eBay

dissident_concepts · ‎24-02-2026

Is anyone else filled with dread when they sell a reasonably valuable item on eBay these days due to an uptick in scams involving people returning something other than the item you sent?

Ive just sold an item for £400 and the buyer only has two instances of receiving positive feedback, one of which is the automated feedback my account sends out when a sale takes place...

The buyers handle is just a jumble of numbers and letters, not a name or anything like that.

Is anyone else filled with dread when they make a semi-valuable sale these days?

Is there any way to offset risk with something like this? I know some people have filmed themselves packing the item but eBay don't seem interested in taking that as proof that you sent the right item.

Any chances someone on the eBay team might help out tomorrow in the Q+A session they usually have?

Its a shame we created such a low trust society...

missdollydaydream · ‎24-02-2026

Ebay is a risky platform to sell anything expensive. From experience, eBay aids and abets thieves and scammers. Remember the old adage 'if you can't afford to lose it, don't list it on eBay.

"Take deep breaths, it'll soon be gone"

4_bathrooms · ‎24-02-2026

@dissident_concepts wrote:

Is there any way to offset risk with something like this? I know some people have filmed themselves packing the item but eBay don't seem interested in taking that as proof that you sent the right item.

Filming yourself packing something only proves you packed an item. It doesn't prove that is the item you actually sent - after filming you could have opened the package and replaced the item with something different. I'm not suggesting that is what you are planning to do but if eBay did accept such "proof" that is exactly what dishonest people would do.

It appears the item you sold is electronic in nature. Virtually all consumer electronics have a unique serial number - have you recorded it? You don't seem to have taken a picture of it in the listing but a unique serial number is one way for you to ensure you receive the same item back in the case of a return and not the buyer's broken item that they are trying to replace for free (for example).

Give me ambiguity or give me something else.

selective_distribution · ‎25-02-2026

I agree with you about a `Low Trust Society`. Luckily I have never had a different item returned (I may live to regret saying this), but Listing anything over £100 gives me palpitations! I seems that above this price is where all the difficult buyers hang out. For instance, I have just had a 33 year old vinyl record returned as `Not as described`, this was a £145.00 rare album that had been play tested all through on our high end equipment, and was in perfect condition. Buyer claims that cover is creased ( you would need a magnifying glass to see the tiny crease, also claims that record is scratched, played it all through when it was returned and it plays perfectly with no scratches to be seen.....this was clearly just a change of mind, but cost me return postage....very annoying.

Sold a brand new (unread) copy, of `Our Story` signed by the Kray Twins! £199.00, buyer claims he was sent an unsigned copy, and sends pictures of a dirty ripped book without signatures! Claims that I ripped him off and calls me Scum! Demands his money back. I point out to him that the item I sent was still in the sorting office when he made this claim! I threaten him with police, he backs down and sent several messages of apology, claiming that the item he received was from another seller, (this is not possible as I believe that I have the only signed copies of this available. I wonder who is the `Scum`!

It`s a terrible world out there, and I have learned the hard way to not trust anyone, even close friends and family!

If you are expecting the ebay team to be of any use whatsoever then I feel you may be deluding yourself!

*vyolla* · ‎25-02-2026

It's just not possible to work out who is a genuine buyer and who is going to set out to part you from your item and money. I've mentioned this here on the boards before, but the one and only time I got scammed was by a buyer/seller who had great feedback of 600+ for both, and I didn't see that coming. I do agree with the only list what you afford to lose adage, on any online selling platform.

As regards filming packing an item, it's not acceptable because it proves nothing except that at a certain point in time the packaging of the item was filmed. Thereafter it can just be re-opened and the item removed or replaced.