"New" buyer claims she received an empty package

[madchenmarketplace]

A buyer purchased 2 items from me at a big discount via Best Offer (she originally lowballed both items...I should have known better).  I packed them up very well in a box and shipped it out the next day. Today she emails me to say she received the box but it's been opened and the items aren't in there and it's taped back up. I told her to file a report with the post office & the police - she said she talked to the post office already and they said it had been through so many people there was no way to tell where it happened and to toake it up with eBay. But she is "new" so she doesn't know how to file a report so she needs my help. I told her to go to the Help menu so she did...

Aaaaand she filed a return for both items and put in the notes that I had told her to file the request because she received an empty package from me. Now my funds are on hold. What should I do? This feels sketchy to me.

[madchenmarketplace]

UPDATE: She said she just wants a refund and eBay will be contacting me to give her one!

[a_c_green]

If she sends the items back, you'll have to refund as soon as tracking shows delivery back at your place. You could try politely calling her bluff by asking her to send a photo of the red stamp that the USPS puts on packages that they have had to repair. (That is true, though they do not always manage to red-stamp their repairs.) 

If she sends a photo showing the red stamp, I would just refund at that point. (That would look like an honest problem report to me.) Otherwise I would express your sorrow and say that you will refund as soon as the damaged package is returned. Yes, it's very possible that she rifled it after delivery, but that is not something you can really prove. You can at least require her to go to the trouble of returning the opened package, to work for her refund.

[a_c_green]

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@madchenmarketplace wrote:

UPDATE: She said she just wants a refund and eBay will be contacting me to give her one!

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You don't have to refund immediately; you can ask to have the items (or at least the empty package) returned first. eBay will not require you to refund if you want the return first (though you will have to refund eventually). Don't be bullied otherwise.

[onlinecentral]

Sellers may mistakenly think that accepting a Best Offer etches the price into stone. Unfortunately, after the sale, buyers will pursue further discounts. They will find a flaw to get a partial refund. Claim the box was empty to get a full refund.

It is in the sellers best interest to decline low ball offers and place the would be buyer on their blocked bidder list. Instead, wait a little longer for a motivated buyer to click on the Buy-It-Now price or else accept a trivial discount through best offer.

[toysaver]

The Post Office Needs to stand up and be held accountable in these situations because they charge us if the shipping weight is over and refund if it's under in cost adjustmenst for shipping labels.  Depending on the box contents that can determine if it was empty and can determine if the buyer is committing mail fraud.

Sellers Deal with USPS Online Postage Crackdown - EcommerceBytes

Automated Package Verification Program for Domestic Packages (usps.com)

[madchenmarketplace]

She can't send the items back because she said the box was totally empty but taped back up like new. She didn't say anything about damage and refuses to provide any pics of the box. And she says that she can't file a post office complaint or police report because they said to take it up with eBay. It just feels off to me.

[madchenmarketplace]

You're totally right - of the last 4 problems I've had, 3 were lowballers. Most of the time I decline but she asked me to take her offers because she would bundle them together to save me on shipping. I should have known lol.

[madchenmarketplace]

This is a good point! I do receive refunds for overages from time to time for packages, always for an ounce or two so I don't know why they bother (it's nice though!). This package was 1 lb, the empty box would have only been a couple ounces at the most. That's a big difference!

[southern*sweet*tea]

"Dear buyer,

I'm shocked to hear you received an empty box. Rest assured I did not send you an empty box. I will be filing a mail theft report with the Postal Inspection Service since the package was obviously tampered with and your item stolen by a Postal worker.

Please send me your phone number for my report. I already have your address. If I don't hear from you within 24 hours I will file without the phone number.

Thank you,

Seller"

Send that. Wait 24 hours. If you don't hear back from the buyer, file the mail theft report here: https://www.uspis.gov/report

The 24 hours is an out to give your buyer time to magically "discover" the items. You really don't need the phone number. If you don't hear back from him, FILE THE REPORT

[craft-stash]

Its total b s🤥 Pinocchio would have a better story,lol. Provide pictures or forget it.

[madchenmarketplace]

LOL that looks at lot like my first email to her! Minus the link, I like that and I'm going to borrow it if you don't mind. Thank you!

I did (finally) receive photos from her of the empty package - my packing materials were in there on the bottom (still smushed down in the shape of the items) and the box looked neatly cut open, no red Post Office markings or anything and it looked like strips of masking tape were holding the bottom together (no tape on the top).

I did the online chat with eBay and they gave her a courtesy refund for one of the items (the cheaper one) but said I was on the hook for the other and told me to file a claim with the post office. She wants her money because these items were for her daughter's birthday and now she has no gift for her. Honestly 99% of my buyers are lovely but it's issues like this that make me want to give up.

[jonathankirkland]

First of all, block this buyer before you do anything else.

Secondly, did she actually open a case? Was it a "not as described case" or an "item not received case"? (This makes a difference.)

If she open an "not as described case" you have no choice but to accept the return and then refund. But insist to her that you need to receive back the empty packaging she received, and that she must put that packaging into new packaging and return it to you using the label provided (which the case will do automatically once you approve the return).

Whatever you do, don't let ebay step in for you, they'll be fully refunded and you'll receive a defect for your trouble.

[southern*sweet*tea]

Many years ago - maybe 8-10 if not longer - I received a string of "empty box" claims on here and on Etsy. Probably 15-20 of them during a three month period across both sites. I figure some knothead put out a Youtube video on how to get free stuff online by claiming "empty box".

Anyway, every single one I sent out that letter. Guess what? Every single empty box turned into a miraculously found item - "whoops, my <family member> opened it" and  "sorry, wrong seller" were the excuses I got.

If your buyer is honest, she'll be happy to cooperate with a Postal investigation. What honest person among us doesn't want to put an end to Postal thievery, right?

[dnasilver]

Simple all carriers know the weight of a package. The USPS have a very aggressive investigative dept, well they did until Dejoy was put in place. Tell the individual you are filing for a formal investigation since either a postal employee stole it or she is being deceitful. I would go with the latter based on what you have stated.