eBay

mymbdoobie · ‎02-23-2023

I sold a new phone sealed in the box. Been on Ebay for 21 yrs. New Buyer with a 9 rating bought it and I sent it to a Miami reshipper (should have declined the sale but Ebay should block this address from use).

https://www.scampulse.com/8020-nw-66th-st-8778-miami-fl-33166-reviews

Buyer states that they are having an issue and want to talk to me but also want to return it at the same time. Hmmmm. Buyer never communicates with me again...Hmmmm. I tell Ebay that I do not want to offer return slip until buyer communicates. Ebay says too bad.

I don't want a defect so I send the $12 return slip. Days later it says delivered to my mailbox. But nothing is in the mailbox. Wait another day and nothing. Went to the Postmaster yesterday and she looks the trking number up. Comes out with a picture of the package. Guess they photo all packages. The Buyer/scammer made a new label with the tracking number but put their Miami (reshipper address so not traceable) and the ship too address is my local Walgreens. I now have a picture of the package to prove it. The scammer did this so the automated USPS system would label it as delivered to mailbox. So an empty package was delivered to Walgreens BUT it looks like it was delivered to my house.

I immediately tell Ebay that I received the wrong item (the menu options don't have "never received" how convenient). I explain the situation and 4 hours later I get, "We paid the buyer as the return was delivered". So basically no one read the situation at all. So I appeal with PICTURES of the fraudulent package attached this time. Hours later I get another canned automated response saying "sorry!!! we haven't read a darn thing you said, we just care that it says something.....anything was delivered somewhere. But I can report the buyer after we let the scammer take your phone for free. Oh and pay the listing fee.

So what the heck do I do now? I lost $467. Nothing to help Sellers at all. My 416 rating and 21 years means nothing. I can't even leave negative feedback for the buyer. Only offers positive.

m60driver · ‎02-23-2023

If you sell phones on Ebay, as well as some other electronic items like gaming gear, then you will inevitably get scammed and Ebay will never back you up. If you have been on Ebay 21 years then you should have known this and the scammers certainly know this, which is why this method of theft/fraud never ceases.

ittybitnot · ‎02-23-2023

and the ship too address is my local Walgreens. I now have a picture of the package to prove it.

@mymbdoobie

You are a victim of the typical "cheap trinket return scam". This is often typical of unsavory users that employ the use of a freight forwarder. Typically, they give up the protection of the Money Back Guarantee by having the item re-shipped out of the US, but eBay dumps the claim on you anyway.

Since the item is out of the US, and they don't want to ship it back they simply buy some cheap trinket on the net and have it sent to you, or ship a box of air to an address in your zipcode. That satisfies the eBay bots, and if you don't know that you have to deal with this, you are hosed. Regular customer service reps (outsourced call centers in other countries) that you get in a call back or chat, are particularly known to be unhelpful.

Luck you that your Post Office provided the photo evidence! It is often very difficult to get such cooperation from a carrier.

Please use the blue MESSAGE button on the top of this page. It leads to US eBay employees that are well versed in this ploy. Provide your user ID, item number, MENTION THE BUYER USED A FREIGHT FORWARDER, and shipped to the local Walgreens to satisfy the proof of return. Upload a photo of the envelope provided to you by the Post Office.

https://www.facebook.com/eBayForBusiness

Do let us know how it turns out.

FWIW This is apparently the second post in as many days that mentions the F.Forwarder as the return address. They used to be from Amazon, or some unsuspecting etsy or eBay seller. The last one had the F.Forwarder return address in one state, and the parcel return initiated in another.....do you have the origin of the return parcel in the tracking history?

mymbdoobie · ‎02-23-2023

Thank you for taking the time to respond. The first response I received was worthless. I will try a message and let you know how it goes.

superfectabox · ‎02-23-2023

IF they indeed used a freight forwarder, then they lost all ability to return this item as the MBG is void...it's in the eBay rules, the address HAS to be their address and not a 3rd-party service.

I would have denied the return if that option was available and, if not, let it "time out" and have eBay rule in the buyer's favor. THEN you appeal with the above mentioned fact and the address they provided and you would have won the case and received your money back.

However, since you accepted the return (manually or automatically) you threw that option out the window and despite the fact you were scammed is generally meaningless - you are out the money and the product. There is little to no chance you will get this back in your favor unless you can get someone at eBayForBusiness to intervene and make things right - that's a 50/50 shot and as other have expressed, your really only shot at making this right.

