Everyone knows eBay, the online auction site and marketplace. It's a tremendous outlet for all kinds of items from the unique to the mainstream and of any era, worldwide. It's also a great way to sell stuff; where else can you have access to buyers from around the globe? I've sold many items in the past on eBay from clothing to toys to electronics. Historically these sales have gone fairly seamlessly, but this latest experience was not the case.
Since I've had experience selling items on eBay, a friend asked me if I could assist him with selling a couple of old iPhones he had lying around. Sure, no problem! I listed them in much the same way I had in the past and after some best offers and counter offers, the buyer and I agreed on a price and the sale was made. They paid quickly via PayPal and I shipped it out right away. Per the USPS, they received the phone a few days later. Another successful transaction, or so I thought.
A couple of days later I got an email from the buyer indicating that the phone would not turn on. Strange, I thought, since I personally reset the phone and charged it before shipping it out. I wrote back and inquired if the box was damaged or showed signs if mishandling, he wrote back that it did not, and asked to return the phone in return for his money back. I didn't want to tarnish my perfect feedback rating with a negative review, so I agreed I would. In addition to our communication, the buyer opened a case with PayPal, requesting a refund. I accepted the request under the condition that the phone be returned.
A day or so later, I received an email from PayPal with a tracking number for the return, and a few days later the tracking update showed that it was delivered to my mailbox, only when I went to the mailbox, there was no package of the size that I shipped the phone in. I figured it must have been mis-delivered and would show up in a day or two, it didn't. What did show up was an email from PayPal indicating that based on the info available, they have found in the favor of the buyer and refunded the money. I called PayPal to let them know I in fact did not receive the phone back, but received nothing at all. Again they pointed to the evidence of the USPS tracking number showing that it was delivered.
It was at that point that I remembered that a small package was delivered that day, and I dismissed it as something my wife ordered. When I checked the tracking number, sure enough, it matched the one the buyer had furnished. However this was not the iPhone, box, charger, cable, and case that I had sent him. What it was, was a clear plastic phone case.
What I sent:
What I got back:
It was at this point that the full breadth of the scheme became clear. The buyer used a dummy package and tracking to fool PayPal into giving him his money back, with great success. I was out the money and the goods. And what was I supposed to tell my friend who entrusted me with this transaction?
I notified PayPal of what had transpired since my last call. They offered me the option to appeal their decision. Yes, I'll do that!. After initiating the appeal process, they sent me an affidavit form to fill out and have notarized before returning, along with a detailed account of the situation. I completed their form, had it scanned and sent in. They said it would take up to 10 days to review, but to my surprise, a few days later I received a decision from PayPal that they reversed their original verdict and that the funds would then be credited back to my account.
So, in the end, outside of the time and frustration, I suffered no loss and PayPal stood behind me, the seller and long time customer. Likely the fraudulent buyer did a bunch of these transactions all at once, banked a bunch of funds, emptied their PayPal account and made off.
In spite of the fact that I didn't lose any money on the whole deal, it will certainly give me pause next time I need to sell something whether or not to use eBay. Clearly there is a flaw in the system that dishonest people are exploiting and until eBay can guarantee smooth transactions, it might not be my go-to method for selling things that it used to be. Next time I'll use Craigslist, there aren't any sneaky people on there, right?
