Sold i-phone on ebay .....well I thought I did

Sold i-phone on ebay .....well I thought I did

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Discussion

Warnie

Original Poster:

1,135 posts

198 months

Friday 12th December 2014
quotequote all
I sold my daughters I-phone 4 on ebay for her a week ago. It sold for a decent amount but she has looked after it hardly a scratch, and it is unlocked as she has been using it this way for a while now after getting it done.

Buyer has just sent me an email saying he has taken it to 2 apple shops. The 1st one has told him it's not unlocked, so he then takes it the other one who tells him it is unlocked but only temporarily because it was reported as a stolen phone!

Now he wants his money back and for me to pay postage, yet obviously I know it's not stolen and I also know it's unlocked as she has been using it that way for over a year now. I don't sell much on ebay, and I know why now, but can anyone give me any advice on this? My daughter has already spent the money and I don't want any negative feed back, but surely this guy is trying it on? I think he either has changed his mind or realized he's paid over the odds for it (£117)


NiceCupOfTea

25,280 posts

250 months

Friday 12th December 2014
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Have you got the serial no? Worth mentioning so they don't try to send back a different one...

Dave^

7,324 posts

252 months

Friday 12th December 2014
quotequote all
Just make sure he doesn't send you a different phone back... ie, a nicked, locked one for instance...

Did you make a note of the imei number?

PS - I fking loathe eBay (for selling).

eta - too slow...

anonymous-user

53 months

Friday 12th December 2014
quotequote all
if it was me i would offer ten pounds back to him to shut him up as ebay will refund him anyway.

Warnie

Original Poster:

1,135 posts

198 months

Friday 12th December 2014
quotequote all
Dave^ said:
Just make sure he doesn't send you a different phone back... ie, a nicked, locked one for instance...

Did you make a note of the imei number?

PS - I fking loathe eBay (for selling).

eta - too slow...
No serial or imei number, not selling on there much means I'm pretty naïve, unfortunately. I've not told my daughter yet but from what I can gather ebay only back the buyers in these cases?

This is his message:

Hi I have checked with 2 different phone shops and one told me that your phone was not unlocked and the other said that it is unlocked but temporarily because it was reported as a stolen phone. I am not going to be using a stolen phone so can you refund my money and give me your address to return your phone. I thought I should email you on here before take it to ebay or even give you a negative review.

MissChief

7,095 posts

167 months

Friday 12th December 2014
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Ebay WILL side with the buyer unless you have clear and absolute proof that the phone works, is unlocked (I assume this was mentioned in the advert?) and you get the same phone back.

KrazyIvan

4,341 posts

174 months

Friday 12th December 2014
quotequote all
EBay will side with the buyer and one way or another you are about to end up out of pocket.

Case in point.

I sold an iPhone on eBay ( you know where this is going) mint condition, buyer says he wants it to replace his daughter's as he dropped it and cracked the screen, he'd bought a replacement earlier but daughter was not happy as it felt "rough" . 2 weeks later he opened a dispute, screen was chipped and cracked, silver bezel around the outside was bent. EBay sided with him and refunded him before I had the phone back. When I got it back low and behold it is my phone, but not with my genuine Apple screen. Informed eBay, they couldn't have cared less.

KrazyIvan

4,341 posts

174 months

Friday 12th December 2014
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Phat finger double post

jogon

2,971 posts

157 months

Friday 12th December 2014
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Without photo's of the imei or serial number you are unfortunately screwed. If you had that then you can demand they return the phone and then refund once in receipt and it is the same phone you sent as it is you will most likely receive a dodgy phone back in return.

eBay has become a vile market place swarming with scam buyers picking on the occasional hobby sellers often unaware of the many scams going.

My advice take it on the chin and never use the ste site again.




Sheepshanks

32,522 posts

118 months

Friday 12th December 2014
quotequote all
Warnie said:
I am not going to be using a stolen phone so can you refund my money and give me your address to return your phone. I thought I should email you on here before take it to ebay or even give you a negative review.
Surely the thing to do here is get him to return the 'phone - he'll have to use a trackable service.

Maybe he won't bother.

If he does, and it's the same 'phone, sell it as buyer collects only.

