How do I ensure the buyer sends back the right item and not a fake?

[pysterio]

Hi fellow sellers

I resell used electronic products and the majority of my sales have been single unit purchases. 

I had my first multiple item purchase a few weeks ago which I felt was suspicious but I processed the sale and now the buyer has initiated a refund. The rating of the buyer is (3) and his reason was simply as "the wrong product " with no photos and and no specifics at all as you would expect from a buyer initiating a refund.

Descriptions and photos on my ad were not ambiguos whatsoever. I have contacted the buyer to add more specifics in the interim but  my gut tells me if I accept the refund then non-genuine replica/fake products ill be sent back to me and in the eyes of eBay I can't prove this was what I didn't send in the first place. 

Please advise on what the best outcome can be if the buyer proves to be malicious

edit: i have not approved refund yet, only contacted buyer for more info

[lm-entertainment]

Unfortunately, there isn't much good advice when it comes to returns. I recently went through this scenario and was sent back a product I've never even owned or sold, but ebay still approved the return when the buyer escalated the case. They too wouldn't send any photographs of the item or give any other explanation except for "wrong product."

I had photos of the item packaged and ready to go to the buyer (started doing this a couple of years ago) and the only advice they gave me is to contact them if the buyer leaves negative feedback to try and get it removed. 

The best I can recommend is taking photos of your items including any identfying marks / scratches / imperfections and serial numbers prior to sending and ensure these are included in the listing.

Document via video or photographs the item you receive back from the buyer from the opening of the package to the inspection of the item (not that this will necessarily change anything). 

Electronics are a high-risk item when it comes to returns and the old "switcheroo." I think if that's the product you choose to sell you need to take all the precautions you can and take the occasional hit which seems inevitable. Others might have better advice, but that's been my experience. 

[pysterio]

Thanks, I suppose it is a harsh reality when going with ebay. Sad to hear you went through a similar scenario!

Will video document as well.

[tazzieterror]

There's not much you can do. Ask them again to provide some photos of what they've received, and if they continue to ignore you, maybe try calling their bluff.

Let them know you've contact a local JP who is happy to be present at the post office along with the manager when you open the returned package, and that returning counterfeit or misrepresented items via post would constitute mail fraud, and appropriate steps taken in such circumstances, with video evidence and a stat. dec. being supplied to authorities.

Also, on your account here you follow five other members - consider adding this buyer as a sixth, so that others here may add them to their block lists - forum rules forbid naming other members outright for such a purpose but I for one would like to know.

[tazzieterror]

Here's an additional step you might like to take - it's not guaranteed to do anything useful, but it's worth a shot.

Jump onto eBay's chat support, and let the agent know you have some concerns about a low feedback account that might be making some spurious return claims.

Tell them you're aware that privacy rules mean they can't directly provide you with information, but ask them to look at that buyer's account and check for *other* return claims that have been made with other sellers that are equally vague and lacking in details.

Say "look, I know you can't be specific, but does it look like there is activity with that account that is of a questionable nature/worth reporting to your accounts department for further investigation" — something along those lines.

Different service agents will give different replies, but in my experience making such requests, most are helpful enough that they'll provide at least some kind of hint if there is something going on or to be concerned about. They will usually at the very least say something like "I can't talk about it, but will be making a report to the accounts team to investigate".  A new or particularly sympathetic agent might actually give you some proper gossip.

I've not tried this in the context of a buyer return request like you're facing, but have confirmed shill bidding accounts and similar fraudulent activity this way, helping me to avoid dodgy sellers more than anything.

I helps if you're good with people, can get a conversation going well before before asking, but it might be 5 or 10 minutes well spent that gives you a bit more of a heads up.

A best case scenario might be that an agent confirms this buyer has 5 other return cases open and that the account will be investigated.  In such circumstances, you'd contact the buyer again, let them know eBay has flagged their account for review due to the six cases they've got open with different sellers, and asked you to keep copies of all correspondence and details of product serial numbers for eBay to pass on to the police/cyber-crime/wet team etc.

Don't go over the top, but the idea is to throw in a detail or two that only eBay could have confirmed to you, and give credibility that their being closely watched and there will likely be ramifications.

[pysterio]

Hi tazz thanks so much for these left field suggestions. The motivation within me is enough to give these a go! I can tell you too are also sick of dishonest buyers.

The buyer this case doesn't have a store so am unable to have them appear on my 'follow' list

Will contact ebay tomorrow and see what I can get. They haven't replied to my requests for photo evidence 4 days since the initial refund request.

[tazzieterror]

You're welcome - good luck!

