New buyer committed $650 return fraud and I see no path to file an appeal. Criminal activity.

[jeremy_21_]

I sold a $650 item to a new buyer (2 feedback). I was hesitant and even asked them via message if they knew what they were buying. They said yet and once they received it they showed pictures that it had a dented box (it was pictured as dented and described as dented in the listing ...) and wanted to return it. Even though I always have no returns and as-is policy, I am always forced to take in these returns anyways.

But this buyer was far more sinister. They packed a box full of worthless magazines to copy the item weight and sent this as the return. I complained to eBay that they did not send back my item. I included photos and even stated that this is return fraud! They didn't care. They just decided for the buyer because the tracking number said it was delivered. eBay is horrible about protecting sellers. Really? They are saying the seller with 1000+ positive feedback is wrong here and and the buyer with 2 is in the right? I'm also negative on the return label purchase.

The email and file says I can send an appeal and there is no button, action, phone number or email to do this. All I can find is a FAQ listing that I need more proof, etc. Google says I can do it from the Seller Dashboard, but that section has zero cases listed in it thus cannot perform any action.

Not only do I need to this appeal to go my way (my first time with any huge issue in 22 years), I believe I need to file a police report against this offender. Return fraud in California under $950 carries a 1 year jail sentence and a $1000 fine. This was also over state lines so there is probably even extra crime being committed.  If I cannot get this appealed, I feel like eBay is aiding and abating the crime.

How do I exactly file for an appeal?

Anyone else submit a police report on a buyer?

[bashort]

I think we will be seeing a whole lot more of this, many cities in the US have basically legalized shoplifting causing some brick and mortar stores to close down, the shoplifters who lost their place to shoplift will naturally assume that they can just start shoplifting online, that being said I would report this to the buyers local post office, their local police, and to the Internet crime complaint center (IC3). I would also do a full online search from any info you have about the buyer to see what you can find. 

[bashort]

I would also look at court filings and cases in the buyers county and see what I found there.

[kensgiftshop]

@jeremy_21_ 

File a police report and mail fraud, then use those reports to appeal the case.

[1tuna]

I have submitted 2 police reports.....do not take no for an answer from the cops

you can go to the cops and make a report. you come back in a week and pay your 10-15 bucks and get a copy of it.

in the meantime you get hold of ebay and ask for the appeal email.  its a big secret if you ask me

you get 10 days to appeal the ruling........remember it takes a week at least just to get a copy of a new police report

submit the police report and your explanation in the ebay appeal email

this worked for me once with paypal and once with ebay

call the district attorney if your local cops say no and remind the DA you are paying taxes and expect service from the local cops.

I woud take the box of newspapers to the cops and your drivers license and have them make a report

@jeremy_21_ 

[hachumi]

They will get away with it.

Welcome to Ebay.

[ittybitnot]

@jeremy_21_ 

I found this for you, though it appears you tried this already. Please "report the buyer" first.   There is the actual link to the appeal form itself floating around, but I have not yet been able to find it for you.  Hopefully, someone that has saved it will come by and post it for you. 

How to appeal a decision:

To start an appeal, follow these steps:

Go to your Seller Dashboard.

1.Expand Closed without seller resolution to see your options.

2.Select See cases and find the item in the list.

3.Select See details and then send us an appeal.

Don't know how useful it will be.  Most often it will take just a few minutes until you get the "denied" email. 

You can perhaps plead your case here, using the big blue "send message" button on the top of the page: 

https://www.facebook.com/eBayForBusiness

At least this method will not involve an auto denied response.  There are real humans there that have the authority to help if they so choose.   They may choose to give you a 'courtesy credit'.

That being said, what you are experiencing is termed a "faulty return".  eBay provides no seller protection for a faulty return unless you qualify to refund only 50% when you offer free returns.  That way you only get ripped off for only 'half the money'.  

Just about ANY ITEM on eBay can be had for free at the seller's expense through a faulty claim or faulty return.  It has been this way for over a decade or more.  eBay calls it "part of doing business on the net".  Unfortunately, now you see how the free merchandise is obtained. 

[duffy4444]

   I, too, have been here a long time (over 23 years). Seller protections used to be numerous, fair and honest.

