Name from mobile number and email

[rfisher]

I need the name of an Ebay seller who sold me a stolen item.

Ebay and Paypal have been less than useless.

I'm going to take this to the Police via 101.

I have his email address and mobile number from Paypal.

I have a return address from the item.

I need the geezer's name to take this further.

What's the best way to get that?

I suspect that the Police won't be that interested.

Item cost £800.

[eybic]

Your Paypal receipt should show a name and address??

[Terzo123]

Chances are the mobile number will be from a PaYG burner SIM which won't be registered to anyone.

Return address will be a vacant mail drop off location.

Best bet would be to contact the police and see if they can track the individual via his banking accounts.

[mcdjl]

How do you know its stolen? You might just need the right copper, some proactively went and recovered some stolen stuff that was located on ebay before it was sold.

[rfisher]

Paypal receipt just lists his Ebay userid as the seller.

I'd love to know how you do that because mine give my name, address and email.

I know that it's stolen because I contacted the manufacturer to ask them about a possible fault.

They told me that it had been reported to them as stolen.

It's also faulty.

[rxe]

Normally Ebay and Paypal are 100% supportive of a buyer returning an item for the most random of reasons. You just say "I don't want it", send it back and get your money returned.

What's the problem here .... have you taken a long time to realise it was nicked or something? They won't give a hoot that it is stolen, but they usually support a refund.

[Henzy]

Put the number into twitter, you can search for users by mobile number, or you could save it into your phone and check on WhatsApp. Not sure if you can search for users by their mobile number on facebook?

[Graveworm]

rxe said:

Normally Ebay and Paypal are 100% supportive of a buyer returning an item for the most random of reasons. You just say "I don't want it", send it back and get your money returned.

What's the problem here .... have you taken a long time to realise it was nicked or something? They won't give a hoot that it is stolen, but they usually support a refund.

Returning it is a crime and if they were "supportive" of it then PayPal and Ebay would also be commiting a crime. There is not much the OP can legally do with it except report it to the police. Chances are that the manufacturer has already let the police know, as they are unlikely to have registered it as stolen without a crime reference.
Doing that is also the best, if very slight chance of getting their money back. However there is a better chance of getting good title to it; its probably now the property of an insurance company who may let them keep it, or buy it for a nominal amount as it needs fixing.

[Paulm4]

Phone from a landline, say you are from Camelot and that he's won the lottery but need his full name/address etc...

[sim16v]

On ebay you can ask for contact details and it normally gives name and contact number.

[rfisher]

Ebay, in their infinite wisdom, have withdrawn the contact details facility.

They are likely to be false for this seller anyway.

I've informed the Police and my cc company.

Pita.

[rxe]

Graveworm said:

Returning it is a crime and if they were "supportive" of it then PayPal and Ebay would also be commiting a crime. There is not much the OP can legally do with it except report it to the police. Chances are that the manufacturer has already let the police know, as they are unlikely to have registered it as stolen without a crime reference.
Doing that is also the best, if very slight chance of getting their money back. However there is a better chance of getting good title to it; its probably now the property of an insurance company who may let them keep it, or buy it for a nominal amount as it needs fixing.

I'm just working out how OP gets his money back...."I'm returning it as its provenance is uncertain" would be a good enough reason. As he's found out, neither ebay or paypal ... or indeed the plod seem to give a monkeys....