Is this an Ebay scam?

[pauljdh]

I sold a pre-power amplifier to a guy in Germany about a month ago. I was meticulous about packing and sent it off in perfect working order.

A couple of weeks later, he contacts me to say the power amp is overheating and buzzing and wants a refund.

I point out the risks involved in shipping electronics which I made clear on the listing and the fact I have no knowledge of what he may have done to them etc etc, anyway he opens a case against me.

I present my case to eBay, he likewise and Ebay deliberate and decide to give him a full refund. I'm not liable and I am admonished of any blame.

As far as I know the guy has the amp, either in perfect working order or needing a small repair plus all his money back! Nice for him.

As far as I know eBay haven't inspected the hardware and have trusted written claims.

It dawns on me that the process is so easy to fiddle and fraud in eBay could be massive!

My expectation is that eBay would have asked for the equipment to be tested then decide.

Were taking about a couple of hundred quid

Any opinions?

[marshalla]

You win, he loses. Move on.

[bearman68]

marshalla said:

You win, he loses. Move on.

Err, don't think that is quite right.
OP, I think you have just paid to have you preamp nicked. Sorry

[marshalla]

bearman68 said:

marshalla said:

You win, he loses. Move on.

Err, don't think that is quite right.
OP, I think you have just paid to have you preamp nicked. Sorry

pauljdh said:

I'm not liable and I am admonished of any blame.

Actually, reading that line again - I make it OP wins, buyer wins, ebay takes an acceptable loss (to them). Move on.

[Patch1875]

Surely eBay will refund with your money?

[bearman68]

Patch1875 said:

Surely eBay will refund with your money?

That's how I had read it (with respect to the previous poster), but now I'm not sure. Certainly if Ebay use the OP's money, that's the end of that, and I would have though it would be.

[pauljdh]

No - I keep my money with, as I said, no blame on me, (eBay have confirmed that in writing) he gets a full refund and as far as I know he keeps the equipment.....that was my point of writing.......ebay obviously wants to keep punters happy...at their expense

[Jagmanv12]

Looks like ebay have finally stopped kicking the seller. In the past buyer complains, ebay accept his/her, possibly untrue, story and issue refund from seller's account.

Loads of sellers have complained about this with some even leaving ebay. So maybe ebay now realise some buyers are con artists.

[dave_s13]

You just need to assume the buyer is genuine and accept that eBay have in fact acted in the best interests of all parties.

About time really. EBay is/was a risky place to sell high value items.

[Driver101]

I've never heard of eBay refunding someone before, not without taking the money off the seller.

People already don't have enough of a conscious not to rip off other private individuals. If the opportunity is there to rip off a faceless company the size of eBay, I can see the queue getting long very quickly.

[Patch1875]

If that's the case(I'm not convinced) there's going to be a lot of faulty goods sold as working fine.

[hebangsthedrums]

I had this a couple of years ago with an ancient laptop I sold.

Listing said its approx 6 years old, slow but runs - had pics of it working.

Sold for £35 - approx a week after delivery I get an email from buyer saying its slow - I say what do you expect - its ancient...
Get another saying it doesn't have a webcam - I reply asking where it said it had a webcam in the listing.
Next morning there is an eBay claim against me with the narrative stating it doesn't work, has been taken to a computer shop who advise hard drive is faulty & also it is 7 years old and not 6(!)
I explain that it worked as pictured, they had already acknowledged it works - eBay refund buyer & ask them to send back
I appeal decision saying I've had correspondence saying it is slow - how can it now not be working at all (laptop arrives in post).
Ebay refund me - I throw unopened returned laptop in wheelie bin.

I'm amazed how they don't question buyers more sometimes - in my case they would have seen they were lying from the eBay messages....

[Saleen836]

Driver101 said:

I've never heard of eBay refunding someone before, not without taking the money off the seller.

People already don't have enough of a conscious not to rip off other private individuals. If the opportunity is there to rip off a faceless company the size of eBay, I can see the queue getting long very quickly.

had this a couple of months ago, bought something off Ebay advertised as genuine with no returns accepted, when it arrived it was a fake so I opened a case via Ebay to return for a refund, sent it 'signed for' and entered the tracking number in Ebay, as soon as it was signed for Ebay refunded me, a day later I received a message from the seller stating he had received my empty package! I phoned Ebay with my concerns of having the money retaken from my account and told them I have the receipt showing the weight of the item returned, they said don't worry if the seller gets a refund it will be from Ebay.
No idea if he did and they never asked for any proof in the way of the receipt.