   Case in point: About 20 years ago a very nasty buyer complained about an item I sold and shipped to him, which was fully and honestly described and photographed with trivial, minor defects fully disclosed. Listed "as is, no returns or refunds". The buyer went into a snot-flying rage and escalated it to eBay CS (which used common sense back then). The CS rep looked at the situation and within a few moments came back and told him, AND I QUOTE, "If the terms of the seller's transaction were not acceptable to you, you should not have purchased the item in the first place". Done... case found in my favor.

   That no longer is the case, as eBay is now nearly totally buyer-centered at the expense of sellers - even with obvious common sense that is now being thrown out the window.

   Today, I no longer list high value items (over $100 in my business model) on eBay. I use local Craigslist for them, with no problems and requiring cash.  Hence, no loss of the item, giving in to scammers, and no CC chargebacks, which is the ultimate go-to for scam buyers.

   Bottom line: NEVER, EVER  list a high-value item on eBay that you and your business model are not prepared to lose, in addition to the double insult of the loss of your payment on a forced refund that makes no sense.

   Cheers, Duffy

[katzrul15]

@jeremy_21_ 

We tried to get LAPD to do a police report for us on online fraud.  They would not.  That female officer is still laughing all these months later.

Honestly, I'd reach out to Ina Steiner and ask her to showcase your fraud in her online newsletter.  Someone at e-Bay might actually then reach out to you.

Was this sent to a freight- forwarder address?

[duffy4444]

   We did not join eBay as sellers, to eventually be put in the unreasonable position of having to file police and FBI reports, USPS mail fraud claims, fight bogus CC chargebacks, and take major losses of items and our payments due to the erosion of real seller protections with teeth in them.

   If eBay wants to see a real increase in seller fee revenues, then as soon as it gets their act together and resumes common-sense in seller protections, I'll again be listing higher-value items here.

Cheers, Duffy

[katzrul15]

---

@duffy4444 wrote:

   We did not join eBay as sellers, to eventually be put in the unreasonable position of having to file police and FBI reports, USPS mail fraud claims, fight bogus CC chargebacks, and take major losses of items and our payments due to the erosion of real seller protections with teeth in them.

   If eBay wants to see a real increase in seller fee revenues, then as soon as it gets their act together and resumes common-sense in seller protections, I'll again be listing higher-value items here.

Cheers, Duffy

---

Amen.  Well said.

[m60driver]

Well Ebay reported a loss in both buyers and sellers in the 3rd quarter with revenue increase being largely a one time function of the shift to MP.  And I would imagine that Ebay's unwillingness to confront this theft problem is part of the reason in these downturns.  The CEO's response to Wall Street was laughable.  Don't get me wrong, Ebay is still a great platform for a very small seller like myself, but the corporation is run by incompetents and I would never sell a high priced item on Ebay unless my cost was negligible.

[fab_finds4u]

The police can be worthless and my own mother was one.

I received a return that was supposed to be the size of a breadbox  and weigh 12 lbs. I received a small box that weighed less than 1 lb. I took it and the listing details  straight to the station unopened and said I know they are scamming me and I want to file a report.  They laughed at me, too and would not make a report.  He explained he had someone scam him the same way and he was the police and he  couldn't do anything either. I'm sure my mom would roll over in the grave if she heard that. 

I hope you have better luck at your police station. The one in Gainesville FL  s u c k s.

[mbe-3183]

Hi Jeremy

My wife and are dealing with the same thing. We sold an item to a buyer who said the item we shipped was damaged and he refused the delivery and sent us pictures of a damaged box. UPS returned a box to us with a similar but very damaged item that wasn't what we sent. to make a long story short we filed a dispute with ebay that we were being scammed and they did nothing to help us, then tried to charge us for the refund amount. We found that trying to file an appeal or dispute as a seller with EBAY goes nowhere at all, they completely ignored what their own policies state. At this point we are considering a class action suit.

We did file a police report with our local department, which they were glad to do, and we are figuring out our next steps.

[fashunu4eeuh]

Hi, sorry this happened to you. Below is a link on how to appeal. Don’t let eBay open it for you because you will want to submit new evidence.

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/managing-returns-refunds/appeal-ebays-decision-return-missing-item...