Sold a 32gb iPhone 3GS, buyer claiming it is not

[els19689]

Hi everyone,

I would really love some advice, I'm only new to selling on eBay, as I've always been the buyer, not the seller.
On August 31st of this year, I listed a 32gb iPhone 3GS for sale for $180.00. I included photographs of both the front and back of the iPhone as it was very well used and had some damage, stated that the lock button did not work, but other than that, the phone worked perfectly (I had been using it and tested the phone not only before I listed it, but before I sent it).
Within 15 minutes of my listing being for sale, a buyer had purchased the iPhone.
I received payment of the iPhone 3 days later and promptly posted the phone to the address listed. This was the 4th of September.
Today, the 24th of September, I have received a PayPal message stating that the buyer is requesting a refund.
The reasons listed for this refund request were:
Internally Damaged
Different Category
Different Model
Missing Parts

The buyer states that the iPhone I posted to him was not a 32gb iPhone, but instead was a 16GB iPhone and that when making calls, cannot hear anything.

The iPhone I posted to him was MOST DEFINITELY a 32GB iPhone 3GS, as I have never owned any other type of iPhone 3GS.
The photographs in the listing even show the back of the iPhone which says 32gb.
He also has listed that there are missing parts, there are no other parts to the iPhone. I listed this iPhone as JUST the iPhone, no accessories.
I am also positive that there was no internal damage to the iPhone, other than the scratching and lock button not working.
It took the buyer at least two weeks to inform me of any problems with the iPhone and even then, there was no communication via eBay, it was just straight to a refund request, which has taken $190.00 from
My account until the issue is resolved.
I am very sure that this particular buyer is trying to scam me, as this blatant lie of receiving a 16gb iPhone 3GS is just absurd! An iPhone cannot just lose 16gb of storage and change its back casing in the mail!
I did not offer refunds as part of my eBay transaction, but it has still occurred regardless.
Can anyone please help me?
What can I do to prove that this buyer is not being truthful, other than photographs of the iPhone?
I feel very helpless in this situation!

[els19689]

dickos-extreme, I have been so lucky for all of the help! Thanks for the well-wishes, I do hope it gets sorted justly, I'm very concerned I've been targeted to be ripped right off!
Anything could have happened to the iPhone in 2 weeks!

[bombbloke]

The IMEI can apparently be found in most places the serial is located. See here for a list of places to check:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4061

Of course, it may be that this is overthinking things and the buyer simply sends you a completely different phone (perhaps the one he was using before he bought yours?). Or simply sends you your phone back in the same condition it was in when you posted it off!

But if what you get LOOKS like yours, then it's certainly worth scratching past the surface to be sure, so to speak.

I'm not sure how whatever you found out would be useful in regards to PayPal. Even if the buyer sends you something obviously dissimilar to your original photos, it may be difficult to prove that wasn't what you sent them (even if you're sure in your own mind). The only conslusive method I can think of would be to get a record of the phone's use - if it can be shown the buyer was using that IMEI before you set up your auction, then...

[bsal6160]

And what if by the seller opening the case on return, he himself causes damage?

[els19689]

I will be delving further into whether the iPhone that I get back is actually mine!
I did some snooping to assist my case with PayPal, after furthering the claim, and as it turns out, this isn't the first time that this buyer has been labelled a liar!
I had gone to the buyer's profile to read his feedback and found some very interesting negative feedback.
Apparently there was a very similar incident with a seller in which this particular buyer claimed that the item wasn't what he had bid on and that it was broken after a period of time! Seems a VERY familiar story!
So I have not given in and handed this particular buyer a refund, as I now KNOW that I have been taken for a ride!
Thank you everyone for your help, I will keep you all updated as to how everything unfolds.

[els19689]

The only part of the iPhone that I know how to open is the sim tray, this contains the serial number, so it will be all I need to double check!

[digital*ghost]

Personally, given the information so far, I'd fight the claim rather than making it a simple matter of offering a refund on return. There are no guarantees that a buyer will win a SNAD claim (meaning that they can't return it and get a refund at all - a seller who wins a PayPal claim is also automatically give Seller Protection if the buyer then goes on to initiate a credit card chargeback), and even if they do win the case it then becomes a matter of returning for a refund, and if you don't get back what you sent (different phone all together, or just parts removed etc), if PayPal have refunded the buyer you would still have recourse to get the funds back.

No way would I make it easy for them to scam me, or PayPal. ]:)

[els19689]

Thanks for the advice, I will be fighting this until the absolute end!
This buyer has blatantly lied and I am sure something fishy is happening and that I won't get MY iPhone back if I do refund.
Hopefully PayPal will take my evidence into account.

[bsal6160]

😮 Ahhhh the pitfalls of buying and selling mobile phones on eBay....

[amelapanderson]

I had a similar situation a while ago, sold an iphone as is, chucked in a charger with it (didn't advertise it with a charger but I had a few so just popped it in with the postage), next thing I know I have a dispute Item not as advertised, kept going on about a faulty charger....the charger was never part of the sale, buyer was so rude, left neg remarks on my feedback, noticed they did something similar to someone before  me as well.  Then I offered refund for the phone, oh they had onsold it to their neighbour...grrrr!

[bombbloke]

To be clear, I'm not recommending that any part of the phone be opened (other then popping out the SIM tray) - but I am recommending that you check multiple locations of the serial/IMEI.

Even if the ones the tray shows you matches what you sent, the one you can pull up on-screen (or in iTunes) may not. Those two latter locations are the ones that "count".