All Ebay Sellers Be Aware of a new Scam that will leave you high and dry!

**miked** · 02-20-2016, 08:47 AM

I want to add to the "what is the point?". The point of the "buyer" damaging and sending back the damaged item is to substantiate his claim and comply with ebay rules. He is using ebay policies to scam sellers out of their product. By complying with ebay policy of returning this item keeps him and his account in good standing. He needs to keep it in good standing in order to continue his scams.

On the videoing of the packaging process, how much memory does it take up? I've not done any videoing so I am not familiar with the storage requirements.

Is there any reason to believe that any ebay representative would take the time to view your video? One of my main complaints about ebay is you don't get to continue with a single ebay rep though out an investigation.

Thanks for the thread, Mike

**sledge** · 02-20-2016, 03:22 PM

Originally Posted by miked

I want to add to the "what is the point?". The point of the "buyer" damaging and sending back the damaged item is to substantiate his claim and comply with ebay rules. He is using ebay policies to scam sellers out of their product. By complying with ebay policy of returning this item keeps him and his account in good standing. He needs to keep it in good standing in order to continue his scams.

Exactly correct Mike.. Very well articulated!
Thank you!!

**brassbuster** · 02-21-2016, 12:46 AM

To bad you got scamed Sledge, I never sold computer's on EPay but I used to sale bicycle's and part's on there which I know longer due because of the same problem you had DAMAGE, MISSING PART'S?? After bike and or part's returned they were missing part's are was not what I shipped and I lost out, NO recourse. I only sell my ram and rivet's on EPay right now which I'm about to stop as I have a claim now about a box of rivet's I sold. My rivet's are 3/16 large flange rivet's for stock car driver's to hold there body panel's on, I sell them in bag's of 100, 200 and 500. My great grand kid's age's 5 and 6 count these rivet's and bag them for me, and I do pay them to do this. I sold a box of 500 rivet's to a buyer and he said he was short 1 rivet, now he want's his monies back, 1 rivet, LOSER

**TheDude80** · 02-20-2016, 09:08 AM

@Miked- It really depends on the format of the video you're shooting. Bandwidth and Storage Calculator | StarDot TechnologiesThis tool should give you some idea. An hour of HD 1080p video = 18GB. Hope this helps.

**Ecycle Atlanta** · 02-20-2016, 09:22 AM

First, with ebay's new policies, your seller rating wont get dinged any more from poor feedback or returns. They are changing the way your rating is calculated and that wont factor in as much.

Second, ebay will ALWAYS side with the buyer. I've called them on this many many times and they wont acknowledge it as policy, but it is. It wont stop me from using ebay as i consider this a cost of doing business, but it can really frustrate a person if you let it.

Third, dont waste your time with all the video recording and photography. It "might" help in a case, but probably not. Pack the item as best as you can and get it to the buyer fast. If someone is going to scam you there is not much you can do about it. The time and effort can be used more constructively elsewhere.

**ElChaffinch** · 02-20-2016, 04:02 PM

Unfortunatley I am nowadays the same with eBay. I used to be quite into selling on there, and buying in bulk for refurbishing things.
After dealing with the unwritten eBay policy of "The buyer is always right and must always be encouraged to keep buying" I now only sell very few items, non electrical, no moving parts, easily ensured by standard postage protection insurance etc. etc. etc.

Maybe in the future should you get such comp to sell, you could go to the comp shop and say "hey! how much is this worth? dya want it?" instead of "my buyer returned this... I need a second opinion on why...!"

**ElChaffinch** · 02-20-2016, 04:10 PM

O AND BECAUSE"!
BE WARY OF THIS"

Not all that long ago I got into buying customer returns and liquidated stock from a nearby national auction house (UK so won't bother saying who, and you never know who's watching), it quickly became apparent an awful lot of poeple were up to the same thing I was, buying these goods cheap as possible and seeing what they can getworking and selling it.
Big difference... the scale to which they were working on was far greater than my own. As I came close to increasing my overall production I started noticing action on my ebay account from people much closer to home than I'd like to say.
Actively watching my items, copying and pasting my pictures and descriptions AND running similar scams mentioned here. Where the buyer has 100% protection so long as they return and the seller has to foot potentially 2-5 shipping costs.
TBH, looking at it. Maybe all that needs its own topic, but hey ho

**sledge** · 02-20-2016, 04:38 PM

A couple Pictures may assist in this thread:
What I sent:

What I was told was Shipping Damage and returned to me:
BENT and Toolmarked Heatsink!

