"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.

[jonathankirkland]

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@pikabo-icu wrote:

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@vintagecraze50 wrote:

Jonathan, when I see stuff like this I really worry for the folks who sell really high end merchandise 0n here. If this continues to be a big trend it could really effect the ability of people to have faith in putting their higher end merch on here. Ebay has responded by doing these authenticate programs which are great but how could they do that will ALL high end  Items. And it does not matter if you are a big time seller or a small fry a huge loss is bad for both.

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**Raises Hand**

I have designer handbags and I am terrified to list them now.

I don't want to take this off topic to my nightmares but DANG!

ETA: eBay Authenticate for sneakers is having it's own set of swapped items it seems.. 

I don't trust them at all.. 

madchenmarketplace  I can't tell you how badly I feel for you- fight the good fight, that's all you can do..

A multitude of other sellers THANK YOU for trying to end this buyer's errr thief's reign.

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Honestly I would never list expensive hand bags here. Even if you have to sell locally and take a 50% price cut!

There was one INFAMOUS thread I remember reading on here, not sure if could even still be found, but it was a Coach purse I think that was swapped out for some dirty ratty looking thrift store bag. The seller was out the bag + $5,000 and wasn't letting it go and it kept going on and on, not sure whatever happened though... but that was one of my first experiences reading on here and being shocked at how easy it is for someone motivated enough to have ebay assist them in theft. 😞

[jonathankirkland]

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@katzrul15 wrote:

I'd be willing to bet money she uses the addresses she works out to steal packages from.

Missed this some how in the myriad of posts - ??

Have we crossed over into posting what the buyer "allegedly" does for a living?  

I am okay with calling her a thief on here and did not hesitate to do so.  But....on the other stuff, not so sure this is a path to go down???

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I think OP found out via a Google search that the buyer is a home health care worker.

[jonathankirkland]

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@madchenmarketplace wrote:

 You guys...she reported me to eBay for demanding personal information and threatening her! She sent me screenshots (from her phone that doesn't work??) from a conversation with eBay customer service stating that she should block me, and that she has "noting to worry about ____, were here to back you up just in case" (typos are accurate, name redacted).

I will state that I have been more than polite, I have not requested anything other than an appropriate phone number where to reach her (since the one provided by eBay isn't correct, according to her). I did not tell her the cops would be coming to her house but I did say that they and the post office would be contacting her regarding the theft of her package.

Is my eBay account in jeopardy?? I never threatened her, I just want the thief caught (even though I really think she is the thief). I wish I could post the screenshots she sent me but I'm pretty sure that's against the rules and I don't want to get in any more trouble. What do I do now?

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You're not in any jeopardy. Ebay is just doing what they do best and telling the buyer what they want to hear.

I'm not sure what your next step is honestly... really my mind is just boggled someone would do all this to steal $40 worth of stuff. I'm no doctor or anything like that but it seems clear to me there has to be some kind of mental illness at play with this person.

[katzrul15]

Understood.....but this is a public forum that a Buyer can access also.  

Just a word of caution.

@madchenmarketplace  - saw where you posted she has reported you to e-bay - what did she claim?  That you are harassing her?  If yes, I would not email her any further.  

But I would report everything to T&S regarding this Buyer and this sales transaction.  

I believe someone else posted to also hit the link next to the transaction to "report buyer".  You may have already done that - tried to scroll thru, but might have missed it.

[madchenmarketplace]

Oh I already reported her, though I'm not sure it does anything. I've never heard of a buyer getting kicked off for reports.

The only emails I've sent to her are in response to her ridiculous amount of emails. I'm going to contact customer service just in case. I know they can see all the emails so I'm not sure why they sided with her when they can literally see every non-threatening word I wrote.

[katzrul15]

@madchenmarketplace  - who knows what she is sending you - or how altered it is.  She is delusional and in *fight* mode evidently.  

I just would not email her additionally and work to continue to engage regarding USPS and the PD and let them do what they do best.  

She has already stolen money/time from you - don't let that bleed over into your sanity.  People like this are really good at making themselves *look* like the victim.  No idea if e-bay will buy a vowel/get a clue (they likely will not) but you can probably get USPS and the PD to at least engage and look into it.  Good luck!

[madchenmarketplace]

You're right about her playing the victim - and about the transcript being doctored. It's full of typos and the customer service agent said they would be investigating me and some other weird things about "violent comments" (from me...lol) and that she should block me so I can't send her messages.

Blocked members can still send you messages, right? Because I blocked her very early on but her messages keep stuffing my inbox. I've never seen anything like this tbh.

[katzrul15]

Yes - unfortunately since you entered into a transaction with her, even with the current BBL, for a time, she can email you.  

I created a "bucket" for my "reality challenged" Buyers in my email - I do not open the emails.  I just put them in the bucket in case I ever need them for some reason.

These type of emails just have the potential to be a time sux and have power over you and your sanity.  A lot of work.  Expect her to keep emailing you.  Crazy people hate to be ignored.  

