Advice on Dispute from eBay Buyer (iPhone 5)...

[brent1977]

Thanks for all the advice and experiences.

I sent the guy back a message telling him to relax and that it wasn't intentional and that I'll refund him when he ships it back.

Not looking forward to what I find when I open that box..........

----------

I was kicked from ebay partly because my policy was "AS IS NO RETURNS." My gig was reselling salvage iPhones and iPods. My mistake was my policy. Always have some sort of return policy. You can have restrictions with your returns of course.

So why is "no returns" an option when listing, then? They should just remove that as an option.

 

[ezekiel97]

Because no returns and item not as described are different. You're better off on the good ol Craigslist. I myself used to sell phones that I bought off craigslist and made a lot of money. eBay rolled out the buyers bill of rights and once you read that you'll realize that the buyer is always right

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

So why is "no returns" an option when listing, then? They should just remove that as an option.

That applies only if the item is as described, in which case ebay will side with you. If it's "not as described," ebay will side with the buyer and you'll have no choice but to accept the return.

 

[Honey Badger]

Craigslist is the way to go, but the problem with CL is that you sell locally and you have to meet the person and some of the people can be pretty sketchy. Always meet in a public place. I had some meth head try to buy my phone off CL and he was all methed out and he came up to me and I said Hi and he instantly demanded I give him the phone and I said cash first and for some reason that spooked him and he just bolted down the street like a million miles per hour for a mile or two...frickin instant workout for the guy...funniest thing I ever saw.

EBAY absolutely sucks if you are a seller. Every single policy is geared towards the buyer. Having a no return policy means nothing on Ebay although it can dissuade buyers from asking for a return if they don't know how Ebay works. And now buyers have 180 days to return an item really for any reason. They can use your phone for 5 months, drop it and crack the screen and then just claim the item wasn't as described....doesnt matter that you had a no return policy or it has been 5 months or the buyer is lying, you will have to give a full refund of the sale price, the shipping, and pay for the return shipping. The worst is when the buyer claims he never received the item when he/she did and then you lose the money and the item.

So, if you have to sell on Ebay, my suggestion is to sell with complete honesty in your description, which you should be doing anyway...and then cross your fingers that the buyer is just as honest. Good luck with your Ebay issue.

Edit: Oh, and as for your current issue, I would just settle with your buyer and then relist the phone with the information about the broken speaker as another poster suggested or sell it on CL.

 

[newellj]

I've been scammed a couple of times by dishonest buyers. eBay and PayPal policies absolutely favor the buyer, regardless of a no return policy. I deal with it by trying to make sure I am very exact in my descriptions and posting lots of photos that show any flaws. At the end of the day, though, when things go bad, I just have to remind myself that I'm only accountable for my own behavior, not mine, and that life is more than a game for scoring points.

Take it back, move on. I feel for you. 🙁

 

[brent1977]

Because no returns and item not as described are different. You're better off on the good ol Craigslist. I myself used to sell phones that I bought off craigslist and made a lot of money. eBay rolled out the buyers bill of rights and once you read that you'll realize that the buyer is always right

That applies only if the item is as described, in which case ebay will side with you. If it's "not as described," ebay will side with the buyer and you'll have no choice but to accept the return.

Ah.. I see. That's a pretty significant but tiny (not to mention vague) distinction. The buyer could claim pretty much any excuse to claim "not as described".

----------

I've been scammed a couple of times by dishonest buyers. eBay and PayPal policies absolutely favor the buyer, regardless of a no return policy. I deal with it by trying to make sure I am very exact in my descriptions and posting lots of photos that show any flaws. At the end of the day, though, when things go bad, I just have to remind myself that I'm only accountable for my own behavior, not mine, and that life is more than a game for scoring points.

Take it back, move on. I feel for you. 🙁

Thanks. Have approved eBay charging me to give him a shipping label. If it turns out that the earpiece speaker is messed up, I feel pretty comfortable replacing it myself (based on the guide on iFixIt). I've torn down a lot of laptops and PDAs over the years.

