I have a feeling we fell for a scam - buyer claiming counterfeit on a genuine very expensive item

[bright_tomato]

I have listed my husband's very expensive phone (it's over $5000 brand new) and finally sold it at best offer for only $1300, much less than what we were hoping to get. But we really needed the money. I took all precautions - took very detailed photos, sent the buyer the IMEI number  and tracking number, insured the phone for $1300 when posted. She received the phone and literally the next day I receive a message that she believes the phone to be a copy or a fake. I am in a state of shock, I am not a retailer, I only sell my own second-hand goods and this phone was a gift from a close friend of my husband's. There is absolutely no chance that it is fake or a copy. She didn't even investigate,  i suggested that she takes the phone to a TAG store to check and she completely ignored that. I have a feeling this is a scam artist who is now requesting a return for refund and will send us back a fake phone to scam us.

My questions is, does anyone has any experience with what kind of process ebay/pay pal follows when a buyer claims the item to be fake? I listed the item with "no returns accepted" condition so I am also wondering - am I able to reject her return request?

[bright_tomato]

makes total sense. I am just hoping that ebay/pay pal is thorough enough to take all of these points into consideration. It will be really interesting how this pans out, I will post about progress.

It is most definitely a scammer, no doubt about it. The photo they sent me is of a completely different phone, not red, definitely fake looking, brown cheap croc leather immitation. It was photographed on top of my genuine box. My beautiful, red leather TAG phone is gone, probably resold already. They contacted me a few hours after they picked up the phone, clearly everything was prepared in advance.

the only thing I can think of to protect oneself from this type of scam is take a photo at the post office while placing it into a box. something like that...

thanks everyone for your advice!

[thecatspjs]

Use the information and photos provided by the buyer to your benefit.

Your package was insured, and on the basis of the evidence that the buyer has provided, there is now a possibility that someone in the post service has swapped the phone with another one and you will be out of pocket the $1300.  (highly unlikely, but play along with the scammer as it can help to get more information from them).

Open an Australia Post investigation for the $1300 and let the AP investigators gather some evidence on your behalf.

When you get an AP investigation number, I would also ring eBay on Monday request to speak to an Australian supervisor and ask that they note this on yours and the buyers file.  I would also ring Paypal and ask them to note this on the purchase transaction number also.

Send the AP investigation number to the buyer and let them know that you mean business about finding out who swapped the phone you sent.

That way you don't need to call the scammer a scammer, but still take appropriate action to protect your own interests.

[saarzi]

Do this, as theperson above suggested -

"Use the information and photos provided by the buyer to your benefit.

Your package was insured, and on the basis of the evidence that the buyer has provided, there is now a possibility that someone in the post service has swapped the phone with another one and you will be out of pocket the $1300.  (highly unlikely, but play along with the scammer as it can help to get more information from them).

Open an Australia Post investigation for the $1300 and let the AP investigators gather some evidence on your behalf.

When you get an AP investigation number, I would also ring eBay on Monday request to speak to an Australian supervisor and ask that they note this on yours and the buyers file.  I would also ring Paypal and ask them to note this on the purchase transaction number also.

Send the AP investigation number to the buyer and let them know that you mean business about finding out who swapped the phone you sent.

That way you don't need to call the scammer a scammer, but still take appropriate action to protect your own interests."

THEN, let the buyer know youve done that and see what they do. TELL them youre going to take the next steps below as well, and wait for a response.

THEN, if they dont respond appropriately, make a formal report to the online fraud investigation squad in your state (all states have one to my knowledge).

THEN, contact the buyers local police station and lodge a complaint there too (depending on above results).

Maybe nothing will happen, but you CAN do the above, it will mark their name in several databases, and it will proably scare the **bleep** out of them.

[the_great_she_elephant]

If you sent Bay/ Paypal the photos from your listing and the photos of the phone the buyer claims she received, would they be able to tell from loking at them tht they are two different phones?

[saarzi]

Ebay has no idea if the pics on her listing are of the phone she sent or not - its not proof of anything.

[thecatspjs]

Just want to add don't underestimate the powers that the AP investigators have, they are a Commonwealth agency operating with national jurisdiction and can work with the Federal police to get access all kinds of information - including from Paypal re buyer details and claim history. 

Whilst insurance does not cover you for scammers - if you go with the someone swapped the phone whilst it was in transit according to the evidence provided by the buyer, I reckon AP are going to seek  quite a bit of information not to pay out the insurance. 

[thecatspjs]

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@gtx305 wrote:

Ebay has no idea if the pics on her listing are of the phone she sent or not - its not proof of anything.

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Thats true.

But eBay can gather information from the file details of the photos that were uploaded. 

[polly.the.cat]

Here is what you do,  Get or Log onto the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, web site,  email them the imme: number, explain in short just the BASIC facts.  You are contacting the RCMP as you are CONCERNED that your Mobile Phone could be used in or for Terrorist activity, and the blame come back to you.  RCMP & ASIO work hand in hand, and we are still members of the Commonwealth.

BELIEVE me, this will get a response, at someones front and back door. 

[thecatspjs]

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@bright_tomato wrote:

Yes, absolutely, it was sold on ebay with best offer accepted, I will try to copy a link here. I am not sure why it can't be seen on my account, I can see it from my end:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/181623289581?ssPageName=STRK:MESOX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1559.l2649

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Just dawned on me that you may have negated the insurance by not removing the battery from the phone to send, assuming the phone has a lithium battery, as AP do not accept lithium batteries as they are considered dangeous goods.

Sorry.

[thecatspjs]

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@aussie-bazzar wrote:

Here is what you do,  Get or Log onto the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, web site,  email them the imme: number, explain in short just the BASIC facts.  You are contacting the RCMP as you are CONCERNED that your Mobile Phone could be used in or for Terrorist activity, and the blame come back to you.  RCMP & ASIO work hand in hand, and we are still members of the Commonwealth.

BELIEVE me, this will get a response, at someones front and back door. 

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I am assuming you are taking the p - lol

Maybe not so funny to the OP who is worried that are being scammed for $1300.