Return missing parts

[bernie60115]

Here is what happened. I sold a microscope for $975. The seller claimed it was damaged in shipping, Ebay issued a return label at my expense. When I got the microscope back a significant part of the stand was missing. The stand has value apart from the microscope, I estimate $250. I offered to refund the seller $725 and said that if he returned the missing part I would refund the $250. Ebay has frozen the full price and says it is investigating. Ebay also said, in effect, that in cases like this the seller should suck it up. My experience is that ebay always finds in the buyer's favor. Is there anything that I can do ? Thanks

[brightlightbookseller]

I assume when you say seller you mean buyer.

You may have no choice, although you could theoretically appeal the case if and when eBay decides in the buyer's favor and refunds them in full (likely to happen). There's very little recourse for sellers in a he said, she said kind of situation.  eBay doesn't know who's telling the truth, so they usually side with the buyer.  It's worth trying the appeal, it won't hurt anything except cost you time and that's probably worth it for that amount of money, but don't get your hopes up.

[bernie60115]

Sorry , yes, I did mean buyer. For what little it is worth. The missing part of the stand weighs 20 pounds, nearly half the total weight. The buyer returned the item in my packaging and the shipping label was 20 pounds lighter than my original. I'm guessing that ebay will not look at things in this kind of detail

[stuff4divas]

@bernie60115 

How I handle Scum, otherwise known as Scammers
 
The first thing to do is to report the scammer/buyer>
 
https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/resolving-buyer-issues/report-issue-buyer?id=4084&st=12&pos=1&quer...
 
Then block them
 
Then, read this link re Seller Protection>
 
https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/selling-policies/seller-protection?id=4345&st=12&pos=2&query=Sell...
 

In addition, make a police report, internet fraud report, USPS fraud report to send with your appeal.
 
Also note the weight and size of original package vs returned package, ie photos, label info
 

Reports for USPS here>  https://www.uspis.gov/
 

Mail Fraud Complaint>  https://ehome.uspis.gov/fcsexternal/default.aspx
 

Internet Crime Complaint Center>  https://www.ic3.gov/

Also, info from here may help> https://www.ftc.gov/consumer-protection

And>  https://www.wikihow.com/Report-Fraud-on-eBay

Then
 
Contact eBay via social media with a private message:
 
https://Facebook.com/ebay
 
AND-OR
 
https://Twitter.com/askebay
 
Great customer service on these social media sites.

If u don't do social media, u can just open the account for eBay purposes only.

[bernie60115]

I tried to block him and got an "invalid user or user not found " message. Is that because of the ongoing case ?

[fern*wood]

Since you are a TRS and offer a 30 day return policy, you qualify for ebay's limited protections on a faulty return.  Stuff4divas has provided the links which you will need to follow. 

If you have escalated the return to ebay instead of following the guidelines in this protection, I'm not sure if you can now.   Hopefully you are able to report the buyer and proceed to refund them and see the option to discount your refund for the missing part--up to fifty percent.   The worst thing to do is to ask ebay to decide instead of using the protections provided.

[isaiah53-57]

@bernie60115

Surely this was the buyer's(which you call seller) intent from the outset - In my opinion, this site is getting saturated with scammers...

Say you have a large buyer pool and 30% of them shop at a certain site - 80% of them are honest, and 20% are dishonest  - If 10% of the good buyers leave due to problems with the site and 0% of the bad buyers leave since they have a "Money Back Guarantee" that GUARANTEES bad behavior is rewarded, then if replacement rates hold, 20% of the 10% honest buyers being replaced will be dishonest( a figure that is sure to increase over time as word gets out how easy it is to run a scam on that site)...

Over time, you will get a gradual and eventual increase in the percentage of dishonest buyers -

I would postulate thats exactly whats happening or has happened with this site...And I would further postulate, that with the existing policies, expect it to do nothing but continue to get worse while your fees increase - What fun...

[ckimodog]

@bernie60115 

It could be that they're a prior scammer who got caught and eBay shut them down.  Sorry for your experience. 

[yo0339]

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@bernie60115 wrote:

Ebay issued a return label at my expense.

For what little it is worth. The buyer returned the item in my packaging and the shipping label was 20 pounds lighter than my original. Ebay has frozen the full price and says it is investigating.

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For what little it is worth. Can you post a photo of that return label @bernie60115 with the personal info hidden.

As it's unusual that an eBay return label shows its weight, but it might have the cubic and zone.

Please show your return label to eBay (they'll likely make an excuse that they can't see it even though eBay issued that return label) since eBay is investigating.

[greatdealstx]

The USPS Ground Shipping labels (that I buy via eBay) don't show the item's actual weight. However, they do show the weight that postage was paid for. At least they do for me anyway.

Hopefully the large discrepancy in this case is enough to make eBay side in the OP's favor, but sadly buyers seem to win most of the time.

[duffy4444]

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@bernie60115 wrote:

Here is what happened. I sold a microscope for $975. The seller claimed it was damaged in shipping, Ebay issued a return label at my expense. When I got the microscope back a significant part of the stand was missing. The stand has value apart from the microscope, I estimate $250. I offered to refund the seller $725 and said that if he returned the missing part I would refund the $250. Ebay has frozen the full price and says it is investigating. Ebay also said, in effect, that in cases like this the seller should suck it up. My experience is that ebay always finds in the buyer's favor. Is there anything that I can do ? Thanks

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@bernie60115:

   Unfortunately with eBay's current attitude that fosters the increase in successful scamming, the only thing you can do is "suck it up" and move on.

   This is the reason why a lot of seasoned eBay sellers, myself included, will not sell any higher-value items here until eBay gets their head out of you-know-where and gets back to a more level playing field of better seller protections. I'm shaking my head at how eBay ignores a windfall of their own potential selling fees income due to sellers taking it in the shorts and refusing to list and sell higher-value items. I successfully sell my higher-value items locally on venues like CraigsList, where there is no shipping, the buyer sees the item and inspects it and pays with CASH then leaves, no return scams, no credit card chargebacks, and no extended eBay hassles with "customer service" and AI bots that are a joke.

   Unless your business model can handle the loss of expensive items, in addition to the double insult of losing your payment for them as well, consider eBay may not be a place to sell them over a certain monetary threshold that you determine.

Cheers, Duffy

[stuff4divas]

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@bernie60115 wrote:

I tried to block him and got an "invalid user or user not found " message. Is that because of the ongoing case ?

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@bernie60115  it may be bc of what @ckimodog  said, or u r not inputting the id correctly. u need to put a comma then space then the new id from the last blocked id on your list

did u click on the 'report' buyer button?

[buyselljack2016]

that.......... comma space............................  and also "copy & paste" the ID  is sometimes key to getting it.

[bernie60115]

I take your point and will modify my selling practices.. The money matters, obviously, but being taken advantage of annoys me more.

[fern*wood]

Lately this happens when I add to my list, but if I look at my list the name has been added even though I get the error.

BTW:  Are other sellers not aware of the protections for faulty returns?  They do work if you qualify and follow them.   This OP seems to qualify.

@bernie60115