Dishonest buyers

[mozart3179]

Just a general question. Has anyone received a message from a buyer saying that they haven't received your item when they have and wanting a refund?

[vinylscot]

How do you know they have received it? Royal Mail and other couriers do make mistakes, and items are often marked as delivered in their tracking systems when they have not been.

However, the quick answer to your question is yes. It undoubtedly happens.

[*vyolla*]

Does the tracking number show delivery in the eBay order details?

[jonatjonatjonat]

I would say most sellers of a volume will at some point get that message yes.

What you do depends a lot on what evidence you have and I imagine whether it was sent with Simple Delivery or not.

[the-nutwood-collection]

Yes, I've had lots.  I caught out loads of people when RM started scanning Large Letters - but the scammers seem to have caught on to this now.

Others rely on the eBay delivery info, not realising that it's unreliable.  I check on RM and send a link to the tracking info.  Suddenly, they realise that a family member accepted it - and didn't tell them.

It's only on eBay, no other platform.  The other scam on eBay is to raise a return request in the hope that the seller has the auto refund flag set for low value orders.  The item is never returned, but my payment is held for three or four weeks until the request times out.

[nebs9999]

I had one a few years ago that I will never forget. I sell used number plates and it is only the expensive ones that seem to go missing. I had a person buy 2 of the most expensive, I posted them 1st class on Thursday, 9 days later on Saturday I got the message that they had not been delivered, was too late now as they were needed as a gift, and they wanted a refund. I checked Royal Mail which showed they were delivered in 2 days, on the previous Saturday. I looked up their name on google, found their facebook page, and they were having a new kitchen. They had updated the pictures on the day the plates arrived including a photo of the plates and saying they will look great on the wall. I sent them a screenshot and a message that if anyone in their postcode ever buys anything from me then I will tell them the order is cancelled because people in that area cannot be trusted, and if they query it I'll give them your details.

[kyanyama]

Yes, on several occasions.  I only used RM signed-for until Simples Delivery was introduced.

On one occasion I posted an item to a buyer in a small rural village.  Tracking stated delivered.  Buyer stated it was delivered to a black door when the have a red one (or the other way around I forget now).

I reported it to Royal Mail and told the buyer I had opened an investigation with Royal Mail and they will be investigating both the buyer's address and their Postie.  I also provided the buyer with the satnav details provided on the Royal Mail tracking which was their address.  I goggled their address on goggle maps and there was access to both front and back doors as well as a stable.  I could only see one house door from street view so Postie obviously delivered to the other door so buyer uses that excuse to get freebies.  They 'suddenly' found their item (and left positive feedback) but remain on my blocked list as they are obviously dishonest!

[*vyolla*]

I loved those buyers. I never used to upload tracking on my private account, just kept it in case of an INR so some buyers assumed there was none.

Buyer: "I haven't received my item."

Me: "Well, tracking number XXXXX shows that it was delivered on (date) to the delivery address you provided and the GPS co-ordinates provided with that tracking number confirm this".

Buyer: "Ah, sorry, my sister/partner/dog took it in and didn't tell me, I have it now."

[tressygirl]

As above ....... Buyer: "Ah, sorry, my sister/partner/dog took it in and didn't tell me, I have it now."

I had a few,  when I provided tracking showing delivery , blame it on the husband.... ' Hubby took in parcel from postie and forgot to tell me'

Must admit sounded plausible !  🤗

@*vyolla* 

[*vyolla*]

God loves a trier, I sure don't! 😀

[tressygirl]

.....🤗........

@*vyolla* 

[mozart3179]

Thank you all for replying to me.  I generally feel very sorry for your experiences with dishonest buyers. It's a shame people can do this, buy something and say it's not been delivered when it has and requests a refund. They have no conscience. I hope you all have blocked those.

[tressygirl]

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@mozart3179 wrote:

Thank you all for replying to me.  I generally feel very sorry for your experiences with dishonest buyers. It's a shame people can do this, buy something and say it's not been delivered when it has and requests a refund. They have no conscience. I hope you all have blocked those.

---

Oooh yes all blocked! 

Thankfully it wasn't a common occurrence,  there are definitely more good than bad people in this world....  thank goodness ! 

[the-nutwood-collection]

When my OH takes in a parcel, he shakes it, looks at the return address then, if he hasn't figured out what's in it, demands to know.  No chance of a parcel arriving unannounced in my house!

However, he doesn't check the delivery name.  I arrived home to a demand to know what was in the parcel from the USA.  I was clueless, and found that it wasn't addressed to me.  I canvassed the neighbours with variations of my house number, but nobody claimed it.  The box had been damaged, and I could see an organic material inside with a distinctive smell.

Next day I called the carrier and asked them to collect it asap.  

[kyanyama]

All buyers who query a problem with my item are immediately added to my blocked list.  But are removed if it turns out I made the mistake.  Then I grovel and beg forgiveness!

But I use nearly all the photo limit and describe my item better than a posh designer store in Oxford St!

[magpiecorner1]

Well, to give balance, I've just had a refund of a refund for an item sent to Italy.  To be fair the lady claim 6 weeks after despatch and waited 2 weeks after first letting me know it hadn't turned up before she opened as case.

I do very few refunds for items not arriving, across two businesses on eBay, and the about half of the thousands of packages sent annually are sent untracked. 

I've had a refunded refund from Canada 4 months after despatch.  Best one though was other half received a cheque in the post 9 months after an item was refunded.  Buyer had found package while doing a house move!

We had a delivery of dog food every 6 weeks for 7 years, about 1 in 4 deliveries are brought round by a neighbour two streets away.

Sometimes items really are late arriving, or get delivered to the wrong door.  And, in my experience, most folk are honest.