eBay Seller Scam: Shipping a Wrong (Cheaper) Item

I've mentioned this before on my blog as this has happened to me before. But this scam is cropping up through American sellers now, not just Chinese ones - and there seems to be zero mention of this online -- so I felt the need to publish another post.

The scam is simple.

1.) You purchase item worth a decent amount of money
2.) Sellers ships item with tracking number to you
3.) You receive item that is a sticker or something cheap, worth pennies
4.) Seller claims "item arrived" because it had tracking

eBay will normally not favor you, the buyer, since the seller can prove they did ship something. 

Especially if the seller is a "powerseller", seeing as they favor them as they net eBay tons of money. You won't even be able to leave negative on a powerseller right away because eBay protects them. You have to wait a certain amount of time.

Anyway!

If you buy something, be aware of the shape and size, even weight, of the package it arrives in. If the item seems off, too light of flat when it should be bulky, DO NOT OPEN IT. Your best bet is to take photos just as it is and then return for your money back, if possible - by showing pictures and trying to reason there is "no way" a ceramic figure would be mailed flat in a thin mailer for two stamps, for instance.

I might recommend a video if possible, of you opening the package if you feel you must. Show both your addresses and show that it is sealed in it, of course, before opening. Keep this handy when you file a claim.

We have to fight these disreputable pieces of shit, because if folks keep getting ripped off they'll just think they have it made. We can make them pay - and if worse comes to worse, remember to leave that negative feedback!

Lying scam bucket seller on eBay

I hate when people try to scam others.

(click for bigger image)!

This "person" on eBay (see how nice I'm being? I didn't call them an @#$ at all) is trying to sell a micro squishable for approximately $40 more than it's worth by lying and saying it's a "big" item. It's really tiny, and you can even see it's a micro in the photos (not the first, of course, they think they can fool people by putting that later on, so you think it's the bigger version if you don't check).

UGHHH

NEW eBay SCAM ALERT

All right, we'll cut to the chase here on this one. I ordered 5 things from a seller in China. They sent me a very tiny, very small package with tracking, that included a spring "hair band" inside (not what I ordered of course, it was just to make it look like something was inside).

Seller profile
The feedback says they do this a lot. Send empty packages or "hairbands" when folks order things worth way more than that.

Twitter link to me calling eBay out (with image)

Item numbers I purchased: 391503042737, 351733894035, 351778965725, 391503042035, 391503042737

This is what they told me when I called them out on it, demanding a refund. Classic, right? Like anyone is going to believe it's a "test" package. I've done business for 20+ years and have never heard of that excuse. The worst problem is, I can't figure out how to report them! eBay doesn't want them gone, obviously, because they make them money. And there is no way to report without going out of my way and calling the company. Which, I know because I've done it before, does nothing to the seller. Augh.

*edit: I followed through on EVERY ONE of the auctions, and eventually they caved & mailed the items to me.

*edit 8/23: AUUUGHHH it happened again! Different seller this time, sent me 2 "party favor" stick-on mustache sets. I ordered 2 "squishies", not that cheap dimestore crap! I'll be reporting and giving bad feedback, of course. Bleah.

You know, China, if these sellers keep doing this, no one is going to buy from anyone from your country. Ever. I mean, sheez, it's already all knock off stuff, and not worth a lot, not made well, etc. Now you're not even going to send the crap, because it's "too expensive"? You're going to send something that's a quarter of a pennies' worth?! Argh.