Scammed

[tbone1969]

Looking for help...I posted a item on eBay and the click and collect place wouldn't accept it during to address error and item  then marked as returned to seller(Royal Mail)I then made refund as requested and then the buyer went to Royal Mail delivery office and got parcel so now has item and refund..what are my options or have I lost out

[robbtyke132010]

Yes - NEVER refund until the goods are back in your possession. You could ask the buyer for payment but I wouldn't hold out much hope. How much was it worth?

[buffster1963]

Unless the buyer willingly repays you, which does not seem likely, then i am afraid you have lost out ( unless it was an high enough amount to be worth going through a court claim). 

did you put the ECP code on the parcel before sending it to the click and collect? 

[4_bathrooms]

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@tbone1969 wrote:

Looking for help...I posted a item on eBay and the click and collect place wouldn't accept it during to address error 

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It sounds like the parcel got to the collection point and they rejected it due to the unique eCP code being missing from the address label.

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@tbone1969 wrote:

item  then marked as returned to seller(Royal Mail)I then made refund as requested 

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Did the buyer open an item not received case or did they just message you?

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@tbone1969 wrote:

then the buyer went to Royal Mail delivery office and got parcel 

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I really don't understand how they managed to do that. They would not have had a red "Something for you" card indicating the item was theirs so even if they took ID with them the DO should not have handed the item over.

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@tbone1969 wrote:

what are my options or have I lost out

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As you voluntarily refunded the buyer there's nothing eBay can do. You can ask the buyer to either voluntarily pay you again or return the item to you. If they refuse or don't answer you could file a report with Action Fraud but they won't be able to get your item nor your money back. A small claim is likely pointless as even if you obtained a judgement it would be precisely that - a judgement. If the buyer still refused to pay you would have to enforce the judgement at your own expense and even then you may still never receive the money back.
 

[tbone1969]

Thxs to all replies...yeah was a mistake with epc number that's why the didn't accept it ...Royal Mail stated on tracking it was returned to sender so I refunded..should have waited till got it back but never crossed my mind he was go delivery office later and chance his luck...lesson learned I think

[tbone1969]

£100..although item had been stored cpl years

[papso22]

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@tbone1969 wrote:

Thxs to all replies...yeah was a mistake with epc number that's why the didn't accept it ...Royal Mail stated on tracking it was returned to sender so I refunded..should have waited till got it back but never crossed my mind he was go delivery office later and chance his luck...lesson learned I think

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How do you know they got the item?  As said already,  that should not have been possible, particularly because it would not have had the buyer's address on it.

[4_bathrooms]

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@papso22 wrote:

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How do you know got the item?  As said already,  that should not have been possible, particularly because it would not have had the buyer's address on it.

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Oddly, it seems Royal Mail accept a debit or credit card as proof of ID when a recipient wants to collect a failed delivery. It seems a recipient can also use an SMS notification of a missed delivery in place of a "Something for you" card to prove the item is intended for them. The buyer presumably had both as it is the buyer's (not the shop's) number that is given to Royal Mail when the label is purchased. So, it seems it was entirely possible.

[tbone1969]

Phoned Royal Mail..took a hour to get thru and said name of person who signed for it in Newcastle..3 hrs after last update said returning to sender

[bravergrace]

It sounds as if it may be a processing error, then - someone  scanning the wrong parcel, perhaps, so the "collected" details on the tracking relate to someone else's item altogether.  Or they may have actually handed over the wrong parcel before realising their mistake.  I hope you get your item back.

In future, it's probably best not to refund a click and collect item until you've actually physically received it back.  That way, if there is a hiccup with the returns process, eBay MIGHT take responsibility for refunding the buyer.