The charge back scam

[cmccuist]

This is very upsetting. Not sure even what to do next.

Here's the cliff note version: My wife sold a very expensive pearl necklace (valued at approximately $5,000) on eBay for $2,500. The buyer waited until after the eBay feedback period had lapsed, but before the Paypal period was over, <90 days.

Then, they told their credit card company that the necklace was "not as described". They said the pearls were smaller then the description said. Even though my wife had an appraisal from a certified gemologist and the buyer just held up a ruler. The credit card company sided with the buyer. So we got a charge back for $2,500 from eBay and somehow the buyer got to keep the necklace!!

Letters, emails, etc. to eBay and Paypal were a waste of time.

Apparently, this charge back scam has been working as eBay won't go after the scammers. They just ignore the fact that the charge-backer pricks don't return the item - usually jewelry.

So we will never sell anything on eBay for more than $100. F'em.

[Scott Douglas]

Wow. That sucks big time.

[Bill Douglas]

What is the address that they were mailed to?

[stevej37]

I don't know anything about this 'charge back'. But I do know that I'm done dealing with ebay.
Noticed a couple days ago a recurring charge to my paypal account from ebay.
Disputed it...message back was 'It's part of ebay's new policy.
Ebay was great...10 years ago. Not now.

[vinceSPEC]

i have had this happen more than once over the years with car parts. buyers sit on it just long enough not to let the window lapse and then file a chargeback with their CC company and a few days later negative balance in paypal. they have 180 days to do so unfortunately with the dumb rules these companies set forth in order to gain users.
call the local sheriff and have the merchandise reported stolen with the address it was sent to, and have your attorney send out a letter stating that if the item or funds are not returned within 7 calendar days youll file a suit. 9 out of 10 times, the people trying to get free stuff are not smart enough to push their luck any further and return the merchandise. and make sure to file a complaint with ebay in order to get your 10% in fees back, as well as mark their buyer profile with a scoff (they will do this if you push it and threaten a bit).

i had one kid dumb enough after a nicely worded letter from my attorney return the set of wheels he attempted for free by chargeback, while I simultaneously had paypal fight the chargeback and ended up winning that too.. kid learned a hard lesson that day having to pay over 3k$ for the property he no longer had possession of and in the end had to then drive almost 1000miles to come retrieve his "property" in person..

[Arizona_928]

ebay makes executive decisions as a large retailer when all the sellers are mom and pop operations.

[john70t]

I've hear so many horror stories about how PayPal is automatically biased to the seller in fraud disputes.
(ie PayPal is biased towards the sellers.)

Then I heard stories of how PayPal withholds seller authorized funds from for months at end.
(Meanwhile they collect daily interest on millions of transactions.)


To sum it up: That doesn't seem like any company I would want to deal with.

[cabmandone]

For more than $100?? F'em... don't sell anything on ebay again. There are other platforms for selling.

[cmccuist]

Thanks for the good advice guys. We sent it to an actual address in CT. So we can file a stolen property complaint. These people seem to know exactly how to work it as there are so many who have been taken. My wife has a little ebay/FB marketplace business that she loves doing.

It broke my heart as she had to sell $2,500 worth of sales in order to get her eBay account back to even.

we will get an attorney to send a letter and get that police report going.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by cmccuist

It broke my heart as she had to sell $2,500 worth of sales in order to get her eBay account back to even.

we will get an attorney to send a letter and get that police report going.

I’m sorry to hear that. Good luck with the police report, I hope it works out.

I wonder, if you told eBay to pound sand (you had the money in hand, right?) if they would come back to you to keep a customer or if they rely on people to think of their eBay account as something that is valuable?

[widebody911]

Originally Posted by stevej37

Noticed a couple days ago a recurring charge to my paypal account from ebay.
Disputed it...message back was 'It's part of ebay's new policy.

So what was the charge for?

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by widebody911

So what was the charge for?

I have no idea...but being less than $10..I figured it wasn't worth spending any time on it. This is the message paypal sent me.


"The payment in question was sent as part of a billing agreement you previously set up with the merchant.

We've now canceled this agreement for you to prevent any other unwanted transactions. Moving forward please be sure to review all your active billing agreements."


I have never signed up for any type of 'billing agreement'

[widebody911]

With as many horror stores I've heard about ebay and PayPal, I'm surprised anyone uses them. I've tried to find stuff on there and it's just full of keyword-spammed Chinese crap. If I'm searching for Isetta parts, I have zero interest in your Honda Accord LED keychain.

[dewolf]

Threaten Ebay with being an accessory to fraud. I have done it before. I took it up with the Australian Federal Police. Ring your CC company and explain you never gave any authorization for a charge back.

[rusnak]

Call the FBI internet fraud unit. I'm not kidding.

[pwd72s]

Ebay I avoided after a cop told me that it was a fencing operation dealing in stolen goods...Craig's list also full of scammers...Paypal is NOT a bank, it's security is questionable.


Laugh at this old curmudgeon if you want...I won't deal with any of them.

[RWebb]

eBay

[G50]

Yep. Never take payment by PayPal when you sell something, at least not in any amount you’re not prepared to lose.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by G50

Yep. Never take payment by PayPal when you sell something, at least not in any amount you’re not prepared to lose.

Link PayPal to a bank account that you keep chump change in. If you want to buy something, transfer in some $ from your regular account. As soon as you sell something transfer the $ to an account not linked to PP.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

You can’t transfer it to an account not linked to PayPal. It has to be linked I believe, unless there’s a way to just send it “anywhere” with say, a routing number. I’m not aware of that though - AFAIK PP makes you verify accounts to link them in order to enable transfers.

If there’s a way I’d love to know it - I do sell on there somewhat regularly but nothing too big and haven’t been burned so far.