Refund Scammers - EBay do nothing!

[papua4]

So I’ve been scammed. I’m a seller. Sold an item for £185. Customer received it and said there was an issue and can he refund. I’m yes of course sorry and accepted the return. 
A few days later a tracked envelope arrived with a pen in it? No tracking numbers on the envelope just the bar code which was weird. A message came from EBay that day saying my item has been returned and it’s time to refund! Suddenly I realised what had happened. I scanned the scan bar code thing on the envelope and it’s the same tracking number as on the returns on eBay! I reported it to EBay straight away and said I do not want to refund the buyer because he has returned a worthless pen but they came back and said it’s been delivered so they refunded the buyer! Advised me as it’s an online sale they can’t see what was returned and suggest I have a contingency fund to cover returns! The guy has £185 of my money.. so cross. I have his address, if I was that sort of person I’d be travelling the 40 miles to go get my item back! I reported him and he’s still on there! Also 1 week later someone else tried it. They loved the item and gutted as it was the wrong one (buyers fault), I said no problem I’ll exchange for the other correct one and guess what, they said no it’s fine, I’ll just have a refund please. I refused the refund through eBay (as I changed my policy to no returns) but said they could return it via the post office. They asked 3 times to return it through eBay but I said no, and I never heard anything else! This was in the space of 2 weeks! I reported seller to eBay but again nothing is done. 
there’s absolutely no protection for sellers. For this reason I’m closing my shop and sticking to Etsy!  EBay will go down the pan as no sellers will want to trade on there. 

[johnwash1]

---

@lighting_signs_and_vintage wrote:

This is it with modern companies, once you get to the top its rewards for failure.

---

True, but not only modern.

E.g. During the mid-1800s, the Great Eastern Railway in the UK faced significant financial difficulties and operational failures. Despite these challenges, the company's directors and executives continued to receive high salaries and bonuses, even as the company struggled to maintain profitability and service.

And there are plenty of other examples.  Perhaps the fall of the Roman Empire?

[papso22]

What you paid that for was a shop, while logically having a shop would seem to be what only a business needs, ebay in its infinite wisdom allows private accounts to have them.

Running a business requires a business account on ebay to trade within a number of consumer laws.

[jezstuff]

I sold a small, 20 year old statuette commemorating motherhood. Buyer forst claimed it was undelivered but tracking showed it was. She then badgered me with messages regarding her alleged conversations with Yodel. She later deleted all of them but did say she was "gutted" because it was a replacement for one she broke 16 years earlier while pregnant. I knew what was coming. 2 days later it had mysteriously arrived but damaged, the heads of the two figures having broken off. Naturally I knew that the scam was to return her old broken one and get a refund. I accepted the return and sent eBay the proof that this was not the one I sent - major differences like a label on the base mine never had and gouages, grazes, corrosion and glue on the detached heads. Result? eBay refunded the buyer but didn't take the refund from my funds. What a lame decision. She got away with it and even though I didn't suffer financially I abhor the fact that some *bleep* in Merseyside had their cake and ate it.

[zare_7145]

I sold an iPhone 16 pro. Paid extra for

guaranteed next day delivery by 1 pm. 4 days later they asked to return saying a sealed iPhone does not charge up. EBay said I had to accept the the return with a return postage which I did. The buyer returned 2 bars of chocolate. I videoed myself opening package. Reported to his with evidence to eBay and reported buyer. I reported to action fraud. But eBay still refunded buyer. I did receive my funds but eBay refunded them. EBay said they have to under guarantee buyer return. I argued but you have evidence they returned chocolate they still have the phone why are you refunding them. EBay said but they sent it to you tracked so we have to refund. I argued this is unbelievable you have evidence of what they sent? The guy I spoke to was defo on the side of the buyer. I said I was going to report eBay to consumer rights because I feel eBay are encouraging fraud. It’s not about whether I got money for the item. It’s about how many times I had to call eBay to report this send

evidence and the buyer all they did

was return two bars of chocolate keep the iPhone and get their money back!

how is this disgusting behaviour possible from eBay.?!

[roger_roger_over_and_nowt]

"The buyer returned 2 bars of chocolate. I videoed myself opening package"

Sadly all you have is a video showing you opening a box with 2 bars of chocolate inside.

In Ebayland that doesn't prove anything.

[akemp1]

---

@zare_7145 wrote:

It’s about how many times I had to call eBay to report this send evidence and the buyer all they did was return two bars of chocolate keep the iPhone and get their money back!

how is this disgusting behaviour possible from eBay.?!

---

I guess you could take Ebay to the Moneyclaim small claims court for incorrectly returning the scam buyers money.

If you did proceed there are costs and you might not be successful.

However just telling them you intend to do that might get your case escalated and reviewed.

I did that once with the Student Loan Company as they owed me thousands in payroll deductions and they kept telling me my case was in a funny state and they couldn't do anything for about a year. The suggestion of small claims court action caused them to apologise and send me a cheque the next day.

Ebay might decide they don't want to do business with you anymore and close your account.