 

[dogg]

As another precaution black list the handset with your previous network provider. When and if It is returned cancel the black list. Tell the buyer you are doing so to protect both parties. Once again happened to me recently with LG G3. Mint condition. Buyer stated it was rooted and therefor modified which was garbage. Knowing how eBay and Paypal work I agreed to accept it but informed the buyer I would blacklist it. He changed his mind withinh an hour and said he was doing something wrong with the phone and it was not rooted after all#

 

[tritron]

Amazon seems worst as it will give refund and allowing seller to keep the item
so you are out of your own money and item sometimes amazon just refunds money from it own pocket. People had figured out way to get free stuff from amazon

 

[perezr10]

I had a very similar situation in October. I sold my iPhone 5 on eBay the week before the iPhone 6 came out and it was an immaculate phone with no problems and a newer battery. The buyer mentioned that she was switching from Android and looking forward to getting her first iPhone. Right after all the hoopla about the iPhone 6 I get a note from the buyer that she wants a refund because "sometimes the phone just shuts down for no reason". I also stated no returns but she said it was "not as described". When I asked for details she was always real vague and nothing she said made sense.

I told her that I'd he happy to take the phone back but if I couldn't duplicate the problem I was going to deduct a 25% restocking fee. She angrily replied to forget about it because if I found nothing wrong with it she wasn't about to lose $100 (I got $400 for a 64gb model).

I know what happened. When she realized that the iPhone 6 was out she immediately had buyers remorse and made up a bogus reason. She knew I wouldn't be able to duplicate the problem so she didn't want to pay the restocking fee. I wasn't sure if I had the grounds to do what I did but I hoped she wouldn't push the matter. Luckily, she let it go.

 

[brent1977]

As another precaution black list the handset with your previous network provider. When and if It is returned cancel the black list. Tell the buyer you are doing so to protect both parties. Once again happened to me recently with LG G3. Mint condition. Buyer stated it was rooted and therefor modified which was garbage. Knowing how eBay and Paypal work I agreed to accept it but informed the buyer I would blacklist it. He changed his mind withinh an hour and said he was doing something wrong with the phone and it was not rooted after all#

I like that idea. How is the best way to blacklist the device? Report it as stolen? How difficult is it to get it removed from the blacklist afterward?

Thanks!

 

[newellj]

As another precaution black list the handset with your previous network provider. When and if It is returned cancel the black list. Tell the buyer you are doing so to protect both parties. Once again happened to me recently with LG G3. Mint condition. Buyer stated it was rooted and therefor modified which was garbage. Knowing how eBay and Paypal work I agreed to accept it but informed the buyer I would blacklist it. He changed his mind withinh an hour and said he was doing something wrong with the phone and it was not rooted after all#

Interesting and useful suggestion.

Amazon seems worst as it will give refund and allowing seller to keep the item
so you are out of your own money and item sometimes amazon just refunds money from it own pocket. People had figured out way to get free stuff from amazon

I've had that happen with PayPal (not an eBay transaction). PayPal is utterly horrible.

 

[Delmar]

I like that idea. How is the best way to blacklist the device? Report it as stolen? How difficult is it to get it removed from the blacklist afterward?

Thanks!

Blacklisting it seems like a good idea if it's easy to reverse.

 

[brent1977]

Tried reporting as stolen both online and via 800 number. Only option is to report an active line as stolen (by the phone number). There was no option to just enter an IMEI number.

 

[KdParker]

I would have just said no returns. One thing I did before selling on ebay is record the testing of the phone to show that everything is working fine.

That way when the scammer threatens a return, you can just say no and send all the information to eBay.

Another thing don't talk to buyer without going through ebay. If this buyer is trying to scam you, you can protect yourself on ebay.

 

[brent1977]

I would have just said no returns. One thing I did before selling on ebay is record the testing of the phone to show that everything is working fine.

That way when the scammer threatens a return, you can just say no and send all the information to eBay.

Another thing don't talk to buyer without going through ebay. If this buyer is trying to scam you, you can protect yourself on ebay.

I chose "no returns" for the listing, so that was out there. From what others are saying, the buyer is circumventing this restriction by claiming the item was "not as described".

Have kept all communication via the "return process" in eBay to have a record of it all.

 

[Applejuiced]

Anybody know whether I'll have any recourse with eBay or PayPal, if I get it back and there's nothing wrong with it? It'd be nice to at least get the shipping back.

Also, anybody know if PayPal will give me their fees back? Or am I out that, too?

Getting your $10 shipping or paypal fees should be the least of your worries.
Doubt you will just get the phone back and nothing will be wrong with it.
Yes, once you refund him the paypal and ebay fees will be reversed but good luck with the rest.

 

[Cubytus]

Way less hassle on Craiglist. You got $287? Thats good.

In fact way less hassle and way less money on Craigslist. OP would probably only get a third of that price on CL.

