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Original poster

Help please, Buyer saying they received toilet paper not pram

308 replies

Angelika321 · 25/01/2020 08:33

As above really. I sent a pram via courier sold for £300, but the buyer is telling me they received toilet paper.

Ebay are insisting I accept the return, (and then file an appeal) but I don't see why I should.

Do I have any recourse?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
MissingMySleep · 26/01/2020 08:35

Tell her the police and eBay have asked for photos of the label.

Original poster
Angelika321 · 26/01/2020 08:37

@DobbyTheHouseElk The parcel is shown as delivered and signed for by Hermes which is why trying to insist it's this one.

OP posts:
DobbyTheHouseElk · 26/01/2020 08:38

I’ve only been scammed for a few quid on eBay. It’s stealing, the police need to know.

SuperMeerkat · 26/01/2020 08:39

I’m cross for you @Angelika321 Something similar happened to me with an iPhone. Fortunately, PayPal sided with me (the seller) as the cheeky sod didn’t respond to any of their queries. When I looked on their ratings they were well known for it.

Original poster
Angelika321 · 26/01/2020 08:43

While I remember she's only been an eBay member since November last year and has 100% feedback as a buyer but hasn't left any feedback herself.

She has a very unique name and I can't find her on social media at all.

Finally when I spoke to her over the phone she said she was an older lady and didn't know how to add pictures to the return request. I had to talk her through it.

OP posts:
Gogreen · 26/01/2020 08:53

From your answer they have clearly wrapped toilet roll themselves and printed a label like yours to stick on to take a photo.

That would cost around £20 for them to do, well worth it for a £200+pram.

Notify them that it’s not your parcel or your label, and if a refund is forced this will be going straight to the police as clearly fraud has taken place somewhere along the line.

I would say, my parcel is tracked and scanned and showing as delivered, if you feel your pram has been stolen or replaced, please contact the police to report it, and give me the crime reference number, with that I am able to look into this further for you on your behalf.

You should be met with silence.

Good luck!

TellerTuesday4EVA · 26/01/2020 09:18

Oh OP I'm sorry this has happened to you. I used to love eBay & made some significant sales over the years but it's just not worth using anymore, there are far more deceitful people than honest using it & we got burned several times.

Once was some fishing equipment that DH sold for £200, I did all the right things insuring them, tracked delivery etc & showed as being delivered on the tracking & the buyer to flat out denied receiving them. eBay advised that I refunded the buyer & took it up with the courier, obviously they wouldn't compensate me because all they'd tracking showed as delivered. I was so angry about it.

I only ever use the local Facebook selling sites now, really not worth the risk with eBay anymore.

Tarararara · 26/01/2020 09:25

From your answer they have clearly wrapped toilet roll themselves and printed a label like yours to stick on to take a photo.

But if the buyer is a scammer and has received the pram, why hasn't she cut out and stuck the OPs original label on to the toilet roll parcel? Doesn't make sense - a scammer would know that the seller will have the original label with all identifying barcodes etc in their email.

Doyoumind · 26/01/2020 09:32

If this person is new to scamming they might not realise about the address label being downloaded and printer by the seller.

I think a courier would know they couldn't get away with a different label.

youwereagoodcakeclyde · 26/01/2020 09:46

Definitely rooting for you!

Original poster
Angelika321 · 26/01/2020 09:52

Just spoke with Ebay and they're still maintaining it's my word against hers despite all the evidence. They can't step in until the deadline expires on the first.

I've just sent this message.

"Hi I need to send the picture of the label to Hermes. If you could take another picture and attach it like before that would be great. They just need to be able to see the whole label clearly.

I've also been to the parcel shop and have video footage which shows my parcel parcel being dropped off and then collected by the courier. It also shows my parcel is not the one you received.

I will be passing this evidence to Ebay today and the police tomorrow morning (along with your contact details) so they can investigate the theft of the pram further."

OP posts:
Whynosnowyet · 26/01/2020 09:54

Good for you op!!!

bobstersmum · 26/01/2020 09:55

Blimey op, what are you speaking to her on the phone and helping her for!!?