Lesson Number One - always let all requests time out that are questionable so that you can appeal later after eBay has acted unless you have no problems with the issue and wish to resolve it. Once YOU resolve anything (refund, return acceptance, etc) , you have no appeal rights on the platform.

ittybitnot · ‎02-23-2023

always let all requests time out that are questionable

@superfectabox

I think that is a very risky thing to do. It would be to one's advantage to try and get the issue taken care of PRIOR to the deadline for a response. If one does not respond at all, it is likely to make the situation worse.

superfectabox · ‎02-23-2023

Wrong....you cannot appeal an action of your own doing which, in this case, allowing the return would be such a situation. I've been down this exact road in my 25+ years on eBay as a Seller....once you do something, that's it - done.

I would have allowed it to sit there until the 4 days were up and then jumped on the escalation explaining a 3rd-party shipper was used and then it would have been closed in the Sellers's favor.

If the Buyer escalated first, immediately appeal with the above mentioned reason. Accepting the return = failure.

michigancolor · ‎02-23-2023

@ittybitnot Do you know if the same eBay reps that are at eBay for Business on Facebook also handle Ask eBay on Twitter? I spoke to an eBay rep by Twitter the other day who was not very helpful, and am not sure if going through Facebook might get a better team.

fashunu4eeuh · ‎02-23-2023

@superfectabox When eBay rules in the buyer’s favor on a claim, the seller is free to appeal. If eBay rules in the seller’s favor, the buyer is free to appeal. The appeal process is not blocked by responding to the case.

Not responding to a case, and letting it time out so that eBay steps in, does not offer any advantage to the seller, and additionally earns that seller an automatic defect on top of losing the case.

Get a couple of defects, and one’s Final Value fees are then assessed an additional 6% penalty on top of the usual percentage, and one’s standing is dropped to Below Standard. If one cannot raise their account from low, in a relatively short amount of time, they can lose their selling privileges.

So advising others to allow their cases to time out, can be very damaging, especially to those not well versed in how the Money Back Guarantee works.

When the OP appealed, he should have referenced the rule and quoted policy wording that forwarding one’s item voids the MBG.

ittybitnot · ‎02-24-2023

Do you know if the same ....

@michigancolor

I don't have that information. It would sure be worth it to try! I would presume those portals are pretty busy, since the alternative is the foreign call center reps via chat or call back whose reputation for veracity and authority is lacking. It is not uncommon when using the regular outsourced CS to get different responses from different people, and have to call/chat numerous times to get anyone who even understands the issue much less provide help.

With fraud issues increasing, so is the strain on the only resources available for assistance with the social media portals, not every rep will be of the same quality?

At one time the eBay employees that often respond on these forums were able to help, until one day they didn't anymore and simply said you had to contact customer service (who seemingly lost all authority to solve problems).

worldwide_ship · ‎02-24-2023

I mostly ship phones on eBay. This happened to me about 5 times in the last couple months. One after another to a shipping fowarding address in Delaware. Thankfully my postmaster has "geolocation" information that shows it wasn't returned to my address.

Now whenever I get a sale to a fowarding address I just send the buyer a quick message. If they don't respond it's usually a scammer and I cancel the order.

mymbdoobie · ‎02-24-2023

I will be doing this as well. I say no international in my listings but they don't care. Often times, though, the buyer will respond. Can I just cancel a sale if it is a reshipper address. Since Ebay doesn't care about sellers and fraud.

mymbdoobie · ‎02-24-2023

This just gets better. Support emailed me and said they removed my defect. What defect? I accepted and paid for the return.

mymbdoobie · ‎02-24-2023

Thank you to Ittybitnot for the guidance. I was able to chat with support and this is the response:

Thank you for the details for this case. I have reviewed the tracking, and I see what you are stating. Therefore, I have requested a manual refund for this order, back to you. Since the original appeal was denied for this transaction, we must go through the manual approval process. This can take up to 5 business days to be denied or approved. I have supplied them all the details, and it should be approved, but since this is not my decision, I cannot give you the 100% confirmation at this time. We will have to wait for the ultimate decision to be made by our internal team. I will follow up once they reply regarding the manual refund. As stated, it can take up to 5 business days, so I will seek to follow up once they reply to me next week.