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Original poster

I'm shitting myself, I've lost £400

268 replies

jazzyoldjim · 15/09/2022 20:23

So every 2y I get a new phone upgrade, except I have young kids so I CBA to have a snazzy phone so I usually sell the phone on eBay or FB marketplace and then have a little bit of treat money (usually goes on kids!)

Listed phone on eBay, iphone12. Sold it for £450. Bought postage from DPD (who might I add I have always seen as the safest most reputable courier, with tracking, delivery windows etc) for about £8. Dropped it off at DpD parcel shop which happened to be an Argos near me. It was really busy when I dropped it off and the girl taped the label to the top and put it in a pile. I got a tracking card receipt thingy.

Yesterday I got a notification that it had been delivered. It was meant to be next day but I dropped it off last Sunday so seems slow but ok - checked tracking and it had been left at Argos for 3 days before it was collected. I messaged my buyer on eBay to check all ok - he hadn't received it, although it is a business so says he will check tomorrow to see if it's been left. The business name is a man's name think EDWARD JONES and the tracking is saying signed for by Edward.

Anyway he messages me this morning to say nothing has been delivered. Then 10mins later I got another email from DPD to say my parcel has been delivered. I messaged the buyer again thinking maybe it just got held up. This time he has received a parcel - but inside is a Lego kit not an iPhone!

I haven't sold or posted any Lego kits. The parcel had my label and return address on it - he has shown me photographs.

So that means my iPhone is off out delivered to some person somewhere. I am devastated. Can anyone suggest anything I can do. I have asked DPD to look into it for me and they are calling me tomorrow morning.

OP posts:
Monkeytapper · 16/09/2022 10:30

@Breakfastisjustporridge if you look in 'completed listings' on ebay, you can narrow it down with when item sold, item description and will show what area it was sold

Breakfastisjustporridge · 16/09/2022 10:37

Monkeytapper · 16/09/2022 10:30

@Breakfastisjustporridge if you look in 'completed listings' on ebay, you can narrow it down with when item sold, item description and will show what area it was sold

Well lego is a popular item, but more baffled by how you can see that the person selling it posted using dpd.

Doingprettywellthanks · 16/09/2022 10:45

Breakfastisjustporridge · 16/09/2022 10:37

Well lego is a popular item, but more baffled by how you can see that the person selling it posted using dpd.

Show quote history

Don’t be baffled!

the seller will detail their postage ie Royal Mail or tracked or dpd or evri etc

FirewomanSam · 16/09/2022 10:51

OP I hope you get to the bottom of this, very odd!

I know a few people have said it but I winced when I read about your system of taking upgrades and then selling the phone as a form of ‘credit’. I totally get that it must feel like a nice bonus when you sell the phone but you’re really just throwing money away.

Say you’re paying £40 a month for a 2 year contract with a nice phone included. Probably only £10 of that is paying for your phone service, the rest is paying for your phone in instalments. So if you switched to a £10 a month sim-only deal you could put the remaining £30 a month in a savings account and then have £720 to spend at the end of the two year period. Obviously I don’t know the exact numbers you’re working with but I am so sure the amount you’d save up would be more than you could sell the phone on eBay for.

Sorry to lecture but it’s always something that makes me cringe when people say they get a ‘free phone’ with their contract when really they’re just paying for it in installments!

GonnaGetGoingReturns · 16/09/2022 10:55

It could be a scam by the Ebay buyer or phone could've been replaced by Lego.

What I'm wondering is if it's a £400 phone why did you only get the £100 insurance via Ebay?

As per what @FirewomanSam says - I deliberately haven't got an upgrade on my iphone for the past 3 years now only because I don't need/want one (I hate the hassle of learning about a new phone) but also the hassle when it comes to sell the old one, if you do, can be a pain. It's not a free upgrade you pay for it!

FeatherBlower · 16/09/2022 11:07

Have you tried using ‘Find my iPhone’ on the phone? If it’s at his address then he’s scamming you, if not you’ll know where it is…

Twinsandsome · 16/09/2022 11:12

@jazzyoldjim i get the thing your doing selling the phone to get instant cash s I’ve been there before I can remember buying. Dyson cordless on very and selling on gumtree at a lesser price to have instant cash esp at this time of year 💐

I hope you get this sorted x

catfunk · 16/09/2022 11:16

jazzyoldjim · 15/09/2022 20:58

I know about the contract being expensive btw. But I never have large sums of money and don't have access to them so this is one way I can.

