Buyer misuses return Seller open's case Ebay gives refund to Buyer who Sent back damaged item

[offers_accepted]

Here's a RANT AND RAVE...

I have been selling on EBAY since 2002, with over 3430 feedback of 100%

I strive to make all my customers happy !

A buyer purchased an item

She wanted a refund, said item was not as described

BUT IT WAS !

She then sends back a different item that is totally destroyed/ damaged..looks like the same one

I am the one who escalated the return, not the buyer...little good that did !

Ebay gave her the refund out of my money

I called Ebay to dispute the matter, letting them know buyer used the return system to keep my perfectly good antique Cross that was priced at 150, then I took her offer to help a homeless couple

WHO ARE LIVING IN A TENT...soo sad..so many homeless...

She stole my cross and sent back a different one

She is a liar and a thief, ironicaly the item being  a cross

I an very upset, for I am not only out my money, but out my item !

They told me the best they can do is put her on a watch list, if she continues to do this she can get suspended...I do not care about that, I care WHERE IS THE SELLERS PROTECTION

Tis not at all fair or just !

[orangehound]

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@offers_accepted wrote:

I am the one who escalated the return, not the buyer...little good that did !

Ebay gave her the refund out of my money

---

A few quick things.

1. First, sorry this happened to you.  Though most buyers are good and honest, there are a few out there that can ruin years of selling.  Looks like one bit you.
2. There isn't really (much) seller protection on eBay, because it simply isn't in eBay's profit profile to protect a seller ... their posture is that you are to absorb this as a business loss like a store absorbs shop-lifting. 
3. When you escalate a return of this nature, it will almost always be ruled in the favor of the buyer.  The people or bots that make these decisions follow a standard script that nearly always rules in favor of the buyer ... even if you are a stellar seller and the buyer has an email address that includes the word "thief", the script will decide in the favor of the buyer in the vast majority of cases.
4. All is not hopeless.  What you can do is appeal the decision, and hopefully get someone that has English as their first language.  Go into your case and appeal ... sometimes, eBay will give you a courtesy credit.
5. Make sure that you go into your return, find the return, and report the buyer to eBay.  I don't think this will do anything, but it may ... also put the buyer on your blocked buyer list.
6. Finally, you can file an IC3 report with the FBI and a postal fraud report with the USPS ... again, they probably won't do anything, but sellers need to report these thieves so that if they try it one too many times, law enforcement will get involved.

Best of luck.

[theposhmermaids]

Great advise above.

Try calling ebay weekdays after 9:00am Pacific Time for a better chance of getting someone who speaks english as their first language.  I have had more luck with this that speaking with CS in the Philippines who can only read off a card. 

[azfinz]

It is absurd

[peggyjogo]

After discussing my buyer problem with CS, I must say that I feel a little dirty.  I explained, read my listing and messages, out load to CS, I know she heard and understood me, yet.....Basically I was told to pucker up, suck up, shut up and pay up.....all while being expected to roll over and lay down, go down and get let down.....guess I will see more of what they think will happen, in the 2 days, I have left, awaiting their decision, affecting my integrity, income, and intelligence.....all while feeling Bullied, into allowing myself to be scammed......wow, can't say yet and don't really know how to fix it, but am not intending on letting it happen....my item is in Canada with a mega return charge, paid by me, after refunding without reason....must say, for now, I DON'T SEE ME LETTING IT HAPPEN especially when I am being forced to lay down being made to feel DIRTY....eBay may have policies but my United States of America also has laws to protect against unfair practices and policies created to take money from a person, why, because they can.....now that's wrong...So, be back in a few days to let you all know what happens...thanks for letting me rant... 

[kikisclothing]

Never open a return dispute over the internet, they always side with the buyer.  Click the help link at the top of Seller Hub and have a rep call you.  I had someone return a different pair of pants.  In the return, I attached a photo of what was returned for them to compare to what was shipped.  When a rep called me back, I explained the situation and I won.   

[nuclearomen]

---

@offers_accepted wrote:

Here's a RANT AND RAVE...

I have been selling on EBAY since 2002, with over 3430 feedback of 100%

I strive to make all my customers happy !

A buyer purchased an item

She wanted a refund, said item was not as described

BUT IT WAS !

She then sends back a different item that is totally destroyed/ damaged..looks like the same one

I am the one who escalated the return, not the buyer...little good that did !

Ebay gave her the refund out of my money

I called Ebay to dispute the matter, letting them know buyer used the return system to keep my perfectly good antique Cross that was priced at 150, then I took her offer to help a homeless couple

WHO ARE LIVING IN A TENT...soo sad..so many homeless...

She stole my cross and sent back a different one

She is a liar and a thief, ironicaly the item being  a cross

I an very upset, for I am not only out my money, but out my item !

They told me the best they can do is put her on a watch list, if she continues to do this she can get suspended...I do not care about that, I care WHERE IS THE SELLERS PROTECTION

Tis not at all fair or just !

---

out of curiosity did the cross you sold have any maker marks or distinctive features you photographed in the listing that the returned cross did not? Not sure if that would help but worth a try to see if it proves the item was replaced with another. Sorry to hear this happened though. 

[wow-gifts-uk]

I would contact the police and explain to them what has happened. They will give you a crime reference number which you can then give to eBay in the hopes they credit you back. Also the police will investige the buyer (hopefully) which will deter them from dooing this scam again.

[chips_nos_chevrolet]

And this is a surprise to you why? Same thing has happened to me several times. Sbay ALWAYS sides with the buyer. There are no protections for the seller. I have taken unopened returned packages to the USPS postal inspectors office and had them open the item to confirm what they sent back and that helps ZERO. They just keep raking in the money from the commissions, they will be doing it again for the paypal when they open their new system since they sold the old one, they rake in the money for the shipping labels, they rake in the INTEREST MONEY on funds we keep on account. I have put more and more ads on Face Book (no cost) and Craig's list (no cost). I wish the government would investigate them for being a MONOPOLY.

[toby0711]

Take the buyer to the Small Claims Court.

[designforyou]

Court costs and lawyer will probably cost more than the item, plus the case has to be filed typically in the county state of the buyer, not the seller.  I'm pretty sure majority of sellers will not do this for an item that is less than the fees to file and travel.

[bonjourami]

Old thread,op is naru'd.

[kh-gary]

Hi everyone,

Due to the length of time that has passed since this thread began, we have locked it from future replies. If this is still an issue that warrants discussion, don't hesitate to begin a new thread here: https://community.ebay.com/t5/forums/postpage/board-id/shipping-returns-db.

Thanks.