EBay - Need Help with Buyer Please

[holycow]

Sell on Amazon next time. This same thing happened to my DD. She sold a perfectly fine phone. The guy looked like he took a hammer to it. Amazon told the guy tough luck. She was able to keep the money.

I hope you get this resolved and get to keep the money.

 

[Amanda999]

Sell on Amazon next time. This same thing happened to my DD. She sold a perfectly fine phone. The guy looked like he took a hammer to it. Amazon told the guy tough luck. She was able to keep the money..

Thanks for posting that info - didn't realize amazon had different 'dispute' resolution methods.

Like some PPs, I won't sell on ebay any longer because of this scam. (It's been common for years, but more so in the past year or so because ebay increased its 'buyer protection.') I love to declutter, and have several items worth $100 to $300 to sell, but won't. Will either donate or sell on craigslist (which has its own issues, but at least if you live through the exchange you know you'll keep the money...).

 

[DisneyBill]

OP if you haven't yet received the item back, I might suggest you video yourself opening the package you receive and verifying the serial number. Otherwise the buyer could still contend you switched the item and that he/she returned to you with another phone.

 

[mom2my3kids]

This is why I wont sell anything on ebay anymore..Used to a lot when the kids were little and buy but I sold a few things recently and they held my money in paypal for almost three weeks..I now sell on yard sale sites in my area, no fees and we have big meets at local business so its safe...

 

[js]

Hi all.

The phone was sent to be delivered by the buyer but its been delayed a few times with UPS. It says I will be receiving tomorrow.

Turk, I know you are correct. I went to call my Verizon store last week but figured it wont matter and the phone is who the heck knows where. I know Ebay wont side with me, I cannot prove anything. So upsetting.

Even if I video myself ipening the package with the wrong phone, it still wont prove its not the phone I originally sent.

I really do not want to pay him and havent even mentioned to my dh. He will be so annoyed and upset and talk about it constantly and Im so sick over it I just rather not but have to tomorrow since the phone will be coming. I guess it wont matter if I refuse delivery?

 

[Turk February]

Yea, refusing delivery will not help you in any way. Trust me, as "honest" as I've been throughout this, I truly feel awful for you. I have sold my past 6 iPhones on eBay (2 every 2 years, me and my wife) and every time I do something like this worries me. My best advice going forward is to change your buyer requirements to block people with unpaid item strikes on their account or eBay policy violations. Again I'm really sorry this happened to you. There are scammers and dirtbags out there everywhere and unfortunately you ran into one.

 

[supersnoop]

How far away is the buyer? You can always file a police report against him, probably even over the phone. Or you could file a small claims case in his jurisdiction.

 

[js]

Thank you.
The phone should be coming today. I told my dh this morning.
I guess we will not refuse delivery but sure wish and hoped the phone would go missing in UPS.
The buyer lives in NJ and I live in NY.
That is something I was also worried about since if I do not refund the money, I am worried they will come to my home. The name is a Russian first/last name so maybe the phone is here or maybe in Russia or somewhere else. I did not report it stolen since I do not think it will do any good.

My dh did mention about the serial number but I told him it really doesn't matter since the buyer is staying that I did not send the serial number phone that was in perfect condition.

 

[supersnoop]

You NEED to report it lost/stolen. Then it can't be used by anyone. Apple controls the lost/stolen list and the phone will be locked down. I guess its your choice how much you want to fight it. You are not limited by eBay/PayPal policies. You can lock down the phone, file criminal theft and fraud charges, and file a civil lawsuit. You don't have to roll over unless the value isn't worth the cost.

Of course, there is the possibility that it isn't a scam and that the phone was damaged in shipping. I guess we'll find out today.

 

[Turk February]

You NEED to report it lost/stolen. Then it can't be used by anyone. Apple controls the lost/stolen list and the phone will be locked down.

That is incorrect. Apple will not lock down your phone. Directly from Apple's website:

"If you have lost or found an Apple product, please contact your local law enforcement agency to report it.

You can take steps to find your lost or stolen iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac if you've enabled Find My Mac and Find My iPhone apps. Using your Find My apps allows you to put your missing device in Lost Mode, see its location, or erase its data. Other than the Find My iPhone and Find My Mac apps, there is no other Apple service that finds, tracks, or otherwise flags your device for you."

Source - https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204315

I would, however, file a police report in the town where the buyer lives. It can't hurt. You still lack proof but you never know.

 

[js]

You NEED to report it lost/stolen. Then it can't be used by anyone. Apple controls the lost/stolen list and the phone will be locked down. I guess its your choice how much you want to fight it. You are not limited by eBay/PayPal policies. You can lock down the phone, file criminal theft and fraud charges, and file a civil lawsuit. You don't have to roll over unless the value isn't worth the cost.

Of course, there is the possibility that it isn't a scam and that the phone was damaged in shipping. I guess we'll find out today.

