Financial lock on phone after 30 days of buying. Return rejected.

[jhusen]

Hi there,

I have been an eBay Australia user for over 5 years. I bought a used Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra on Nov 21 (for about $500). I have had it as a back up phone. I used the phone 2 weeks ago and upgraded it to One UI6. After a restart the phone is showing a blocking message from a financial institution. Nothing in the phone is usable. I contacted the seller immediately and they didn't even respond back to me. I raised a return request and it was rejected with a note that I did something to the phone after buying it. They were able to use the phone just fine since Apr 2023 after it was gifted to them by their relative.

To get more detailed evidence, I emailed the financial company based in Australia on the contact as displayed in the message. They responded back informing me that the phone was rented out and they own the phone and at the time of the sales (Nov 21), the phone was sold to me illegally. They asked me to contact the seller for a return and refund and that they cannot unlock the phone. I contacted the seller again with all of this information and was completely ignored.

I contacted eBay support who initially said they cannot force a return or refund as this is beyond the 30 days money back guarantee but they will check with seller if they can reconsider to issue a refund. I recently followed up and provided the financial institution email evidence (along with screenshot of the IMEI number from order description photo and the same IMEI displayed on the blocking message on the phone). This time eBay support told me that the seller have not responded to them either and have asked me to submit a proof of police complaint even though this was not the recommendation from the financial institution. 

If anyone has prior experience in a similar situation, is it to contact the police the next right step. Would the email from financial institution claiming their right to ownership not sufficient (and eBay is free to contact them directly to confirm this)?

What sort of document or letter is expected to be provided by police in this case?

Should I try contacting fair trade for advice before contacting police?

Thanks in advance for any advice which could guide me in this issue.

[cam-2793]

Well, this is a good outcome for you, and I'm glad you were able to get a resolution. Even if it did take a bit of effort.

I'm curious about the seller and what the consequences are for them. I suppose that is for the rental company to decide and one would presume they have a procedure for that.

You mentioned earlier that the phone had been given to them by a relative? They might not have known it was not actually theirs. 

Thanks for coming back and letting us know the outcome.

[kywal-5006]

Police don't handle civil matters, they don't help people get their money back.

[domino-710]

Police handle reports - which help people get their money back.

[padi*0409]

...........or track down the owner...............

         

[countessalmirena]

Padi!!!!!!!!!

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