Buyer is blackmailing me into a refund and will not send item back or go through Return Process.

[supercool*hardtofind*rare*toys*xoxo]

i'm being scammed by a buyer. They are demanding a refund without sending item back or going through return process. Does not want a replacement. Told me if they don't get a refund immediately they "are lodging a dispute with PayPal and leaving bad feedback." and "a formal complaint with PayPal and eBay."

I have no problem paying for return postage, and then refunding everything so that they haven't spent one cent. But still not good enough for them. Next email they told me "You can still refund with out filling in the refund section, I think you are just delaying the refund."  

They are lying about what is wrong with their purchase too. It is a Nerf water blaster that says on the box that it fires up to 25 feet of water. I have more of these, so I opened one and tried it. It works fine. My buyer told me the blaster "never shot as far as you advertised, which means your add is misleading and a lie, people do not receive what you have advertised." 

So basically I believe my buyer is a scammer because he is dodging the return process, will not send the blaster back and his feedback left for other sellers is horrific. Out of 33 transactions shown in his feedback left for others 16 are positive comments while 17 are derogative. Of course he has 100% positive feedback because he has never sold anything before. But I do too.

He has the perfect system going I believe. Doing this scam over and over.

Buying an item, then going to Paypal getting his money back, keeping the item. His emails are very threatening to your glowing reputation on ebay. He is very transparent, trying to scarew me into a refund. I have over 9000 +ve feedback with only a couple of negative from my early days over a decade ago. And I've only ever left 1 or 2 negative comments over my 17 years on ebay.

I don't know where to start with contacting ebay or Paypal or both. Would they even do anything anyway? Do they even care about sellers? I know from experience that Paypal only ever favours the buyer. Unfortunately this buyer knows this too. I feel helpless.

What should I do? All ideas welcome and thanks Jen xoxo. 

[davewil1964]

Very likely a scammer.

Make them go through the proper channels to get their money back. Which would include returning the item.

Most of what you have posted is irrelevant. Use the procedures eBay make available. You might get a neg, but the 'scammer' won't get the item for free.

[lm-entertainment]

in addition to what dave said - there is also a feedback extortion policy. if it comes down to it and the buyer threatens leaving negative feedback if you don't provide a refund, you can contact CS and quote the policy - https://www.ebay.com.au/help/policies/feedback-policies/feedback-extortion-policy?id=4230

if i was in your shoes, i'd tell the buyer to open a return request via the appropriate channels and deal with it when / if they do. alternatively, i'd deal with any feedback fallout if / when it happens. you can always try and get negative feedback removed if it is false or falls under the categories mentioned in the extortion policy. 

[tazzieterror]

Your buyer is a POS.

Inform them that in order to receive a refund they'll need to open a return request and return the item as per eBay's process, and that no further correspondence will be entered in to.

And PM me the buyer's username, please!

[11dustyattic]

Depends on the value of the item IMO and with hindsight. You can refund, block and move on OR take the return. Keep in mind you will lose the initial postage once you refund the buyer, you can't recover that from the postal service but you still have to refund it. So you will automatically lose 2x postage. If that still leaves plenty of value, then maybe take a return. Don't expect to get it back in the same condition you sent it in, they usually damage/pack poorly/strip parts etc. Sometimes stuff the package with something else. If they do, you have no recourse. You don't anyway. As for their policies 😂 No they don't care about sellers

The buyer definitely sounds like a scammer. One of the many reasons I'm not selling here at present. It's just a joke

[gutterpunkz05]

You could also point out to the buyer that the item is as described,  as it states it shoots  UP TO  25ft.  it does not say it will shoot

25ft or more.  You could also point out that the performance will depend on the quality and state of batteries being used.

[springyzone · Accepted solution]

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@tazzieterror wrote:
Your buyer is a POS.

Inform them that in order to receive a refund they'll need to open a return request and return the item as per eBay's process, and that no further correspondence will be entered in to.

And PM me the buyer's username, please!

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That sums it up absolutely perfectly, tazzie! 

I felt really annoyed on behalf of the seller when I read what had happened to them.

It sounds as if the buyer is trying to rush the seller into a refund with the use of threats.

If I were the seller I'd do exactly what you suggest.

Inform them that in order to receive a refund they'll need to open a return request and return the item as per eBay's process, and that no further correspondence will be entered in to.

I am also wondering if it could be worth while for this seller to contact ebay via ebay chat or whatever and ask the ebay rep to have a look at the messages. It seems to me this seller has offered a full refund plus payment of the return postage & I can't see what more a seller could do. It sounds like extortion to me on the part of the buyer. In any case, I certainly wouldn't be offering any refund at all outside of the ebay process, that is for sure. The buyer may still win the case but hopefully not without actually having to return the item.

[11dustyattic]

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@springyzone wrote:

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@tazzieterror wrote:
Your buyer is a POS.

Inform them that in order to receive a refund they'll need to open a return request and return the item as per eBay's process, and that no further correspondence will be entered in to.

And PM me the buyer's username, please!

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That sums it up absolutely perfectly, tazzie! 

I felt really annoyed on behalf of the seller when I read what had happened to them.

It sounds as if the buyer is trying to rush the seller into a refund with the use of threats.

If I were the seller I'd do exactly what you suggest.

Inform them that in order to receive a refund they'll need to open a return request and return the item as per eBay's process, and that no further correspondence will be entered in to.

I am also wondering if it could be worth while for this seller to contact ebay via ebay chat or whatever and ask the ebay rep to have a look at the messages. It seems to me this seller has offered a full refund plus payment of the return postage & I can't see what more a seller could do. It sounds like extortion to me on the part of the buyer. In any case, I certainly wouldn't be offering any refund at all outside of the ebay process, that is for sure. The buyer may still win the case but hopefully not without actually having to return the item.

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I once had a buyer purchase something. I messaged thanking them and said I would promptly post, buyer replied saying if I sweetened the pot, they wouldn't leave negative feedback. I didn't (partially refund before posting lol), he did (leave neg), ebay didn't (remove it). I cancelled the sale so that was a bonus not losing the item as well. But no point in reporting. They don't do anything

[springyzone]

That's disgusting behaviour on the part of the buyer, dusty.

I would have cancelled their purchase too.

I am sorry to hear ebay didn't remove the neg when you could show the message which clearly showed it was a risky transaction for you.

Very unfair.

If I were in charge of ebay (which I am clearly not) a buyer like that would receive a warning notice from ebay that their account would be terminated if they tried that behaviour again..

I know ebay does tend to side with the buyer but all the same, I still think it is worth a go for OP to contact them, they may strike a more reasonable operator. I am an optimist, I know.

[11dustyattic]

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@springyzone wrote:

That's disgusting behaviour on the part of the buyer, dusty.

I would have cancelled their purchase too.

I am sorry to hear ebay didn't remove the neg when you could show the message which clearly showed it was a risky transaction for you.

Very unfair.

If I were in charge of ebay (which I am clearly not) a buyer like that would receive a warning notice from ebay that their account would be terminated if they tried that behaviour again..

I know ebay does tend to side with the buyer but all the same, I still think it is worth a go for OP to contact them, they may strike a more reasonable operator. I am an optimist, I know.

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It's not an isolated incident and no they never side with sellers, like ever, over anything. Waste of time