Problem with seller

[chele63]

Daughter most comfortable and used to MacBook, started college and they said she must have a windows based laptop. Landscape architecture- needed good graphics, memory and storage. She got a Dell Alienware. During school she saw professors with Macs, talked to them and CAN use them so wanted to sell the very lightly used Alienware. I listed it for her here by auction, and was bought via “buy it now” the very next day. The buyer started sending more and more emails, some in the middle of the night and seemed aggravated I didn’t answer right away. He started being kind of rude with “I had better do this, I need to do that; it BETTER be as represented”,  he wanted it shipped THAT same day - I actually called EBay because she started to get worried, they said to take a video all the way around and show the numbers on the back, all sides, opened, closed, etc. I did do this and packed it VERY very well, lots of padding. With all that rush he wanted, when he got it waited a days, then finally asked if he could provide feedback, and he said he had t had time to look at it (odd…) then days later I get an email saying it wasn’t as represented. I asked what he meant - he said it had scratches and dents!!! NOT true!!! I said as much, nothing for a couple days. Then more of “not as represented - I said there were no dents or scratches and he said “You didn’t look closely” (NOT true!!). Nothing for a day then he sent pictures of a bunch of gouges and scrapes in a laptop!!!! And he wants some money back, so am wondering if he did the damage OR is the picture not even the same computer. Now today I can’t get ANYONE on the phone at EBay, just bumps me to an automated system. And the buyer has posted a review calling me a scammer, saying I won’t reply to his emails (he has sent me OVER FIFTY emails!!!  What do I do???

[reallynicestamps]

Never ask for feedback. You may get it.

"I regret you are unhappy with your purchase. Pleases return it for refund."

Rinse . Repeat.

If you get something back that you did not send, you can appeal to eBay (NOT THE PHONES) and use those emails as corroboration.

[toomuchstuffagain35]

I really wish ebay would step up to the plate and get rid of these CSR who give sellers misleading (and sometimes costly) misinformation. We all know ebay doesn't even consider video evidence.

[m60driver]

You are being scrammed because you are a new/infrequent seller and scammers feast upon sellers like yourself and scammers also target electronic items.  Ebay will do nothing for you.  What they should be doing is warning new/infrequent sellers like yourself that listing such an item is fraught with risk.  But they don't.  In all likelihood you have lost that MacBook and the miscreant will get a refund.  If the buyer does return something it will be either a damaged old computer or a rock in a box.  You can then report the buyer to Ebay but by then the buyer will likely have a new ID.

[duncanvr]

Sorry to say but the electronics category is highly scammed on ebay. Likely they will try anything to get you to refund them. Including sending you back an old damaged computer. Unfortunately he said she said cases like this even when you know you did nothing wrong, ebay sides with the buyer. Buyers have 100% money back option with ebay. You list computers you must be prepared to cover the sale if something goes wrong. Shipping to. You'll likely have to take the loss of the original computer, money and the shipping in this case. Buyer is always right even when they are scamming. 

[simply-the-best-for-you]

The video makes no difference, so frustrating that they told you to do that.   

Best advice is don't sell anything you can't afford to lose.  Wish you would have come here first.  No way would I have completed that sale & you would have been warned they were likely a scammer.   

Unless he has opened a case, do NOTHING.  The NEG won't hurt you.  Report him to eBay for the harrassment, both via the Report A Buyer link & I would also do so in a chat or call.  

Then, I would go here: 

https://www.ebay.com/sellerhelp

and follow the link to get FB removed.  Explain that the user is harrassing you, having sent over 60 notes to you & if they are threatening, tell them that too (but keep it brief), tell them you have reported the buyer & also if Ebay took any action against them.   They *may* remove it.  No promises, but I've had really good luck.   They don't let you know though, the FB will just disappear.   

[kensgiftshop]

If the buyer has filed an INAD and you want it returned before you refund, accept the return and provide a shipping label.

[reallynicestamps]

@chele63 

@kensgiftshop  is right.

