eBay Buyer Claiming Missing Component (AirPods Case No Earpieces)

LSmileSydney on 10/04/2019 - 11:16
Last edited 10/04/2019 - 12:27 by 1 other user

I sold my Apple Airpods (Gen 1) and now the buyer is claiming he only received the case and not the actual earpieces. I DEFINITELY SENT THE EARPIECES.

He sent a photo showing no earpieces and then in our messaging he claims he has a video of him opening the package (which sounds far fetched). He has not sent me this video.

I've been on ebay since 2002 with a very good record (100s of purchases + never canceled a purchase, dozens of sells + never had any buyer disputes). This buyer became an ebay member just 1 day before purchase.

He is going to raise a dispute with eBay. Lately, I have noticed changes with eBay buyers - there are a lot more no payments and suspicious bids from buyers with no history.

Any tips on how I should handle the dispute? I hear ebay tends to side with buyers but is that rumour or truth?

Electrical & Electronics Apple Bluetooth Earphones

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Comments

  • garetz on 10/04/2019 - 11:29
    +6

    This unfortunately is happening more and more, not much you can do about it, unless you took a video of you packaging it yourself, but ebay does side with the buyer much more often than the seller.

    • Hybroid on 10/04/2019 - 14:33
      +1

      This is the unfortunate truth. eBay is no longer an attractive place to sell stuff as a single item or private seller. More and more scams and claims coming through on 'missing' or 'defective' items and eBay pretty much always sides with the buyer. You end up losing both the item and money.

  • Ocker on 10/04/2019 - 11:29
    +4

    I am afraid you are done for!!
    Buyer will open an Item Not As Described (INAD) case with eBay and unless you can prove you sent the goods (which is probably impossible) then eBay will refund the buyer - end of case.

    • CyberMurning on 10/04/2019 - 12:47

      not end Ocker.
      ebay/paypal will then debit his account, if zero then will be negative.
      he doesnt pay it back, paypal will give his details to debt collector.
      he ignores, probably will get bad credit rating somewhere and cause problems in the future.

  • QW3RTY on 10/04/2019 - 11:34
    +9

    How did you send the earbuds? AusPost Express, Registered?
    If the buyer is willing to send you the video, perhaps you may be able to dissect the footage and find a reference number or bar code (if you've kept any details of these) that may prove that the "unboxing" video is not completely genuine.

    Also, when you purchased the shipping — did they weigh the package? I'm sure the weight difference would be minimal — but there's a chance it may be able to indicate the difference between a full/empty case. This weight might be on the receipt and might give you another piece of evidence to show you sent a complete product.

    Also, in another thread yesterday with an OP and a $4,000 laptop, a suggestion of meeting you at a police station and signing a statutory declaration with ID scared off a would be scammer. I'm unsure where this buyer is in relation to you— but perhaps getting on the front foot with your purchaser and getting them to sign a stat dec may scare them out of trying to scam you. Or it could make them double down.

    Just spit balling here. Sorry OP — crappy situation to be in.

    • plmko on 10/04/2019 - 13:03

      Yes I was going make the same points, they are good things to know.

    • adam on 10/04/2019 - 13:44
      +4

      Do all of this, prove the video is false and ebay/Paypal will ignore it. They don't mediate, they don't judge, they just side with the buyer.

    • Antares on 10/04/2019 - 14:04
      +3

      This is a great suggestion, you might also like to try bluffing against the scammer.
      You could say you have the weight of the sent package (even if you don't) and that you know the weight of the item (just look it up online to show comparison), so you can easily prove that you sent the whole item.

      Might be enough to make them accept that they can't scam their money back.

      • trapper on 17/04/2019 - 12:06

        The guy is a criminal, there is no bluff. He got scammed, game over.

  • SmileSydney on 10/04/2019 - 11:39
    +1

    I sent them via express post. Buyer is in a different state (VIC).

    Really gives me pause to sell anything on ebay now.

    • brokenglish on 10/04/2019 - 12:05
      +3

      Dont let this crook let you down. Not everyone’s like this. Happens sometimes but keep going mate.

    • brad1-8tsi on 10/04/2019 - 12:45
      +1

      set your bidder profiles so they have to have a minimum rating / time on ebay. (I did mine years back and can't remember the exact details.)

