I was scammed- Empty box Returned

[ultracoolguy9000]

https://www.ebay.com/ReturnCase/5319360701

The buyer claimed that the phone was locked even though it was not. He then returned the empty iPhone box instead of the iPhone. Ebay sided with the buyer. This is not fair. I have been on Ebay selling since 2001.

[mtgraves7984]

Oh, my. We sellers empathize. The next thing that might happen is that your feedback will be removed. Hang in there...

[12345jamesstamps]

It does happen. My thoughts are did you check buyer feedback...and google address of place where buyer lives? I would not sell an iPhone to someone with no feedback or has a new account....or not very good feedback. Buyer would have to be established pretty much for me to sell one to them.

I had two returns as such. Not as expensive. It's a part of selling here.

I tell my friends about my returns:

One was just a girlie post card...and another one was a dark bag of something mushy or gooey in it I refused at the post office...contested it and got charged another $20. by the bank.

The feedback you left might get removed by the way. Can't use certain words or wordage. It can be removed by eBay or the buyer. 

[coolections]

Unfortunately Ebay has no way to know you got an empty box without a phone back. Sorry that happened to you. You need to file a police report and a USPS postal fraud report. If your "really" want to pursue the criminal you would have to take them to small claims court.

[nickelsanddimes2015]

File a theft report with the police department and contact ebay loss and safety when you do and provide the police report. Also file a IC3 report for internet fraud and file a mail fraud with USPS

[silverstatetreasureboxes]

@ultracoolguy9000 

Well than look on your returned box ( if it's the actual one sent) get the IMEI code off of it and call Apple to report it stolen. They'll brick it and render it useless. Also file a police report on this stolen phone and the post office for mail fraud.

    File an appeal with ebay, and btw: If there is a next time you decide to sell these high scam items, signature required and take more than 1 photo.

    I know the above won't stop a scammer/ thief but that listing looks like a newbie did it. Best of luck to you.

[buyselljack2016]

........................

[ultracoolguy9000]

I did do a signature and multiple photos, I'm not sure how that helps me in this situation.

[mtgraves7984]

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@ultracoolguy9000 wrote:

I did do a signature and multiple photos, I'm not sure how that helps me in this situation.

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@ultracoolguy9000 

The signature was good on the Delivery end. But in this  situation, the advice from @silverstatetreasureboxes is good. Brick that sucker.

[silverstatetreasureboxes]

@ultracoolguy9000 

And I'm glad you did the siggy requirement,  my statement was for next time. You only took and showed one photo on your listing as evidenced by..

 But that's neither here nor there. I would do everything in my power to get that phone disabled or returned to you, so get Apple to brick it!!

[ultracoolguy9000]

I took photos before I shipped it, I didn't post them to the listing. I do this for insurance purposes not Ebay purposes.

[mam98031]

@ultracoolguy9000 

We can't read your link as non of us have access to your Account Information.  We are just members like you are.

I am so sorry this happened to you.

Hopefully you kept the serial number of the Phone.  Call and report the phone as stolen.  That will get that phone locked so they can't use it.  At least you can cause that problem for them.

You are right, it isn't fair, but it is hard to prove this to Ebay as they don't get involved in a he said / she said type situation.

The next thing you should consider is filing a Police Report.  That can be helpful.  And sometimes if you appeal a claim and tell Ebay the Police Report number they take you more seriously and may just help you out.

After than, REPORT the buyer.  This is really important.  It only takes a moment.

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/resolving-buyer-issues/reporting-issue-buyer?id=4084

I wish you the best of luck.  If you do any of the suggestions I made, I hope you will come back and update the thread as it would be interesting to know.

[shipnfast]

Hey CoolGuy, welcome to selling online!

You are seller number 127, 568,229 that has experienced the empty box return scam on ebay...

You've been robbed; sorry. There is no recourse, you lose, lesson learned?

As a rule, do not sell anything online that you could not stomach having it stolen via the "empty box return" scam".

Craiglist, FaceBook Market and local sales only with cash payment.

I suggest you contact your phone carrier and report the phone as stolen; that will brick it and the thief got nothing.

[brightlightbookseller]

Apple does not "Brick" phones because an individual reports them stolen.  They will allow you to use Find My iPhone to do it if that was still set up, but hopefully it was not because that would have been all kinds of wrong.  If a police report is filed, I believe the police can contact Apple and at that point it may be blacklisted, but they will not do so off of one random individual's report, even if they were once the owner of the phone.

[shipnfast]

Long shot...but...I would contact the buyer and tell them you intend to file a police report for the theft of an item unless they return it.

You have their name and address so you can file a crime report. The cops won't do squat, but it will be on record and searchable by government agencies, and anyone running a background check...insurance, landlords, etc. Relaying this information might be enough to get them to send you the phone back..