How does a buyer open a damage claim before receiving the item ?

[shenlon101083]

I sold an item and the buyer opened a case citing damage a day (a Sunday) before she received the item. I don't even know how this happens. I called into customer service and the rep acknowledges that indeed they opened the case before receiving it, yet they don't care.

Do I have any recourse here ? Maybe outside Ebay like Mail Fraud ?

[no_zero369]

Now don't you go jumping the gun either.    Buyer clearly wants a refund for whatever reason, so it is time to make a business decision.

I would send a label and wait for the item to get returned.  THEN you could inspect it, photograph it and determine if it was damaged in transit or not or is a different item than sent.

Only when you have evidence in your hand would I take any punitive action.  The steps you could follow are:

1.  file a fraud report with ic3.gov
2. file a fraud report with your local police.
3. file a fraud report with the perp's local police.
4. file a mail fraud report with usps.com.
5. report the buyer to ebay trust & safety.
All of the above should be doable on line and give you report numbers so the filings can be viewed on line.
6.  Call ebay CS with the above report numbers and ask the case be closed in your favor.

But the bottom line is that this could be a nervous nellie buyer who changed their mind and doesn't know how to follow procedures  There is nothing to be gained fighting this.  Look, we see MANY sellers who do not think, get nervous, google something, find 'stuff' on the net and immediately ASSUME they are being scammed and then 'do something' as a result.  Who knows what is the case here?  Could be that the buyer is ignorant or lazy, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are scamming the system.

So send the label, get your item back hopefully in resalable condition!  Work the cost of returns into your business plan. Some keep a contingency fund to lessen the blow of any one return.

Hope this helps?

[myboardid]

Opening a return is not fraud.  For somw unknown reason the buyer changed his mind.  Accept the return, send a return label, get your item back. The quicker you do it the sooner you can sell it again.  fighting the return will only get you a defect from eBay, don't do that. 

[shenlon101083]

But they are saying the product arrived damaged before even receiving it, Unless they are a time traveler it isn't possible.

It seems everyone but me thinks this is ok ? 

If it was  a simple return, that is one thing.

I'm about at the point to stop online sales. It is so frustrating.

[no_zero369]

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@shenlon101083 wrote:

But they are saying the product arrived damaged before even receiving it, Unless they are a time traveler it isn't possible.

It seems everyone but me thinks this is ok ? 

If it was  a simple return, that is one thing.

I'm about at the point to stop online sales. It is so frustrating.

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I can only SPECULATE on anything because I don't know the facts, but I would say you are worrying about something that in the long run has no effect on your business.  Instead of stressing over motives which you can not know 100%, protect yourself, get your item back and move on. 

Look, NO! it is not right to file a return before an item is received.  So the buyer is an idiot and messed up!  What should we do about?  Send them to Banishment Island?  Maybe we have some compassion that they aren't the brightest bulb and got emotional and tried to return something too early?

Bottom line is eBay is not going to spank this buyer, excommunicate them or banish them for making a stupid mistake.  It happens all the time.

But if you wish to spend your energy SPECULATING as to the motive, hey that is on you.  Me thinks successful businesses focus on what they can control and seek to minimize losses when they happen.

Hey, I'm just saying!