[danieh_6]

I personally don't sell high value items often for this reason alone,

The best suggestion I can give you is contact PayPal, or AFCA, and explain to them they made a false claim and show them proof. Try lodging an appeal through paypal.

This is 1 of many reasons why i don't like the managed payment system and wont be supporting it until they answer to AFCA cause its the "buyers opinion" "you sent that" when you clearly didn't

Another suggestion is, for low feedback accounts. Filter out post office boxes and parcel lockers, that way you have a house address and possibly file a police report.

I'm gonna be blatantly honest customer service is **bleep**. tho tazzies advice might help. Unless you have an account manager unfortunately there's usually nothing you can do about high value items and it will always win in buyers favor. Just hope they are dumb enough to get caught out. Or even Karma

[tazzieterror]

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@danieh_6 wrote:
I personally don't sell high value items often for this reason alone,

The best suggestion I can give you is contact PayPal, or AFCA, and explain to them they made a false claim and show them proof. Try lodging an appeal through paypal.

No, it's an eBay refund request - there's no point appealing it through PayPal. They need to deal with it through eBay. And what "proof" does a seller have that a buyer is making a false claim about what was sent?

This is 1 of many reasons why i don't like the managed payment system and wont be supporting it until they answer to AFCA cause its the "buyers opinion" "you sent that" when you clearly didn't

Another suggestion is, for low feedback accounts. Filter out post office boxes and parcel lockers, that way you have a house address and possibly file a police report.

When someone registers for a PO box, they need to provide ID anyway. The police are capable of obtaining these details if you filed a report with them. But what has that got to do with the OP's situation?

I'm gonna be blatantly honest customer service is **bleep**. tho tazzies advice might help. Unless you have an account manager unfortunately there's usually nothing you can do about high value items and it will always win in buyers favor. Just hope they are dumb enough to get caught out. Or even Karma

I'm gonna be blatantly honest and say eBay's customer service is usually pretty helpful, in my experience. I think what you're meaning to criticise is eBay's policies.

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[danieh_6]

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@tazzieterror wrote:

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@danieh_6 wrote:
I personally don't sell high value items often for this reason alone,

The best suggestion I can give you is contact PayPal, or AFCA, and explain to them they made a false claim and show them proof. Try lodging an appeal through paypal.

No, it's an eBay refund request - there's no point appealing it through PayPal. They need to deal with it through eBay. And what "proof" does a seller have that a buyer is making a false claim about what was sent?

Obviously this has never happened to you, I literally helped a friend a few weeks ago and they got their money back if not they can file afca dispute.

This is 1 of many reasons why i don't like the managed payment system and wont be supporting it until they answer to AFCA cause its the "buyers opinion" "you sent that" when you clearly didn't

Another suggestion is, for low feedback accounts. Filter out post office boxes and parcel lockers, that way you have a house address and possibly file a police report.

When someone registers for a PO box, they need to provide ID anyway. The police are capable of obtaining these details if you filed a report with them. But what has that got to do with the OP's situation?

Same with parcel locker but the point is Auspost has to have a case to reveal the identity who owns them. Waste of time on police part for a few hundred dollar item. You can also file legal dispute i.e. in vic, VCAT, demanding them to repay for the goods. What do you mean what does that to do with anything? Are you even paying attention to the thread? I was suggesting future help for op to avoid this.

I'm gonna be blatantly honest customer service is **bleep**. tho tazzies advice might help. Unless you have an account manager unfortunately there's usually nothing you can do about high value items and it will always win in buyers favor. Just hope they are dumb enough to get caught out. Or even Karma

I'm gonna be blatantly honest and say eBay's customer service is usually pretty helpful, in my experience. I think what you're meaning to criticise is eBay's policies.

You clearly don't sell or sell enough to know... standard customer service is legit hopeless. Unless you have an account manager you will get good customer service. You clearly have never had a bad apple buyer or anything. I'll give you three examples. I can think of many.
1)We had a neg saying "late delivery" and only that no messages, when the item arrived on time. Customer service still wouldn't side with me

2) We were appealling a late shipment defect as the item was sent on time, speaking to them for 15 mins, they were looking at another sellers account (NOT ours) and accidently pasted some buyers phone number and address in that never bought from our store.

3) We once had an item that was sent on time but arrived one business day late so the buyer filed a dispute. Tracking and the buyer comfirmed the delivery but customer service still said they can't close the case because "its the buyer who should close it" when untrue the customer service can close it.

I never said customer service won't help. I said might. I was just suggesting don't get your hopes up.

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