Buyer Fraud – Sellers Beware – Ebay Won’t Help

[thebootking]

I have been the victim of a buyer fraud and Ebay say it is not covered by Seller protection

In February 2024 I sold a £4000 Computer part I decided not to use to a buyer who had joined ebay one month before – zero feedback. I discounted the part from £4500 to £4000 to close the deal, he paid, I shipped the part to him by Royal Mail tracked insured service and on the Royal Mail tracking service there is a photo of him signing for the part at his door with his details displayed on the parcel. Ebay have a copy of this photo. Just to clarify he has never said he has not received the part, he has never questioned the condition of the part or the fact that it is the correct part that he bought. The buyer then messaged me asking for a further discount or he would like to return it, I had sold it with a no return policy and explained this and also stated that I could not retrospectively discount it any more. He then contacted Ebay saying he wanted to return it, Ebay opened a case, looked at the details and closed the case in my favour as I had followed ebay’s policies and the sale was conducted correctly. In March 2024 another case was opened by Ebay, saying that an outside financial institution had requested a refund of the full £4000 and until this was resolved my selling account funds would be on hold. I sent details to ebay showing the buyer had received the product correctly and suggested this was a fraud to get the product for nothing and I presume Ebay sent that information to the financial institution. This week Ebay messaged me to say the case had been decided in the buyers favour and that I needed to pay £4000 to ‘refund’ the sale. I contacted customer services to appeal and had a long chat with a service representative who said ebay could do nothing as the claim had come from the buyers funding source through paypal and they were powerless to do anything. I pointed out the buyer still had the part and the agent suggested I contact him to ask for it back – I have done this through messages  but have received no reply. Next week ebay want £4000 from me – bare in mind they took c£500 commission on the sale. So I would be £4500 out of pocket. The agent took my comments seriously and Ebay translated the ‘chat’ to a complaint, and within a few hours ebay responded saying they have followed their policies, refunded me £14 ‘dispute’ but they could do nothing. It has been suggested I contact the financial ombudsman if I am not happy, I will but on their website it says it can take them 6 months to reply. I am also going to contact the Police fraud hotline on Monday but that takes 28 days to get a response. So I lose £4500 to a scammer?  How can this be? Has anyone else fallen foul of a situation like this?

[crash_salvage_repair]

GO AWAY, what ever way u put it ive saved £50k+  frm that legal advice simple

[023kezza7]

Mate. Iv just been done for 1130 quid by a buyer doing a charge back 3 months after the sale of my item. I missed the disput me messages as I don’t sit on eBay 3 months later just incase I have a random dispute.  Now have debt collectors coming after me for the money. 

I sold a brand new iPhone. Posted it special delivery next day signed for. The seller then did a chargeback saying they didn’t recognise the transaction. EBay say they can’t do anything.  It’s ridiculous and I will never use eBay again and neither will a lot of people I know. *bleep* platform and *bleep* customer service.  Hopefully it’s a thing playform that disappear soon 

[*vyolla*]

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@023kezza7 wrote:

Mate. Iv just been done for 1130 quid by a buyer doing a charge back 3 months after the sale of my item. I missed the disput me messages as I don’t sit on eBay 3 months later just incase I have a random dispute.  Now have debt collectors coming after me for the money. 

I sold a brand new iPhone. Posted it special delivery next day signed for. The seller then did a chargeback saying they didn’t recognise the transaction. EBay say they can’t do anything.  It’s ridiculous and I will never use eBay again and neither will a lot of people I know. *bleep* platform and *bleep* customer service.  Hopefully it’s a thing playform that disappear soon 

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If you added the tracking number showing delivery to the order at the time you sent it (or shortly after), and the tracking number shows delivery to the address on the order details, then you are protected from an unauthorised charge claim.

You need a signature as the item is over £450, but RM Special Delivery would have required that.

See this eBay guidance page where it explains that you should be covered in the scenario you're describing:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/selling-policies/payment-dispute-seller-protections?id=5293&st=...

Now that it's gone to debt collectors there isn't much you can do via eBay, but what happened with the Special Delivery tracking?

[thebootking]

Hi long time no posting since the original and one update.

I beg to differ one one point "If you added the tracking number showing delivery to the order at the time you sent it (or shortly after), and the tracking number shows delivery to the address on the order details, then you are protected from an unauthorised charge claim."

I had/have a photo of the buyer receiving the item I sold in his hand from RM Special delivery service and the buyer never disputed he had had the item and when he contacted Ebay to try and cancel the transaction they sided with me and closed the case in my favour in a few hours as I had the proof of delivery to the buyer. However when the buyer contacted his CC company and disputed the transaction they gave him his money back and Paypal claimed it from Ebay and Ebay claimed it from me. I was not covered. Ebay admitted they could see the buyer had been delivered the item, the buyer never disputed he had the item, but Ebay claimed they could do nothing as he had contacted an outside institution beyond their control and wahtever he had told them they either did not know or would not tell me and they could do nothing. They advised asking the buyer for the item back - I did and ultimately he would not give it back. then he disappeared. So in my experience you are NOT covered if the buyer contacts their CC company and makes a charge back claim. Ebay won't help and certainly do not return the money. Maybe policies have changed in 16 months but last May I lost £4000 from this transaction and it has never / will never be recovered. And Ebay would not help (they did refund my sellers fees) for the net sale amount. 

So what is stated will happen in these transactions and what actually happens are not the same in any way. As I found out. 

[papso22]

You said your buyer's claim with the financial institution was for 'not as described', there is not ebay protection for those.

*vyolla* was talking about unauthorised transaction claims, where tracking gives protection, as it does for item not received chargebacks.

[thebootking]

That is correct but it was a specific CPU of a specific type. It was of course as described 100% but what he told the CC was not as described - Ebay had already sided with me what he tried it on with Ebay.  But you are right - that's where the loophole is for buyers who know. And Ebay don't cover that.

I am coming back to this after 12 months but you are right 100% - that's why I lost the money. Very frustrating!

Thanks though 🙂

[crash_salvage_repair]

matey why on earth did u send with royalmail for?

you should of sent it ups or dhl express as dhl express would of xrayed it and then on delivery got address match with id requirement, and you have ebay seller protection even if chargeback was done after 5 months you are still covered

only other option for you  is to drag the buyer to small claims court for fraud and see what they have to say in front a judge, moneyclaimonline , u have 6 yrs to make a claim 

costs £25quid 

as if ebay gave u sellers address and it was sent there then the owner of card must be at that address

its one thing lying to your bank saying didnt recognise transaction but different thing doing it in a court were you have to swear under oath and lying under oath = instant jail sentence

what have u got to lose?  

[papso22]

Please read up on payment dispute seller protection.

You only get it for item not received or unauthorised transaction chargebacks, and then only if you have online tracking showing you sent it to the address provided by ebay at checkout.

The extremely limited (and only) seller protection for not as described chargebacks comes if ebay has actively decided an earlier ebay case for exactly the same reason, in the seller's favour.  That will be extraordinarily rare. 

Essentially there is no ebay seller protection for not as described chargebacks,  sellers will lose the item and the money and if they don't refund voluntarily,  also be hit with an admin fee.

[motor_salvage_motor]

hence why many sellers like myself pursue them outside of ebay through THE LAW via courts

i currently in process of pursuing scammer , just  waitin for police if they can b bothered

u cant expect ebay to pursue every case they have a budget like every business

hence w e have THE LAW  and many legal instruments to catch the scammer n bring them 2 justice at very little cost