[wastingtime101]

She will be able to message you through the transaction for 90 days after the last message you send her. She will be able to message you through your feedback page at any time despite the block.

You've done the following:

• Filed a theft report with USPS
• Filed a report with her local police department for theft by a porch pirate
• Reported her to eBay

What was the reporting option you used on eBay? Abuse of the returns system?

You should do the following:

• File more reports with eBay for anything and everything you can: harassment, false claim, etc.
• File a fraud report with IC3.gov
• If possible, try to get a statement on USPS letterhead from her local post office saying that the mail carrier delivered the package in tact, not missing the contents and sealed with first aid masking tape. Her carrier would have surely remembered if the package looked like that.
• Amend the report you filed with her police department to state that you suspect she's committing fraud, and from her communications (quote her eBay message about all the theft/refunds) that she's a multiple-time offender. Give them the link to the eBay law enforcement portal and your report numbers with IC3 and USPS. If you get the above mentioned letter from USPS, include that with the police report if possible.
• Appeal the case with eBay that was ruled against you. Go through eBay for Business on FaceBook using their message system. Let them know your seller ID, the order number, the scammer ID, that you filed buyer reports through eBay for X, Y, Z, the report numbers for USPS, police and IC3, and include a screenshot of her message about constantly getting refunds. If you can get that letter from USPS then include that, too. That letter from USPS might be the best thing you can get to have the appeal ruled in your favor and have eBay take notice of her account. Ask eBay to not only appeal your case, but to investigate her past transactions, claims and all of her communications with other sellers that she may have convinced to give her refunds outside the claim system. Ask them to research any linked accounts in case she's scamming under multiple IDs.

[madchenmarketplace]

This is wonderful! I feel like this should be sticky-noted in the forums as protocol for sellers dealing with a missing/damaged packages. I will be following your advice and filing more reports - thank you!

Just a small update...I did file an appeal and a few hours later it was denied because their original assessment of the situation was correct (according to them). Not sure how since she opened a return and had it closed a few hours later in her favor - one would think that the technicality of that would be a problem but oh well.

[bigdeals.etc]

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@madchenmarketplace wrote:

Oh I already reported her, though I'm not sure it does anything. I've never heard of a buyer getting kicked off for reports.

The only emails I've sent to her are in response to her ridiculous amount of emails. I'm going to contact customer service just in case. I know they can see all the emails so I'm not sure why they sided with her when they can literally see every non-threatening word I wrote.

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I once had a totally unhinged buyer mistake me for another seller. He was upset about a different purchase and would not listen to me when I told him I’m not the seller of that item. He sent me rapid fire messages that clearly shows he was either drunk or on some sort of drug. He also called me a few times (voicemail picked up). 

Later on I get a call from eBay telling me to “Stop communicating (whether it be text, message, email, phone, etc) and harassing that buyer. He has reported you for your actions and harassment so we are required to call and warn you. But if you ask me, I saw all of your message communication with him and it’s clear that he is the one harassing YOU. I can see that he did in fact mistake you for the seller he’s upset with. I’m amazed at your restraint. On the phone (agent was the one who took he buyers call) he doesn’t sound very composed. Just don’t bother with him and we’ll take care of it. I’m just required to tell you since he formally filed a harassment complaint.”

[wastingtime101]

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@madchenmarketplace wrote:

This is wonderful! I will be following your advice and filing more reports - thank you!

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No prob. Hopefully something in there helps you and/or stops the scammer.

[ittybitnot]

The day that Ebay starts giving refunds out of my pocket for porch pirate incidents is the day I am done.

@vintagecraze50 

As suggested upthread, it is unlikely this is a "porch pirate" issue.  Porch pirates don't take the time to cut the box open, remove the contents, and neatly tape it back up.  One would think time would be of the essence for such a criminal, and they would snatch the whole box. 

A seller is basically "protected" for INR claims, but not SNAD "empty box" which is the case here.  It is the buyer who actually would like to be believed that  someone (other than herself)  did this, and nobody can see though the sham. 

Yes, the OP is already "hosed" by the buyer and the eBay system and should not communicate with this person any longer. If it were me, however, I would send the link to the Postal Inspectors Fraud report filed on her behalf , so the buyer can be kept abreast of the situation.  

[madchenmarketplace]

Update: I called the buyer's post office and spoke with an AMAZING postal worker who took my name and number and called me back a few minutes later after speaking with the postman who delivered several packages to that address on Saturday - all were, in her exact words, "perfectly intact."

I'm not communicating this to the buyer obviously, but should I contact eBay?

[ittybitnot]

I'm not communicating this to the buyer obviously, but should I contact eBay?

@madchenmarketplace 

For some reason I don't think eBay cares.  You can't really document a phone conversation for an appeal nor is eBay likely to call the PO, but if you have a "name and number" it could be additional information for the mail fraud complaint. 

Actually, as far as eBay goes, you fared better than most sellers hit with the "empty box" program.