Not looking forward to what I find when I open that box..........

As was said before, record everything.

So why is "no returns" an option when listing, then? They should just remove that as an option.

Just another eBay nonsense. They even have shipping calculators that just don't work. Everytime I list something there, I get roughly half of legitimate questions where a potential buyer asks me for a shipping quote as the friggin' calculator isn't working.

As another precaution black list the handset with your previous network provider. When and if It is returned cancel the black list. Tell the buyer you are doing so to protect both parties. Once again happened to me recently with LG G3. Mint condition. Buyer stated it was rooted and therefor modified which was garbage. Knowing how eBay and Paypal work I agreed to accept it but informed the buyer I would blacklist it. He changed his mind withinh an hour and said he was doing something wrong with the phone and it was not rooted after all#

Cell providers usually don't give a **** about blacklist. "You got your phone stolen / else? Too bad for you, we'll sell you a new one, then.".

I like that idea. How is the best way to blacklist the device? Report it as stolen? How difficult is it to get it removed from the blacklist afterward?

Forget it. It's difficult to get it blacklisted, and you'll end up in a maelstrom of transferred calls when you will try to remove it from there.

I would have just said no returns. One thing I did before selling on ebay is record the testing of the phone to show that everything is working fine.

That way when the scammer threatens a return, you can just say no and send all the information to eBay.

Another thing don't talk to buyer without going through ebay. If this buyer is trying to scam you, you can protect yourself on ebay.

That's the reason why it's so complicated to sell any high-ticket item on eBay. You have to record absolutely everything, make calculations in advance because eBay's tools aren't working, prove everything you do as a seller. If I have to sell an iPhone on eBay, I'll easily spend the whole afternoon writing a post, between recordings, video editing, uploading, actual writing, checking transport rates, etc.

Unless you're a very high volume seller, you can't afford even a single negative review. From personal experience, I perceive American buyers as crybabies that wouldn't make a move to help understand and solve an issue.

 

[nathan.kindle]

Also another way to "fix" this is too offer a portion of the buyers money or even try to make a deal for him to get it repair and you two can split the cost. This also happened to me. I bought a iphone4 for my niece and 2 days later we found that she couldn't record voice memos. After some research it appears that a common problem. I contacted the seller and he gave me the choice to exchange it return it or get it fix and we would splits the cost. Also I sent him a video so he can see the issue himself. Maybe also ask for (in writing ) what Apple said and their estimated cost. If you get the phone back and it's not like you sent it to him then you can contact PayPal and open a case about it.

 

[Applejuiced]

Tried reporting as stolen both online and via 800 number. Only option is to report an active line as stolen (by the phone number). There was no option to just enter an IMEI number.

Call customer service and give them the imei.
What carrier iphone was it? Locked or unlocked?

 

[brent1977]

Call customer service and give them the imei.
What carrier iphone was it? Locked or unlocked?

Originally AT&T. Unlocked it, unfortunately.

 

[Applejuiced]

Originally AT&T. Unlocked it, unfortunately.

I wonder if they can still blacklist it after its unlocked.
Give them a call anyway and see what they say.
Also I'd wait til you get the phone to see what's up before you blacklist it.

Also I'd inform the buyer that you will be video recording the unboxing to protect yourself from fraud. And also tell him if there is no phone in the box or if its a different phone or anything like that you will blacklist the phone and it will be useless to anyone.
Just let him know that you will not fall victim to anyone trying to scam you and you will do whatever you need to do not to be taken advantage of. And of course if everything is like he says it is and he's honest just like you there will be no problem.

 

[brent1977]

Also another way to "fix" this is too offer a portion of the buyers money or even try to make a deal for him to get it repair and you two can split the cost. This also happened to me. I bought a iphone4 for my niece and 2 days later we found that she couldn't record voice memos. After some research it appears that a common problem. I contacted the seller and he gave me the choice to exchange it return it or get it fix and we would splits the cost. Also I sent him a video so he can see the issue himself. Maybe also ask for (in writing ) what Apple said and their estimated cost. If you get the phone back and it's not like you sent it to him then you can contact PayPal and open a case about it.

It was clear from buyer's messages that he had no interest in getting it repaired. From his first message, he was informing me that he would be returning it.

That's something else that makes me question the legitimacy. He claimed it was Apple who inspected and told him the speaker was bad, but he didn't provide any estimate or anything from them. Didn't say "they said it would cost X to fix". Nothing. Just "I am returning it..."

