Buyer Returned Different Item

[carobdiamondco]

Hoping someone has been through a similar situation and has seen some resolution as a Seller. We sold a $999 14K gold necklace to a buyer and they opened a return case, stating that it wasn't authentic. We know for a fact that this necklace was solid 14K gold, as we have a highly sophisticated Niton metals scanner to test all of our jewelry items. We contacted ebay and they told us that since we offer a return policy that we have to accept the return or it will be forced and we will end up with a defect on our account. So we accepted the return, but then we received the item back and found that the buyer has returned a completely different (fake) necklace chain then what we sold to them. We took photos and messaged the buyer and of course they deny it.

We called ebay and they won't do a single thing to help us. The say that they won't even look at the photos that we took because we could be taking pictures of another necklace. So they are quick to say that we may be lying, but they won't even consider that the buyer could be lying. We have called and spoken with several different representatives and supervisors at ebay and they all tell us the same thing, that since we have a business account, we should be prepared for such potential business losses. We have had this same type of situation happen to us 4 times this year and 2 of those have been in the same month! We are filing police reports for these situations but not sure how that will end. Have any other sellers had any succes with ebay backing them on these type situations? Does anyone have any advice for when this happens? Any help is appreciated. Thank you!

[spunkys-kitchen]

I have similar concerns about buyers returning different items than what they purchased, and I am concerned about how eBay will handle these situations. My recent encounters with eBay support indicate that they always side with the buyer, and as you stated, even though I am not selling as a business, we have to absorb the loss. This can be very costly on a high-value item.

[chrysylys]

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tbgoods wrote: We are filing police reports for these situations but not sure how that will end. Have any other sellers had any succes with ebay backing them on these type situations? Does anyone have any advice for when this happens?

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Pursue the prosecution.  Corporate here will NOT back you at all.

[postingid2017 · Accepted solution]

File a Mail Fraud Compliant with USPS.  It does not matter which method the thief buyer returned it, the postal service will investigate.  

In the meantime, copy and save a copy of the listing (all of it including the thief's information) any and all police reports filed, everything and save the same.

So sorry that this happened, however, this is what eBay has become for sellers.  As to buyers, it is a scammer's paradise 😞  

[thisisde1]

I want to know the solutions too. As I'm encounting the same situation. I'm selling used camera lenses. I sold a len to UK in May. The buyer wasn't happy with the lens and wanted to return. I accepted it. But the lens I received yesterday from the buyer was a totally different lens! The lens seems not working. I was so shocked! The original lens worth US$540 which I have to work onw-two months for. I didn't know what to do. I have reported it to eBay and waiting for their reply. 

Have anyone try selling on other platforms other than eBay?

[mr_lincoln]

@carobdiamondco  Absolutely no solution to this presently in place.  eBay is a 3rd party making decisions on things they never saw.  How do they know you didn't send a fake neckless?  Here are the unknowns they face:

1. eBay and the Buyer do not know what you shipped to the Buyer

2. Neither you, the Buyer or eBay knows if the real neckless was shipped BUT removed by a carrier employee and replaced with a fake

3. eBay does not know what the Buyer returned to you even if you sent the real thing and they returned a fake

[carobdiamondco]

We understand ebay's third party stance on this, as it is part of the script that every ebay representative reads to us...almost word for word of what you just typed. But when we have security footage showing us shipping out the item and then receiving an entirely different item back, and ebay won't even consider viewing the footage, it's a bit ridiculous. We can prove that the weigh of the package sent is not the same weight of the package sent back and they won't consider any evidence or proof. They automatically side with the buyer every time. They say that they have no way of knowing if we sent the correct item or if something happened along the way, but then immediatley refund the buyer and the seller is out the money and the item? We try to present proof and they won't consider it!! Why do they not consider that the buyer did something wrong or illegal in these situations but are so quick to say that the seller could have switched it or a postal worker? The buyer gets away with stealing every time that this happens and it happens a lot! ebay does nothing. It's horrible.

[partsalot1]

I would never ever ever ever ever times a thousand evers sell  any type of expensive gold jewelry on eBay. The reason is the incident you just described is bound to happen. If it can happen with a lawn more engine cylinder head it's even more likely it's going to happen with a gold chain. 

Sorry for your troubles and your heart ache. I hope things work out for you but unfortunately I do not think they will. You were attacked by an Internet shoplifter except you do not have the opportunity to tackle him in your parking lot to get your goods  back

[bekindtoday7]

On an unrelated note,

Spoiler

you DO have their address

Have you even seen the ending to "Jay & Silent Bob's Strike Back"? ....

Spoiler

Me neither. I don't even know if there is a relevant reference or something something ambiguous et al etc. and so forth.

[ga-8370]

Hi alan@ebay, on Jan 13, 2017 you wrote in this post:

alan@ebay wrote:

Meanwhile, in the backend, we've started work on bulk locking and archiving old threads. We'll continue to do this regularly on all boards as part of our maintenance of the Community.

Thanks.

[ga-8370]

Hi alan@ebay, on Jan 13, 2017 you wrote in this post:

alan@ebay wrote:

Meanwhile, in the backend, we've started work on bulk locking and archiving old threads. We'll continue to do this regularly on all boards as part of our maintenance of the Community.

Thanks.