Victim of buyer fraud

[davebhop]

I recently sold a BRAND NEW $6500 embroidery machine. The customer had the machine for 2-3 days then opened a NOT AS DESCRIBED case. I sent return FedEx label and received the return a week later. when I opened the box there was a very used $1500 embroidery machine inside. I immediately contacted eBay and gave them the serial number of the item I shipped and the serial number of the item that was returned. I sent pictures of the item that was sent and pictures of the item received on the return. I filed a police report. I contacted FedEx and found the return shipment weighed 15 pounds less than the original shipment. I contacted the customer to see if there was a mistake on the item the returned. They told me they did not know what I was talking about.

This is what eBay told me... There was nothing we could or would do. because the customer did not admit to the fraud in the emails. They told me I was on my own and that they would send the full refund! at the end of the case's waiting period.

I then contacted Paypal and was told they only protected buyers and that sellers are on there own. And that I should hire a lawyer and open a civil case against the buyer. MY HEAD ALMOST POPPED OFF!

So sellers, I would just like you to know you are not protected from buyer scams on expensive items... by eBay or Paypal and for you scammers buying expensive items and then returning inexpensive items...IT WORKS. And works very well! 

Need to upgrade your equipment? just buy new and send back your old wore out item. Ebay and paypal will help you. Just remember never admit to what you are doing in email! And you will get it for free!

[davebhop]

new update!

eBay is now trying to double bill me! They took the paypal $6500 they had on hold they then took $188.00 fee because I lost the case. Now they have made 2 attempts on my credit card of 6500.00

I denied the claims and told my credit card company it was fraudulant...so they blocked the charge.

So this morning I awoke to this email...

Hi Dave, 

You'll see the $6,500.00 for case #5169789xxx for Janome mb-7 Commercial 7 needle embroidery machine, Home Business ready NEW on your next invoice. 

We refunded xxxxxxbuyerxxxxx and closed this case. You can see the case details in the Resolution Center. 

So I looked at my account and they are now saying I owe $6500 again (see included picture)

eBay is the most incompetent sales venue ever! 

[southern*sweet*tea]

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@davebhop wrote:

new update!

eBay is now trying to double bill me! They took the paypal $6500 they had on hold they then took $188.00 fee because I lost the case. Now they have made 2 attempts on my credit card of 6500.00

I denied the claims and told my credit card company it was fraudulant...so they blocked the charge.

So this morning I awoke to this email...

Hi Dave, 

You'll see the $6,500.00 for case #5169789xxx for Janome mb-7 Commercial 7 needle embroidery machine, Home Business ready NEW on your next invoice. 

We refunded xxxxxxbuyerxxxxx and closed this case. You can see the case details in the Resolution Center. 

So I looked at my account and they are now saying I owe $6500 again (see included picture)

eBay is the most incompetent sales venue ever! 

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alan@ebay

brian@ebay

WHY?

[davebhop]

I have been on hold with eBay for over 1 hour trying to find out.

[castlemagicmemories]

I hope you get this straightened out!  

Please keep us updated.  I pray you are successful.  

Wishing you all the best!  I know this has been very hard and stressful for you.

Hang in there.

[davebhop]

thank you but I am not holding my breath ;(

[castlemagicmemories]

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@davebhop wrote:

thank you but I am not holding my breath ;(

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I don't blame you.  You have great patience.

[boxerspause]

I can’t offer anything helpful, just wanted to say I am really sorry this happened to you. I was a victim of buyer fraud and it makes you feel horrible. I hope you are successful in both getting your money back and some justice against this scammer.

[l80570]

alan@ebay

brian.t@ebay

Yes, eBay WHY?

[penguins_dont_fly]

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@davebhop wrote:

I have been on hold with eBay for over 1 hour trying to find out.

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@davebhop

Dave, I read through this whole thread and first, let me say that I'm sorry that this happened 😞

I just have a few questions ...

You said that you filed a police report ... did you include that report in your appeal?

Did you file an ic3 report? If you did, did you include that in your appeal?

Did you file a postal fraud report? Did you include that in your appeal?

You also said that you were going to see a lawyer ... what came of that?

[fenixdog]

Following the posts of “victim of fraud”,  I held onto hope for this seller that eBay would assist but unfortunately I see not.  I am so sorry for this victim and wish our honest eBay sellers could form and do something in support of him. I am also appreciative that in his time of trouble he took time to post and update the group.  I, as others have requested that he continue with any updates. By his sharing it has educated many of us to the perils of selling items, especially expensive ones on eBay and hilights how there is no eBay support for a seller.  

I read something in your post that I was unaware of and wanted more information.

Recently someone filed an item not as described (my first). From within the eBay system, I clicked on the return with me paying return postage and supposedly it would create an automatic return postage label. At that time my eBay account was not charged. My mistake was to call eBay and ask a question how the return postage label works. Immediately after getting off the phone an automated email arrives stating I had asked eBay to step in which I definitely did not do. Well you know the story, I lost my final value fees. My sales have now stopped. I thought my sales had stopped because of all the eBay policy changes and system upgrades being made since May.  So you are saying because I wanted to do the right thing I have been wrongfully labeled and eBay is penalizing me?  I don’t think I have sold enough this month to pay my fees. Would you know how long am I penalized?

[countessalmirena]

Hello - I've dropped by from Australia, as a fellow eBay member pointed me in the direction of this thread.

I'm terribly sorry you've had this horrendous situation with a buyer who has apparently perpetrated a deliberate fraud against you. I think it's clear that you can't rely on eBay to assist; the entire eBay "experience" (from returns to claims through to appeals) is bot-driven and scarcely involves a human brain cell during the whole of its length.

That amount of money - over $6000 - is too much to shrug off as a loss, or to chalk up to experience. I hope you've gone ahead and filed a police report; I cannot imagine that the buyer would be able to wriggle out of being faced with a charge of fraud if an actual human investigated this. Taking the buyer to civil court would also be an option.

I wish I could do more than simply wish you well - but I do sincerely do that. Best of luck in pursuing this to a better end than eBay have been able to provide. (And how ridiculous and outrageous that they should attempt to charge you twice!)

[grayirongolf]

Thats plain horrible.  eBay has given these scammers a licence to steal at anytime from any seller. 

You problably should of sent that payment straight to your bank account & completely

blocked eBay/Paypal from ever retreiving that money. Let them eat that cost of doing business.  

You could then turn around & invest that $ in Amazon with a smile on your face.

[twnpopcards]

And to add insult to injury the buyer uses the machine to work on things they sell on Ebay.  So Ebay once again makes out like a bandit as they now get their fees on both ends fom the seller and now everytime the buyer sells something selling that machine.  No wonder they won't step in an do anything. 

[caninekopz]

Dave any updates?

Rich 

[auventera]

This thread makes me sick to my stomach. Ebay should be held accountable for this!! What an atrocity. Ebay is a totally outdated, dangerous joke of a selling venue. I truly hope they go down in smoke. I've been on ebay practically since its inception and every year the "master minds" of eBay go farther off the deep end. Absolutely sickening.