Thank you.

No, the phone was not damaged in shipping, the buyer even said that it was not damaged in shipping. He is saying that
I shipped him a damaged, bent phone that is all nicked and was like this when I packaged the phone. I almost wish it was my fault but
he states the packaging was in tact and I am the scammer. So, I can report it stolen after I have the bogus phone? Is that correct, if so, thank you, I will do what you suggest. I have the time.

My dh does not want me to refund the money once we get back the phone the buyer will send me. When I get the
useless phone back, I guess I am recalling ebay again? If I don't want to refund a buyer that has my real phone and sending me a bogus phone,
is it correct that I need to cancel my bank account? I can do this since it is just an account where I have my own spending money
with under $2K. I can take out the money tomorrow after I drop my ds off at school and before I go to work. Then, on Wednesday at
lunch, go to the bank and cancel my account and reopen a new one at the same bank? Do I need to cancel and reopen a new
paypal account?

Thank you.

 

[js]

That is incorrect. Apple will not lock down your phone. Directly from Apple's website:

"If you have lost or found an Apple product, please contact your local law enforcement agency to report it.

You can take steps to find your lost or stolen iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac if you've enabled Find My Mac and Find My iPhone apps. Using your Find My apps allows you to put your missing device in Lost Mode, see its location, or erase its data. Other than the Find My iPhone and Find My Mac apps, there is no other Apple service that finds, tracks, or otherwise flags your device for you."

Source - https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204315

I would, however, file a police report in the town where the buyer lives. It can't hurt. You still lack proof but you never know.

Thank you very much. You are all so helpful. My best hope is that the phone gets lost at UPS LOL...wwaaaa

 

[js]

I just received notification that my package was left at my front door.
What would happen if it was missing when I returned home?
I guess I will be calling ebay tonight or tomorrow morning.

 

[Turk February]

Thank you.

No, the phone was not damaged in shipping, the buyer even said that it was not damaged in shipping. He is saying that
I shipped him a damaged, bent phone that is all nicked and was like this when I packaged the phone. I almost wish it was my fault but
he states the packaging was in tact and I am the scammer. So, I can report it stolen after I have the bogus phone? Is that correct, if so, thank you, I will do what you suggest. I have the time.

My dh does not want me to refund the money once we get back the phone the buyer will send me. When I get the
useless phone back, I guess I am recalling ebay again? If I don't want to refund a buyer that has my real phone and sending me a bogus phone,
is it correct that I need to cancel my bank account? I can do this since it is just an account where I have my own spending money
with under $2K. I can take out the money tomorrow after I drop my ds off at school and before I go to work. Then, on Wednesday at
lunch, go to the bank and cancel my account and reopen a new one at the same bank? Do I need to cancel and reopen a new
paypal account?

Thank you.

Ok so here's what you could do...first, you CAN file a police report if you are being scammed. You would have to file it with the department in the buyer's city. This will most likely lead to nothing, as it is a he said, she said case. But it's worth a shot. Because of your lack of proof, a small claims court situation would also probably be a waste of time in my opinion. The burden of proof is on you, and we've already discussed that proof is simply lacking here. In my opinion it would be more trouble and money than it's worth. But that's just me.

Definitely call eBay and explain that you got back a different phone, etc. There is a CHANCE you might be covered and ebay/PayPal May choose to take your side. I personally don't see it happening but it's absolutely a chance. Claiming that the packing never showed up probably won't get you anywhere since the buyer will have a tracking number that shows it was delivered.

You CAN refuse to refund the buyer if eBay does not find in your favor. What will happen is that if you do not refund him personally, eBay/PayPal will go into your PAYPAL account and deduct the funds themselves and use it to refund them. If you have insufficient funds available, it will put your PayPal account into a negative state, which will make it useless until you satisfy the balance. If you decide to do this you should IMMEDIATELY unlink your bank account from your PayPal account. You won't have to close your bank account, but you will never be able to use PayPal again until you satisfy this balance. PayPal accounts are tied to names and social security numbers so you can't just open a new one. I would assume that PayPal would eventually transfer your account to a collections agency but that's just a guess.

 

[js]

Ok so here's what you could do...first, you CAN file a police report if you are being scammed. You would have to file it with the department in the buyer's city. This will most likely lead to nothing, as it is a he said, she said case. But it's worth a shot. Because of your lack of proof, a small claims court situation would also probably be a waste of time in my opinion. The burden of proof is on you, and we've already discussed that proof is simply lacking here. In my opinion it would be more trouble and money than it's worth. But that's just me.

Definitely call eBay and explain that you got back a different phone, etc. There is a CHANCE you might be covered and ebay/PayPal May choose to take your side. I personally don't see it happening but it's absolutely a chance. Claiming that the packing never showed up probably won't get you anywhere since the buyer will have a tracking number that shows it was delivered.

