Why is eBay facilitating scammers?

[csan2c]

Long story short, I sold an expensive lens, buyer asked me to ship to alternate address, I shipped, item was in possession of foreign postal service for almost 2 weeks and in that time buyer instituted "non delivery" dispute, then received the item but never closed the the dispute and eBay refunded buyer for the item 5 days after buyer received item.

I have been in phone contact at last a half dozen times with eBay explaining this situation (in detail) and EACH TIME, I wait and then receive an email from their appeals dept. that indicates they have no understanding of the situation. Even after I deal directly with the appeals dept., they still are playing dumb and suggesting that I send the buyer an invoice for the funds (my funds) that eBay refunded to buyer, yes the same buyer who has ignored the 3 eBay messages I have sent him about the refund.

Buyer only closed the dispute after I asked him to, coincidentally the same day he received the forced  refund.

I've been on eBay for 23 years, and I'm at a loss here. This is an $800. item and clearly eBay is in the wrong. Is there an actual way to reach someone at eBay who has the capacity to understand that they refunded a winning bidder 5 days after the winning bidder received the item they won in an auction?

[downunder-61]

Sadly a seller not being 'aware of the rule' is not going to cut much ice with eBay.

Good luck with it all

[ittybitnot]

They're penalizing me for not following a rule I wasn't aware of?

@csan2c 

Unfortunately, yes.  There was a time, however, that eBay would extend seller protection for same IF THERE WAS DOCUMENTATION IN YOU EBAY MESSAGES OF THE REQUEST BY THE BUYER.  

That is no longer true.  Some buyers will make the request on purpose, knowing full well they will get their money back from you and get to keep the item for free.  You may even get communication in your eBay messages after a sale from people that are NOT even your buyer, with some heart wrenching sob story about some "emergency" that requires a change of address. 

I would assume the OLD policy was costing eBay too much money, so it was discontinued.  Messages don't count for anything anymore for any kind of dispute. 

Basically, there are never any "announcements" made about this sort of thing.  That is why it is important to READ HERE.  

[southern*sweet*tea]

The reason you don't ship to an alternate address (foreign or domestic) is a good one:

1. Scammer buyer wins an item. They pay with the address 321 Whatever Street, Anycity 12345. This is the payment address.

2. They contact the seller, saying "Whoops, I paid with my old address, can you send it to 123 Sesame Street Anytown 12346 instead of 321 Whatever Street, Anycity 12345".

3. Silly seller says sure, no problem! 

4. Package is sent to the scammer's friend's house at 123 Sesame St instead of the address on the payment, 321 Whatever Street, Anycity .

5. Scammer buyer files an INR after the package is delivered. They get their money back because they know seller protection only covers the address on the payment.

6. They then beebop over to their friend and accomplice's house at 123 Sesame St and get their free package from their friend.

7. Unless the buyer tells them so, the seller has no way to prove any of this, and they lose the case and the appeal.

Morale of the  story is never ship to any address other than the one on the payment.   This scam is as old as eBay.

[hawkwind5454]

What is that trite, traffic cop, knee-jerk response?   Oh yes.... *Ignorance of the law is no excuse*. 😉.   Nobody is penalizing you.  No one held a revolver to your temple, demanding that you send your item to an alternate address.  At what point in time are we held accountable for our own choices and actions? And yes it's a bitter pill to swallow, I get that....But, but, and but....You did it of your own accord. Yes you were trying to be a good person and accommodate your buyer.... Thus reminding me of another trike cliche'...*No Good deed shall go unpunished*.

[csan2c]

Tracking proof, and the actual buyer telling me he received the item he paid for.

[csan2c]

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@ittybitnot wrote:

They're penalizing me for not following a rule I wasn't aware of?

@csan2c 

Unfortunately, yes.  There was a time, however, that eBay would extend seller protection for same IF THERE WAS DOCUMENTATION IN YOU EBAY MESSAGES OF THE REQUEST BY THE BUYER.  

That is no longer true.  Some buyers will make the request on purpose, knowing full well they will get their money back from you and get to keep the item for free.  You may even get communication in your eBay messages after a sale from people that are NOT even your buyer, with some heart wrenching sob story about some "emergency" that requires a change of address. 

I would assume the OLD policy was costing eBay too much money, so it was discontinued.  Messages don't count for anything anymore for any kind of dispute. 

Basically, there are never any "announcements" made about this sort of thing.  That is why it is important to READ HERE.  

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Yeah, if that's true, I'm done here.

[csan2c]

Reminder: eBay refunded the buyer with my money 5 days after the buyer received the item they paid for. eBay had access to the tracking information I provided. I assumed the whole time they were both watching the item just sitting in the post office.

[releasethekraken_1]

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@csan2c wrote:

Reminder: eBay refunded the buyer with my money 5 days after the buyer received the item they paid for. eBay had access to the tracking information I provided. I assumed the whole time they were both watching the item just sitting in the post office.

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Tracking info has to show the item delivered at the address provided at time of payment.

eBay might take the buyer's message as proof, but you'd have to fight them on that.

[hawkwind5454]

When selling on eBay the worst thing you can do is assume. And that's a dicey bet at best if basic logic is used. eBay does not operate on logic. They operate on buyer satisfaction. And if that has to be at the seller's expense, so be it.  And you don't really know what your buyer told eBay. That throws a wild card into the mix. As I previously said... buyers can lie. Or maybe I should say, embellish the truth.

[dahanayaka-enterprises]

please sir Never ever ship to a address other than what is registered with ebay . its good for sell

[csan2c]

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@hawkwind5454 wrote:

When selling on eBay the worst thing you can do is assume. And that's a dicey bet at best if basic logic is used. eBay does not operate on logic. They operate on buyer satisfaction. And if that has to be at the seller's expense, so be it.  And you don't really know what your buyer told eBay. That throws a wild card into the mix. As I previously said... buyers can lie. Or maybe I should say, embellish the truth.

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The buyer didn't tell ebay anything, he told me. As far as I know, ebay has had zero contact with the buyer. These are things I know: the buyer received the item he paid for AND ebay refunded the buyer with my money.

[kensgiftshop]

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@releasethekraken_1 wrote:

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@csan2c wrote:

One of the actual eBay humans I dealt with actually admitted that I did the right thing by shipping to the alternate address.

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As usual, the actual eBay human was wrong.

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Have you ever known them to be right about anything?