Sold Nintendo Switch Controllers, Buyer In Puerto Rico Claims I Sent Some Random Phone Case

[therealhyun-9]

So I'm here asking for some advice on what to do. I sent out the proper goods. There is no way in hell I would mistake switch controllers for a phone case that I have never even seen in my entire life. USPS tracking shows that item was delivered to their mailbox without problems.

I have already made an Internet Crimes Complaint, though I doubt the FBI will do anything about a $55 item considering they have important things like anti-terrorism and stuff to deal with. I'm about to make a police report and a USPS report as well.

Called Ebay and was assured that I would win if I accept the return and escalate it or whatever the case is. The rep said that they would monitor the buyers account, yada yada. Here's the thing. I'm a broke college student. I have no shame in that, unlike the scammer that my buyer turned out to be. I have around $1 in the bank, and with the proceeds from this sale, I got like $45 from ebay after fees.

So essentially they are telling me to pay out of pocket $15 dollars (item was $55 + 5 for shipping) since I only got around $45 from ebay, and then on top of that pay another $5 for return shipping. Oh and since I only have around a dollar to my name, to eat an overdraft charge from my bank, with the "promise" that I would definitely win the appeal (which gives me no confidence since after reading other threads of similar situations where reps say you will win, then minutes later the case is closed in the buyer's favor). What to do?

[katzrul15]

I am really sorry.  Winning a SNAD (not as described) is really tough to do.

However, if you do not accept the return, Buyer keeps item +monies and you get a metric ding dong. 

If you get them back you can at least sell them again? 

[dbfolks166mt]

Unfortunately there is little you can do. If the buyer has not opened a formal case wait until he/she does. Do NOT issue any refund outside of the normal eBay process. If the buyer filed a SNAD case you have a couple of options none of which are good. 

1. Accept the return and pay the return postage, you will fully refund the buyer when you get the item back. 

2. Fully refund the buyer and allow them to keep the item which saves you the cost of the return postage but you are out the item. 

3. Offer a partial refund which may be what they are looking for anyway. 

     Sadly this happens multiple times a day to sellers and there is NO seller protection on eBay to speak of. What eBay told you was the standard **bleep** they feed to everyone. Few sellers ever win a case against a scammer. If you are tight on funds eBay may possibly be too risky of a place to list your stuff for sale. There are better forums that have no fees, no shipping (generally) and are handled by P2P pickup and cash payments. This is especially true for high demand electronic items. 

     It looks like you are a pretty new seller to eBay and you have a giant target on your back for every scammer out there. 

[therealhyun-9]

The problem lies in the fact that the buyer took my $55 dollar item (switch controllers), and claims to have received a phone case (no idea what make, probably some cheap 1 dollar case for a old phone no one uses). Even if I get the item id probably pay more in shipping fees to sell it than it's worth.

[tools*]

Walk away and don't look back.

[pikabo-icu]

@therealhyun-9 

So very sorry to read this..

We've seen this happen to others, including computers at $1500 and other even more expensive items.

Sadly, this type of fraud is almost impossible to win as a seller..

Word is out to scammers how to beat the eBay system and get free stuff.

PLEASE add this buyer to your BBL immediately https://www.ebay.com/bmgt/BuyerBlock 

I wish you luck in fighting this but sadly, eBay almost always sides with the buyer. 

[therealhyun-9]

Yep seems like I'm SOL. Ridiculous that this is eBay policy. Might as well just open up a charity where people can just take my money and my items. Though I made my account a few years ago and have not had a single problem so far while buying or selling even more expensive goods like a ps4, seems like when I'm at my lowest I get kicked by an absolute **bleep**. 

Good advice on just not using ebay because it is a POS. Others may chime in to say "you should price items to reflect problems like these as an online store" or "even retail has shoplifters, etc." but I'm not a **bleep** store trying to sell 1000's of items to make a profit, I'm a broke college kid selling off whatever he can occasionally to buy some **bleep** food. 

[therealhyun-9]

That's definitely the plan after this debacle. 

[therealhyun-9]

This has got to change eventually. How many more people have to get scammed like this before ebay takes action? Seems like from reading threads that this goes back many years. Ebay might as well be a charity for scammers, though at least with a real charity I can get some tax deductions for donations...

[asset_liquidators]

Unfortunately if you do accept the return you will be paying for a return label on some old phone case that they return. You will never see your controllers again.

[therealhyun-9]

Seems like the case, never selling through ebay ever again. 

[pikabo-icu]

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@therealhyun-9 wrote:

Seems like the case, never selling through ebay ever again. 

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@therealhyun-9 

Please believe me when I say; we ALL feel for you..

Many of us have been where you are, some of us for hundreds if not thousands of dollars.

I wish we had a solution for you- sadly, there just isn't any solution that's guaranteed to protect you & make you whole.

The vast majority of eBay transactions go well and we never read of them but some items are high risk for scams.  Cell phones, computers & accessories, video game consoles & accessories are among the most common scammed items.. Low feedback new sellers are also a magnet for scammers, sadly you hit 2 of the criteria,  new seller & video game accessory. 

I'm really sorry.. 

[1grandmashope_1]

It is so very important to realize that there is no way to know who is being deceitful.  There are buyers that are and sellers, as well.  It is truly a sad testament to what is becoming a cultural norm.  

I am so sorry for your circumstance, but, hopefully, you will be a quick learner and know that you risk a loss when you sell. 

                                            ** DO NOT SELL WHAT YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO LOSE**

Make some decisions as to having whatever returned .  Follow through within the guidelines of eBay returns.  

Shake it off.  A good lesson moving forward.  Learn from your mistakes, or they come back again....again...and again, until you do.  Some of us, 🙂 don't learn this lesson until much later in life.

Wishing you a wonderful 2021 moving forward,

Grandma