Scam of iphone 16 pro/ pro max

[mzh1123]

I observed an weired thing in ebay recently and not sure whether my observation is correct or worng. Some fraude sellers are selling iphone 16 pro max 1TB at cheaper rate and they are shiping empty box to the customer. They are also refunding when caliming or returning the item. I think there is a catch. They are shipping items using ebay simple delivery, mostly the royal mail 48 tracked which is also ensured by ebay in case of lost parcel. The seller hope that the parcel will get lost during shipping due to long delivery time and poor packaging and ebay will pay the buyer. I am not sure how ebay is going to handle this.  This is my observation from the last few days in ebay trying to buy an iphone 16 pro at cheaper rate. 

[tressygirl]

Has this happened to you once or several times?

All I can say is that if eBay see more than an average return / refund for the same item from the same seller it would raise red flags the seller could then receive selling restrictions,  more likely a ban from selling.

@mzh1123 

[papso22]

A  buyer receiving an empty box would lose a lost parcel claim under Simple Delivery or any other tracked postage method.

Simple Delivery doesn't cover claims for empty boxes unless the reason given is damaged in transit, which would be unlikely. 

I doubt ebay would pay out in the situations you are describing. 

By the way, your empty box listings may be removed as they are often bought so that the buyer can try and legitimise a fake.

[mzh1123]

Please re read what the point I wanted to raise, i did not say buyer calims after receiving empty box. The seller expects that as they are shipping an empty parcel nothing inside with poor packaging, the parcel will get lost during shipping and it will not reach to the buyer. 

[mzh1123]

I doubt these sellers care about their account, they might have many accounts to do the same.

[tressygirl]

Accounts are linked if one is banned,  so are all the others.

To be fair it's not something that is reported very regularly on these boards, I'm not saying it hasn't happened it certainly has,  and not just with i phones,  but it's not something that we see as a daily happening here.

@mzh1123 

[red_magpie · Accepted solution]

trying to buy an iphone 16 pro at cheaper rate.

Do you truly understand the risks of buying a top-end phone from an unknown seller on eBay?

Have you read the warning in section 2 of the user agreement, that "eBay does not guarantee the existence, quality, safety or legality of items advertised, or the truth or accuracy of descriptions". Would you buy from a phone from a shop that stated this??

Do you understand that eBay's own money back guarantee only lasts for 30 days, after which they have no interest - whatever happens.  We regularly hear from buyers who have only discovered after more than 30 days that their phones have been locked, blocked or reported stolen. There is no help from eBay.

Aso bear in mind that if delivery is recorded as "attempted" eBay treats it as having been successfully delivered - so if it never arrives it isn't covered. There are also huge problems for buyers if items are delivered to the wrong address. eBay won't even take the buyer's word that the photo used to prove delivery isn't even their address! eBay has taken to requiring the buyer to get a a wrtten admission from the courier that it was wrongly delivered. If they can!

By the way, if fraudsters are regularly shipping empty boxes to buyers it's probably because there's a good chance that buyers may mistakenly clain that the item was not received, which eBay will reject because it was tracked as delivered. eBay treats empty boxes as "not as described". Buyers only get one chance to open a case, so if they open the wrong one they lose their right to a refund.

Where you buy your phone is up to you, but please make an informed choice in knowledge of the risks. eBay is a jungle.

[plpmr]

Indeed 'empty boxes' cause problems and for that reason eBay don't allow such listing.

For example, you have a listing with specs under -

Category >Computers/Tablets & Networking>Laptops & Netbooks>PC Laptops & Netbooks

But all the buyer will get is an empty box.

[mzh1123]

thanks, the issue is not empty box, it is empty parcel. My listing includes empty box and it is clearly mentioned, this is for the sake of reusing those rather than throwing out. 

[papso22]

But you have listed in the wrong category. 

Also why would an empty box be more likely to go missing than any other type of box?

It is interesting that you are asking about 'empty box' scams and yet listing empty boxes.  Seems a bit of a coincidence. 

[mzh1123]

papos22

I am not here to argue with you. I posted an observation which I am of a victim. Do not be judgemental. 

[papso22]

If you have been a victim of something then the post should have been about that and we could have tried to help you.

[*vyolla*]

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@mzh1123 wrote:

Please re read what the point I wanted to raise, i did not say buyer calims after receiving empty box. The seller expects that as they are shipping an empty parcel nothing inside with poor packaging, the parcel will get lost during shipping and it will not reach to the buyer. 

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That's a bit of a 'what if' scenario and unlikely to happen. It would be investigated by Royal Mail or whoever the courier was.  If it's an iPhone 16 it should be sent Royal Mail Special Delivery, and they won't accept a damaged package in the first place.