Both CPU Socket Lugs Broken

**webuyselltradestuff** · 02-20-2016, 06:07 PM

Originally Posted by sledge

A couple Pictures may assist in this thread:
What I sent:

What I was told was Shipping Damage and returned to me:
BENT and Toolmarked Heatsink!

Both CPU Socket Lugs Broken

This should have NEVER gotten past ANYONE with a brain...if enough money involved I would demand arbitration (you have that right BTW per Ebay's TOS)....you CANNOT damage a heatsink like that as it is ATTACHED to the motherboard STRONGLY via 2 clips. There are NO moving parts that can hit the **** thing...ie it basically hangs off the motherboard with nothing in there that moves. I would call BS BS BS and go up the chain. Assuming you have the top cover on the computer, the only thing that COULD be damaged would be the computer case itself...ie the STEEL COMPUTER CASE (unless the entire thing was completely destroyed...like it fell 20 feet and the case exploded).

I will say I HAVE fought and WON 2 instances in the last year or so...so you CAN win. ONE I had to go up the chain on and get it reviewed...but I was persistent. It was not alot of money, but I am kind of a DI$% when you pull SH$% with me. Again, the pic you had plus the fact that anyone who has ever seen the inside of a computer would show that there was no damage when shipped and NO way it could have been damaged in shipping. I also have a NO RETURN POLICY stated on all my auctions....granted alot of mine are sold in the "parts" category, so I do not guarantee ANYTHING on them...it is as is where is.

**matador** · 02-20-2016, 06:44 PM

My computer for recording is just an old Core 2 Duo Gateway desktop. I stuffed a 400GB hard drive in there, but I haven't used much. My OS is on a separate drive- I set it up that way, so I could remove the storage drive when full. But, it's taking so long to fill, that I'll be able to purge the old records by the time it's full.

I can check on Monday if you'd like to know how much space I've actually used.

**armygreywolf** · 02-21-2016, 12:05 AM

Couple things...it's entirely possible they needed the chip, or a chip on the board...or any combination of things that required them to purchase your computer. I get this alot actually. Every 15 or so laptops sold someone says it arrived with a broken screen...sure, send it back, no problem. Get it back...the anti-tamper measures I used are broken. Hmmm. Contact buyer, hi rez pictures sent to them "I received this back with tamper marks on it as indicated here, here and here. I can A. mail it back to you for no charge (yea...I know) B. Accept it back for a partial refund that mitigates the damage and my time (after all I am a medium scale wholesaler...) or I can contact ebay and open a case. I just do not play around, there are too many measures in place for me to get caught in the average scam.

Also, if your running capture software, reduce your framerate to 4/second or even 2/second Mine will run for an entire week before it fills up a 80GB. And since we don't really do anything with those anymore...fill it up, set it aside...once the 90 day expiration passes for all ebay processes, it can go back into circulation.

**sledge** · 02-21-2016, 08:30 AM

Dismantling a Dell 2500 Server today and knew it had the Same Socket (PGA370) as the Sunblade 150. I took a Flathead screw driver, placed it where I believe the scammer did (Between the Heatsink and the chip)- Lifted Upward, and look at that, broke both lugs nearly identical to his break pattern!
Imagine That!

**sledge** · 02-21-2016, 11:15 AM

Test #2 Today on another server with the same socket.
On this test I took the Server and Held It above my head (I am 6' 1" Tall) and Forcefully SLAMMED the server onto Concrete with only a thin standing mat on the floor between the server and the concrete.
First Try Heatsinks were both Still Attached
Second Slam from the same height (Above My head and Slammed with as much force as I could produce) Finally unseated the heatsinks on CPU sockets.
Note that there is a "nick" on one lug, and only one lug (The bottom one)
It did not break both lugs.
Also look at the absolute destruction of the outer case after these two forced drops.

**alloy2** · 02-21-2016, 11:57 AM

miked I have had paypal dip into my bank account three times for the same transaction, the first two times my account was shy of what they wanted to withdraw then when the account had a favourable balance hammered it for three withdrawals totalling $90.00 not to mention the NSF charges from the bank

This happened because I have bank as my primary source of payment had it been credit card could have saved myself some money from the thieves.

