps in the line I refer to??  Yet are marked with different return addresses??

 

[fbusoni]

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@gurlcat wrote:

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@dbfolks166mt wrote:

     About the only move eBay has made to enhance seller protection was/is the EIS program where seller protection is virtually absolute. I have often wondered if eBay and/or EIS deals with scammers with the same impunity. 

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I wonder about this all the time.  And not just scam buyers but scam sellers to, because it would be SO EASY, unless they open all packages at the hub before shipping them overseas.  Seems like that would take a lot of labor though, not to mention shipping materials, to replace busted-open ones.  

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I reckon that they X-ray all the packages and AI handles the process of visual matching.  

[gurlcat]

Hmmm. I think it is quite possible that my fraudulent friend did something like dropshipping but to an overseas seller, which would be very convenient because the turd works at a freight forwarding facility.    Pretty different from Norman's scenario in various ways.  

Also it appears that Liz was asserting that Norman is getting hit with 2 completely different (crushing) blows: the scam kind, and the other which I can't quite figure out. -All those buyers sending back the very items he sold, claiming they were INAD but they're perfect and unopened .... so they don't harm him as much financially but are adding up to bad service metrics, threatening to make him pay more in fees.  So would that be a COMPETITOR doing that to him?  

Man I'd be so .... upset isn't even the word .... if I was getting bombarded by two kinds of villains nonstop over and over like that. 

[fbusoni]

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@gurlcat wrote:

Hmmm. I think it is quite possible that my fraudulent friend did something like dropshipping but to an overseas seller, which would be very convenient because the turd works at a freight forwarding facility.    Pretty different from Norman's scenario in various ways.  

Also it appears that Liz was asserting that Norman is getting hit with 2 completely different (crushing) blows: the scam kind, and the other which I can't quite figure out. -All those buyers sending back the very items he sold, claiming they were INAD but they're perfect and unopened .... so they don't harm him as much financially but are adding up to bad service metrics, threatening to make him pay more in fees.  So would that be a COMPETITOR doing that to him?  

Man I'd be so .... upset isn't even the word .... if I was getting bombarded by two kinds of villains nonstop over and over like that. 

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Unless I am mistaken, in the video, Norman shows that he is NOT getting back the items that he shipped.  

And please have a look at your mailing label.  See any telltale notches??

[gurlcat]

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@fbusoni wrote:

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Unless I am mistaken, in the video, Norman shows that he is NOT getting back the items that he shipped.  

And please have a look at your mailing label.  See any telltale notches??

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Go to the article and keep reading AFTER the video.  The paragraph that starts with "Unfortunately..." 

-I still have that return package/label.  No notch.  It's a totally different scammer (there are probably hundreds if not thousands of them just within the U.S.).  

[valueaddedresource]

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@gurlcat wrote:

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@fbusoni wrote:

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Unless I am mistaken, in the video, Norman shows that he is NOT getting back the items that he shipped.  

And please have a look at your mailing label.  See any telltale notches??

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Go to the article and keep reading AFTER the video.  The paragraph that starts with "Unfortunately..." 

-I still have that return package/label.  No notch.  It's a totally different scammer (there are probably hundreds if not thousands of them just within the U.S.).  

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@gurlcat  @fbusoni  just to clarify, it was both - some of the first returns he received as part of that situation were returned in (what at least appeared to him to be) new, unopened condition and were the correct items.

As he continued to be targeted, some of the returns coming back were then what was shown in that video - not the correct items that had been shipped and clearly all repackaged by the same person, using the same label printer despite them all supposedly originating from different buyers.

Based on the info he's shared with me, my guess is he is being used by one or several "dropshippers" (which in and of itself is a violation of eBay policies that eBay can and should be able to track and take action on).

I am also guessing that in some cases it could be that the dropshipper's buyer is requesting a return, so the dropshipper files it with their "supplier" as a false INAD to get the free label to send to their buyer and their buyer is sending back the correct, unwanted and unused item.

And in some cases it seems that the dropshipper is filing false claims and sending back wrong items made to look like they came from the buyer simply to get their money back while their buyer keeps the real item.

Unfortunately, it's difficult to say for sure exactly what might be going on in that situation because there's a lot of data we or even the seller being targeted simply don't have visibility to.

But I can say from personal experience dealing with triangulation fraud that eBay absolutely does have visibility to that data and could connect the dots and do something about it, including protecting the innocent seller who has been targeted....if they wanted to.

[westextelpyc]

@gurlcat @fbusoni 

I currently do not have time to watch the video but yes they have those "notches" at the label.

Mine did not come from Newark, DE however them came from the following :

Purceville, VA

Brighton, MI

New Martinsville, WV

Clifton, VA

What is equally amazing is that you guys have pointed out this is obviously a know and reported issue and now after 68 responses on this issue EBAY would continue to allow everyone to sit here and TRASH THEM for not PROTECTING SELLERS and still have not reached out to me in any meaningful way to rectify a KNOWN SITUATION!

[gurlcat]

Ah, thanks for answering that.   Ha the eBay-trashing in this thread is NOTHING compared to some.  They don't read these forums.  

