how to prove fake returns to ebay?

[iamcara]

buyer requests a return, you receive a box with a different item in it.

apart from video taping opening the box, or video taping retrieving the box from an amazon locker (if they do deliver to the locker) how else would you prove to ebay that the buyer is returning a different item to scam me?

[albertabrightalberta]

If a buyer returns a different item, you have no other option than to issue a refund and report the buyer.

Ebay won't tell you anything but it'll be on the buyer's record and if there's a pattern, ebay will probably take action against the buyer at some point in the future. 

As for your belief that videotaping yourself opening the box, that's a waste of time. Ebay doesn't accept videos. 

[iamcara]

is there any kind of way of taking this person to court if he is a buyer who is out of state?

---

@albertabrightalberta wrote:

If a buyer returns a different item, you have no other option than to issue a refund and report the buyer.

Ebay won't tell you anything but it'll be on the buyer's record and if there's a pattern, ebay will probably take action against the buyer at some point in the future. 

As for your belief that videotaping yourself opening the box, that's a waste of time. Ebay doesn't accept videos. 

---

[dnasilver]

You can sue anyone you want or level charges against them to law enforcement. Where it goes from there depends on the evidence you have. 

[johnrj1226]

There is always a way to  sue somebody - if you have the time $$ and  evidence.  You might want to check into small claims court in your home town and see what they  say.  Or contact "Judge Judy" to see if you can get on her show  or one of those other TV court shows where you wouldn't have pony up some  funds but just your time and a ride to get to & from the airport and get a paid for plane ride, hotel stay and meals.  Worth a shot EH?

GL

[vintagecraze50]

The solution here on ebay for these occasional thefts is to offer fre returns. In doing so you can deduct up to 50 percent off the refund if the thief steal the merch. This practice most definately slows down these thieves on here when they get a surprise with Hal of what they spent back.

[annadryl]

I'm sorry it happened, but it's bound to happen eventually when you sell online. You kind of have to eat it up.

That said: You have many listings with the asking price of thousands of dollars each. Are you sure you want to sell such things to people unseen on the internet? Sellers can rarely win a dispute because ebay isn't there to know what really went down. Videos can be faked on both sides.

My comfort zone is about $200 tops.

[stephenmorgan]

---

@iamcara wrote:

buyer requests a return, you receive a box with a different item in it.

apart from video taping opening the box, or video taping retrieving the box from an amazon locker (if they do deliver to the locker) how else would you prove to ebay that the buyer is returning a different item to scam me?

---

If you make one continuous taping of the package and can clearly the package is not opened to start with why would eBay not accept it?  A Court of Law often accepts video taped occurrences as evidence the same as they do with eMails. 

Someone posted on the Community a while ago that eBay did accept their video and approved their claim.

[stainlessenginecovers · Accepted solution]

---

@vintagecraze50 wrote:

The solution here on ebay for these occasional thefts is to offer fre returns. In doing so you can deduct up to 50 percent off the refund if the thief steal the merch. This practice most definately slows down these thieves on here when they get a surprise with Hal of what they spent back.

---

@vintagecraze50 does NOT have to be FREE Returns; just has to be 30 Day Returns (even 'buyer pays shipping' still qualifies) as well as be Top Rated. 

[stainlessenginecovers]

---

@iamcara wrote:

is there any kind of way of taking this person to court if he is a buyer who is out of state?

---

Assuming you're talking Small Claims (note- no lawyers allowed in Small Claims) and if you want to 'Sue' in Superior Court, costs you probably much more out of pocket that the item is worth, then you can add 'costs' to your case, but- you have to 

a.) go to THEIR State (after finding someone to 'serve' them)

b.) Even if you win, then you have to fight them back in court or get a court order for Non Payment if they choose not to pay, something YOU Have to pay out of pocket for all those costs.

Seldom is something sold on ebay that is worth all that

[iamcara]

its very difficult to sell paintings in physical gallery settings.

one needs many connections and be invited to the right parties, etc, etc

family ties.. etc maybe country clubs.. have no idea

indeed if u owned a thousand pounds of gold and had nothing else.. maybe u are in a desert or something, you would be a poor man doomed to die

its the nature of our society that everything is spread apart. like we are on some kind of human farm or something. we got to drive to places instead of walk most of the time

so selling online is ideal.

most expensive thing ive sold thus far is around 300 dollars, about twice.

hope to sell something worth a thousand soon, and it wouldn't surprise me if my first sale ends up being some kind of scam, but then again been selling expensive paintings on saatchi for a few years without issue (though very slowly)

---

@annadryl wrote:

I'm sorry it happened, but it's bound to happen eventually when you sell online. You kind of have to eat it up.

That said: You have many listings with the asking price of thousands of dollars each. Are you sure you want to sell such things to people unseen on the internet? Sellers can rarely win a dispute because ebay isn't there to know what really went down. Videos can be faked on both sides.

My comfort zone is about $200 tops.

---

[lakefor94]

You are not going to be able to prove anything. 

As another poster stated, I go with the Free Returns and can do the 50% refund if I need to use it. 

If you are a Top Rated Seller, all you have to do is accept 30 day returns.

This will deter some of the fraud, especially the experienced fraudsters. 

I am Top rated and do free returns anyways to garner more sales with buyer confidence.  

[tobaccocardyahoo]

One of the ways to aid returns fraud is to sell items which are likely to be returned or lead to a request to return.

Key to that is to avoid listing items which are easily converted into cash.

Items which can be turned into cash with a local sale on Craigslist or Facebook marketplace are high risk.

Its which people receive which displease them are also at risk of returns fraud because they blame the seller for their displeasure.

You have some thousand dollar paintings which are by unidentified artists and offered as brand new. Should they sell, they might boomerang. Unless the buyer thinks they can identify the artist they are unlikely to buy. If they receive it and the artist is not who they thought it was -- here goes the return risk.

One of the skills sellers develop as they sell in Ebay is how to avoid risk and hassle. I do a lot more to avoid hassle than I did 20 years ago, both on Ebay and in life. So many things I would have offered for sale online are sold in other ways, or avoided.

[reallynicestamps]

ou can sue anyone you want or level charges against them to law enforcement.

This would usually be considered a civil dispute by the police , unless there is a record of such behaviour, surely?

Small Claims Courts are more and more flexible about boundaries.

DD had a Small Claims case (admittedly with the landlord of the property next door) and the whole thing was handled online, mostly with emails, not even a Zoom or FaceTime hearing. She won. The guy sold the house to the current lovely owners.

@stainlessenginecovers Lawyers are allowed in Small Claims. They are not required and are generally too expensive for the small amounts being disputed.
But large firms, for example, will send in a legal team if they believe the principle is worth arguing.

[stainlessenginecovers]

---

@reallynicestamps wrote:

ou can sue anyone you want or level charges against them to law enforcement.

This would usually be considered a civil dispute by the police , unless there is a record of such behaviour, surely?

Small Claims Courts are more and more flexible about boundaries.

DD had a Small Claims case (admittedly with the landlord of the property next door) and the whole thing was handled online, mostly with emails, not even a Zoom or FaceTime hearing. She won. The guy sold the house to the current lovely owners.

@stainlessenginecovers Lawyers are allowed in Small Claims. They are not required and are generally too expensive for the small amounts being disputed.
But large firms, for example, will send in a legal team if they believe the principle is worth arguing.

---

@reallynicestamps not in Cali (native there 60 years) but after 'googling, yes, you CAN have them in a handful of states- most of the 'bigger' states- no no.