Not the point of the post but you're not just 'getting a barge sum of money for free'.
You're getting an upfront sum by selling the phone which you'll then pay back more for over the coming months. Just drop down to a 7.99 pcm sim if you don't need the new phone.

GhostFromTheOtherSide · 16/09/2022 11:21

Find my iPhone is linked to your Apple ID. As the OP has sold the phone she will have cleared it so it is no longer her’s to find.

Original poster
jazzyoldjim · 16/09/2022 11:24

Update! Phonecall from DPD, they have found my missing parcel and it is being returned to me! It is not the Lego as my buyer has not arranged anything yet.

And yes again, guys... I know the cost of the contract etc etc I don't need to be told any more.

OP posts:
nachoavocado · 16/09/2022 11:27

jazzyoldjim · 16/09/2022 11:24

Update! Phonecall from DPD, they have found my missing parcel and it is being returned to me! It is not the Lego as my buyer has not arranged anything yet.

And yes again, guys... I know the cost of the contract etc etc I don't need to be told any more.

HOW WEIRD!

XelaM · 16/09/2022 11:28

Omg so happy gor you OP!!!

XelaM · 16/09/2022 11:29

Btw - I totally understand needing instant cash rather than cash in 2 years' time! So glad it was found!!

Original poster
jazzyoldjim · 16/09/2022 11:32

It might not be the phone... It could be anything at this point 🥹 we'll see what turns up.

OP posts:
GonnaGetGoingReturns · 16/09/2022 11:35

jazzyoldjim · 16/09/2022 11:24

Update! Phonecall from DPD, they have found my missing parcel and it is being returned to me! It is not the Lego as my buyer has not arranged anything yet.

And yes again, guys... I know the cost of the contract etc etc I don't need to be told any more.

Good for you.

Now be careful next time if you're selling something expensive and insure it for more than £100.

AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair · 16/09/2022 11:45

prh47bridge · 16/09/2022 09:19

The OP has a photo of the Lego with the label fixed to the box. She has found that it was sold by someone else in her village at about the same time. I therefore think it is highly unlikely to be a scam by the buyer. Far more likely that DPD messed up.

Show quote history

Come on now @prh47bridge don't be so sensible , don't you know that in MN world everyone's a scammer

In fact the Lego buyer and the phone buyer have probably colluded to do this one

JadeSeahorse · 16/09/2022 11:47

That's fantastic news OP!

Please let us know it definitely is the phone when it arrives back with you.

Definitely insure for the full cost before sending again but so thrilled for you.🤞👍.

uncomfortablydumb53 · 16/09/2022 11:49

Fingers crossed DPD deliver your phone back to you.

MadeForThis · 16/09/2022 12:05

Blacklisting an imei only works within the UK. If the phone is taken abroad it still works.

Hereforit2022 · 16/09/2022 13:22

Aw I hope it's the phone 🤞 glad you are getting somewhere with it. Honestly though, please watch when selling high value items online too many scammers out there

SpotlessMind88 · 16/09/2022 14:46

jazzyoldjim · 16/09/2022 11:24

Update! Phonecall from DPD, they have found my missing parcel and it is being returned to me! It is not the Lego as my buyer has not arranged anything yet.

And yes again, guys... I know the cost of the contract etc etc I don't need to be told any more.

Fabulous news! I really hope it's the phone. My FIL always sells his upgrade phone to CEX or a pawn shop / cash convertors. Less hassle than ebay :)

justasking111 · 16/09/2022 14:58

@jazzyoldjim we have local FB selling pages around our way. Buying and selling is safer we find

Moonbeam107 · 16/09/2022 17:48

If DPD stick the labels on, they could have got it mixed up. They did with me, they delivered my sent item back to me!

Shell4429 · 16/09/2022 18:07

I accidentally sent £881 to a game and still trying to get it back. Still don’t know how it happened. Scammers seem to be around every corner.

LittleBear21 · 16/09/2022 18:07

When is the returned "found" parcel now due back?