      • SmileSydney on 10/04/2019 - 14:31

        ebay have changed the user interface for listing. It's made it "easier" i.e. dumbed down.

        Many of the advanced buyer filter options aren't available especially not allowing brand new members from bidding.

        • brad1-8tsi on 10/04/2019 - 15:24
          +1

          Thx for info.

          When I first started selling on eBay (15 yrs back?) I made good money. The last few sales have been hopeless. I've pretty much given up as the effort outweighs the reward.

          • SmileSydney on 10/04/2019 - 15:35
            +1

            @brad1-8tsi: eBay are only thinking about competing with Amazon merchant marketplace (i.e. China-made stuff sold directly from China or here). I get the feeling eBay would be happy to dump the used stuff segment (which of course is their humble beginnings)

          • savage bargain on 11/04/2019 - 13:30

            @brad1-8tsi: Yep, found the same. We've given up with them, and not impressed with the effort needed on Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace either to get a sale. We just give away unwanted stuff now.

    • [Deactivated] on 10/04/2019 - 13:06

      Stay away from high volume electronics like phones and accessories. For nerdy pursuits it's safer.

  • qwerty on 10/04/2019 - 11:46

    People videoing opening boxes of goods above $100 isnt too farfatched

  • Strahany on 10/04/2019 - 12:20

    I've had numerous people attempt to do similar things, so any time I sell something worth ~$50 or more, I'll make a continuous video showing me testing the item (if possible), packing it, and sealing it in a postbag with the given buyer's name on it. Before that, though, I clearly state in my listing that people with poor/low/no feedback would need to contact me prior to purchase of have their order cancelled. It's far too easy to make a new account and scam a seller on it.

    • kiitos on 11/04/2019 - 11:46

      What would occur in the contact that would make you accept their bid?

  • CyberMurning on 10/04/2019 - 12:21
    +3

    "This buyer became an ebay member just 1 day before purchase."
    i stop reading after this.
    you should filter out and ban newbies. they maybe a scammers

  • altomic on 10/04/2019 - 12:56
    +1

    Requeat the video. If it show the buyer opening the express bag and then the pod case then you're screwed.

    If it is the seller just opening the case then tell them to file a dispute.

    • foxmulder on 10/04/2019 - 13:39

      Then perhaps op share here the video link.

  • apple2016 on 10/04/2019 - 13:55

    If you think the buyer is scamming you, you could try saying to the buyer that you are registering a complaint with the cops for theft/fraud and you will pass on the buyer details including delivery address to the cops. This could hopefully put off the scammers…

    • Hybroid on 10/04/2019 - 14:36
      +2

      This won't deter anyone. If I was the buyer in this instance, why would I be afraid? How are the police going to prove I received the airpods?

  • coxjon on 10/04/2019 - 15:03
    +4

    Can you ask the buyer to send back the case for a refund as a bit of a psychological test ? If they just want free AirPods then they need the case to charge them and will be unwilling to send the case back.

    • SmileSydney on 10/04/2019 - 15:12

      Yeah - the buyer has requested a return. I have asked for the video and if they don't provide it, I will then accept the return of the case just before eBay cut-off this Friday. The airpods are useless without the case so he will need to send them before he gets a refund.

      • El Grande on 10/04/2019 - 16:15

        You can buy another case now with wireless charging.

        • coxjon on 10/04/2019 - 16:17

          Oh yeah forgot about that

      • trapper on 17/04/2019 - 12:00

        At least you get the case back if they return it. Otherwise you are going to end up with nothing.

    • mikekiwimike on 11/04/2019 - 11:51

      Not if they already have the AirPods and lost the case or the found lose AirPods without a case. This is not that far fetched and there are a..holes out there who will do exactly this :( I feel for you man, you did the right thing and got screwed. You do have their address and name…. look them up on Facebook maybe they are stupid enough to have some evidence ….. won’t stop eBay but will give you something to go to the police with.

  • pjcook on 11/04/2019 - 09:09

    By chance did Aus post weigh the package if so it may be on the receipt. If there were no pods in the package then the weight would show that.

    • SmileSydney on 11/04/2019 - 09:50

      It was express post so no…

  • seonken on 11/04/2019 - 09:51
    +1

    I had a similar problem. Sold a brand new phone in original packaging, sealed, unopened with a bill that I got as a gift. I sold for $200 less than the market price.

