Item stolen from Evri Simple Delivery parcel and substituted with another item

[7jonquil7]

Hi,

Looking for some advice on how to proceed with this. Has anyone else been in this situation? I sold my old iPhone and despatched via Evri Simple Delivery in good faith. The buyer received the parcel but is saying the package was tampered with. It didn't contain what I'd sent him but some random PS3 Spiderman game. The buyer asked if I'd sent him the wrong item by mistake but I've never even owned a PS3 let alone had any games to sell!! He sent various photos as evidence, and the Evri proof of delivery pic definitely shows my parcel. In the pic there does seem to be a big jagged flap cut into the side of it, taped over. I guess if a parcel arrives with something inside it, it covers the thief's tracks and makes reports of theft more difficult to prove.

I'm not sure how I'm meant to appeal this. The buyer has opened a Returns request. Should I accept the return and contact eBay to appeal, or should I wait for escalation? I'm absolutely fuming! All I wanted to do was make a few quid from my old phone...

[7jonquil7]

Hi there, just received the returned item from the buyer today. When I contacted eBay customer service about this last week they advised that I accept the return and then contact them once I'd received it. I've received the return. Naturally it's the random PS3 game, not the original item that I sent out. I am contacting them now to see what they advise next. 

If this is the sort of theft that EVRi couriers can perpetrate with no consequences or investigation, then I can see it becoming rife (if it isn't already). And eBay should make it absolutely clear that it offers no protection to sellers against this kind of crime. 

[7jonquil7]

Yep, the buyer is an eBay business seller. Good feedback profile going back to 2018. The iPhone I sold them was quite old, 70% battery life and they paid me under £100 for it, so it didn't make sense that they would be the one trying to rip me off. 

[4_bathrooms]

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@7jonquil7 wrote:

Hi there, just received the returned item from the buyer today. When I contacted eBay customer service about this last week they advised that I accept the return and then contact them once I'd received it. I've received the return. Naturally it's the random PS3 game, not the original item that I sent out. I am contacting them now to see what they advise next. 

 Here's what you need to do:

1. File a report with Action Fraud. They're unlikely to actually do anything but they will give you a reference number and a report.
2. In the case there should now be a link that states "Report a problem". You need to click that link and select the most appropriate reason for filing a report - it will be "Returned a different item" or something similar. Do not click the link to ask eBay to step in - the link will specifically state "Report a problem".
3. In the report you are filing with eBay you need to include the reference number you obtained from Action Fraud in #1 and attach the report from AF (if you were given one).

Note that eBay's customer service representatives are notorious for telling callers what they want to hear in order to get them off the phone - sometimes giving wholly incorrect advice in the process. 

[roger_roger_over_and_nowt]

"Can it be long before Phones are excluded from SD?"

Anything over £20 basically.

[coral-2331]

I am a Buyer and similar things had happened to me few weeks ago.

I bought a bag with purse bundle from an ebay seller.  When checking out I chose to click and collect at Argos instead of my home address thinking this will be safer with EVRI. However, the parcel was delayed twice and when it was finally delivered to Argos on the 12th, I was happy and picked it up on the 13th. 

To my horror, my parcel was tampered with and the content stolen. EVRI driver had replaced my bag and purse with a pair of torn kid's jeans and delivered that to Argos as proof of delivery.  I have contacted the seller and she checked the photo provided by EVRI. She said that was not her parcel in the photo but the label was hers. EVRI's driver had ripped off the label and pasted to other parcel. 

I have opened an 'item not received' case on Ebay.  Ebay stepped in after the time for the case lapsed and Ebay closed my case with no refund so I appealed it.  Ebay opened another case and asked me to return the wrong item to seller but after a few hours, Ebay closed the case in my favour and refunded me.

It seems like EVRI couriers have found this golden ticket to steal from any parcel they see fit.

Since then, I have avoided EVRI at all costs so that I dont have to go through the hassle for a refund.  

[biker5-uk]

Have had suspicion of this happening for some time, I have had 2 parcels this week one had been partially opened to expose contents the second was   completely open when the courier handed it to me and the he had the cheek to deny any knowledge of it. Thankfully the contents must not have been of any interest to them otherwise I expect they would have been taken.