Buyers sending back other items are winning the cases

[cravingszfashion]

Hello everybody:)

I unfortunately again came into a situation where a buyer scammed me by sending back a totally different item. I provided pictures and made a video of me unboxing the packages that came back both evidence so far have not worked. 

The first time the buyer claimed that he received a totally different pair of sneakers (I sell sneakers) which I have never seen. I had accepted the return and what he shipped back was not even the sneakers he claimed to received but some old worn nikes not even worth 5 bucks. Lost almost $1000 on this transaction. 

PS: this person even left me negative feedback (how insane is can you be!)

As of today eBay again sided with a buyer regarding another pair of sneakers. This person first claimed the item was not authentic which it was (I showed him the receipts), I still accepted the return anyway then what I got back was a plastic bottle filled with sand. 

In the first situation I applied for the first case outcome and lost again so the negative feedback remained since then..

on the second situation I uploaded pictures of what was inside the box the buyer returned and send a link to a video of me unboxing the package when it arrived and the buyer won.

I start to have the feeling that in these cases as a seller there is not much I can do than accepting the loss. I was wondering if others could advice me on what to do in these situations?

Thanks!

[corvettestainless]

Nothing you can do; sell only what you can afford to lose. Most are honest, pictures are not accepted as proof so you have to consider 'thieves' as you would in a walk in store. Once you are top rated, you can deduct 50% of the return and 'report' the seller. 

[myescape]

You can not prove what you shipped,what buyer received nor what they returned.Pics and videa can be staged so ebay does not accept it

Courts may though if you want to try small claims

I hope at least you are filling out police reports(and having them forwarded to buyers police dept.) and postal inspector cases.The postal inspector will act if one person gets multiple complaints and/or money amount lost is high enough

[donsdetour]

I am sorry this happened.

Report them to proper law enforcement.  

Put em on your blocked bidders list.

As for eBay, a video is not going to do it.

No disrespect, but as even a court of law would question such as evidence. You could easily have switched the items your self.

It is a problem with this type of scammer.

Its a reverse switch game with these folks. 

Only repeated reports would even get proper LE to look into it.

[tbird7]

I'm in the midst of one these cases and what kills me is the buyer is reselling on ebay what she claimed I didn't send her and I can't even get them to look at it.  They claim their are seller protections but I haven't seen any.  Customer service doesnt even respond with any thing other then form reply.

[cravingszfashion]

I feel you that really is a horrible situation. Did you try chatting with them? 

[orangehound]

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@tbird7 wrote:

They claim their are seller protections but I haven't seen any.

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@tbird7 

There are limited seller protections for US-based sellers, but they are ONLY available under three scenarios:

1. You list the item with free return shipping (seller paid).
2. You are a top-rated seller (TRS) and list the item with 30-day or longer buyer paid returns.
3. The buyer is claiming the item is not received, but tracking shows it is received.

So, basically, because you list your items as "no returns" the only protection you have is #3.

As a TRS, I list with #2, and I've been able to active seller protections against abusive/dishonest buyers on multiple occasions ... I get to do this based SOLELY on my own judgment, and without involving eBay customer service.

[cream_couture]

I'm sorry this happened to you! I would absolutely pursue it further with eBay and the buyers. It will take a lot of work, but some sellers have been successful in getting their money back. 

1. Contact the buyers and state that you did not receive the item back, instead you received a phone xyz (send photos) and that they need to send your item back. If they respond denying they sent the wrong thing, respond that you have filed fraud, theft and internet crime reports, so the Post Office, FBI and police will be reaching out to them.

2. File a police report for theft either online or with your local police station or by calling your local police. eBay has let me use a police report as evidence before.

3. File a mail fraud report with USPS.

4. File an internet crime complaint - https://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx

5. Once you have copies of filed complaints and reports with associated numbers, contact eBay via phone. 

[monster-deals]

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@cravingszfashion wrote:

I provided pictures and made a video

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Why do people still think this does anything?

[monster-deals]

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@cream_couture wrote:

5. Once you have copies of filed complaints and reports with associated numbers, contact eBay via phone. 

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You could also scream into a pillow and get the same results that you will on the phone with ebay.

[corvettestainless]

@orangehound I get to do this based SOLELY on my own judgment, and without involving eBay customer service

Funny thing is, I've only used the 50% refund thing twice, as both times customer destroyed item making it un-re-sellable, and both times, customer opened a 'case' and won, ebay 'paid them' the other 50% (not from me, but customer still gets made whole as long as they 'complain'.

[orangehound]

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@corvettestainless wrote:

@orangehound I get to do this based SOLELY on my own judgment, and without involving eBay customer service

Funny thing is, I've only used the 50% refund thing twice, as both times customer destroyed item making it un-re-sellable, and both times, customer opened a 'case' and won, ebay 'paid them' the other 50% (not from me, but customer still gets made whole as long as they 'complain'.

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@corvettestainless 

eBay has a lot of abusive/dishonest buyers, and in the past eBay was doing nothing about these buyers ... just letting them prey on one seller after another.  Now, these buyers are actually costing eBay money, and eBay has incentive to get them off the platform.  Of course an abusive buyer is going to protest and try to get back all their money ... that's because they have no integrity.

The TRS seller protection isn't perfect, but it should cover most of the cost of a seller's cost basis if the item is fully destroyed (assuming that they have a 100% mark-up) ... but, the real teeth that I see is getting these buyers kicked off the platform.

[cream_couture]

"You could also scream into a pillow and get the same results that you will on the phone with ebay."

Maybe YOU would get the same results as screaming into a pillow. If you go through this board you will see many sellers that this has worked for. Including myself. 

[mtgraves7984]

"As a TRS, I list with #2, and I've been able to active seller protections against abusive/dishonest buyers on multiple occasions ... I get to do this based SOLELY on my own judgment, and without involving eBay customer service."

I'm with @orangehound. Emphasis on "without involving eBay customer service".

[monster-deals]

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@cream_couture wrote:

"You could also scream into a pillow and get the same results that you will on the phone with ebay."

Maybe YOU would get the same results as screaming into a pillow. If you go through this board you will see many sellers that this has worked for. Including myself. 

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People like to say all kinds of things on forums that may or may not be true.

It is highly dubious that you are winning MBG cases with a phone call to a CSR.