I'm sure this is a scam but I'm not sure how or why.

[klipklop]

I sold a luxury item for £100 last week. Through bids. Item includes all invoicing to prove authenticity (and I'm a long-standing successful seller with lots of fb)

Buyer paid, I was watching telly and had my phone on me and saw the PayPal notification come through, in real time.

Not even thirty seconds later I get a message from buyer saying "item is not real, I want my money back" and a load of mildly threatening language. Buyer has 8 feedback.
I'm not bothered, I've been on eBay long enough to know how it works so just went in to PayPal to refund - but the payment was on hold "there's something amiss with this payment so we've frozen it to protect your account "
This Immediately sets off feelings of something isn't right.
I message buyer back to say "your payment is on hold I'll return it when it clears"
Cue some more slightly threatening messages, but nothing I'm particularly bothered about. I think they wanted to panic me into refunding and possibly playing into their trap, but I didn't.

So now the payment has cleared and is there for me to withdraw or return. I haven't yet, I'm trying to work out if it's some weird, elaborate scam.
Anyway, now buyer has started a case that he "wants to return the item" - returning the item that's still on my dresser upstairs!

Can anyone shed any light?

@klipklop

How do I know he's a scammer? :

Low feedback, typing out threatening messages nanoseconds after paying, starting a case to return an item he hasn't even got.
He was definitely trying to panic me into refunding his money while it was on hold. He said I must "do it now or else I'll report you to eBay and have all of your items cancelled and your money suspended " (I've made £1000+ in sales this month, which is easy for anyone to see if they know where to look)
I just glad I didn't fall for it.

Plus the hold message for PayPal was different. This one definitely said "there something amiss"
I've had hold payments before that just explain that they've put it on hold until you add valid tracking

He's started a case as that is the ONLY WAY he can get his money back as per eBay's terms & conditions! Because right now you have the cash and the item! Yet you're still arguing the toss about why you should get to keep both....

You know it's literally been about 20 minutes don't you? I'm well within the acceptable time frame.

I'm with you op, the fact that they paid then instantly started giving you grief is very suspect. If they'd paid then later on had buyers remorse I'd be more inclined to believe they were genuine. I'd ring PayPal before you refund.

@klipklop

Calm the fuck down!

I'm perfectly calm! Albeit frustrated as I've been the victim of sellers like yourself who seem to think because a buyer changed their mind, that they're a scammer and this therefore entitled them to keep my money AND the item!

Disgraceful behaviour.

I started this thread m-o-m-e-n-t-s after getting the notification. I'm just trying to work out what his game is.

Have you never changed your mind about a purchase a few mins/hours later?

Do people normally send ranting threatening emails when they've simply changed their mind then? Who knew!

Thank you to the helpful, rational people.

Thes 80s (the person and the decade) frankly, can fuck off.

Maybe @80sColourfulChristmas does? Which would perhaps explain their poor eBay experiences....

I think 80scolourfulchristmas is the buyer 😂

Clearly he is a scammer. I don’t know what his game is, but he’s clearly a scammer. If he wasn’t he wouldn’t be saying that an item he doesn’t even have is not genuine and asking for a refund. I also wonder whether he was hoping you’d refund him before he’d actually paid and then he’d have made a profit of how ever much his bid was.

80scolourfulchristimas your tone and suggestions are completely out of order.

OP, he lilkely was wanting you to transfer him the money whilst his payment was on hold.

Yes, I've now come to realise that his most threatening stuff was when it was on hold. Whatever was wrong with the payment probably meant if I refunded him then, he might have been able to retract his original payment meaning I paid out twice.
He's just trying to get his initial 100 back now - which I'll gladly give him!!

I had a similar a few weeks ago when buyer contacted me asking to cancel because they used the wrong card via Paypal. Fortunately I had not yet sent item.

Tell Ebay you want to cancel the transaction using the option that this is at buyers request. Ebay will immediately offer you the option to refund the buyer via them. They will return the funds to the buyer's PP account or card - whichever the payment method was. If the buyer tried to open a case then Paypal will hold an investigation, see that buyer has already been refunded, and then close case in your favour.

It can take a few days for the money to return to the buyers account if they paid with a card. However regardless of how much a song and dance they make you are covered as soon as you authorize the refund.

Some buyers are very dishonest. I had one a while back whose item was (apparently) lost in the mail. I refunded their Paypal payment from the same transaction. Although they had been refunded they then tried an "unauthorised payment" claim via their bank. Obviously trying to get a double payout which is fraud. The good news is that the package eventually returned to me.

@EdwardCullensBiteOnTheSide

I think 80scolourfulchristmas is the buyer 😂

This

May be worth calling PayPal their customer service is usually pretty good.

@EdwardCullensBiteOnTheSide

I think 80scolourfulchristmas is the buyer 😂

Was just about to post this myself Jesus if someone on this thread seems deranged (that was the phrase, wasn't it) it's certainly not OP. Pay 'em no mind OP.

I'd tell eBay to cancel the transaction at the buyers request also. Don't send it to them as they may try to claim they never received it and look for cashback. Ime PayPal tends to side with buyers.

I am about to send several parcels today from ebay auctions ended yesterday. Guess what, I'VE BEEN PAID AND I HAVE THE ITEM!

Ooh! I feel all excited now. Thanks @80sColourfulChristmas for brightening up my day.

@MikeUniformMike

I am about to send several parcels today from ebay auctions ended yesterday. Guess what, I'VE BEEN PAID AND I HAVE THE ITEM!

You naughty scammer you

Indeed, how very dare I sell clothes I no longer wear.
As soon as I leave the post office, I'll be a good person again.

Just a thought, but it rings money laundering alarms. Perhaps changing PayPal cards so it goes out of one and back on the other???

For using threatening language multiple times? That's not on and no seller or buyer should put up with threats.

Sorry that was to the scammer @80sColourfulChristmas