How do we report a scammer buyer to Federal Police fraud squad

[clarry100]

We have had a terrible buyer on our auction ID.

A month after sending out an item by large letter she reported INR.

We looked at her FB history (score 700+) and she has at least 10 INR's with negs against other sellers in the past year or two.

One other as recently as 3-days ago. She is a seller as well with a pretty ordinary track record on there I might add.

Going by her history we are pretty convinced she is a scammer, so we asked the normal questions. Verify the address, check at your local PO etc. She got angry at the questions so we responded with our often used lines that we report INR cases to Aust Post, ebay and possibly AFP fraud squad. Notwithsatnding all this we also offered to send out a replacement item. Our messages have all been non-accusatory and factual. Unlike the responses we got back!

We also asked if she had any other troubles with mail not arriving when we already knew her track record. She replied that she never has any problems with mail being received. Outright lie right there!

Anyway... She has now left us a NEG stating that we are rogues and that we called her a liar etc. This is our first ever NEG FB. And she sent back a heated message calling us all sorts and saying she does not want our refund or replacement item. I think she has been caught out and this is her way to hit back.

I think this is the kind of buyer (and seller) that we do not need on the ebay community at all. I would really like to see her shut down for the benefit of us all. She is the type who ends up giving the majority of us good sellers and buyers a bad name.

I would like to report this scammer to the AFP fraud squad for their investigation.

How do I report to AFP?

Is there any recourse back thru ebay to have the NEG removed in such a case?

[digital*ghost]

Sorry to see this happen 😞 This sort of buyer behaviour is the main thing that bothers me about the current FB system, and/or how eBay handles certain situations - no accountability for damaging a seller's rep / standing on eBay, and virtually impossible to alert other sellers in general, or help protect them. The NPB block is nice n' all, but non-payment is not as damaging as malicious feedback or fraud).

I hope you can get the FB removed, and a few reports made so that at least there's a record, somewhere. 

[tstore]

Can I ask everyone a question here. If you were to resend tomorrow but with tracking this time, would PayPal remove the neg as you would have proof this time item was delivered? The feedback comment would then contradict and you would have reason to have feedback removed as per seller protection and feedback removal policies?

[digital*ghost]

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@tstore wrote:
Can I ask everyone a question here. If you were to resend tomorrow but with tracking this time, would PayPal remove the neg as you would have proof this time item was delivered? The feedback comment would then contradict and you would have reason to have feedback removed as per seller protection and feedback removal policies?

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If someone opens an INR and you provide PayPal with proof that you sent a replacement, you should win the PP claim (this is one of the stipulations in the SP policy - that is, you either provide original proof of postage, or prove you sent a replacement).

Winning a PayPal claim is meant to be grounds for removal of a neg.

[clarry100]

In this case there has been no INR opened by the buyer. It's all been via messaging.

So if we resend with tracking and SOD then we would have proof of mailing and receipt.

But I'm sure the buyer would refuse to accept it as she would know she was being setup as acceptance would then be the completion of the scam as far as she is concerned.

And as you asked tstore.... would ebay then remove the NEG that has been left? Expensive way to have a NEG removed.

Good question. Interested to hear more on this point.

[digital*ghost]

Not really sure, but I think eBay would be less inclined with POP for a replacement, on it's own anyway, as the proof would show the item was posted after the initial complaint, thereby not exactly proving the neg FB as untrue (i.e. they still didn't receive the first item, or so they say).

Somewhat related... In the US, a buyer can open and win an INR claim if the item arrives past the eBay ETA, even if the seller has proof of delivery, so I think that's pretty indicative of eBay's attitude towards certain circumstances (to note, however, in order for the buyer to be able to win, the postage date has to be past the seller's stated handling time, so the buyer would only win if the seller said something like 1-day handling and they took 2 days to post). 

[tstore]

How would eBay know when it was posted if you used a red box with tracking rather than over the counter? 😉

[digital*ghost]

True, but then you'd also have to cross your fingers it does actually get scanned at some point (most do, so it's a small risk).

[gec2002]

This link was posted on the powersellers board. 

http://www.theage.com.au/national/negative-feedback-on-ebay-emerges-as-new-defamation-battleground-2...

Perhaps if a few buyers get sued for defamatory fb the system might become a bit more seller friendly.  Its a big step to sue another person but when buyers don't care about the damage they do to your business, and eBay won't take your concerns seriously it may be the only option left.

[clarry100]

That's an interesting take on it.

The comments made in the FB are totally untrue. And of course very public on this forum.

So... It's defamation of our online business rather than us personally I would guess.

Might have to ask a lawyer friend over a BBQ snag to see what he thinks.

Might only take a legal letter to the buyer to send them quiet for future sellers.

Then again... the damage such public comments could do to an ebay business could come into play.

And this is not just a once-off for this buyer. There is a significant track history of such comments left for a number of other sellers.

[i-love-my-sheep]

Hopefully your lawyer mate will give you mates rates if you decide to pursue it. I had a buyer attempt to sue me a couple of years ago and from the first letter until the court decision was made (in my favour), was over 12 months. It also cost me nearly $5,000 in legal fees, which the buyer was meant to pay, but my lawyer said there is no way to force them to pay, even with a court order. He said as soon as we walked out of court "I can tell you now, they won't pay and it's going to cost another few grand to take them back to court, still with no guarantees that they'll pay", so we've been paying off the legal costs ever since (nearly there!).