Ebay woes - buyer is a solicitor and won't pay

[toasty]

My OH just sold her camera via ebay to a guy who turns out to be a solicitor.

The buyer paid by Paypal and then requested a refund 2 days after sending. Unfortunately the camera did not arrive within the week and my OH refunded the money.

A few days later the camera arrives and is signed for at his business address.

He is now refusing to pay for it and says he will send it at our own risk. We have offered to pick it up but he won't accept that.

He now has an identical camera up for sale on ebay (which is very likely to be ours but we didn't retain serial number).

Any advice please?

[TankRizzo]

Buy the camera and request a refund two days after sending.

[Truffles]

Write to the Senior Partner of his firm, if he is in private practice.

[barker22]

why did your OH refund the money?
If he never wanted it he should have raised a dispute with paypal and when he sends the item back and provides a tracking number paypal will refund.

[Jasandjules]

Send these details to the SRA complaining about what would appear to be fraudulent conduct on his part.

Copy him in.....

[CMYKguru]

Get straight on the phone to eBay and it'll get sorted in no time.

The fact he is a solicitor means absolutely nothing if he's a fraudster.

I wouldn't be refunding after a week in future. I usually wait at least 14 days and I always send everything signed for.

[toasty]

Thanks guys, we're both inexperienced with ebay and have made a few naive mistakes in that we should have sent full recorded special delivery and should not have refunded so quick.

Hopefully ebay will be able to sort this.

[TankRizzo]

Where does he live OP? If it's near me I will go and pick it up and send it back for you.

ETA: Sorry just saw you said he won't accept you picking it up, I'd threaten to involve the police if that's the case.

[toasty]

TankRizzo said:

Where does he live OP? If it's near me I will go and pick it up and send it back for you.

ETA: Sorry just saw you said he won't accept you picking it up, I'd threaten to involve the police if that's the case.

Thanks mate, I've got no qualms about going to pick it up but we only have his business address and I can't exactly march him out of a legal practice to go and get a camera.

I will go to the SRA if ebay don't sort it.

[Jasandjules]

toasty said:

Thanks mate, I've got no qualms about going to pick it up but we only have his business address and I can't exactly march him out of a legal practice to go and get a camera.

I will go to the SRA if ebay don't sort it.

No but you can go to his office and ask to speak the managing partner. Then explain the situation and ask why their employees are happy to act this way.....

[matt666]

How do you know he's a solicitor? Did he tell you that? Because I wouldn't be believing him if I was you, doesn't sound very solicitor-like behaviour.

[xuy]

CMYKguru said:

Get straight on the phone to eBay and it'll get sorted in no time.

The fact he is a solicitor means absolutely nothing if he's a fraudster.

I wouldn't be refunding after a week in future. I usually wait at least 14 days and I always send everything signed for.

eBay will not be your friend it this situation.

Try the police as it could be theft

[toasty]

matt666 said:

How do you know he's a solicitor? Did he tell you that? Because I wouldn't be believing him if I was you, doesn't sound very solicitor-like behaviour.

The camera was sent to his office and there is a page about him on their website. I agree though, it does sound that he is acting with less integrity than I would expect from a solicitor, or any decent person.

[dudleybloke]

I would turn up at his office sometime Monday morning and have a nice friendly chat about ownership rights.

[Mk3Spitfire]

xuy said:

eBay will not be your friend it this situation.

Try the police as it could be theft

Unlikely to be theft. More likely a fraud offence if anything. I would imagine if you report it to the police they would suggest going through eBay first.

[xuy]

dudleybloke said:

I would turn up at his office sometime Monday morning and have a nice friendly chat about ownership rights.

+1

[ging84]

If it is a high end camera you would usually be able to get the serial number from the exif data from any photos you took with it

[toasty]

ging84 said:

If it is a high end camera you would usually be able to get the serial number from the exif data from any photos you took with it

We've already tried that but serial number was not part of the exif data. The camera was a Fuji x100 so not high end at all but still worth selling.

[Devil2575]

xuy said:

dudleybloke said:

I would turn up at his office sometime Monday morning and have a nice friendly chat about ownership rights.

+1

+2

[shep1001]

How about a bit of social media brand damage for his firm?