This was due to an ebay transaction that my buyer put in a claim for, as I mentioned earlier I've been an ebay seller since June of 98 my feedback had been 100 percent from buyers around the globe, then the buyer protection policy changed all this,

My strategy nor my offerings had changed, If I have to subsidize my buyers at my expense there is something drastically wrong with that picture my only option is to quit selling at a loss.

I no longer sell anything on ebay.

**t00nces2** · 02-21-2016, 02:29 PM

Thanks for the heads up. whether or not I was being scammed, you made me question the transaction. It was sent insured through FedEx (congrats Denny Hamlin on the Daytona win!). I should be able to get my money back from them for the costs associated with the damaged plate.

**Scrappin4Pnuts** · 02-22-2016, 08:04 AM

This has happened to me on a few occasions. Ebay has always sided with the buyer. One time I sold a pile of gold fingers. The buyer informed me that I sent hip copper fingers instead of gold. What happened was he stripped the fingers and opened up a case on me claiming that I sent him washed material. When he mailed the stuff back to me there wasn't a lick of gold on the material. Next time this happens I am going to take a picture of some rocks next to the ebay box and claim the buyer never mailed the material back..... Eye for an Eye!!!

**alloy2** · 02-22-2016, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by Scrappin4Pnuts

This has happened to me on a few occasions. Ebay has always sided with the buyer. One time I sold a pile of gold fingers. The buyer informed me that I sent hip copper fingers instead of gold. What happened was he stripped the fingers and opened up a case on me claiming that I sent him washed material. When he mailed the stuff back to me there wasn't a lick of gold on the material. Next time this happens I am going to take a picture of some rocks next to the ebay box and claim the buyer never mailed the material back..... Eye for an Eye!!!

Your betting against a stacked deck, the house of cards has been built and glued together for the buyers protection policy. No matter how much you huff and puff all your going to accomplish is to hyperventilate - ebay isn’t going to give you a get out of jail free card.

Wish for your sake your proposed actions would have a winning effect but a leopard does not change its spots.

**t00nces2** · 02-22-2016, 01:14 PM

Any time I sell I will ALWAYS insure the package if it is more than I want to gamble. I just sold a plate that was broken in shipping that was insured and I am relatively certain I will get my money back because I sent it FedEx insured. USPS is worthless as far as their insurance goes, so if it is too expensive to take the hit, fork out the extra bucks and save yourself some headache.

**sledge** · 02-22-2016, 01:37 PM

The funny thing about insurance is this. I PROVED that this was not shipping damage. That was my fight with the "buyer" all along. The woman on Ebay last night (Yes I tried AGAIN) said "Did you insure it?" I said "Of Course I did" She said "Why not file a claim with FedEx for damage?" I responded "Are you serious? I PROVED this was not shipping damage- I'm sure as heck not going to file a claim with FedEx and have them pay for something that wasn't their fault" Oh my freakin goodness- these Ebay Reps are seriously screwed up!

I bet this scammer would have filed a claim with FedEx if it was his right to do so- $300 off me, and a FedEx claim to boot for another $300. That'll be next. Ebay will stronghold FedEx because of their volume into taking Buyer Damage claims too- so not only sellers can get screwed, but Double their $ when they get a shipping damage claim paid by FedEx.

**t00nces2** · 02-22-2016, 05:11 PM

Originally Posted by sledge

The funny thing about insurance is this. I PROVED that this was not shipping damage. That was my fight with the "buyer" all along. The woman on Ebay last night (Yes I tried AGAIN) said "Did you insure it?" I said "Of Course I did" She said "Why not file a claim with FedEx for damage?" I responded "Are you serious? I PROVED this was not shipping damage- I'm sure as heck not going to file a claim with FedEx and have them pay for something that wasn't their fault" Oh my freakin goodness- these Ebay Reps are seriously screwed up!

I bet this scammer would have filed a claim with FedEx if it was his right to do so- $300 off me, and a FedEx claim to boot for another $300. That'll be next. Ebay will stronghold FedEx because of their volume into taking Buyer Damage claims too- so not only sellers can get screwed, but Double their $ when they get a shipping damage claim paid by FedEx.

I pay for insurance to protect myself. If they are willing to accept the loss, then so be it.I also make them pay to send it back if there is damage... If nothing else, it will spur information and negotiation.

All Ebay Sellers Be Aware of a new Scam that will leave you high and dry! - Page 2

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