Help! Buyer send back a different item

[usdav_k97av]

Help. This is my first time selling on ebay. The buyer ask for a return after a week. I accepted the return, buyer then send back a different item. I have a video of myself opening the box showing it was a different item. What can I do? I haven't refund the buyer yet. I called ebay coustumer service and they do nothing. Will ebay force me to refund the buyer?

[threshold.sales.group]

Fwiw, your best option asap is go to the "ebay for business" facebook page and post your story.  First time seller, victim of fraud, counted on statements on the site about seller protection, called c-s asked for help - got no help. Share your story over there.     

[gopetersen]

• If the buyer is in another state, file a Fraud Report with the FBI.
• File a fraud report with the buyer's local police station (you can find it online).
• File a Fraud Report with USPS even if you used a different carrier (USPS accepts fraud reports from all carriers).

These reports are serious business, it's defamation if you are mistaken, so you MUST be 100% certain that you have been scammed and it is not a misunderstanding, so contact the buyer at least once and ask what happened and KEEP that message (and the buyer's reply) for your files.

A friend of mine got scammed when he was a new seller (scammers deliberately look for new sellers) and I helped him look up the names of relatives and neighbors online and then we contacted him and told him we were going to inform his parents (the buyer turned out to be in his early 20s) and local authorities and my friend managed to get his item back. It doesn't always work and I do NOT like spying on people online but this was definitely a scam and I don't like thieves.

[usdav_k97av]

Update. After multiple phone calls to eBay custumer serivce, and multiple trasnfer to different department in eBay, the case will be close in my favor. EBay require me to send back what the buyer sent me and once the tracking number shows the item is shipped the case will be automaticly closed in my favor. Thank you to everyone providing helpful information to me. I hope this will not happen to anyone, this is very stressful to deal with.

[itz_stacey]

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@usdav_k97av wrote:

Update. After multiple phone calls to eBay custumer serivce, and multiple trasnfer to different department in eBay, the case will be close in my favor. EBay require me to send back what the buyer sent me and once the tracking number shows the item is shipped the case will be automaticly closed in my favor. Thank you to everyone providing helpful information to me. I hope this will not happen to anyone, this is very stressful to deal with.

Let me guess, the ebay rep had an accent, right?

They asked you to send it back to the buyer and then they'll close the case in your favor?

Yeah, and I'm the Pope.

Seriously you are being lied too. wait for others to comment here, please.

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[usdav_k97av]

Wait do you mean something can still goes wrong?

[itz_stacey]

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@usdav_k97av wrote:

Wait do you mean something can still goes wrong?

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Yes.

ebay reps are well known for being completely wrong. But telling you to actually return what you received back from the buyer takes their incompetence to a whole new level! 

Please wait for others to back up what I'm thinking here.......

[itz_stacey]

Keep this in mind - ebay outsources their "customer service" to a call center in the Philippines. They are not ebay employees, rather they are simply people getting paid to answer AND END each call as quickly as they can. That is all they do. They are expected to get you off the phone QUICKLY so they can take the next call. They are NOT versed in ebay policy's and procedures so they basically just agree with you and tell you what they think you want to hear in order to get you off the phone.

DO NOTHING until you hear from others here, please.

[bubbleman2010]

Thats just wild I've never heard of ebay telling a seller to return a return in order to have case found in their favor. Normal is case is found in buyers favor or seller uses the appeal process if they think something isn't right...

[usdav_k97av]

I was transfer to the ebay return department and then transfer to ebay resolution department. The lady in the ebay resolution department told me this.

[bubbleman2010]

Did you get a case number so your conversation with ebay CS can be reviewed?

[itz_stacey]

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@bubbleman2010 wrote:

Thats just wild I've never heard of ebay telling a seller to return a return in order to have case found in their favor. Normal is case is found in buyers favor or seller uses the appeal process if they think something isn't right...

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Right? 

ebay cs is out of control!

[usdav_k97av]

I asked the CS to transfer me to a supervisor. I do have a case ID but I don't know if the CS review the case.

[itz_stacey]

It's not unusual for them to transfer you all over the place. It's what they do, lol. 

What IS unusual is that they have a rouge rep telling you to send back the item and then they'll close the case in your favor. 

THINK about this...........why would ebay require YOU to PAY out of YOUR POCKET to send back a criminals item? And how did ebay determine that YOU were telling the truth as opposed to the buyer? The super simple answer is that they cannot. Hence they always rule in the buyers favor leaving the seller to file the appropriate reports with law enforcement. 

ebay is NOT law enforcement. They can do NOTHING here.

[usdav_k97av]

They said since the item buyer sent contains values, I would have to niether send it back or have to refund the value that the item contains.

[missjen831]

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@usdav_k97av wrote:

They said since the item buyer sent contains values, I would have to niether send it back or have to refund the value that the item contains.

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I too have never ever heard of the seller being told to send the wrong item back. Usually eBay issues a courtesy refund. But this has been a strange week and it appears there are major changes coming with regards to returns so who knows.......maybe you were instructed correctly under these new changes. Good luck!