its the thieving season

[hexelmaedchen]

I know there have been discussions about this before, but I don't quite remember the solutions you guys and gals offered,

Here is my problem: Buyer bought a item (after she talked me down some in the price) It was in like-new condition, with all the tags attached (as shown in the photo). She sends me a private email, saying all the tags were missing and of course that would bring the price down considerably. If I don't go along with a big price-reduction, she will send me my item back. She also says "she wanted to work it out without ebay since she is a seller  (of the same items as I found out) herself....

I know there are some fraud-websites out there to help people against thieving scum, have any of you had any luck with them?

[gracieallen01]

Your buyer may want to 'work thing out' without ebay to keep off their radar, or perhaps because she is already on the radar.  I would tell her to do it by the book, as she should know that is how it is suppose to be done on ebay.

However, as far as the naming and shaming game, there are lots of places that people use to get the name of a seller 'out there' - whether it is right or wrong, good or bad, not for me to say.  Some of the more 'acceptable' things would be to file a report with IC3 and the USPS Postal Inspectors - they take a dim view of people using the mail for fraud, and just tell the buyer that someone must have rifled the package and to please keep the packaging materials as the Inspectors may want examine them.  And, file a police report and one with ebay. 

Just because the other person is a seller, doesn't mean that the same form of reporting shouldn't be used.

However, I'm 'old school' - someone more familiar with FB, twit, etc., may well be along with more updated and current advice.

[hexelmaedchen]

Thank you Gracie, I will do the mail/Police report.

I don't believe in people scamming and stealing from others, and I will NOT

stand buy doing nothing....

I know there is a button somewhere to "report a buyer" to ebay, but I can't find it- any ideas?

[fern*wood]

Under "more actions" on my sold items there is a "report this buyer" in the drop down box.  

I love your items.  Hopefully this buyer will disappear once they see you aren't working with them and their shake down buying method. 

[hexelmaedchen]

Got it, thank you Fern. I reported her, I really doubt if ebay will do anything, but if she has done this with others, then there is hope.

It's a crying shame how low some people stoop, just for a few dollars.. (well, in this case it was $140, so I guess that seemed worth it to her....

[pink.fish.rule]

She'll come undone at some point and someone will do the same scam to her.

[gracieallen01]

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@hexelmaedchen wrote:

Thank you Gracie, I will do the mail/Police report.

I don't believe in people scamming and stealing from others, and I will NOT

stand buy doing nothing....

I know there is a button somewhere to "report a buyer" to ebay, but I can't find it- any ideas?

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Sorry I didn't/couldn't get back to you about where to find the button.  Every once in a while my 'puter decides to take a coffee break and I get to start from scratch, again.  Glad fern*wood fielded it, though.

[luckythewinner]

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I know there have been discussions about this before, but I don't quite remember the solutions you guys and gals offered

There really is no "solution" to fraud on eBay. There are steps to take that might get you a courtesy refund from eBay, but it is unlikely that anything meaningful will stick to the buyer. 

Buyer bought a item (after she talked me down some in the price) It was in like-new condition, with all the tags attached (as shown in the photo). She sends me a private email, saying all the tags were missing and of course that would bring the price down considerably.

Did you include a packing slip with your item? If this buyer is also a seller of the same items, it is possibly she has simply confused your item with one from another seller. 

She also says "she wanted to work it out without ebay since she is a seller  (of the same items as I found out) herself....

If she is a seller herself, she is probably aware that a high rate of returns can affect a seller's selling account. So there is at least theoretically another way to interpret this statement. 

Have you communicated with the buyer after her complaint, before going to the police and postal authorities and accusing her of mail fraud and theft? I'd hate for that to happen only to find it is a simply case of a confused buyer.

Even honest sellers here are aware that buying and selling on the same account exposes them to retaliatory purchases from a seller they have offended or defraud. So if she is indeed "thieving scum", the good news is that someone may give her a taste of her own medicine in the future. 

[clearsphere]

I agree with the "keep packaging" suggestion but would hold off on filing any reports until all is said and done-meaning when you (hopefully) get your item returned.

[lex-talon]

Place her on your BBL, if you haven't done so already. You have items that are highly sought after. Buyers sending private emails, working it out without eBay, etc. Those are certainly red flags to watch out for.

[memphiskansasgirl123]

1st and foremost I would not engage in email or phone conversations with buyers; that's a red flag they are contacting you to do something shady.   How did they get your email address?

 Check out your buyer's listings to see if you can spot your sold item.   Also check out your buyer's feedback history; check to see if you can detect a pattern of this type of behavior.

[fab_finds4u]

This is my opinion.  I think she's trying to get it cheaper.  She's hoping for a refund equal to the shipping costs.  She knows you'll lose that anyway if a return is forced so the odds are in her favor you'll agree to a partial refund if she makes a claim.  If she's sneaky enough to lie about the tags she's sneaky enough to return a different item of no value.  So that idea alone pushes the seller to offer a partial refund instead of losing everything.  

Were it me and I knew the tags were on the item I wouldn't let her bully me into offering a partial refund.   

Dear Buyer,

I would have no reason to send an item with the tags missing.  I sent the item exactly as pictured.  If they're missing you have more knowledge about that than me.      If you'd like to return it for a refund I'm happy to oblige.   Please request the return through eBay.   It's not a problem.   

Then stick to your guns.  Please-return-it-for-a- full-refund-no-partials-refunds-given.  

from eBay

What should I do if a buyer contacts me by email or by phone to return an item instead of going through eBay?  

• If a buyer contacts you directly, advise them to request the return in My eBay. Doing so helps safeguard both you and your buyer by giving eBay visibility into the transaction in the event that we need to step in and help. It’s also important to remember that if you issue a PayPal refund without a return request through the eBay returns process, eBay may conclude that you have cancelled the transaction, which would count as a defect.

http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/news/fallupdate2014/after-sale-experience-details.html#faqs-...

[hexelmaedchen]

Thank you all for your input.

I reported her to ebay with a copy of her private mail, of course that will not be good for anything.

She now opened a case through ebay, claiming item not as described.

Of course I had no choice but to accept the return, once I receive the cow with no tags, I will go

to the Postoffice and also file with the police.

Either way, I am out of my $140 plus shipping , 2 ways of course.

But, like you all said- there really is no way one can protect himself from people like her.

I will be checking her items for sale closely.

As to how she got a hold of my private email> If you go to your "leave feedback" you will see the email address right above it. I imagine thats how she got it.

[dogsrus3]

First of all, I'm sorry this happened to you.  But I have had luck reporting buyers; the buyers mistake is sending emails through ebay and then doing the opposite and it's on record.  In the last year, 1 person was suspended and 1 was kicked off....Now, it wasn't because I reported them alone; as a community we have to do this.  ebay does work behind the scenes in some cases.  

If everyone reports them, then there becomes a point when ebay takes action.  If you don't report the buyer and just move along, it helps no one including you. 

Good Luck!  

[hexelmaedchen]

dogsrus- your name made me chuckle, for a minute I was wondering how my private email managed to post something, hahaha. Then I figured out that it was not me. (hubby and I run an no-kill Shelter, so dogs are really US)
Anyway, I am waiting right now for the return package, she did leave a nasty negative FB which I will reply to as soon as I get the package.
Yep, my first negative in I don't know how many years. But whats really bad is that she has been sending me private emails, after the negative, sending me all kinds of nasty mails. I tried to report that to ebay, but I got an automated: you have already reported the buyer- so I guess thats it.