[sml192]

---

@akemp1 wrote:

---

@zare_7145 wrote:

It’s about how many times I had to call eBay to report this send evidence and the buyer all they did was return two bars of chocolate keep the iPhone and get their money back!

how is this disgusting behaviour possible from eBay.?!

---

I guess you could take Ebay to the Moneyclaim small claims court for incorrectly returning the scam buyers money.

If you did proceed there are costs and you might not be successful.

However just telling them you intend to do that might get your case escalated and reviewed.

---

You cannot make a money claim unless you are actually owed money.  Ebay refunded the buyer out of their own funds so no money is owed to the seller.

Whilst the buyer receiving a refund may seem unfair in the absence of definate proof eBay hasn't actually done anything wrong and certainly nothing that would justify any kind of court action.  If the buyer keeps doing the same thing then they will eventually be prevented from using eBay's Money Back Guarantee. 

[johnwash1]

Ebay should take the scammer to court.  How can it be profitable for ebay to be known as a scammers' paradise?

[akemp1]

---

@sml192 wrote:

---

You cannot make a money claim unless you are actually owed money.  Ebay refunded the buyer out of their own funds so no money is owed to the seller.

---

I guess it depends what @zare_7145 means by "I did receive my funds but eBay refunded them" as my first reading was that they were paid before it was then refunded so were now sitting on a loss but now I read it again I guess both interpretations are possible.

[7563richardw]

Ebay is effectively for profit at any cost, i am closing my account after 20 years as ebay basically theives are selling fake software login. Bought Hayes Pro login 12 months, found to be non functioning with Launch fix as hacked. Asked for refund refused and nothing seller top-discount-paris has removed listing as something to hide i guess. Ebay no refund even though selling fraudulent software for profit apparently ebay are above the law. I have contacted Haynes Pro to let them know they are investigating, see how a corporate lawyer deals with eBay.

UPDATE as of 26th June ebay have restricted my account so ironic. P.S. add removed from ebay re haynes pro today and ebay customer service not calling me back emails say unable. AI run *bleep* customer service farse, the computer says no little britan.

[papso22]

Ebay didn't sell you the fake item.  Any lawyer will see that.

[4_bathrooms]

---

@7563richardw wrote:

Ebay is effectively for profit at any cost, i am closing my account after 20 years as ebay basically theives are selling fake software login. Bought Hayes Pro login 12 months, found to be non functioning with Launch fix as hacked. Asked for refund refused 

---

Unfortunately digital content and otherwise intangible goods are excluded from eBay's Money Back Guarantee protection:

Have you tried filing a dispute with your payment provider (your bank/card issuer, PayPal etc.)? 

---

[avriloconnor1]

I was recently scammed as a purchaser.  I paid £1,300 for an 18carat Bulgari necklace.  That was last November 2024. I noticed that the seller disappeared from Ebay shortly after which should have been a red flag.  It's started leaving green marks on my skin - real gold does not do that - and looking tarnished.  So I took the necklace to the Bulgari shop in Selfridges in London.  Every piece of their jewellery has a serial number on it and they said they would check on their database. But there were 2 serial numbers 1 on the item and another which was different on the card that came with it. Bulgari could find neither.  I contacted Ebay and they said I was not covered by their buyers' protection because its only 2 months.  I pointed out that jewellery is slightly different to buying a dress but it made no different.  And silly me paid for it with my bank account debit card so its unlikely I will get a refund from that.  I am not a wealthy individual so its the last time I buy jewellery on Ebay.

[gjalp]

Contact your bank about a chargeback, it applies to debit cards as well as credit cards. 

[susapric-68]

Your bank debit card if a main bank will be a visa debit card so you can do a chargeback under that. Contact your bank and do a visa chargeback. Does not matter the seller has vanished, your bank will do the chargeback against eBay and ebay will refund and they will have to chase up the seller to get their money back

[suelel1968]

Chargebacks are usually initiated within 120 days.... I don't know what you can do other than make a fuss as loud as you can. Was it a business or privare seller? Small claims perhaps... 

[jckl1957]

Most jewellery of that value is covered by the Authenticity Guarantee.

Items by that brand over £500 are certainly covered.

Did you buy from an overseas seller?

Personally, I would not buy an item of that value online - if I had that much to spend, I would want to see and touch the item first.  

However, it's worth remembering that Ebay only cover items for 30 days (not 2 months) and, if you do spend that kind of money, it's a good idea to get a reputable jeweller to check it out soon after you receive it.

[johnwash1]

---

@jckl1957 wrote:
...

Personally, I would not buy an item of that value online - if I had that much to spend, I would want to see and touch the item first.  

---

"I am not a wealthy individual so its the last time I buy jewellery on Ebay."

As a not wealthy individual, why buy jewellery at all?  Other than perfectly adequate costume jewellery.  Where's Ratner when you need him?

[avriloconnor1]

You are absolutely right - I should have got it checked out when it first arrived.  Too late now.  You live and learn. Thanks to everyone who replied to my plea of frustration.