Alexandernevermind · 26/01/2020 09:55

Don't accept the return. We purchased a large item on ebay, paid via PayPal and received nothing. Apart from sending a couple of emails PayPal and Ebay did nothing to get our item to us or our money back. They told us to go through the police.

bobstersmum · 26/01/2020 10:04

Is there ANY chance that the stupid woman has actually ordered toilet roll from someone else and your parcel hasn't arrived yet? I'm getting so mad on your behalf op I would be so tempted to go around there!

DobbyTheHouseElk · 26/01/2020 10:06

I’d go straight to the police now. It’s theft. Worry about ebay later. She may have done this before and the police need more evidence.

katewhinesalot · 26/01/2020 10:07

If you don't get anywhere with that compelling evidence there is something definitely wrong with eBay and its systems.

Espoleta · 26/01/2020 10:08

OP good luck getting to the bottom of this!

Lovelydaybut · 26/01/2020 10:09

Fingers crossed !!

DobbyTheHouseElk · 26/01/2020 10:17

Is the buyer not concerned that someone has nicked the pram? You think if she was legit she’d be helping you....

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 26/01/2020 10:30

"I will be passing this evidence to Ebay today and the police tomorrow morning (along with your contact details) so they can investigate the theft of the pram further"

Nice work, OP. I'm sure a lot of these scammers try and rationalise it to themselves by seeing it as 'being a bit cheeky' or 'scoring themselves a freebie' and wouldn't actually consider themselves as the criminals that they are.

I've just re-read a fantastic old thread about people who avoid paying for things by any means possible. There were a few stories of people legitimately watching the pennies by using teabags several times or parking a long way out and walking in to town; but the vast majority of them were simple textbook examples of theft. One poster knew a man who would drive around their rural area and steal all of the produce that people had put out for sale on the roadside, but he never took the money already in the honesty boxes as apparently "THAT would be theft".

By (correctly) using the word 'theft' and informing her that you've escalated it to the police, she might just poo herself suddenly remember that she ordered the jumbo toilet roll pack at the same time and that your pram did indeed arrive separately. Interesting how she'd distinctively remember seeing something boring and mundane arrive but not notice an exciting accessory for her baby - hopefully, she'll find herself needing all of that toilet roll very quickly....

d1157959543599b000178 · 26/01/2020 10:31

There is a date on your label (20/01/2020).Can you check on the buyers label to see if they have the same date.
They might be the same date as the buyer may have been clever and paid for her own label the day she knew you were posting it.Worth a shot though.
If you post on ebay community there are some very experienced sellers on there who will hopefully give you some good advice re scams.

Wishing you all the best, please do not give up but do follow the correct procedures otherwise she will end up with the pram and the money. You do need to accept the return ( I know it is toilet roll but you do need to accept the return ) and then fight the case afterwards. otherwise ebay will refund her.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 26/01/2020 10:40

Is there ANY chance that the stupid woman has actually ordered toilet roll from someone else and your parcel hasn't arrived yet?

There's every chance that she has - some people buy everything online and bulk-buying could be cost effective. But if you were looking for a product that you could substitute for a large valuable item and needed something bulky and relatively low value, toilet roll would fit the bill perfectly.

Also, just how stupid would you have to be to place two separate orders at the same time, receive one of them first and instantly assume that it was ostensibly your second order that a scammer had substituted with something that coincidentally just happened to match your other order? Anybody with a single brain cell would think "Right, there's my bog roll, just waiting for the pram now." Presumably, she'd also be raising a case about the missing toilet roll too.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 26/01/2020 10:46

We need to see a lot more of these people being prosecuted and publicly named and shamed - not just banned from eBay; with serial offenders going to prison for it.

It's nothing short of shoplifting, just because the internet is used as a go-between. Arguably, it's even more despicable than a lot of shoplifting as it isn't stealing from Tesco or M&S (which is 100% wrong and should be prosecuted) but from an individual whose circumstances might be parlous. As you're selling a pram, there's every probability that you have a young child who's outgrown it and you're now desperately relying on the money from selling it to buy toys and clothes for a toddler.

Skyejuly · 26/01/2020 10:48

Good luck OP