Sellers of Porcelain, Buyer Fraudulently Claiming Item Not as Decribed

[hacksvintagechina]

I recently sold some porcelain china to a buyer who requested a refund based on the item being not as described.  They included a picture of the item in question in their email requesting a refund based on the condition of the plate (crazing)  The plate I sent them was pristine, no crazing.  They obviously had a plate of there own of the same pattern and switched it so they based their claim on the less desirable plate.  So I had to issue refund based on the item not as described policy.  So now they have managed to replace their inferior plate with my pristine one for free.  My question is:  Are there any methods that would help discourage or prevent this type of buyer fraud.  Thank you!

[reallynicestamps · Accepted solution]

Sounding like an expert.

Seriously. Your description for that egg cup for example has lots of pictures (excellent!) but the actual description is less than ten words.

Do some research and give the dates of the china pattern, the place of manufacture, the number produced (unlikely to be available but..).

Baffle 'em with bovine excrement.

Given the price of the eggcup ($45), I assume it is fairly hard to find.

And drop all that information about shipping. That goes in the Shipping and Handling section not in the description.

You use Fixed Price listing. If you think this will be a continuing problem, you could instead use auction listing. Don't start the item at 99 cents of course, that's bovine excrement too, but start at a price you would be comfortable accepting. The idea is that you can monitor bidders on an auction and cancel bids of bidders you do not feel comfortable with.

You might also consider using Free Shipping. Don't panic.

Free Shipping (domestically) just means including the cost of shipping in the asking price of the item. Often the seller will also put shipping to the USA at $0.00. Overseas can be adjusted to allow for the North American shipping already being in the price.

So your $45 eggcup would be $55 with Free Shipping to Canada. Or $57.95 (ish) with Free Shipping to Canada and USA, and $55 with $35 shipping to the UK. How do those prices compare with similar items, both on offer and more importantly Sold?

In my experience, the more someone pays for an item, the more likely they are to be happy with it. YMMD.

[theundercutter]

My background is in Loss Prevention and Private Investigation.  You would think I would have the upper hand when it comes to fraud.

Wrong! There is little that can be done! Not only does my P.I. License not extend outside the province of Alberta, But with eBay/PayPal policies you are screwed either way! 

A buyer with no feedback, An obvious scammer will WIN any PayPal case. There is nothing you can do.

-Richard

(TheUnderCutter Store)

[gifts_of_elegance]

If there is a way, I have not found it and its in every catagory.  The last two months I have been victimized by a wave of these buyers.

I often wonder why we have pictures showing item from every angle.  You are lucky it was only $45.

[holdmygold2]

One has to be very careful in these situations.

The way condition of used items is assessed varies tremendously among individuals.

It's extremely common for sellers to swear that seriously damaged substandard items are in excellent pristine condition.

I've come to realize that many truly believe they are correct.

In audition, some buyers expect 100+ year old items to look factory fresh white others are thrilled with seriously damaged items.

eBay buyers and sellers are so varied it's impossible to please everyone.

Comic book collectors have standardized scales to assess condition but even so it still comes down to opinion.

What might seem like minor or no crazing to one viewer can be unacceptable damage to another.

To top it all off: EBay CSReps assessing Item Not as Described cases in relation to antiques and vintage items are in way over they heads.

[fatdane]

Tell the customer to return the plate if he/she/it is not happy with it. If they in fact return a different plate, then you are into mail fraud and can contact the RCMP in Canada or Postal Inspectors in the US - I think both have online forms for reporting a problem. Regardless of what you do you will probably have too refund the to the buyer unless they refuse to return the plate.

[73rhc]

If you have pictures of the markings. Have the buyer return it and compare the marks to your pictures. These marks, especially the pattern marks, are never the same as they were hand applied. If the returned item is not your original piece. Contact eBay immediately and report this buyer.

[hacksvintagechina]

Thanks for the many tips.  I think I may quite enjoy spreading a little bovine excrement now and again!  I enjoyed my English classes as a student  where bovine excrement reigned supreme!! 

[hacksvintagechina]

Thanks for this.  I had no idea this recourse was available.

[hacksvintagechina]

Will definitely report bad buyers in the future when I sure of questionable behavior. Help ebay build a file and notice recurrent patterns with fraudulent buyers Thank you!

[pierrelebel]

I would write to the customer: 

"Thank you for your message.

I am distressed to read that the plate you received is not the plate I sent.

Please return it immediately and a full refund, including shipping, will be processed to your PayPal account immediately upon receipt.  Please enclose the original packaging with the return.

The plate and packaging will be turned over to the fraud division of Canada Post.  Obviously, someone switched the plate during transit. That is a criminal offense and I will  let the postal fraud division handle it. I will keep you posted once I hear the results of their investigation (I understand it may take 90 to 120 days)

I am truly sorry for the inconvenience."

A few times over the years  sent similar letters when a buyer claimed to have received an inferior quality than the item advertised, identified and pictured.  Never seen one come back yet!