I'm shitting myself, I've lost £400

[jazzyoldjim]

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.

I always finding it cheaper to trade my old iPhone for the new. Every 2 years I get the latest iPhone pro max

Fingers crossed 🤞

Why don't you just have a sim only contract and buy a phone yourself instead upgrading then selling it for less than what it's costing you.

Yes, she knows.

Why don't people just read the thread, or at least their updates before jumping in with their I'll judge two penneth.

OP, eBay is not the best place to sell a phone, it’s utterly full of scammers taking advantage of people who don’t know better. you’re much better using Music Magpie, which is what most Apple enthusiasts use a week or two prior to new launches to get the best pricing. (I only just learnt this)

Years of experience on eBay here and you do NOTHING the buyer is trying to scam you just simply type your tracking number into ebay on the iphone listing and it’s been delivered
eBay can do nothing you won’t lose your money

Thanks for all the responses.

I honestly don't think the buyer is scamming. He's given me his name, place of work, email address and photos of the delivery (with my return address on) and he's been acommodating when Ive arranged with the Lego seller to get his parcel back.

Tracking the "phone" parcel can see it's in the system. Just a wait and see now.

@Beepbeepenergy surely buyer will report as item not as described?

Trying there luck!! But it’s up to you what you do is stick to my guns if I knew I was honest and sent and honest phone out in the post

If anything eBay will refund the buyer and you still. Keep the £450

When I send ANY package ANYWHERE I always put an official-looking sticker on it stating that said parcel contains a tracking device and an identifying substance.
That said, When sending parcels you usually have to declare what the contents are but it depends on the company.
I used DPD once. That says it all and I never buy from a company who use them, either.
I'm sorry you had that experience but the parcel would have been opened and resealed with the phone taken out and Lego put in.
I recommend always taking photos of all sides of the package especially the sealed area and scribbling your signature over the seal. I have a sealing wax seal which has my initials on it. Ask the buyer to take a photo and send it to you before opening any parcel. Then you can tell if it's been tampered with.
I buy and sell watches and sometimes jewellery on eBay and always disguise the shape of the contents with bubblewrap or an oddly shaped box. Did you insure it either on your home insurance or postal insurance?

So lego was delivered to the person who bought the phone but the box it turned up in had the label you put on the box with the phone in on it ? And DPD have now found the box with the phone in , minus the label obviously , so how do they know it's your phone

Seems odd that the buyer of the lego has said that they haven't received your phone, but surely they haven't received their lego either, since that's clearly with your buyer. You'd think the lego buyer would be complaining to their seller about that?

I'm very wary of selling anything of high value on ebay. In my experience ebay are terrible if there are problems, and will always side with a buyer. There's no way they'll foot the bill for the missing phone if it doesn't turn up (hopefully it does come back to you).

That's assuming that there is a buyer of this lego off ebay and the bloke who apparently received it instead of the phone isn't pulling a fast one isn't it .

My money is on he's got the phone and is trying to scam the seller

I've had problems with that delivery company. They delivered a parcel of mine to a neighbour with a similar number in the address.

They should be able to tell you where the parcel was delivered. If you don't get anywhere speak to a manager.

I was going to suggest that perhaps the wrong labels went on the items, but you say you have not sent anyone lego.
Was there anything on the parcel which indicated their might be a phone inside? I needed an extra front door key and ordered one from the same locksmith in 2020. It did not arrive. He had dropped it off. I asked him if there was any indication that the packet contained a key. He was a bit reluctant to admit that. I contacted my house insurance and they said that I must get the locks changed again. They too thought the same and said I would not be insured if it was not replaced right away. When I sent the email to the locksmith he came down right away and changed the lock.

If you have house insurance, you might be able to claim from them.

I meant to add that perhaps someone in the store where you dropped it off (the locksmith's was a supermarket) actually changed it and took the phone. I think that is what happened to my front door key. When you think about it, to have the locksmith's name and my name and address, it was pretty stupid.

Those who log the parcels in at the drop of point have the paperwork and know what is in them.

That's not the question the person is asking. Why do people feel the need to be clever and say this is what i would have done etc etc..

If there were fewer people like you around stating the obvious and minding your own business the world wouldn't be such a shithole.

@wilfy1979 well said

Cheers, it's just not helpful. people like this are everywhere.

I totally get where OP is coming from with this, when babymibs was small, and still now even, my access to credit was non existant, and any spare cash left end of each week went on essentials, bills food... travel. Trying to save a little in a pot doesn't work because yet another thing will crop up and bite you in the arse. Paying the bills each and every week first was habit so paying a slightly larger mobile contract bill in smaller increments would actually be a good way of grabbing together a larger sum every couple of years that was free and clear all there in one lump and not a part of the usual weekly budget. Untill you have been on the bones of yr rear, this is probably something most folks will never be able to understand

Definitely take out insurance with the carrier next time…sometimes it is cheaper to get a quote to sameday high value items if it’s not too far.

I used to work in transport and there are some dodgy folk about!!! Phones were stolen all the time I’m afraid.

Hope you got it back ok 👍

Why would they complain about the missing Lego if they got a iPhone 12 instead ? The would just sell the iPhone and buy more Lego Surely and then be £440 up and some free Lego

I'm jealous of those saying iPhones last ages so they refuse upgrades, I always have mine in shockproof waterproof cases and they don't even last 2 years 🥺 4 children and phone in and out of bags all the time same as most people surely? I even had to pay loads to early upgrade coz iPhone 12 mini which was already repaired had inoperable problem 😳

cancel the phone, call your provider and report it stolen. Ebay do usually side with the buyer. But at least the scum bag that stole it won't have it.