How To Deal With A Scammer?

[cataliner]

First: Why can't I phone Ebay anymore? This is a complex issue and I don't know what to do about it! It needs immediate attention. 

I sold a pair of vintage prescription designer glasses last week to Joe. When I ship an item, I always put a Thank you note inside that includes my phone number. Last night I got a phone call from Fred saying that the glasses were described as NONprescription. 

It turned out that the buyer (Fred) had purchased them on Grailed, but phoned my number because of the note. MY buyer (Joe) had tripled the price, lied in his description, and listed them on Grailed, providing Ebay with his buyer's address, not his own. 

Apparently Fred has opened a Paypal case against Joe, and Joe has contacted me saying the glasses are NAD. 

I really don't know what to do! WHY CAN'T I PHONE EBAY?!

NOW what do I do? 

[jesusrocks3339]

yeah, get past the 30 days....bahaaa

[ersatz_sobriquet]

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@bubbleman2010 wrote:

I'd just hit delete and wait for a dispute to be opened. Just to fishy someone has a address to someone else they are selling a item to on their paypal account. If a dispute is opened I'd go with using false contact information to curcumvent the system...

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Ah ha! I knew if somebody could figure out a way to scam a scammer it would be bubbleman! Hi 🙂 

[cataliner]

Thank you, but I disagree. Had I not put my phone number in, I never would have known about the scam. Also, it's reassuring to the many many decent buyers. This is the first time in 20 years anyone has called me. The scammer doesn't have my number, just the good guy. 

[cataliner]

Fred has already opened a Paypal case against Joe, so I think he's safe. 

[bubbleman2010]

ersatz odds are good paypal is involved in both transactions.  Myself I'd just call paypal and explain to them how their payment system is being used to commit mail fraud....

[ersatz_sobriquet]

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@bubbleman2010 wrote:

ersatz odds are good paypal is involved in both transactions.  Myself I'd just call paypal and explain to them how their payment system is being used to commit mail fraud....

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A good question for the OP to ask Fred, whether or not he used paypal also. A few minds together might be able to put together a situation in which the scammer gets his just desserts. 

[bubbleman2010]

Since Fred and Joe both share a paypal account Fred would be filing a claim against himself you're just being used as the pivot man in a good cop bad cop scam...

[pikabo-icu]

Oh My Stars!  

Just read through this thread and this is a HOT MESS!!!!

Thank Heaven for the awesome, well versed, sage advice of long-time, eBay sellers!!!! 

[siayan]

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@bubbleman2010 wrote:

ersatz odds are good paypal is involved in both transactions.  Myself I'd just call paypal and explain to them how their payment system is being used to commit mail fraud....

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Mail Fraud.........don't get me started on mail fraud. 

[ersatz_sobriquet]

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@bubbleman2010 wrote:

Since Fred and Joe both share a paypal account Fred would be filing a claim against himself you're just being used as the pivot man in a good cop bad cop scam...

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I don't think Fred and Joe share an account, but OP shares an address now with Joe in paypal, and could perhaps stop the return to himself(herself) through paypal claiming mail fraud? Thinking....my head's getting twisted around trying to think this through. 

[cataliner]

I don't think Joe is very smart: he opened a return, but his reason is that "it doesn't fit." Thus, he will have to pay return shipping and ALSO my 20% restocking fee! I don't mind a return, but I really don't want to pay for shipping when it's a big snafu like this!

The guy who bought the glasses from Joe is a nice guy and I hope he doesn't lose out, but whoever said it wasn't my problem is right. 

Thank you all, will update if something new happens!

[ersatz_sobriquet]

Did he open a paypal return or an ebay return? 

[bubbleman2010]

In order for this whole scam to work the OPs buyer had to pre sell the item on another site get their buyers shipping address and then add their buyers shipping address to their paypal account and once item is shipped delete that address off their paypal account. Depends on the dollar amount involved desperate times call for desperate measures,but me I'd just hit delete and wait on a offical dispute to be filed....

[Anonymous]

VERY INTERESTING.

I'm actually wondering if this wouldn't fall into the FORWARDING of an eBay purchase and the buyer losing their MBG.  I'm not saying that it actually does, but I think the argument could be made for that.  The OP has no idea what the buyer's buyer is actually going to return, plus the buyer misrepresented it to his/her buyer.

@Anonymous

Could you please weigh in on this?

[bubbleman2010]

I do hope its for a couple hundred bucks alot of times everyone goes castle storming and in the end its for $7.99...