Royal mail tampered with delivery

[2013lozzbert]

I have sent a graded Pokemon card via royal mail special delivery but when the buyer received the package it is clear it has been tampered with and the card swapped for an ungraded card of much less value. The buyer now wants a return but obviously can't return the card. How do I resolve? 

[plpmr]

buyer opens a not as described case, you issue a prepaid returns label and refund when you get the item back - then you take matters up with RM.

[john1297576]

 Buyer opens a NOT AS DESCRIBED CASE, you provide a return label and buyer returns (including the packaging which you say was tampered with) what he received. On return you refund in full, and then see if you can claim off Royal Mail.

[*vyolla*]

@2013lozzbert 

Something doesn't stack up here - Royal Mail is the most secure form of delivery, it's tracked every step of the way. If the packaging looks damaged then it would go into a special Royal Mail bag with a notification on it that the contents should be checked, and the buyer would've been aware of this before signing for it.

Seems odd that a Royal Mail employee would know that there's a Pokemon card inside the package and have one to hand to swop over.

What evidence is there that this swop was done via Royal Mail?

Is this the card that sold for over £1k?

[jckl1957]

I agree with @*vyolla* 

Special Delivery is checked and signed for at every stage and is extremely secure.

I genuinely can't imagine a RM employee swapping one card for another to steal a valuable card.  How likely is it tha the postman would be aware of what was in the package and the value?

It seems more likely the buyer is trying to get a refund while keeping a valuable card.

Personally, I would accept the return and make sure the buyer returns the card received plus all of the packaging.  Let the buyer know how surprised you are that this has happened even though you used Special Delivery and that RM will have to investigate.  If they don't back down, when you get the wrong card back, you may need to report the buyer to Action Fraud and to Ebay.

I feel that the buyer is trying to cheat you and you may end up losing your money.

[red_magpie]

I too agree that there's something wrong here. It's unlikely in the extreme that a Royal Mail special delivery would be tampered with - still less that an RM employee would know what the package contained and conveniently have another Pokemon card to swap it for.

It isn't for us to decide who's at fault. All we can do is point you towards the procedure. It's up to the buyer to open an item not as described case. They must return whatever they received in order to get a refund.

The problem may be - and I would be grateful if other responders could confirm this, as I still find it hard to believe - that if you agree to accept the return in order to inspect the item you will no longer eligible to appeal if what the buyer returns is not the item you sent them.

The reason, apparently, is that sellers can only appeal a decision made by eBay, but by accepting the return it becomes your decision and not eBay's to refund the buyer.

The only alternative is to refuse to accept the return, when eBay will decide the case in the buyer's favour without seeing the item. The buyer won't even be required to return it as you didn't send them a prepaid return label.

I really would appreciate clarification on this from responders who participate in eBay's discussion sessions.

[2013lozzbert]

The steps I have taken so far. 

Report buyer and stated the card had been tampered with and swapped with a card of much lower value. 

Report issue to royal mail with the same details and included the buyer in this process so both parties are notified.

Is there much more I can do at this point? 

[*vyolla*]

You shouldn't report the buyer until you get something back from them.

The usual way forward in these situations is that the seller accepts the return and gets their item back, if it isn’t their item they then immediately file a report with Actionfraud and get a reference number.

The seller then clicks the "Report a problem" link in the case, selects "Different item returned" as the reason and provides the Actionfraud reference number and report. This stops the automated returns process that would ultimately force the seller to issue a refund.

Then, someone at eBay reviews the case. As to what happens next depends on a few factors - if the buyer has done this before, if the seller is a long standing eBay member who's had no issues like this before etc.  We've seen a good few threads recently here in which the sellers have been in a similar scenario but have not lost out. However, this is an expensive item so I couldn't tell you which way this will go.

[tommystrezures]

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@2013lozzbert wrote:

 The buyer now wants a return but obviously can't return the card. How do I resolve? 

---

You have been given excellent advice already but have you received pictures from the buyer with the plastic bag from Royal Mail and a picture of the replaced card?

 "I have sent a graded Pokemon card via royal mail special delivery but when the buyer received the package it is clear it has been tampered with" 

SD BY 1 service is the most secure service as others have indicated. Items are segregated at point of transaction at post office counter. They leave the post office  with paperwork in a secure mail bag. Separate from the day to day items. In affect these items are not handled by the posties until they arrive at the sorting office the morning of delivery in yet another secure mail bag.

You really need to pay attention to what @*vyolla*  has stated in post 8. As like others I think the buyer is trying to pull the wool over your eyes, by blaming a third party, for their own dishonesty.

[2013lozzbert]

Have I then messed up by reporting the buyer? 

The buyer has sent pictures of how the package arrived and the card inside the package.

I was trying to follow what I thought was the best steps to protect both me and the buyer incase there has been a royal mail tampering but I also agree that is does seem very suspicious that it wasn't just taken and was replaced. 

This is my first instance of anything like this happening and I couldn't get in contact directly with ebay so have done what I thought best. Royal mail only cover up to £500 which is less than half the item cost. If the card is also lost I will obviously be down that as well.

Thank you so much for the advice. Just unsure how to proceed and ebay don't seem to let you speak to human agents anymore. 

[2013lozzbert]

Should I accept the return as stated and report again once item arrives back? Or as I have reported them already shall I just let ebay decide what happens.

[*vyolla*]

If you don't accept the return you're not in a position to report the buyer to Actionfraud for returning a card that isn't the one you sent out to them via Royal Mail Special Delivery.

If you leave it, eBay will simply refund the buyer. 

[papso22]

You need to accept the return so that you get the evidence of the swap.

[2013lozzbert]

Thank you for all you help. I have accepted the return now and will report as fraud as soon as I receive it. 

[*vyolla*]

Good luck, I really hope that you get somewhere with this. As I mentioned before though, it's an expensive item so I couldn't tell you what eBay will decide here. As a rule, you should only list what you can afford to lose. 

[tommystrezures]

Just to correct you from post 10. The basic insurance on special delivery is actually £750. Unless you took out extra insurance.

[2013lozzbert]

Thank you all for the help it is very much appreciated. I have been firmly put off selling for the time being! 

[*vyolla*]

Pop back and let us know how you get on.

[arkwebus]

One thing that I would advise is that you will need to make one almighty fuss with Royal Mail!  Not just filling in a form or an app.

As all advise this is a most unlikely scenario!  What you are being asked to "believe" is that a Royal Mail employee identified what was in an item of mail and - coincidentally - had something similar.  So you also want the police to investigate "theft".  The RM also have a very fierce Investigation Service if you can get them involved.

Write a letter to Royal Mail Customer Service FREEPOST Plymouth and make sure you get a suitable reply.  Go on and on!

@2013lozzbert 

[2013lozzbert]

I was going to ask at what point do I notify the police of this theft? 

If I am going to loose my money/possession do I notify them?