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A buyer with a newly created 0-feedback account is scamming me and I can't do anything
I've been on eBay for 15 years and this is the first time (maybe I've been lucky until now) that I'm being blatantly scammed, and it seems like there's nothing I can do about it.
A buyer from Latvia created a new account on April 17 to buy an 18TB hard drive I had for sale. Around the same time I sold two identical ones to other Italian eBay users without any major issues. This buyer, however, once he received the hard drive on April 24, immediately opened a dispute claiming he had received a 12TB hard drive, attaching photos.
The scammer, though, probably because he was distracted, didn't realize that in one of the two attached photos you could clearly see the package I had shipped, still sealed with the courier label on top, next to his 12TB hard drive.
So to sum up: the scammer claims that inside the package I shipped there was a 12TB hard drive instead of the 18TB one shown in the listing, but he attached a photo showing my sealed package (with the 18TB hard drive inside) next to his 12TB hard drive.
In fact, the buyer incriminated himself by attaching that photo, because unless he's David Copperfield, there's no way he could have taken the 12TB hard drive out of my package without even opening it.
Even so, eBay sided with him, and I received an automated email that you can see attached, which I tried to reply to in order to appeal, and what was the result? No response from a human being, just another automated email identical to the first! In practice there is no way for the seller to dispute an obvious scam, and now I'm forced to generate a return label at my own expense, having to ship back an item that isn't mine...
In effect eBay is promoting scams. Anyone can create a new account, buy a hard drive, a phone, or any other item with X storage capacity, take a photo of an item with a different capacity, and then return that one, pocketing the difference.
I can't even get eBay Italy to call me back; they always say it gives an error, even though I don't have any active block on my number and I don't see any missed or blocked calls in my call history when I check.
silverfade
OP3 years agoUpdate: the buyer filed a chargeback stating as the reason "refund not received". In fact, this buyer sent two letters with sheets of paper inside to my address, probably telling their bank that they had returned the item by providing those tracking codes. Obviously they had no right to return the item since it matched the description and the listing stated that returns were not accepted, but here it seems that total anarchy reigns...
In my response to the chargeback I had attached photos and a video of the first letter received, proving that the buyer had returned nothing. Later the second letter was delivered to me but I had no way to update the dispute because eBay only lets you write once.
In practice, when a buyer files a chargeback through their financial institution, a one-way communication is created where they can tell their bank whatever they want because you have no way to reply. It's not your word against theirs, but rather only their word and the bank's common sense... And if a customer is also on excellent terms with the bank employees, then I can't even imagine how much this system can be abused.
Obviously, despite the thousand pieces of evidence presented (including the outcome of the first dispute opened through eBay), their bank still sided with them... And eBay washes its hands of it, saying that they had closed the case in my favor but that they can't do anything if the buyer decides to contact their financial institution... eBay customer support very kindly admitted "yes, we know they're scamming you, but we can't do anything about it, that's the law" so I have to take it up the ass according to them...
So, what's the advantage of selling on eBay? You're exposed to a ton of scammers and you have no protection at all. After 15 years of honorable service on the platform, this is their thanks... As long as there's money to be collected, everything is fine, but when problems arise then you're left on your own.
As far as I'm concerned, I'm done with eBay. For this case I've lost at least a week of my time over the 3 months this issue has been going on, which is nothing short of ridiculous if you consider that the scammer ultimately succeeded in their intent.
I will proceed to file a fraud report with the Carabinieri in the hope that the request reaches Europol and they take action against this person.
sika700
Mentore3 years agoUnfortunately he isn't scamming you... he scammed you!
If you had arranged the pickup at your own expense, maybe he would have reconsidered and canceled everything...
These are the serious risks you run when selling online.
Best regards.
silverfade
OP3 years agoWhat do you mean? Now eBay is asking me to arrange the pickup at my own expense and provide a return label by May 3rd. If I provide it, he will obviously send me back his 12TB hard drive and keep my 18TB one.
sika700
Mentore3 years agoSorry... I had understood by March 5... 😂
If you do nothing, he will keep both yours and his... and you will also lose the money... so see what you prefer to do...
Kind regards.
silverfade
OP3 years agoI wrote in German directly to German customer service and I found a kind girl who, luckily for me, understood the situation, saw that the buyer had posted a photo of the unopened package in which he basically incriminated himself, and closed the dispute in my favor. I admit I was lucky that the buyer carelessly attached that photo, otherwise I don't know how I would have managed... In any case, eBay Italy customer support is completely useless in the event of disputes since the decision to be made on these always lies with eBay Germany.