Help!! Scammed out of nearly $1000 what should I do?

[shoppingisfun.x]

Hi so my mom just sold a $950 authentic Gucci bag to a buyer and the tracking shows delivered yesterday at 4:43pm! however the buyer is claiming she didn’t get it.

My mom filmed packing and shipping the bag and confirmed it with the buyer three times!! 
The package has insurance on it and the buyer denied getting signature confirmation because they claimed they don’t know what times the postman arrives 

I offered to call their local post office to file a missing package complaint since it’s insured anyway and to the police to launch an investigation Incase someone stole it but they’re just being unreasonable and demanding a refund??

What can I do? We can’t lose the money and the bag! 

[southern*sweet*tea]

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@lintbrush* wrote:

Dear buyer,

I am truly shocked that the package arrived with the contents missing. Does it appear to have been tampered with? As the package was insured, I will be filing not only an insurance claim with USPS but a mail tampering report. The USPS Inspector General takes this very seriously as tampering is a federal offense. They will want to investigate.  Please retain the package and any packing materials. Also, if you could provide a daytime phone number so they may contact you.  I can file with them on Monday

I also will be filing a theft report with the police in your local jurisdiction so they'll be aware that your package arrived with its contents missing. Do you by chance have that number handy? If not, I'll just look it up.  I should be able to file that this weekend.

We really need to get to the bottom of this and I'm sure you also want to help catch those responsible for stealing the contents.

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^^^THIS^^^

Give the buyer time to reply back with phone numbers. If you do not hear back from them in a reasonable amount of time, DO IT. FILE THE REPORTS.

If your buyer is like most scammers, they will suddenly and miraculously find the missing bag.

If they are a truly brazen scammer, they will keep on with their claim. This is why it's very important to follow through with the police and Postal Inspector reports. They don't think you'll do it, and they think they can steal that bag.

[vintagecraze50]

Could be they know that they would not win an INR case becuase there’s is proof of delivery. So, they went to a SNAD instead. Just speculation, but a good point to discuss with a ebay rep.

[emerald1830]

OP..let's tie this up nicely for you..

Send the EXACT, verbatim, what Lintbrush typed up for you...

Then wait to see how this buyer  scammer responds...do not and I repeat do NOT give the so called buyer any idea that you are freaking out or/scared...( we know you are, who wouldn't be)..but you got to get tough now...others have prevailed but you got to get tough..

[cashvaluerecovery2011]

The buyer denied the signature confirmation because they found a seller they could scam. No signature confirmation on item 750 or more means no seller protection.

No one buying a high end item would EVER want their $1000 bag sitting on their porch when "they are never home" and " have no idea when the postman comes".

Everyone keeps saying video does not matter. They are wrong. It may not help at first with ebay. But if you do it right and in order it does work.

First...take your video in the post office with help so that the camera never leaves the item going into the package and then shows the package being closed and sealed then show the label. Then the camera follows the handing in of the package and then the receipt. Do this while also under the post offices camera. That way you later have proof if someone suggests slight of hand or video editing. I have also in the past paid an off duty cop or detective to do the packaging for me.....and to watch me open returns at the post office for a credible witness if needed later in court.

Facts...usually when i offer the scammer video evidence and explain all the legal steps im about to take to "assist them in finding who stole it" "please let me know if it shows up before the authorities are involved" ......miraculously the buyer always finds it. Or blames it on a family member etc. In the rare case i have to follow through...ebay is more considerate when authorities are involved but judges love video and credible witnesses.

Not suggesting all this is worth the effort for a 1k bag. I used helpers 5k to 25k items. But i video anything over a few hundred. I pay for sig conf on anything over 100 bucks.

Protect yourself and know how before the sale.

[vintagecraze50]

All of the above red flags need to be examined by the ebay rep. Hopefully a good resolution will follow. OP needs to do all the police reports send the buyer the message that Lintbrush posted and see what their next move is. As one poster noted, some scammers are so blatantly after these items that they will risk legal involvement and continue to push. 

[miyasamaco]

Your USPS receipt should have the weight of the parcel printed on it. If the package was empty, then it should have not weighed much of anything. If the package was opened and the contents removed, you should have received a notice via the USPS and the package should be stamped 'RECEIVED WITHOUT CONTENTS'. Again, you should have taken more precaution when shipping this item. eBay buyers will pull scams for $1 items!

[nevermore_antiques_and_books]

Don't refund anything.  Report them online and then call ebay and report them again.  You have messages saying that first they said they didn't receive anything and then all of a sudden they miraculously received an empty box.  The changing of stories is evidence of a blatant scam.  I had someone who tried the same scam on me, said the item miraculously slid out of a side flap in the box that didn't exist.  I called ebay and they took my side and banned the buyer from ebay.  Chances are this buyer has tried this before and other sellers have reported them.   Ebay has that on record and they have access to all your messages.  Don't talk to the buyer anymore.  Call ebay and ask them to close the case in your favor.  Also if the package was received empty the post office would have flagged it and there would be a sticker saying received without contents.

[no-plain-white-envelopes]

tem did have signature on it along with the tracking is the USPS not on the hook for failing to get the signature confirmation. I would get USPS involved as they hate giving insurance money out for failing on their end.

[cashvaluerecovery2011]

Completely agreed but since no sig conf was purchased ebay will wash their hands of it instantly.

[olibrd]

Why don’t you just use her message to fight the case. First she said never got the package and going to open “INR claim”; then she open SNAD said it’s an empty box. And stop talking about the video clips of packing. No where would take that as evidence not ebay not police not small claim court no where so please just stop it gets annoying when you not listing.

[this*old*attic]

We’ve been through this before - even blues have weighed in - NOTHING stops a customer from opening an INR claim, and then a SNAD.

Are you telling me that if your vintage china plates didn’t show up and you filed an INR, it’s fair that you’re out of luck when they show up broken?

[myangelandmyprincess]

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@vintagecraze50 wrote:

Could be they know that they would not win an INR case becuase there’s is proof of delivery. So, they went to a SNAD instead. Just speculation, but a good point to discuss with a ebay rep.

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Except the buyer would have won since there was no online signature confirmation 

[1tuna]

lots of bad information being given here along with speculation

the contents of the package are insured by USPS

if the buyer claims the package was empty then take it from there

that is what insurance is for

let the buyer know you are in control not them

please stop talking about videos and package weights,it does no good to speculate when the contents are insured

none of that comes into play,it is for the USPS

this is an open and shut case,try not to let inexperienced well wishers sidetrack you with bad advice

[vintagecraze50]

So tell us here how the buyer will collect an insurance claim where the package with tracking shows delivered, and there is apparently no signs that the box was tampered with. I guess USPS just hands out 750 or more dollars with no reasons stated in the claim.

[vintagecraze50]

This not an open and shut case by any means, and this poster has to be vigilant on how to handle this.