Fraudulent Return

[jeffrey_e_bayzos]

On 7/29 a buyer posted a return request for an iphone, but said they would contact Apple regarding the overheating issue.  After that, I responded letting them know the phone is under warranty and apple care so they should be covered with any issues. 

On 8/2/22, I received a mysterious package from someone in my state, the contents was hot pink girls track shoes(which I definitely have NO use for).  USPS delivery confirmed that it was an ebay shipping label so I filtered for sales within the area this was sent and found the sale item.  After contacting the seller with my concerns my identity or accounts were compromised, they gave me the information and name of the buyer.  With this I contacted ebay and they said they would conduct an investigation.  Along with this I searched the user name provided to me by the shoe seller and ebay did indeed deactivate it. 

Today, 8/5, the return request was escalated by iphone buyer, which I was disappointed in since they had not communicated with me but if they were still having issues I knew I had warranties on the device they would send back.  Hours later, ebay notified me that the buyer was refunded and they said the return has been received.  I was puzzled how I would have received a return within hours of the return request being granted but it finally hit me that the shoe order was used to provide proof of tracking that the iphone was returned.  I appealed and sent all of this information to ebay, to deny my appeal, saying I didn't provide proof that the buyer caused the issue. 

In summary, a buyer opened a return request, opened a second account, purchased shoes to be sent to me, submitted that as proof of return tracking delivered immediately after receiving approval of a return from ebay, and was granted a refund .  I appealed and provided all of this information, but was denied stating this is not enough proof.

[bonjourami]

Im sorry, but when you didnt respond to the case, you lost the right to appeal, and probably got a defect for being unresponsive too.

[fashunu4eeuh]

Sadly, retail shrinkage is one of the risks we take when selling online. You may not be able to prevail with eBay, but you can take steps to alert the authorities of the crime.

I would report the case to the authorities. That would be the US Postal Inspectors (using the mail to defraud is a federal offense), the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center ( www.ic3.gov) and your local and the buyer’s local police department. Most of this can be done online. You can also pursue satisfaction thru small claims court. (Keep case numbers of each report.)

Do you have solid evidence that your buyer and the buyer of the girl’s sneakers are one and the same person? This fraudster really went to a lot of trouble.

In the future, do not delay in accepting a return once a case is opened. Even if the return has no merit, eBay will side with the buyer virtually every time.

Good luck if you decide to pursue the matter. Sorry this happened to you.

[fab_finds4u]

As soon as the buyer posted a return request you have 2 choices to resolve the problem. You can provide a return label and refund when it's returned, or refund and let them keep it. Telling the buyer it is under warranty to go there is not resolving the return. You should have provided a return label and when it was returned you should've taken it to Apple.

[jeffrey_e_bayzos]

When the buyer opened a returned request, I thought I was working with the buyer since they said they were going to contact Apple on their own will and from what ebay portrays we are supposed to work with the buyer in providing a solution.  I communicated with them that they can proceed with contacting Apple and to me that is responding.  In terms of the escalation to a return, once the buyer escalated and hours later ebay proclaimed the return was received, are you trying to say that I should have responded within hours when no product was received?  I am disappointed in the responses I received, just because ebay's rules have loopholes ripe for scammers to take advantage of the return program, doesn't mean a seller should be stuck holding the bag because they don't accept returns.  But even if I do not accept returns normally, if forced to receive a return, I don't understand on how that suddenly makes the return optional for the buyer and I eat the cost without ever getting the product back.

[jeffrey_e_bayzos]

Thank you for your response, since this purchaser turns out to be a foreign buyer in Bahrain that used a Florida freight forwarder, would it be sufficient to call the freight forwarder's address?  

[bonjourami]

" are you trying to say that I should have responded within hours when no product was received?  I am disappointed in the responses I received, just because ebay's rules have loopholes ripe for scammers to take advantage of the return program, doesn't"

Had you responded to the case immediately, and when you received the track shoes instead of your item..you could have appealed the case, since you didnt respond, thats not possible now.

[ittybitnot · Accepted solution]

since this purchaser turns out to be a foreign buyer in Bahrain that used a Florida freight forwarder, 

@jeffrey_e_bayzos 

What you are experiencing is the "cheap trinket" scam.  Typically, it will involve international buyers who use a freight forwarder.  When you accept a return from someone who utilized this (most often expensive item, electronics, jewelry, etc.)  you only have to provide a return label from the freight forwarder address back to you. 

Since the buyer can't really send the parcel back to you with that label, they purchase some cheap item in the US, and use that tracking number to satisfy the delivery confirmation requirement of a return.  

It is nothing new, but the eBay system is bot driven, automated, and the outsourced customer service is not allowed to look at anything other than "something was delivered somewhere" so to speak, and hope you go away when they deny your claim. 

Your best option is to contact eBay by using the big blue send message button on this page:

https://www.facebook.com/eBayForBusiness

This is where the US eBay employee customer service exists.  They are very familiar with the "cheap trinket scam"/freight forwarder issues.   Actually, a buyer that uses a freight forwarder loses much of their eBay money back guarantee, and in reality should not be able to file the claim in the first place. 

The bots don't know or care about the freight forwarder issue, and it is up to the seller to point this out to an actual human that does not reside overseas.   If you still have the label/package, take a photo ot this as well as the contents and upload it to the  conversation.  

Give your user ID, name, and item number, and explain it was a freight forwarder issue.  They may be able to help you with this. 

Good luck, and let us know how it turns out. 

[dbfolks166mt]

Sadly, retail shrinkage is one of the risks we take when selling online. You may not be able to prevail with eBay, but you can take steps to alert the authorities of the crime.

I would report the case to the authorities. That would be the US Postal Inspectors (using the mail to defraud is a federal offense), the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center ( www.ic3.gov) and your local and the buyer’s local police department. Most of this can be done online. You can also pursue satisfaction thru small claims court. (Keep case numbers of each report.)

Do you have solid evidence that your buyer and the buyer of the girl’s sneakers are one and the same person? This fraudster really went to a lot of trouble.

In the future, do not delay in accepting a return once a case is opened. Even if the return has no merit, eBay will side with the buyer virtually every time.

Good luck if you decide to pursue the matter. Sorry this happened to you.

     Filing the reports is a good thing to do but will probably have little to no impact. One of the problems with foreign buyers are most of them are outside the reach of US law enforcement and the US legal system. It always has been a risk, especially with high target items, where international buyers are involved. 

[jeffrey_e_bayzos]

Ok, I am in the process of having a new foreign buyer trying to pull a scam on me again.  This time I took your advice and accepted the return.  So please tell me what protections I have when I receive a fraudulent item this time.

[titipeo]

None