Need assistance with fraud

[mrskillz]

 I purchased a Samsung device that ended up being counterfeit. I advised ebay and began the return process. Somehow my return request and subsequent escalation through a cs phone rep that showed up on the resolution centre part of the site were both "closed by me".

The seller has impersonated me multiple times and despite alerting ebay to this they have also closed my appeal request stating I will not get a refund. The phone is not only counterfeit it's also the wrong specifications (128gb although probably faked and even less) when I purchased the 512gb model so even if somehow the counterfeit isn't bad enough they can't even send the right fake? So even if I can't return a counterfeit phone now I'm to believe I can't return a device that doesn't match the description I agreed to?

I documented everything in my return request and this person then called and posed as me and had the return closed w reason "I fine w phone. Its authentic" after I outlined several proofs that it was not and would clearly never close the return request myself. No one seems to be able to assist. I get told I'll be called back by management within 24hrs, and that my most recent case would be put on hold for 5 days as some type of escalation. I asked the rep to make sure no one can close that escalation request without calling me back at my number first. My callback never came and the case was closed "by me". I've got two factor authorization on and changed my password.

I also saw an email reply in my ebay msgs center from some rep I'd never talked to saying they tried calling me back on a number that isn't mine and they recommended I update my tn in my profile. It seems far too easy to have CS go along with anyone posing as me and to close cases that make no sense to close especially after there should be notes from previous CS that actually talked to me indicating someone is calling to pose as me and to be careful. My case is so clear I am baffled that this continues.  Ebay clearly isn't verifying my acct appropriately when this person calls posing as me. Does anyone have an escalation contact?

This has carried on too long.  Whenever I reach someone in CS they keep saying I've called to close everything which isn't the case and then that a manager will call me back, but no one does. And anytime I try to do something within the resolution centre I hit a brick wall.  I'm at my wit's end. 

Thanks in advance. 

[femmefan1946]

Stop bothering with eBay.  Yes, they should be helping but the point is to get your money back.

Go to your Paypal account.

The PP Resolution Centre is at the top of your page under Tools.

Open a Not As Described Dispute.

PP will require you to return the phone to the seller with tracking.

Yes.

Do state in the Dispute that the phone is counterfeit, and that it is illegal to ship it for that reason, but be prepared to ship it anyway. The Mounties won't be breaking down your door over this.

When your tracking shows the fake phone is back in the seller's hands, you will be refunded.

Not the return shipping, and by PP, who will go to the seller for their money.  There will be other repercussions for him.

You can leave appropriate feedback. Wait until you have your refund first.

EBay does not use FB to appraise seller accounts, but future buyers might. Be a good citizen.

You have 180 days from purchase to open a PP dispute.

You have 60 days from purchase to leave FB.

[mrskillz]

I've been told countless times that I won't have to pay for the return shipping cost on a counterfeit item and that the seller should send me a prepaid label, but that seems to be false information in my case.
I'm currently on hold with paypal after opening a case w frontline I wanted to verify my account is secure.

I spoke to ebay at 5am local time this morning and the appeals manager I spoke to advised me that all the seller needed to pretend to be me was my name and address. Literally the only two pieces of my info he has. I am absolutely apoplectic in learning this. How is this not a glaring security issue? A fraudulent seller looking to delay my refund can easily pose as me and close both my return and my escalation case just by giving my name and address?!

I just don't understand. The manager updated my acct to send me a sms code to my cell (like my current 2 factor login setup on the website) anytime I call them as a security precaution. How this isn't the standard is absurd to me. At least force CS to ask for more information than the seller would have.

[femmefan1946]

What is Frontline? I remember an old weekend TV news program by that name.

Not everybody has a cell phone . And I had one for five years before I learned that "sms" was a text message.

There's a lot to be said for Plain Language.

Yes, the seller should be paying for the return shipping. But he won't.

Neither eBay nor Paypal will choose which of you is right or wrong. They are not courts,they are mediators.

If you can show the phone is back with the seller, Paypal will refund you your original payment.

They will not go farther.

[ypdc_dennis]

---

@femmefan1946 wrote:

What is Frontline? I remember an old weekend TV news program by that name.

---

1983-2019: investigative journalism program of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frontline_%28American_TV_program%29

[mrskillz]

Frontline is just that. The front line of customer support. The first person you speak to when you call in. The wheels are in motion with paypal.

[silverpinups]

tyler@ebay

"I spoke to ebay at 5am local time this morning and the appeals manager I spoke to advised me that all the seller needed to pretend to be me was my name and address. Literally the only two pieces of my info he has. I am absolutely apoplectic in learning this. How is this not a glaring security issue? A fraudulent seller looking to delay my refund can easily pose as me and close both my return and my escalation case just by giving my name and address?!"

That's impossible. When you phone eBay customer service there should always be a link to your account(s) with the phone call. There should also be security questions that you filled out that is linked to your eBay account that CS may ask you for verification ie; date of birth. mothers maiden name etc.... 

