Fraudulent return request

[pijankengur]

Hi all

I've had maybe 15 eBay sales of Lego over the past few months, and unfortunately just encountered my first problem as a seller

The set was sold for $700 +$50 shipping, and the buyer has raised a return request with the following message:

"In description its say new but its not when you shake the box you can clearly hear at box have lose bricks probably sealers was carful glue or something. And box is not in best condition. I believe this was a reason why seller write no returns".

A photo of the set in question was also shared, but it had dents that definitely were not in the set I had sent.

The typos included exactly as he wrote. I've got a 100% feedback with 80 eBay score (or whatever that means)

Just seeking advice on the best way forward here?

When I click respond to return request, it only offers me the options to let him keep it and refund, or refund/partial refund upon return

Seeking advice on best way forward here? It'll be a case of who do you believe, but from my perspective I am certain he is scamming me with the glue comment and the picture that is of a set he obtained elsewhere most likely. 

Thought I'd add, I fully expect eBay to tell me to contact the buyer. But given I am so sure he's scamming me based on the above, I don't see any value in it. Do intend to reach out to eBay support tomorrow during business hours (the return request only just came in just after 7pm)

Buyer has a 100% positive feedback with 500+ score, so i just got pretty unlucky that he's decided to be scammy on my listing..

[chapeau-noir]

None of this arguing matters - you take the return, send the label and refund when the item is received. OR refuse the return and lose money and item. There's no adjudication here.

Hopefully you get the item back safely.

[gloryglorygifts]

I bet that is exactly what he thought! 

[12345jamesstamps]

Have to send a return label and do the refund.

And, hopefully you are selling other items...or should be to offset the refund of this.

The refund will come out 'processing funds' 'available funds'...or if none avaible it was come out of your banking account in 3 days.

[fbusoni]

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@soh.maryl wrote:

"If the box has random junk in it, report the buyer and block him."

For what? Receiving random junk and wanting to return and get a refund? 

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@soh.maryl 

If you sold an item to a buyer, and upon receiving the return package, discovered that the buyer had sent back old egg shells and some empty beer cans and not the original item, what would you do?  Send a coupon?

[tarotfindsandmore]

Keep in mind that you don't have to give the refund until you've received the returned item  so you have nothing to lose if you follow eBay's policies.  If you're being scammed, contact eBay once you've received the item and have proof.  In the meantime, don't fight it.  Send the label and worry about the refund once you have the item in hand.  If your item is legit, you can relist it for free. DO NOT GIVE A REFUND UNTIL YOU HAVE THE RETURNED ITEM IN HAND.

[kensgiftshop]

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@pijankengur wrote:

Do intend to reach out to eBay support tomorrow during business hours (the return request only just came in just after 7pm)

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I wouldn't do that if you want the item returned before refunding.

Accept the return, provide a shipping label and refund once something is returned.

Then you can get Ebay involved.

[kensgiftshop]

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@pijankengur wrote:

Just for clarity - a common scam that occurs in the Lego world is people will get a second hand box, seal / glue it up nicely to make it look brand new

The buyer is obviously trying to paint that I had done this (glue, loose pieces) without even having checked the box. This is why I'm so certain this isn't just a misunderstanding but rather a completely fraudulent return claim

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That also happens at retail stores.

I bought a new coffee pot that was still sealed and looked new.

Got home and someone had replaced their old one with the new one and resealed the package and returned it to the store and the store just put it back on the shelf.

Unless you opened the package, you have no proof of what was inside of it.

[gone.c-33]

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@pijankengur wrote:

I have an issue with accepting the return heavily based on the message he sent. "Glue" and "loose" pieces in his poor English suggest to me that he will be sending back something scammy, a second hand box with random junk in it etc.

Despite this, from all my googling looks like eBay always side with buyers..

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Since your buyer has filed an item not as described claim, you don’t really get to accept or refuse the return: you either send the buyer a label and refund once you receive something back, or you dig your heels, eBay refunds for you and you don’t get your item OR your fees back.

Also, as Ken has mentioned, calling eBay won’t do you any good, even worse, they might take this as a sign you want them to step in and will just refund the buyer.

[kensgiftshop]

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@fbusoni wrote:

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If you sold an item to a buyer, and upon receiving the return package, discovered that the buyer had sent back old egg shells and some empty beer cans and not the original item, what would you do?  Send a coupon?

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I would refund the buyer, put the egg shells in my worm bin and the beer cans in the recycle bin.

At tax time, write off the item.

[buyselljack2016]

@jerseyboymusic 

Hard to make a call when this account has no sales or listings.

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OP is in Australia.  You need to go "down under" to see them🤣

[jerseyboymusic]

@buyselljack2016 

Aren't there Australian boards? Why post here? 

Or how about these folks saying "Hey, I know these are the USA boards and I'm in XXXXX country so here's the story, since you can't see my listings"?!?!? 

AYYY-AY-AYYYYYYYYY

Sorry, I'm cold and cranky right now

[cobra_viper]

Wrong.  The sellers completely ignored my return requests.  Ebay opened cases for both returns and then required me to return the items before they would process the refunds.  Ebay did not let me keep the items and also refund my money.

[chapeau-noir]

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@soh.maryl wrote:

"If the box has random junk in it, report the buyer and block him."

For what? Receiving random junk and wanting to return and get a refund? 

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I believe they meant if the buyer RETURNS random junk, etc. etc. I didnt see anywhere here that says the seller sent the OP random junk.

[soh.maryl]

OK, now on re-reading it, you are probably correct. 

[luckythewinner]

It'll be a case of who do you believe

No, it'll be a case of "eBay believes the buyer". For a $700 item, I would pay the return shipping in hopes of getting the item back.