    After 30 days, the buyer said, it is second hand and wants a full refund. eBay took the buyer's side.

    All you have to do is tell eBay dispute resolution team that you are going to Fair Trading, ASIC and the ACCC against "ebay" and they will fork out money from their pocket. If Paypal does send you a bill for it then take them there too. It cost them more to fight at a higher level - so they just normally give up if the price is more then $1000 - then it is a different matter.

    In the end, eBay said buyer won the case, however, they will refund the buyer and the buyer can then keep the phone too. I got to keep my money.

    The buyer then tried to cheat me through the credit card company's dispute resolution, they contacted me and I said "I lost the eBay case, she won and she now has the phone and the money and she still wants more money - submitted an email proof" - problem solved.

  • SmileSydney on 11/04/2019 - 10:53

    The buyer sent me a video - it's suspicious cos he opens it using a knife on the front face of the express post. Me thinks he opened it originally on the back like a normal person and is now hiding this. Also during opening with knife, the package moves out of frame. It's all very suspicious.

    My options are:
    1. Accept the return and wait to receive the return to refund. I will get back the case at least. If he doesn't send any part of the packaging, etc I will offer less refund. Write off the whole thing as a lesson to refuse any buyer orders if they have no history.
    2. Do as seonken suggested and raise a complaint with Dept of Fair Trading against eBay.

    • foxmulder on 11/04/2019 - 11:21

      Can you share the video?

      • SmileSydney on 11/04/2019 - 11:25

        I'd love to but better not cos there's personal details (i.e. address label) in it

        • [Deactivated] on 11/04/2019 - 11:50

          If you have a home address, it is time to second a second parcel.

          Maybe a heavy parcel through the window addressed to "Do not scam".

    • kiitos on 11/04/2019 - 11:51
      +1

      Good idea requesting the original packaging, to see if there are multiple openings!

    • SmileSydney on 11/04/2019 - 15:22
      +5

      I tried a 3rd option: Started a chat with eBay, put forward my spotless eBay reputation since 2002 and raised my suspicions of the buyer's activity (very new member, very (too) organised with dispute process for a new member, "video" evidence).

      Chat consultant suggested I wait until buyer escalates. He will personally manage the dispute. I have asked that eBay checks if buyer identity matches any prior eBay profile or fraudulent activities.

      Not sure if his internal system has flagged something already - I was expecting eBay to just tell me to suck it up sister (which they may still do).

    • bozbargain on 15/04/2019 - 15:44

      Does the video have a date/time stamp somewhere in its properties? Good to check if they recorded it before or after complaining to you.

  • HeWhoKnows on 11/04/2019 - 19:47

    I would suggest you say in no uncertain terms that the item you sent is exactly as per the listing.
    YOU have photos to prove what you listed for sale and hence supplied.
    The buyer has no such evidence.

  • pharcyde on 12/04/2019 - 15:25
    +1

    Out of curiosity, what was the buyers feedback rating/amount?

    Maybe this could help lol https://www.glitterbombyourenemies.com.au/

    • Baysew on 12/04/2019 - 15:38

      This buyer became an ebay member just 1 day before purchase.

  • trapper on 17/04/2019 - 12:05

    It blows me away than any private sales are done via ebay/paypal etc, so easy to get scammed.

    Sell on gumtree and accept cash or bank transfer only. For high value items cash only and meet in person…

  • Mr RS on 27/04/2019 - 12:14

    What was the outcome of this?

  • SmileSydney on 28/04/2019 - 14:02
    +3

    eBay auto-approved the item to be returned to me using trackable aus post. Buyer was meant to return it by yesterday. However, buyer didn't even attempt to send it. Deadline lapsed and case closed yesterday in my favour.

    I'll never know the real reason - I did express my concerns with eBay as to the buyer's past history, if any, and the suspicious nature of the dispute which may have triggered additional checks on the buyer (e.g. identification, proof of residency, etc). Or more likely the buyer was too busy over the Easter/Anzac holiday period.

    • foxmulder on 28/04/2019 - 14:33

      Great to hear your news. Maybe buyer was just bluffing. He/she may even afraid that thing won't work with the other part that is meant to be returned, or if it's can be used with third party part, buyer may even feel it's incomplete somehow. I know there is still PayPal incident can be opened (knock wood), atm enjoy your small victory against fraudulent buyer.

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