 

[dannynjoni]

Ebay is evil

Hey man - first off I'm sorry you have to go through all this. I understand your frustration and completely empathize with your situation!

When my wife upgraded to the iPhone 6 recently we sold her phone on Ebay as well. Before selling it we had it looked at at the Apple store and she qualified for a new battery and another known issue so they gave here a brand new phone. This is what we sold on Ebay. At the buyer's request we even expedited shipping (he seemed in need) at extra cost to us. The day he received it he filed for a return saying that it had scratches and was "different than described". We were shocked just as you are! What everyone says here about Ebay is true. I made several tenacious phone calls and spent hours on the phone (mostly on hold) to simply help Ebay stop this person from fraudulently using their Buyer Protection policy by lying to get his way. I assumed that they would be just as interested in stoping this kind of behavior as we were. HA! What a big and ridiculous assumption on our part!! At the time I had no idea what his reason could have been but dishonesty always troubles me and only bad things seem to follow and I felt that we had time to stop the whole thing from getting ugly. All I can say is what everyone is telling you now: Ebay doesn't care. Ebay will side with the lying bastards. Ebay will debit your money from Paypal and come after that money aggressively.

I finally got ahold of an up front and honest (american) CSR at Ebay. She explained to me that Ebay also won't cover any damages done to the item once you receive it back. It could be an empty box and they will not "get involved" in that kind of dispute. Oh and you know the 10% fee you were charged for all this fun of selling your phone on Ebay? You actually have to call to have them remove that or they will continue to bill you for selling something that THEY decided to allow the buyer to return! Anyways, we did receive our item back. For reasons I won't even guess the buyer had used a key or something to deliberately scratch the protective film that was still on the phone we received from Apple. The phone was fine but it wouldn't have mattered at all to Ebay.

I did a little investigative digging into this particular buyers recent history. After returning my wife's iPhone 5, he then purchased a iPhone 5s for $100 more. That item was re-listed however, leaving me to believe that he cancelled that transaction as well. Next, he purchase a case for guess what? An iPhone 6! It became pretty obvious that this guy was just repeatedly changing his mind until he finally bought the latest toy, which is undoubtably what he wanted all along.

I am done with Ebay as a seller. At least for anything even remotely expensive. There's just way too much risk now. It's crazy! I sold my next phone locally and it was wonderful to actually meet the buyer in person and leave knowing that was the last of it.

Sorry for the rant but I hope it helps some. I also hope you follow up on this for the rest of us and tell us when you receive your phone and it is still in good condition!

 

[brent1977]

Sorry for the rant but I hope it helps some. I also hope you follow up on this for the rest of us and tell us when you receive your phone and it is still in good condition!

Definitely sounds like a lot of experiences on here are even worse than mine. I've sold a lot of stuff over the years - even some relatively-expensive Canon camera bodies and lenses. This is the first time I've had problems. Sounds like I've been very fortunate.

What it sounds like eBay is trying to achieve is a 100% risk-free environment for the buyer - which is just ridiculous. This isn't Best Buy or WalMart. eBay should be the equivalent of a physical auction or a garage sale. If I want 100% satisfaction when buying, I go with someplace with such a guarantee. If I want to find something cheap, used, or hard-to-find, I choose to assume the risk and buy on eBay.

 

[poncekim]

Definitely sounds like a lot of experiences on here are even worse than mine. I've sold a lot of stuff over the years - even some relatively-expensive Canon camera bodies and lenses. This is the first time I've had problems. Sounds like I've been very fortunate.

What it sounds like eBay is trying to achieve is a 100% risk-free environment for the buyer - which is just ridiculous. This isn't Best Buy or WalMart. eBay should be the equivalent of a physical auction or a garage sale. If I want 100% satisfaction when buying, I go with someplace with such a guarantee. If I want to find something cheap, used, or hard-to-find, I choose to assume the risk and buy on eBay.

It's getting worse and worse. These scams are spreading due to social media and guides on the internet. Scammers learn from other scammers.

I also have stopped selling expensive items on ebay after a bad experience. The buyer had buyers remorse and claimed he never received it. I get it back and it has clearly been retaped. There was a return to sender tape on the package due to delivery refusal. Bastard just went to the post office and refused delivery after the fact. i lost shipping and had to waste time to get fees refunded. My brother got ripped off as well when the buyer said he never received item - box was empty! He was so pissed he stopped using ebay completely.

I use craigslist now. Every transaction has been smooth and easy and same price as ebay net of fees.