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]

The charger and both batteries were definitely included in the box but the ear phones were missing (this was stated in the listing). Ear phones wouldn't weigh more than a few grams though I think.

And here's another email:

HERE S WHAT I CAN DO FOR YOU, IF YOU SEND ME THE RETRUN PAKAGE POSTAGE SO I CAN SEND THE PHONE TO YOU.. I CAN SEND THE PHONE TO YOU AND YOU CAN OPEN YOUR INSURANCE CASE YOUR SELF AND TAKE THE IMEI NUMBER YOUR SELF.. YOU AGREE TO DO THAT LET ME KNOW.. THANKS!!!.

[imastawka]

Item must be returned by buyer,  at their cost,  by trackable means

[clarry100]

But if the buyer is claiming its a fake then in these circumstances isn't it ebay/paypal policy not to enforce item return.

Rather they will ask the buyer to destroy the fake item.

I think this is done so that fake items cannot get back into the hands of real dodgy sellers and be used once again.

[imastawka]

Yeah.  You're right clarry.  Senior's moment.

Ebay's gunna need the wisdom of Solomon on this one

Think they're up to it?

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

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@imastawka wrote:

Item must be returned by buyer,  at their cost,  by trackable means

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yes, but if the buyer does an eBay moneyback claim who is responsible for return postage?  Does eBay.ca have moneyback policy?  What site was the phone bought from?

Could end up very convoluted indeed!

[peppers-tree]

Talk to Paypal on Facebook.. they are great and you get better service... I did and they helped me with a very complex problem that I had been battling for 4 weeks...

[cq_tech]

I think any contact with Paypal needs to be done over the phone in person.

[clarry100]

I just cannot stop trying to think up angles on this one.... So here is another one.

If for some reason you do end up getting this so-called fake phone back I think you had better take it in to a police station BEFORE you open the package.

Then open it in front of an officer and DO NOT touch the phone (or the box) yourself.

If you really did send this fake phone then your finger prints would be all over it. And if there is no trace of your prints on the phone then it means you have never touched it. Therefore could never have sent it. If he sends back your original box then your prints should be on the box of course but not the phone itself.

And if you get the IMEI number from the fake phone then a search thru provider data bases will soon tell that you have never used it on any Australian network either. Together this means that on this evidence its most unlikely to have ever been in your posession before.

They could probably swab the microphone and/or earpiece for DNA evidence too at a pinch. There will be none of yours or your husband's DNA in/on the phone either.

ie the switch has been made some time after you sent the parcel. Either along the way (seems unlikely to me) or by the buyer after receipt (seems most likely to me).

[bright_tomato]

Yes, haven't called Pay Pal yet, thought I need to wait until the dispute is opened. Wouldn't they tell me to wait until that happens?

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

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@clarry100 wrote:

I just cannot stop trying to think up angles on this one.... So here is another one.

If for some reason you do end up getting this so-called fake phone back I think you had better take it in to a police station BEFORE you open the package.

Then open it in front of an officer and DO NOT touch the phone (or the box) yourself.

If you really did send this fake phone then your finger prints would be all over it. And if there is no trace of your prints on the phone then it means you have never touched it. Therefore could never have sent it. If he sends back your original box then your prints should be on the box of course but not the phone itself.

And if you get the IMEI number from the fake phone then a search thru provider data bases will soon tell that you have never used it on any Australian network either. Together this means that on this evidence its most unlikely to have ever been in your posession before.

They could probably swab the microphone and/or earpiece for DNA evidence too at a pinch. There will be none of yours or your husband's DNA in/on the phone either.

ie the switch has been made some time after you sent the parcel. Either along the way (seems unlikely to me) or by the buyer after receipt (seems most likely to me).

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Clarry, I agree with you . . . . . you do think up different angles on things.

I doubt the OP's local police would be interested in fingerprinting and DNA testing a phone in an eBay dispute.

By the time any DNA testing was completed eBay or PayPal would have made a decision one way or another.

Spoiler alert >>>>>> DNA testing takes a lot longer than it does on CSI and other TV programs.