Fraud

[freeone23]

I purchased an item on Ebay. It was clearly advertised as original and authentic. However, as I know something about these item, when it arrived, I immediately knew it was fake. I contacted the seller who refused to refund me. I then contacted the Ebay Fraud Department. A week later, Ebay sent me an email saying they had found nothing wrong, and closed the investigation. So they're allowing a fraudulent seller to continue selling fake items even after I told them exactly how and why the items are fakes. I am retiring soon and have hundreds (if not thousands) of items from decades of collecting that I had planned on selling through Ebay. I will NEVER use their platform again!

[powell-collectibles]

The best, most effective way to combat fraud would be to submit for a return, Then contact the IP holder and tell them of your findings. We don’t know your credentials, eBay doesn’t know your credentials, no one here can judge the validity of your assessment.  

eBay doesn’t know if you are a kook, a buyer that is out for revenge because of some perceived insult, etc.

Heck, perhaps eBay did a real investigation. Maybe their assessment is that you don’t know what you’re talking about.  I can recall a case or a buyer accuse me of selling a counterfeit LP. Oh, he had his reasons – which were quickly refuted by me. All very clear that he was in the wrong, and he dropped the issue.

I don’t discount that you are correct. I’ve had another case where I unknowingly sold a counterfeit LP. The buyer pointed out to me what was wrong with what I sold to him, I accepted his evidence, and provided a partial refund.  That counterfeit item was actually worth a reasonable amount of money – not what the real one was worth, but an expensive record.

if the tone of this post is an indication, my guess is that you went into this conversation with the seller with a high level of aggression, and into the conversation with eBay with some grand proclamations about what you’re going to do. All you’re right, but it isn’t really helpful for your stress level or for an eventual outcome that is favorable to you or at least approaching satisfactory.

and if you decide not to sell that high value, wonderful collection of yours, that’s fine. eBay doesn’t need more sellers, so if you don’t want the money from the eBay sales, all will be fine. Frankly, I don’t think we need another accusatory, aggressive seller on eBay.

[soh.maryl]

You apparently received an item that is not as described.  Did you actually open an item not as described case with eBay?  After you opened the case, did you, after 4 days, return to the case and ask eBay to step in ?

Have you read the Money Back Guarantee for buyers, which explains how buyers are protected? 

If you did open a case, but the window for escalating is now closed, you can open a case with your credit card.  They usually offer a longer time.  

[tinsoldierunderground]

@freeone23 

Ebay will not take your word or mine, as to whether an item is fraudulent or a listing is a policy violation.

As has been noted in the previous post, they have no idea who any of us are in regard to our particular expertise in a collecting field.   The single most effective way to expose a bad seller is through INAD cases.

Any seller who gets enough of those stacked up won't last on this site.  You know the item is a fake, open an INAD (item not as described, doesn't match description), get refunded.  If other knowledgeable collectors do the same, seller's account becomes suspended in fairly short order. 

[kathiec]

@freeone23 

There is no such thing as the 'eBay Fraud Department'. Either you called a number you found online (these are all scams -- eBay has no direct number) or you encountered a third-party eBay CS rep who was trying to get you off the phone. You need to follow the instructions others have given to open an item not as described return.

I would add that if you called a number you found online and gave them any personal info or clicked any links they sent you you need to immediately change your password and scan your computer for malware.

[kensgiftshop]

@freeone23 

Have you used the MBG to return it for a refund?

Go to your purchase history and click return item and select, the item doesn't match the description as the reason.
The seller will have 3 days to accept the return and pay return shipping or refund without returning.
If they don't, return to the case on day 4 and ask Ebay to step in.

[ed8108]

If you dispute the seller's position that an item is original/authentic, open a NAD return request to secure a prepaid return label &  refund 

Review the rules & details of eBay's money back guarantee

[12345jamesstamps]

You return them for a refund to the seller.

Have you never returned anything before?

[freeone23]

First, I went through all the proper channels to attempt to resolve this issue -  Contacting the seller, requesting a refund, and then when I was denied and told (by the seller) things like "I use them", I  contacted Ebay who promply did nothing. Your depiction of me as an "aggressive, accusatory seller" is complete nonsense. Your platform has a seller selling COUNTERFIT ITEMS. I brought this fact to  the attention of your "Fraud Department" and explained exactly why and how the items were FAKES, and they did nothing. What would you do? 

[freeone23]

Thanks. This item is so easy to spot as a fake, anyone with the most basic knowledge of these items could spot it. If Ebay had done the most basic investigation, they would have discovered that these items are not originals as advertised by the seller. 

[freeone23]

Thank you for your input. I appreciate your time. According to the seller, he/she "had telephone numbers for Ebay." I called a number I had stored in my contacts for years. A few days after calling, I received an official looking email from Ebay stating they found no wrong doing on the seller's part and the case was closed. I have followed the steps provided online which led nowhere. I'll try again to see if I possibly missed something. 

[freeone23]

When I placed the reason for the refund (not knowing that what I selected here would make such a crucial difference) I checked "No longer needed." The seller then rejected the return and closed all communications. 

[kathiec]

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@freeone23 wrote:

Thank you for your input. I appreciate your time. According to the seller, he/she "had telephone numbers for Ebay." I called a number I had stored in my contacts for years. A few days after calling, I received an official looking email from Ebay stating they found no wrong doing on the seller's part and the case was closed. I have followed the steps provided online which led nowhere. I'll try again to see if I possibly missed something. 

---

You haven't been able to call eBay directly since the pandemic. The *only* way to contact eBay now is to request a callback through the Help & Contact link. Whatever number you had in your contacts no longer belongs to eBay. So you were never talking to eBay. The "official looking email" wasn't from eBay. You were communicating with scammers who took over eBay's old number. As I recommended before, if you gave them personal info you need to immediately change your password. And if you clicked on any links they sent you need to scan for malware.

[danhalen177]

Use NOT AS DESCRIBED every time and you will get your refund back after you send the card back at the sellers expense

[gator08041971]

@danhalen177 

I'm going to say this, because this is precisely why some sellers get burned by this:

Only use that option if:

• The item doesn't match the photos or the description
• The item was listed as good/working/etc but arrived broken/non-working

Keep in mind, those options also assume the seller has no normal return options provided (set as no returns)

Do not use this method as a unilateral way to return an item, even if its your mistake, you broke it, or you made the error in some fashion.  You can always ask the seller if you are in a bad spot if they can help, but don't make your problem their problem just because you don't want to own up to your mistakes.

Habitual returns using this option can be flagged by sellers (using the report buyer feature) if a buyer abuses this to return items that actually did not meet the not matching photos or description reason.

So please don't suggest this as a solve all solution.  Thank you.