What are some safeguards for buyers on high value item returns?

[robda_7908]

Buyer waited for the item to arrive then requested a refund due to debt. The item was an auction and sold for over 4000.00.  My question is what prevents the buyer from returning an empty package or package with diffrent sports cards and me being out the items and money? I just found it odd as soon as the package arrived they requested a refund. Thank you

[bonjourami]

Nothing prevents the buyer from doing that. If it does happen, you can appeal the refund.

[stainlessenginecovers]

which appealing seldom does anything. As always stated, don't sell anything with electronic reversible payment that you cannot afford to lose (to thieves). 

Note- that sounds like that is exactly what this buyer is going to do. Does the buyer also sell here? 

[kensgiftshop]

What prevents it is to not sell a $4000 item online.

[12345jamesstamps]

I looked at your buyer's bidding which is all ending today.

Your bidder has a lot of bidding ending today...a lot.

Buyer does have to open a claim first...do not do anything until this happens...not even any emails to buyer.

You have no choice but to refund...but wait until the time frame to do so.

I wouldn't contest anything. 

But we don't know if he is doing something with other sellers as well today or in the past.

Looking at his bidding it doesn't seem a 'debt' situation.

This buyer came out of the middle of nowhere and made a last second bid on your item...and won.

[ckimodog]

@robda_7908 

This is why so many of us here advise new sellers, etc., not to list high dollar items here on eBay or any sales platforms.  You are setting yourself up for what you are now experiencing.  The good part is that you accept returns and pay for them.  Lets hope their honest. 

With all due respect, never list anything on eBay or any platform that you can't afford to lose.  

Happy Selling

[duffy4444]

   The only safeguard you have is to heed this warning:

   NEVER, EVER  list for sale, or ship, any high-value item here at eBay or anywhere online, that you and your business model are not prepared to lose, in addition to the insult of losing your payment for it on a forced refund that is way out of line with common sense.

    Instead, use a reputable auction house, local activity, consignment, or a venue like Craigslist, where the buyer sees the item in person, agrees to a price, pays for it with CASH, then walks away... No hassles, no shipping scams, no middle entity like eBay to screw things up by automatically refunding the buyer, no return hassles or scams, and no credit card chargebacks. YOU have total control over the disposition of the item and security of your payment for it.

    A lot of seasoned sellers here, myself included, agree and have stopped selling higher-value items online until online venues, especially eBay, get their act together and institute common sense anti-scam safeguards for sellers. The online playing field is currently heavily tipped in favor of buyers - and scammers, unfortunately.

   Scams will continue to rise as overall morals continue to decline into more theft. You have to be wise about where and how to sell your higher-value items -- you do have choices and options.

Cheers, Duffy

[chapeau-noir]

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@kensgiftshop wrote:

What prevents it is to not sell a $4000 item online.

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It was bid up to $4000, though. It would be tough to predict if that will happen and one can't close down an auction simply because it's doing well.

Hopefully this is just remorse and the OP gets the item back.

[biggymoe]

HOLY CRAPAZONI  What a great lot of PSA10 Stroud cards.  

As  12345jamesstamps said, based on the buyer's current bidding activity, this doesn't  look like a debt problem.

As we all know, hindsight is 20/20, but I would have never listed these all as one lot.

I sincerely hope I am wrong, but I fear you will receive an old shoe, as the return.

Good luck.

[lakefor94]

@robda_7908 

Nothing prevents a buyer from sending back something different or an empty package. 

You were smart to have "Free Returns". When the item or whatever arrives back to you, you "should" have the option to deduct 50% of the refund if the item is damaged or something different than what you sent.

Most thieves recognize this and avoid accounts at above standard with Free Returns. 

Betting you get back what you sent. If you refund in FULL, you will get your Final Value Fees from the sale returned to you. If you make deductions, eBay keeps the final value fees.