There is no way the seller could impersonate you without verification. If eBay customer service allowed this fraudulent seller to impersonate you with only your name and address then there is a serious security issue with eBay. 

[tyler@ebay]

Thanks for the tag @silverpinups! Teammates have a selection of criteria they use to verify a member - full name and registration address are part of that. 

However - it is completely inappropriate for a teammate to close an escalated request by phone. If a member calls in and wants their request closed teammates are meant to walk a member through closing it themselves. I will have this reviewed for appropriate coaching. 

@mrskillz - will you please keep us posted as to the status of the PayPal dispute?

[mrskillz]

Hi Tyler, thanks for posting in here. I just finished waiting the required 10 days for my paypal dispute for the seller to provide an address for me to return the item to and find that my case with them has been closed "by me" . The manager I spoke to on their end on Oct 18th assured me that he would leave comprehensive notes prohibiting me or anyone else from closing the case due to potential fraud yet this seller managed to close it again. This makes 3 times he used social engineering with my name/address (and I really have no idea what he gave paypal) to close return cases/escalations. 

I nearly had a coronary upon reading this today and was curious if you could assist. I'm not sure whether to re-open my case with paypal or try back with ebay. I'm at my wit's end. 

I do want to mention that during the 10 day return window with paypal I had been speaking to a member of the twitter ebay team and he mentioned being confident in getting me a full refund due to the fraud involved on my account that he agreed was the seller posing as me. However, after 72 hours he came back saying it wasn't possible as paypal was blocking it (which I fully expected and was surprised he thought he could help). 

Now that paypal isn't blocking it, is this still a possibility? I've honestly spent over 100 hours on this over the past nearly three weeks with phone calls, texts/emails etc and am back to square one. 

In addition Tyler, I had spoken to eBay support last night about a customer service survey I received for a rep I'd never talked to, so was concerned the seller was calling in as me again. The rep said they could see that it showed I had called and talked to a Kenneth which wasn't the case. I asked for a manager callback and was promised one within 24 hrs. I'm still waiting of course and it's interesting that it seems he called ebay again and yet my paypal investigation was closed the next day by "someone" posing as me. 

Thanks for your time. 

[electronicifycanada]

Since this is considered identity fraud, I wouldn't be wasting much time with eBay and PayPal. Instead you should be trying to figure out the information of the seller and getting the police involved.

PayPal usually takes police reports seriously in cases of fraud, I'm surprised they haven't asked you for one yet.

[mrskillz]

I would imagine they haven't asked for one yet as it hadn't directly happened on their platform until today. When I called into their hotline earlier today I spoke to two uninterested reps who placed me on hold several times without warning and seemed completely incapable of support.  I made the decision to hang up before proceeding to see if I could find competent support through online forums/twitter support teams. 

I could certainly open a police report, and am getting close to that possibility. I'm ignorant to how serious they'd take a 'hey someone's pretending to be me on the phone and they're in hong kong, can you help?" They're simply calling into support hotlines and convincing ebay/paypal representatives to continuously break protocol and close active investigations through social engineering. To me it's agent incompetence at fault here. It's truly an unmitigated disaster to this point and I don't understand why either side can't lock an escalation open and not allow frontline agents unfamiliar with the case to close it. One look at the history should be enough for an agent to think "why is he calling from a different cell phone than on file, it seems it's only really him calling when he verifies through the app and has a pin code to give the agent - otherwise it's fraud". 

[mrskillz]

For what it's worth I called my local police branch this morning to which I was told this my situation falls under "buyer beware" and that it's a civil issue. They gave me a number to Dial-A-Law to listen to an automated recording of legal recourse unrelated to my situation.

I can't help but feel like life is trolling me in the most elaborate way possible. Any constructive feedback is appreciated.

[mcrlmn]

Follow femmefan1946's suggestions.

... and for the umpteenth time, if it's too good to be true. it probably is.

Only purchase electronics from certified distributors.

There is no rainbow dream deal hidden on the internet that you alone are going to discover.

My daughter collects unique looking USB sticks.

I have purchased many for her that look great, but are probably half capacity, etc  junk.

Expect knock offs and counterfeit items from China.

Stick to phone covers/cases, slippers, and posters.

[mcrlmn]

Money burns a hole in the pockets of those duped to pursue 'too good to be true' tech purchases.

They actually got what they paid for.

They didn't save any money.

The deal typically ends up costing more in time, money, and anxiety.

[tyler@ebay]

Hi @mrskillz - I'm really sorry to hear that the PayPal dispute was closed out as well. 

I'll do some investigating and see what I can find out. I'll be in touch!

[shoppingchannel-us]

If you can take screen shots of all your correspondence here and bring them to police and get fraud detectives to call ebay, Then watch and see how fast you get help lol.

[shoppingchannel-us]

Sure it's a civil matter if the item is "as described" lol, in this case it's not .

[kh-leslie]

Hello Everyone,

Due to the age of the thread, it has been closed to further replies.  Please feel free to start a new thread if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.

Thanks for understanding!