hello everyone, I thought I'd some information regarding some issues I've had. My husband has sold a a couple of Iphones in his eBay account and they were brand new phones, iPhone 15's. The buyers were both under 5 feedback and both were click and collect so I don't have the buyers address. The buyers straight away opened a return upon receiving the phone and it was accepted as my husband has returns on. My husband provided a returns label to the buyer, Royal Mail special delivery by 1pm.
One package was received the next day and it contained two bags of sweets. The second phone was posted back and it arrived not the next day but the day after. It showed delivered on tracking and signed for but we didn't receive anything. After calling Royal Mail, they informed us that the delivery was made to Toolstation near our home. We drove to Toolstation and they had it and the bizzare moment was when the label was addressed to Toolstation but it had the tracking number from the label we sent! The label was also a tracked 48hr and not the special delivery. So the buyer must have cut the barcode and tracking number and pasted it into a tracked 48 delivery he created himself. The parcel contained an international food item they probably purchased from the collection point (local shop) and empty cat food packaging with some rubbish. We called Royal Mail and they said that they go by what is actually written on the label. The Rep also mentioned that this is a recurring problem but they can't do anything about it as their job is to just delivered from point A to point B as per what is showing on the label. We have opened a case with eBay and hopefully the suspicious movements in tracking will show that there was foul play and case will be in our favour.
The tracking does show a signature and a picture of the delivery however, so it could be that the postman upon scanning was requested a signature and a picture because the tracking number is originally a special delivery tracking number. But I think they do this for general tracked deliveries that don't require a signature as well. So I really think it does not matter whether using the pre approved eBay label or providing your own.
Both have been reported to Action Fraud and the reference numbers have been provided to eBay. The first was in favour of the buyer who received the refund but then eBay refunded us. The second is ongoing and we should hear back soon. We know there is seller protection and that the buyer may be refunded and then eBay coughing up and paying us, but I just hope that the buyer loses and doesn't get money back and lives with the phone as a memory to the loss.
Both buyers have been reported and this is important so eBay can possibly learn and develop a system on this. Maybe they should dedicate a centre in which Tech items are shipped through as a point of passing, similar to the Authenticity guarantee programme. They will cough up a lot of money on this, but if there is a massive rise in scams, then it might save them money like this and keep dodgy buyers away.
Only a percentage will be posting their issues here. Every organisation we speak to involved in the selling process such as Royal Mail, Action Fraud and eBay themselves have confirmed that these cases are rising! Hopefully somebody clever out there will develop something for this.