You CAN refuse to refund the buyer if eBay does not find in your favor. What will happen is that if you do not refund him personally, eBay/PayPal will go into your PAYPAL account and deduct the funds themselves and use it to refund them. If you have insufficient funds available, it will put your PayPal account into a negative state, which will make it useless until you satisfy the balance. If you decide to do this you should IMMEDIATELY unlink your bank account from your PayPal account. You won't have to close your bank account, but you will never be able to use PayPal again until you satisfy this balance. PayPal accounts are tied to names and social security numbers so you can't just open a new one. I would assume that PayPal would eventually transfer your account to a collections agency but that's just a guess.

Thank you. I could always open a PayPal in my dh's name but the collections agency thing scares me. We have excellent credit.
I guess my next thing to do is, for now, unlink my bank account from paypal. You are saying that I do not need to cancel my bank account?
I guess I can always relink my account if I get a notice my information is going to a credit bureau? Is that correct?

I will then call ebay tomorrow while at work since it will be later in the evening after I get home from work, then gym, eat tonight, etc.
I will plead my case. I cannot understand how they sided with the buyer to be able to return the item since he has done this before.
Also, my rating has gone down now to 85% where it use to be almost 100%. I won't be able to sell anymore anyway since who would by from me
I sound like him, the scammer.

Is above correct regarding my account(s)?
THANK YOU SO MUCH!

 

[Turk February]

As far as I know, you would not have to cancel your bank account after you removed the link from PayPal. As far collections goes, that's just my assumption. If cable and cell phone companies do it for outstanding balances, I can't see why PayPal wouldn't too.

When you call eBay and plead your case, you will most likely be talking to a low level employee in an outsourced call center who will be reading from a script and be going by the book. If you do not get the answer you are hoping for, ask to speak to a manager or supervisor and plead also to them.

 

[js]

As far as I know, you would not have to cancel your bank account after you removed the link from PayPal. As far collections goes, that's just my assumption. If cable and cell phone companies do it for outstanding balances, I can't see why PayPal wouldn't too.

When you call eBay and plead your case, you will most likely be talking to a low level employee in an outsourced call center who will be reading from a script and be going by the book. If you do not get the answer you are hoping for, ask to speak to a manager or supervisor and plead also to them.

Thank you. I will ask to speak to a manager from the beginning. Thank you so much for walking me through this mess.

 

[Starwind]

I do not plan on selling any other items ever on ebay after this but where would I sell my kids college text books and other items? Just decide not to sell them?

Why are you the one selling your kids college text books ?

That aside, most college/university bookstores will buy back used books at the end of the semester for a portion of the original cost. Also, students routinely put up signs around campus selling their used books. Some universities may have an online buy/sell forum for facilitating this, too. Selling used text books via Amazon may be an option as well.

Good luck on resolving the phone scam issue.

 

[js]

Why are you the one selling your kids college text books ?

That aside, most college/university bookstores will buy back used books at the end of the semester for a portion of the original cost. Also, students routinely put up signs around campus selling their used books. Some universities may have an online buy/sell forum for facilitating this, too. Selling used text books via Amazon may be an option as well.

Good luck on resolving the phone scam issue.

Well, I use to resell them then I realized I can buy from Amazon and she can resell them back to the bookstore so that is what she does now. Thank you though.

 

[js]

Hi all. Thank you again for all your help, I knew I would find the help I needed but ebay doesn't care, just like you told me.

I received the phone back and it, as we knew, is not my phone. So, the seller has my phone. As I let you all know, ebay had
sided with the buyer beginning of this week, even though he has done this before. There are negative comments left in his
positive comments as well as negative comments.

I left a negative comment for the buyer and I received a notice from ebay it was against policy...OMG! Are you kidding me!
I looked this morning and my comment has been removed, this just is crazy to me.

I asked ebay yesterday since I am out the money for the phone as well as MY phone and have a bogus phone back, is it
at all possible to please at least have my negative comment removed since it is a lie and the buyer has done this before.
When they said they couldn't do it, I asked to be transferred to the department that oversees these matters, they told me no.
I asked, as a poster suggested, to speak to a manager. The manager told me that this is the buyers opinion and they
will not remove the comment. I also told them to look at the ebay correspondence, where in an e-mail to me, he wrote hahahahaha
I about wanted to throw my phone out the window when ebay told me the negative comment stays.

Thank you to the poster that let me know how to respond to a negative comment, which I did. I appreciate it.

My rating went from about a 99 to 86. I don't even bother looking to purchase anything from anyone that doesn't have at
least a 98%, so I probably won't/can't sell any longer on ebay but I will look into Amazon as another poster suggested. I don't have facebook
and not sure if people sell on that too, but I do know they sell locally. I don't sell much but once in a while.

I deposited the money back into my account this morning on my way to work and will just refund the money that I received for my phone the seller has, ggrrrr.

Thank you all very much.