New scam

[sky123animal]

This is the new scam they will buy a product worth of value like my iPhone-buy it and then say there is a defect and file with eBay using their money back guarantee and then it’ll ship something cheap back like a rubber gasket like me with tracking number then once I receive it he gets his money back and the product and EBay sided with buyer BEWARE 

[nkmipgolf]

Happens a lot. Report the IMEI as stolen if you have it. Talk to CS also as eBays robots are a scammers best friend.

[ittybitnot]

@sky123animal 

It is NOT a new scam.  It has been going on for a few years now.  The address you provided is likely one of the most infamous freight forwarder addresses know for the "cheap trinket" scam in these forums. There are quite a few addresses known for same. 

The people that perpetrate this scam have it down to a science.  They have the "front money" to actually pay for the product, knowing full well that they will get the merchandise for free and a full refund from the seller as well.  They are in Russia, and don't care anything about any fraud reports you may make in the US be it the Postal Inspectors or the FBI.  

Now that these buyers no longer lose their money back guarantee protections from using a freight forwarder, eBay  will allow any old delivery confirmation number to be used by the scammer to satisfy the requirement for a snad return claim.  Customer service won't help you.  They will just tell you that the return has been made as evidenced by the tracking.  Appeals will be denied for the same reason.

The automated system has already refunded the criminal from your proceeds.  If eBay were to help you monetarily for the phony tracking scam, it would come out of eBay's pie.  They will avoid this at all costs. 

The only place where the numerous victims have gotten any help is from the eBay staff that monitors the "message" system on their eBay for Business Facebook page.  They are higher level staff that CAN provide assistance, but lately even they seem to be doing less and less.  

Lately, instead of filing a bogus 'not as described' claim, we are seeing more of the "box arrived empty" program.  EBay often won't require the empty box be returned, but a police report will be required instead.  Yes, you guessed it...a fake police report will do just fine using any of the many blank templates found on the net.  

[luckythewinner]

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@sky123animal wrote:

This is the new scam they will buy a product worth of value like my iPhone-buy it and then say there is a defect and file with eBay using their money back guarantee and then it’ll ship something cheap back like a rubber gasket like me with tracking number then once I receive it he gets his money back and the product and EBay sided with buyer BEWARE 

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This is not a new scam. It has been a regular feature of eBay since 2008. 

[dbfolks166mt]

     There is a reason I don't sell internationally to some countries with Russia and China being at the top of that list.  I have been hit once with a claim that not everything was in the box when it arrived. One of the other reasons I have everything scanned at the post office is that the scanned receipt has the weight of the package when USPS took possession of it. I requested the buyer return the package and refunded their money. There was almost a 2 pound difference in the weight of the package I sent out and what I received back. 

     I didn't bother wasting time with eBay but I did file a report with the USPS as well as the buyers local police department. The USPS is still investigating the case as is the buyers local law enforcement. I really don't expect much to come of this but it was better than just doing nothing. 

[felten.international]

This happened to me. I sold a brand new exhaust with a muffler wash plug as a gift with purchase, cost $218. They customer claimed that the item received was  "item not as described" and opened a return. They shipped back only the muffler wash plug (gift with purchase, about a $3 value.) Because tracking showed it was delivered back to me, eBay refunded them the whole purchase price of $218. No matter how many times I called Customer Support, I could never get through to them as to what had happened.  They kept saying, "Don't worry, we will forward this to the correct department and they will decide your case within 24-72 hours."  Within 5 minutes, I would get an email saying they had decided my case and still decided to give the full refund to the customer because there was a  returned tracking number.  I tried so many times to make someone, anyone! understand how I was being scammed, but I never was able to reason with anyone as to what was happening. I have never been so frustrated in my entire life.

[chapeau-noir]

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@sky123animal wrote:

This is the new scam they will buy a product worth of value like my iPhone-buy it and then say there is a defect and file with eBay using their money back guarantee and then it’ll ship something cheap back like a rubber gasket like me with tracking number then once I receive it he gets his money back and the product and EBay sided with buyer BEWARE 

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Alas, this has been going on since long before eBay and etailing - it's one of the oldest scams in the book. Online sales and eBay have just made it easier.

[inhawaii]

So if I dont sell really expensive items on ebay ebay, I have ne reason to beware? Thanks for the info!

[soy_7046]

This scam is not new. For the first time, I think it happened in 2008.

[vintagecraze50]

There are certain items that are very high scam magnets. IPHONE AND APPLE PRODUCTS ARE ONE OF THEM. AS LONG AS THEIR ARE thieves there will always be risks online. However, most people are not thieves and that is why people still sell online.

[vintagecraze50]

Most should block these countries selling high scam items for a precaution. Plenty of buyers everywhere else.

[jasm_700058]

Don't you think that the Govt. should take actions against that scammers? 

[soy_7046]

Which steps should govt. taken? Any suggestions?

[kh-vince]

Hi everyone,

Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.

Thank you for understanding.