Warnie

Original Poster:

1,135 posts

198 months

Friday 12th December 2014
quotequote all
KrazyIvan said:
EBay will side with the buyer and one way or another you are about to end up out of pocket.

Case in point.

I sold an iPhone on eBay ( you know where this is going) mint condition, buyer says he wants it to replace his daughter's as he dropped it and cracked the screen, he'd bought a replacement earlier but daughter was not happy as it felt "rough" . 2 weeks later he opened a dispute, screen was chipped and cracked, silver bezel around the outside was bent. EBay sided with him and refunded him before I had the phone back. When I got it back low and behold it is my phone, but not with my genuine Apple screen. Informed eBay, they couldn't have cared less.
Christ! It's frightening how little back up sellers have, it's a wonder anyone sells on there at all. So it looks as though I need to cut my losses and prey he sends my original phone back? Surely though he would have to give ebay proof of the phone being stolen though?

Sheepshanks

32,522 posts

118 months

Friday 12th December 2014
quotequote all
I wonder what the point of him saying he's taken it to 2 'phone shops is?

You'd bang a SIM in and see if it worked - but there's no comment that it's now working.

jogon

2,971 posts

157 months

Friday 12th December 2014
quotequote all
The common scams I am aware of are -

- Asking to change paypal payment or delivery address - only use confirmed addresses and from the winning bidder only.
- Accepting PayPal then allow them to collect or use their own delivery service - Never ever do this it is either cash on collection or use your own courier.
- As in the OPs case, receive a working device and then claim otherwise and then swop with a faulty one on return.

Feel free to add any others because eBay offer no assistance what so ever with any of the cases above as they will always side with the buyer.

oldcynic

2,166 posts

160 months

Friday 12th December 2014
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Withdraw any cleared funds from Paypal, cancel their payment mechanism, close Ebay account and block any payments from your bank/card to PayPal or Ebay.

Or try trusting their dispute resolution mechanism. I know what I'd do in your position.

marshalla

15,902 posts

200 months

Friday 12th December 2014
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"I'll refund as soon as you've returned it and I've confirmed that it's the handset I sent to you by checking the secret marks that I put on it as well as confirming the IMEI and serial number."

Bluff called.


DocJock

8,341 posts

239 months

Friday 12th December 2014
quotequote all
oldcynic said:
Withdraw any cleared funds from Paypal, cancel their payment mechanism, close Ebay account and block any payments from your bank/card to PayPal or Ebay.
Poor advice.

They will refund the buyer and chase you for the money. You agreed to their terms and conditions.

oldcynic

2,166 posts

160 months

Friday 12th December 2014
quotequote all
DocJock said:
oldcynic said:
Withdraw any cleared funds from Paypal, cancel their payment mechanism, close Ebay account and block any payments from your bank/card to PayPal or Ebay.
Poor advice.

They will refund the buyer and chase you for the money. You agreed to their terms and conditions.
And what if they don't comply with their own terms & conditions? On what basis would they chase you, and how far?

Altrezia

8,517 posts

210 months

Friday 12th December 2014
quotequote all
marshalla said:
"I'll refund as soon as you've returned it and I've confirmed that it's the handset I sent to you by checking the secret marks that I put on it as well as confirming the IMEI and serial number."

Bluff called.
That. Even if you don't have it, I'm sure you could get the IMEI from wherever you got the phone from in the first place, and the buyer won't know you don't have it.

Soir

2,268 posts

238 months

Saturday 13th December 2014
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Common scam is buyer posts empty box back but has proof of delivery so eBay sides with the buyer & seller loses the money and the item

Was wary of this when I was selling my iPhone and cancel auction because winning bidder looked dodgy (new member, not good feedback etc)

As someone states earlier ebay (wrongly) sides with the buyer

This sounds dodgy to me. Maybe agree to have phone returned but you want him to email you serial number and for postage to state the weight of item (explain scam above to him)

Studio117

4,250 posts

190 months

Saturday 13th December 2014
quotequote all
if the phone is linked to an itunes account you cannot unlock it. Its simply an expensive paper weight.

Even a factory reset retains the linked account.

The phone needs to be de-authorized from icloud before sale.

(my ebay refund and new brick can't come soon enough)



Edited by Studio117 on Saturday 13th December 00:14