Hey @valueaddedresource what do you make of this?  The OP and I both got a very specific kind of garbage returned to us, but from different locations.  -Mine was right AT a FF address, one that just opened in Newark Deleware, and I managed to not only get the return closed but the buyer's account shut down (details if you're curious in the 'Beyond Bizarre Return' thread).  I think it had to be an employee doing it. 

I suspect that my success from reporting them had more to do with the undeniable fact that they filed the return the night BEFORE they even received my package (unlike photos of sent garbage, there was no way eBay could deny that the message they -eBay- sent me about the return was many hours before the delivery scan).  

But anyway, what on Earth could explain both of these scammers using these same plastic pebbles to ship back???? 
OP's photo, and my photo:

[fbusoni]

@gurlcat 

I was asking about the notch because your pebbles are so similar to those of the OP.  😊

I know, overactive imagination.  Which can get me in trouble with certain individuals here if I am not careful!  

[fbusoni]

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@westextelpyc wrote:

@gurlcat @fbusoni 

I currently do not have time to watch the video but yes they have those "notches" at the label.

Mine did not come from Newark, DE however them came from the following :

Purceville, VA

Brighton, MI

New Martinsville, WV

Clifton, VA

What is equally amazing is that you guys have pointed out this is obviously a know and reported issue and now after 68 responses on this issue EBAY would continue to allow everyone to sit here and TRASH THEM for not PROTECTING SELLERS and still have not reached out to me in any meaningful way to rectify a KNOWN SITUATION!

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Did your packages have the same "Made in China" label on the reverse side?

Seems like the work of a syndicate.  Big surprise, I know.  

PS: eBay does not read these boards and has no idea this discussion is taking place.  

And heaven only knows where are those eBay employees who DO periodically check in here.  

[isaiah53-57]

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@gurlcat wrote:

Where do you sell now?  (You can write other platform names here; some people seem to think it's forbidden but it's not, LOL). 

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We stopped selling online due to fraud, fees, and promoted listings(about 90% of our sales were through ebay). Another factor was all the wasted time and labor intensiveness of running a listing-based mail order company.

After shuttering here, the 1st thing I did was take a part time supervisory position at UPS which has proven invaluable due to the excellent health insurance and savings/retirement programs.

From there, we decided to focus on establishing a brand locally - We started posting our wares in general store style on FB and attending events, shows, fairs, cons, etc - We have put heavy effort into marketing and promoting our own website and our FB offerings so those we sell to can buy from us at any time(we still do some shipping, but its mainly to past customers so we can control fraud) - We have been attending 2 local Christmas fairs over the past 4 years and the last two years we have become main attractions.

One of the main benefits to our system is we are not always managing sales and selling - we sell in bulk over short time frames so that has freed up some very valuable time for us.

[isaiah53-57]

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@westextelpyc wrote:

@gurlcat @fbusoni 

What is equally amazing is that you guys have pointed out this is obviously a know and reported issue and now after 68 responses on this issue EBAY would continue to allow everyone to sit here and TRASH THEM for not PROTECTING SELLERS and still have not reached out to me in any meaningful way to rectify a KNOWN SITUATION!

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The last straw for us here was dealing with a thief who had a years worth of false positive feedback for the same type of criminal activity they inflicted on us - In an attempt to get them removed from the site, we contacted sellers from the previous 90 days asking them to report the criminal(s) - Naive us for thinking we could get a buyer, regardless of quality and infraction, booted from the site by reporting them. To our amazement and disgust we found a LARGE number of sellers had already reported them, yet there they were still defrauding with impunity - Many months down the road there they still were, receiving ever more false positive feedback for their crime spree - We finally got tired of monitoring them - They may still be here - But we're not - Seems the site is fine with that...

[baydealz]

eBay is a CA company, they've learned from Gov. Newscum, Sen. Harris and the lot of thieves in Sacramento.  49 states out there have no idea of the crookedness, corruption and incompetence.  Now one of them is running for president. 

Shoplifting out here is a 'lifestyle.'  As is homelessness, crime and transgender...'to no fault of there own.'  'People need to embrace it.'....Hence, eBay has accepted 'digital shoplifting.' It's not their money, so everyone 'feels good,' except the sellers (who remain). 

Sellers will statistically still find a good percent of honest buyers (if you price/sell realistically and fairly), but be prepared for nonsense.  Either do the volume and frequency that 1-2-10% is just 'shrinkage' or get prepared for ebay automation to be against you. 

Like our CA laws, you'll never win against City Hall or even the population, you can only modify your participation.  Selling, landlording, contracting, servicing are ALL brutal in this state, but people do it.  You gotta protect yourself up front, don't participate with scumbags.  With digital scumbags, it's harder to tell, so list and photograph EVERYTHING, mostly to show that buyers cannot play games.  Dissatisfied buyers will get their money back, just accept their return (at least you get the item back).  I've not figured out how to address the buyer who steals a part, but it's very rare and I would just seal in such a way that shows tampering, but knowing that eBay-bot won't care.