Refund/Return advice for items which turned out to be counterfeit

[sharmes6]

Hi,

Late last year I bid on and won two Star Wars movie posters (TFA and TLJ) which had apparently been signed by the cast at the premieres.  I did a bit of research before bidding but TBH couldn't find much info, and the seller looked legit, with all positive feedback, about 60 sales, and included were a lanyard which was apparently issued to attendees of the after party where the items were issued, and a certificate of authenticity which had a numbered holographic sticker, as did the posters themselves.

I received the items, and the posters look amazing, are in mint condition, and I bought frames for them and had them on display.  Then I posted pics on half a dozen facebook pages to show off my new Star Wars posters, and people loved them, but a couple of people who said they were in the know, pointed out that some of the signatures did not look correct.  At first I shrugged it off, but then as I looked more into it, I found poster collecting forums online where they were discussing these type of cast signed posters, that were apparently signed by everyone atthe premieres, and they were pointing out that they were all fake and these kind of signings arranged by the studio never happened.  I then did a little investigating on Ebay and found the same style of posters from different movie franchises, eg Iron Man, Avengers, Eternals, and found four different sellers with just one to three feedback, where the descriptions were identical and the wooden floor where the photos of the posters and certificates were taken was identical between all the sellers.  Also, the seller I originally purchased from had no items for sale, and someone had recently left a negative review on their feedback saying they were selling fakes and they had notified Ebay of 20 different accounts which were then closed down.  

It all sounds dodgy as to me, so I contacted Ebay.  I informed them of all the evidence, gave them the sellers' alias seller names etc, but they have just started a regular return, and not an investigation or anything.  Now the seller has replied to Ebay saying they will accept the return, but they also notified Ebay that they cannot supply a return shipping label.  The seller is in the USA and I am in Australia.  I have two concerns.  Firstly I don't want to have to pay for return postage on an item that is counterfeit, secondly I do not trust the seller, and am concerned that they have given a fake address and name given their other online activities.  If my return package just gets lost, or if they don't sign for it etc,  because of that then I will not get my money back. 

Surely if there are counterfeit items being sold Ebay should be escalating this case by default.  I have also reported the other items that the seller's alias accounts have listed but,for some reason they are still up for auction, so there are about to be another dozen or so people who receive fake signed movie posters.

[davewil1964]

eBay will not take any action. They have only your word they are fake. Unless you are an authorised, accredited expert, your word carries no weight.

As far as postage goes, if the seller agrees to refund you that through the case, eBay might guarantee the refund, but I'm not sure. I don't buy from overseas.

[the_dutchess_of_dork]

There are many knowledgeable people on these boards who will assist you.  I have no experience with overseas purchases.

However, in response to one of your concerns, I would absolutely ensure you send the posters back with Signature on Delivery ... even if you have to pay for it yourself.  Within Australia SOD costs $2.95.  I have no idea how much it costs for international postage but I doubt it is prohibitive.  Considering what they are, I assume the posters were not cheap so it is worth the expense for your peace of mind; particularly if the seller does prove to be less than 100% honest.

Unfortunately, eBay cannot simply take someone's word regarding authenticity.

[gutterpunkz05]

Hi sharmes,

This one is a bit different, interested in your call,  REAL  or  FAKE

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/204053771628?chn=ps&_ul=AU&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=705-139619-5960-0&mkc...

Just to be clear, the seller you purchased from, while no listings current, their account is still active.

[earthdreamer]

In reality, you have no evidence whether these posters are fake or not.

If I were you, I would continue to enjoy the posters and determine to apply more caution next time. 

[gutterpunkz05]

Hi E D,  Yep, I would be keeping it to, but I would prefer people had not scribbled all over it.

Anyway, I would be  contacting  MARVEL  to verify the  authenticity, if not authentic  I am sure MARVEL,  LUCASFILMS/WALT DISNEY PICTURES, would like to know.

[*sons_n_daughters*]

If the seller has accepted a return, then they pay for the postage. As they can't send a postage label, they have to send you the money, including signature on delivery. If they refuse, ask ebay to step in and help when the option appears, and you should get refunded without having to return. Assuming you opened a dispute for item not as described, and not just a general return request.

A return request generally means change of mind, in which case, you'll have to pay the postage. Even if the tracking says delivered, there is no guarantee you'll get a refund with a general return request case.

Are you absolutely, positively 100% sure that it's a fake?

Even if you report the seller, and ebay investigates, you will never be told the outcome of the investigation.

[jellybirddesigns]

I assume you opened an "Item not as Described" dispute and NOT a "Change of Mind" return? If it is the former, seller must supply label or postage funds. If it is the latter, you must pay to return them.

Under not circumstances must you be out of pocket for a return that is not as described. Perhaps contact chat during normal business hours and tell them that seller has accepted return, but does not want to transfer any funds to you to cover the postage (such as through PayPal, for example). Bear in mind that disputes only last about 4 business days.

Get them to perhaps close the case in your favour since the seller is unwilling to pay for postage.

Going forward, you really don't need to involve customer service at the first instance - just open the relevant dispute and get a refund. It's an automated process for the most part. If you get a refund, you're free to do what you like with the posters.

Lastly - Ebay do not undertake to ascertain what is genuine, and what is counterfeit. There are hundreds of millions of listings worldwide - Ebay are not going to "investigate" anything.

[*sons_n_daughters*]

Ebay do investigate listings if there are reports put in about a seller. I have lodged several reports for various reasons. Some were for feedback, where they buy their own items to give themselves feedback, usually from another account. In those instances, the feedback from those accounts was removed.

Same seller as one of the reports above were very blatant about shill bidding. That particular seller was put on BIN for 6 months.  They weren't allowed to list auctions. I know that, because I pretended to be an interested buyer and wanted to use the auction rather than BIN.

Yes, ebay don't tell you the reports of investigations, but you can certainly keep an eye on the accounts you've reported.

Reported listings, they don't really attract attention from the "investigators". That said, I have reported quite a few scam listings over the years and it was surprising how many were removed. They things like Makita drills with all the bells and whistles for $20. They would list in the automotive section, often under pocket bikes, so buyers couldn't open a dispute (there is no buyer protection in automotive).

There were also other listings for things like DVD players that had lost of flashy graphics. To buy one new in store could be upwards of $400. Scam listing, $20. Some were removed quickly, others could take a few reports. Again, listed in automotive.

Some of these scam sellers were why the 30 day hold came in. More often than not, they'd hijacked an account. They would sit there and watch the money come flooding in, and they'd be gone. The 30 day hold slowed some of them up a bit.

[sharmes6]

That one looks pretty legitimate to me, given the photographic evidence.  Pretty expensive too.  Mine were definitley not that expensive, but I did pay over $1000 AUD for the two posters.