Buyer has defrauded me

[Anonymous]

Hello comm,unity

Long time ebayer/business seller, selling high value iphones and tech.

Buyer set up a new ebay account couple of weeks ago, bought a. laod of cheap items and bought a buy it now item from me for an iphone worth for £250, then opened a return case last week saying screen was damaged and sent an image of what looks like a zoomed in screenshot of someones hand!.

When I received the return request, very kindly asked them to send some satisfatory photos showing the damage and the buyer never responded.

Today I received the return to only open up an empty package containing a phone case!

Sent lots of images of the package before i opened it up as it was clear it certainly did not contain an iphone with box and contents, then images of the contents once opened.

Created a new case with ebay today with the reason  "Buyer returned a different item"  was submitted for investigation.

Literally just had a message back from eBay this evening saying they have closed the case in the buyers favour.

From my perspective overwhelming evidence to support a fraudulant case. Ther eis an appeals button at the bottom which goes to a request a call back option whicj I did and all the call handler done was acknoeldge my frustration and said once its been closed there is nothing they can do.

I kept pressing the agent for reasons why it went in their favour, and was met with take it outside ebay / smalll claims etc

Any advice folks?

[*vyolla* · Accepted solution]

You need to report to Actionfraud, get the reference number for the report and then appeal to eBay.

[Anonymous]

Okay thanks appreciated

[all.your.base]

Ebay are a joke, This happened to me and i'm never selling again here.

Extortionate fees, and nothing really protecting from the buyer claiming they received an empty box. Buyer always gets their money back and you get no item, no money and left with fees to pay.

[Anonymous]

Bit of an update for all to read in future, so you have the full context and follow up of what happened.

After challenging the appeal and waiting 3 days, eBay refunded me back the £250, so my faith is restored in seller protection in this particular case at least. 

In my particular case, when the buyer reaised a refund request they uploaded an image which looked like a hand, zoomed in x50 magnification, basically it wasn't a valid image of any description showing a broken iphone screen as reported by the buyer.

I sent the buyer a message shortly after receiving a refund request, asking for valid evidence (all amicable, apologetic etc etc) and they never responded to my request.

Should of gone with my gut instinct after seeing they created a new account literally in the last 4 weeks, and their feedback showing they bought a load of relatively cheap stuff. I was suspicious when Sainsbury's click n collect popped up as a delivery address, but having sent previous items on multiple occasisions to click and collects, didn't think anything of it.

I am biased being the victim granted, but the evidence in my opinion, does look overwhelming in my favour.

I guess for anyone else where the buyer provides satisfactory evidence versus  sellers who provide the same in defence, then I can understand eBay not taking sides where it's not a black or white case!

Hope this provides some useful info to other eBayers

Best regards

[rwilkaa]

Hello,

What did it actually take for eBay to refund you in the end? 

Im going through a similar nightmare right now and eBay aren't budging at all giving me my money back. 

I've dropped my thread below 

https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Seller-Central/Buyer-bought-my-iPhone-and-returned-empty-box/m-p/770...

[Anonymous]

Hello

 Only eBay can answer that really.

By following all the procedures correctly, reporting to action fraud, long time ebayer for over 20 years, business seller , lack of evidence from buyer , presumably eBay applied some common sense in my case!

Thanks

[papermoney]

I have stopped buying and selling on ebay a while ago and have never been more at peace and happy than ever before.

[signs_and_vintage]

I'm having a huge clearout and have a few large, not particularly valuable items I want to get rid of, then perhaps the DVDs and BDs can stay (they are remarkably free from ******* buyers, perhaps film fans or the sort I'm selleing are chilled out?) but otherwise, I'm done here too.

Good to hear about OP, although if you've been selling for 20 years they ******* well OWE you the occasional courtesy refund, let alone anything else. Think of the thousands you've made for THEM without having the option to go 'nah, I'm not paying my fees this month'...!

[papermoney]

I have sold items and ebay instead of paying me they suspended my active account down (not this one with zero feedback, which I kept for decades as a spare) on which I have tons of all-positive seller and buyer feedback. Then they requested all kinds of documents from me in order to reinstate my account. Not my fault that they considered I logged into my ebay account while they thought it was someone else. B/s. It just was their "catch" to screw me and keep my money. Now ebay refuses to pay my money they owe me and I am not gonna provide them with my birth certificate and my electric bills they are requesting my residential address