Ebay Fraudster Alert

[Ray272]

Some guy ordered a product from our eBay store for £1400 and sent loads of photos to us 20 minutes after it arrived showing just the empty box and all packaging.

The funny thing is, the guy even shows the cellophane packaging that was around the product packaging.

I am certain there was a product in there, the goods were sent with RM Special Delivery.

I called Ebay and advised them of the situation and they advised the following:

Accept the Return but do not provide a postage label.

I am not sure what happens next but they keep saying I have Ebay Seller Protection.

Anyone know what the next steps are, the guy mentioned the high value good team will request a Police Report from the buyer?

At that point the buyer will likely not pursue, if they are of the dodgy persuasion.

Is that how it ends?

 

[ukwebhosting]

Hi

Did RM weight the item maybe?

 

[fisicx]

It’s common practice for thieves and fraudsters. There are websites telling them what to do.

Sometimes you will be lucky and win, sometimes eBay will side with the buyer.

 

[antropy]

Did RM weight the item maybe?

Surely they did.

Paul.

 

[NickZ]

Accept the Return but do not provide a postage label.

I am not sure what happens next but they keep saying I have Ebay Seller Protection.

Just do as advised.

 

[AmazonGeek]

When you sent it the weight would have been registered against the order? Did you pay for the label on eBay and then take it to a post office? If so, they will have weighed it...?

 

[HFE Signs]

Yep, as above the weight is your only method of proof or do you have any cctv where the parcel was packed?

 

[Porky]

I have one that had the goods shipped, claims the condition is not mint when it is and wants to return. Annoying as I had others bidding he outbid and I really wish it had gone to them. I'm just hoping I get back what I sent out as another ebay seller was telling me they shipped a perfect item and the buyer replaced with a damaged one and tried to claim it was like that. Ebay fell on side of the buyer. Just another dam scammer. Annoying as its hard enough as it is without these kind of people about

 

[WaveJumper]

Worth recording serial numbers on the items sent if possible

 

[Ray272]

Just an update, Ebay have refused to provide any Seller Protection the fulfillment company we used to ship the goods using Special Delivery are also playing hardball but this is such a rarity in all respects that we can just solve this immediately by supplying our own shipping label.

What I found out through all of this was the fulfilment company seem to have been using a shipping label print out as a great place to list the contents inside as well.

So they print the label and then included on the label the item, for their picking reference, they then stuck the label with the address on and right below a description of the product inside which anyone could have seen.

Its like delivering an iPhone in a box with a description on the outer telling people exactly what it is.

I am still laughing about this now.

Great service provided by the company thus far but this label fiasco amazes me.

 

[Talktime]

Your situation appears to involve a potential fraudulent claim by the buyer. Given the circumstances, the best approach is to follow eBay’s instructions precisely. Since they advised you to accept the return but not provide a postage label, you should comply with that guidance. If the buyer refuses to return the item or delays the process, eBay may close the case in your favour. If the buyer does return the package, ensure that you record the unpacking on video as evidence in case it is empty.

eBay’s high-value goods team will likely request a police report from the buyer before proceeding. Fraudulent buyers rarely follow through with this step, as it requires them to provide false information to law enforcement. If the buyer fails to provide the report, eBay may rule in your favour and reject their claim.

Since the item was sent via Royal Mail Special Delivery, you should file a claim with Royal Mail and request an investigation. Special Delivery includes coverage for loss and damage, and they may be able to assist in determining what happened to the item. Be sure to highlight the issue with the labelling, as it may have made the parcel a target for theft.

The fulfilment company’s practice of listing the contents on the shipping label is a serious security risk. You should raise a formal complaint and demand an explanation. If it is established that this contributed to the loss, they may be liable for negligence.

You should also be aware of the possibility that the buyer may attempt to file a chargeback if they paid via PayPal or a credit card. If this happens, you should provide all relevant evidence, including tracking information, eBay messages, and any communications with the buyer, to your payment processor to challenge the chargeback.

If you strongly suspect fraud, you can file a report with Action Fraud UK, which handles online and financial fraud cases. Additionally, ensure that all correspondence and evidence are submitted to eBay in case they reconsider their initial position. If the buyer is attempting a scam, they are unlikely to pursue the police report, and the case may resolve in your favour. Regardless of the outcome, it would be wise to hold the fulfilment company accountable for their labelling practices to prevent similar issues in the future.

 

[Ray272]

Your situation appears to involve a potential fraudulent claim by the buyer. Given the circumstances, the best approach is to follow eBay’s instructions precisely. Since they advised you to accept the return but not provide a postage label, you should comply with that guidance. If the buyer refuses to return the item or delays the process, eBay may close the case in your favour. If the buyer does return the package, ensure that you record the unpacking on video as evidence in case it is empty.

eBay’s high-value goods team will likely request a police report from the buyer before proceeding. Fraudulent buyers rarely follow through with this step, as it requires them to provide false information to law enforcement. If the buyer fails to provide the report, eBay may rule in your favour and reject their claim.

Since the item was sent via Royal Mail Special Delivery, you should file a claim with Royal Mail and request an investigation. Special Delivery includes coverage for loss and damage, and they may be able to assist in determining what happened to the item. Be sure to highlight the issue with the labelling, as it may have made the parcel a target for theft.

The fulfilment company’s practice of listing the contents on the shipping label is a serious security risk. You should raise a formal complaint and demand an explanation. If it is established that this contributed to the loss, they may be liable for negligence.

You should also be aware of the possibility that the buyer may attempt to file a chargeback if they paid via PayPal or a credit card. If this happens, you should provide all relevant evidence, including tracking information, eBay messages, and any communications with the buyer, to your payment processor to challenge the chargeback.

If you strongly suspect fraud, you can file a report with Action Fraud UK, which handles online and financial fraud cases. Additionally, ensure that all correspondence and evidence are submitted to eBay in case they reconsider their initial position. If the buyer is attempting a scam, they are unlikely to pursue the police report, and the case may resolve in your favour. Regardless of the outcome, it would be wise to hold the fulfilment company accountable for their labelling practices to prevent similar issues in the future.

Hello, thanks for taking the time to produce this excellent report.

I am going to leave it, I think there are so many parties at fault here, it's too difficult to pinpoint and the issue allowed me to see this happened once before using their label with this exact same item. The fulfillment company have made a really poor decision but we can supply our own labels like we do for most parcels so that should solve the matter.

The fulfillment company are a good team if there were bigger issues I would have known about it by now. 15 months into my 2nd fulfillment center in 10 years, no need to rock the boat with this providing we know how to solve, pretty sure it is the label that caused the issues and from all directions eBay/RM, they may also take that view, and I would not blame them.