It's very frustrating, but our first line of defense is to follow the system.

Making our own system never works.

EBay's system sometimes/usually works.

As a life lesson, 20/20 hindsight the transaction should have been cancelled at the second or third Message after purchase.

But we have to live with our choices and hope it gets better.

Best wishes.

[toomuchstuffagain35]

@chele63 

Is the buyer registered overseas? If it was shipped to a forwarder it's even possible you're both right and the buyer never got what you sent.

[rugerskick]

This actually constitutes business fraud on ebay's part.  They knowingly and deliberately set up these people and pay them to tell sellers, ebay's partners/customers/clients, incorrect information.

If any other business did the exact same thing everyone would consider it deliberate business fraud.  Somehow here it seems people are unable to make the connection.

[chele63]

No. He got it, it only went from Maryland to NJ. He sent pictures of a scratched and gouged laptop - NOT what I sent him!  He is harrassing and has now sent me a total of 83 emails!! EIGHTY THREE!!

[simply-the-best-for-you]

Have you reported them & followed the instructions I gave you in post 6?   

Do not engage with him.  Report him both ways I suggested & if you don't get a rep who issues him a 'cease & desist', keep trying.  Every time I've been harrassed & have asked eBay to step in, they have acted & I never heard from the person again.   Are they threatening you &/or being abusive?   

I had one that was 'cease & desisted' for 1 1/2 days of repeat ASQ's to me, every hour.  They were not abusive nor threatening, just unrelenting & eBay made them stop contacting me.  Although I was not in a transaction with them.   Once I did it by phone & twice by chat.  Both times I told the rep to look at My Messages & issue the person a 'cease & desist' from contacting me.  

[fashunu4eeuh]

So sorry this is happening to you. Haven’t heard of anything so outrageous in the 12 years i have sold here. Buyer is trying to wear you down. Or has a screw loose or both.

If he hasn’t opened a Not As Described case, then do nothing. Stop communicating. Frankly, i wonder why he just didn't go straight to a NAD case. Could be his game is just to get a “rebate” from you to lower his cost. He harasses you so you give him a discount to make him go away. Nobody sends dozens of email messages when eBay offers buyers an ironclad Money Back Guarantee.

He is asking for money but has said nothing about returning it? What does his feedback Left For Others look like? Are there many negatives?

Like another poster advised, never get into a back-and-forth with a buyer. Your response to any complaint is just, “sorry you are unhappy with your widget. Please return for a full refund.” That’s it and you just keep repeating it. It cuts off the need to defend oneself, or explain, or assign blame.

Do follow the advice in Message #6 from 

@simply-the-best-for-you . Let us know what happens. Again, very sorry this has happened to you.

[reallynicestamps]

Frankly, i wonder why he just didn't go straight to a NAD case.

Many buyers are no longer allowed to use the Money Back Guarantee because eBay has decided they are somewhere between scammers and pests.

After 83 Messages, I suspect either a very unstable personality or someone who is not eligible for the MBG.

@chele63 

Stop opening those Messages.

Just move them, unopened, into a file folder on your Messages page.

They will still be available to an eBay rep  ( the phone ones don't work for eBay, but for a sub-contractor in Utah) if you need the social media reps, who are trained eBay employees.



https://www.facebook.com/eBayForBusiness/ — Message button in upper right on landing page.

https://twitter.com/askebay?lang=en


https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/How-do-I-contact-Customer-Support/m-p/32016431#M1783851 -> Automated Assistant, type AGENT -> enter. You will then get more options.


The social media Chat accounts are covered by trained eBay employees with some authority.
And you get a transcript so you can compare what you heard with what you were told.

[chele63]

What happens if you do NOT want to give him money back or have him return it? At this point if he returns it, it will NOT be what I sent him. He has now sent me over 90 messages!!  He put a negative feedback up of course calling me a scammer and a liar and saying I sold him a defective laptop not as described.  SO very stressful and SO VERY unfair!!!