LATEST BUYER SCAMS...... shame I can't use buyer id names but its tempting. Due to covid delays, there have been a number ( about a dozen in 6 months compared to NONE IN 7 YEARS), of items not received.disputes, simply long delays to some areas, buyers open disputes, no tracking as was optional and my low price and profit margin doesn't allow me to pay for tracking. So i have no choice but to refund, knowing full well that their item would have arrived, maybe even the next day. So I decided to increase my prices a couple of dollars and use prepaid envelopes with tracking. These dont track to the actual address, like registered, but you at least have a postcode.
BUT NOW THEY ARE GETTING AROUND THAT. 2 CUSTOMERS SAYING EMPTY ENVELOPES . Simply IMPOSSIBLE , as with these they need to fit through a measuring slot at the post office so ensure between 5mm and 20mm. They are about 10mm (empty envelope would be barely 1mm). Plus they are weighed to ensure not exceeding weight. . Plus the criteria for using is must be still flexible, so I check each one to ensure is flexible. An empty envelope can't happen. So much for tracking. What can you do but refund.
INTERESTING ebay advice for sellers though, ebay later told me that if you have tracking saying delivered, the buyer must prove it was empty ! Which is not possible.
SECOND SCAM... buyer contacted me for a refund but insisted I refund and then she would return, I told her I would happily refund but like all stores she had to first return. Interesting she knew not to open a return dispute. It was a change of mind but I still agreed. So she thanked me and said would send it back but I didn't hear until 2 months later !!!! Ebay informed me she had opened an unauthorised transaction claim with her bank. DESPITE HAVING EBAY MESSAGES ETC with her trying to get a refund and keep it, and despite ebay having order numbers etc, as it was a 3rd party ie bank dispute, they couldnt use any of that nor intervene on my behalf. Bank wanted tracking!!! So she got refunded, kept her s925 charm, , I got an ebay fee of $22 for a bank dispute and I got a defect. Which they removed on appeal due to buyer messages etc proving a lie. I dont feel ebay do enough to protect sellers, they had all the evidence they needed. Better than tracking which may have had no relevance to an ebay purchase even. Its very weighed toward buyers and not enough to support sellers. I later found they could have used messages, as it said so in the charge back help link. They get the goods, the refund and you lose the goods, the money and the fee.
Another buyer did the exact thing. Had over 1700 in purchases on husbands BUSINESS credit card transaction over a 3 month statement. She denied all. Bank opened disputes for EVERY EBAY PURCHASE OVER THE 3 MONTHS. I checked and she had hunfldreds of purchases. So loads of sellers stung..... not just me. Again ebay claimed they couldn't use anything to intervene...... she had even left positive feedback. Again, and she had bought from me on 3 occasions, 3 refunds, 3 kept, 3 ebay fees of $22 each but as there was proof they later removed the defects. So that hit many sellers. Pages of transactions.
HORRIBLEBTHAT YOU CANNOT LEAVE ANYTHING BUT POSITIVE FEEDBACK SO CANT WARN PEOPLE.
I NOW PUT TRACKING ON EVERYTHING, THOUGH FINANCIALLY NOT AFFORDABLE... SO NOW PROOF OF DELIVERY BUT EMPTY ENVELOPES
