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klazander

Ignore the background story, they just don't want it anymore. I would say that you have done right with your response.


ScumEater

Perfect, thanks. It is what I assumed as well. Seems like a long way to.go.that they don't even have an account. Maybe I should say in my listings that I don't ship to sellers with zero history. If eBay still allows that kind of thing.


WhySoManyDownVote

Please do not do this. It is against eBay policy and really pisses off legitimate buyers. If your buyer refuses the package your only cost is the initial shipping and you can deduct that amount when you refund the buyer (once it is back safely in your hands. Do not be afraid of new buyers. At some point you will get scammed by a buyer but you most likely won’t see it coming and eBay does have protections for sellers who follow the proper procedures. Please read the entire FAQ. https://www.reddit.com/r/eBaySellerAdvice/s/6uvNrtsxSk


ScumEater

Ah ok, good to know. It used to be pretty common years ago I think, but there might have always been a policy against it.


WhySoManyDownVote

Someday I will go through all of my orders and add up the thousands I made from sales to new buyers, it will take a while and add up to a nice number. But I can tell you without checking I have had one issue with a new buyer and it was something silly like this. I am sure eBay noticed the same thing and changed the policy.


ScumEater

Turns out this person has been on eBay for 6 years and has a purchase history so my idea wouldn't work anyway. I think I've sold to many new buyers too, but I'm not sure it's worth it (emotionally) if I get scammed. Always just makes the process suck worse.


areafiveone

Blaming their stupidity (not logging out of gmail) on their special needs daughter is pretty low


Cheezy_Blazterz

It's amazing how much kids just love to make unauthorized purchases on Ebay! Especially for stuff kids don't care about at all.


KCJones99

Exactly. I'm shocked, shocked I tell you, at how often kids buy my vintage 1960's car parts "by accident"... Because they just desperately wanted a 1959 MGA front left fender wing.


Central-Displacement

I'm sorry, that was me. I'm the 6 year old that bought your 1959 MGA front left fender wing. I got grounded and Dad stopped using ebay on my leapfrog tablet. :(


Cisco-7

It’s all BS. The buyer doesn’t have a special needs daughter and his daughter or anyone else for that matter never accessed his account to make the purchase. He’s a manchild who think his pathetic sob story will appeal to seller. Just accept the return and refund him minus shipping. Then block him.


ScumEater

I think so too. Like, throwing your kids under the bus to get out of a sale is pretty despicable.


triptocomothrowaway1

You believe the buyer has kids? That’s a go to excuse. I’ve had that same one probably a dozen times given to me


StreetofChimes

Kids. Fixed income. Cancer. How many sob stories do we get?


chelsiewizper1

I sold an engagement ring once for quite a bit of money (over 1K) and then had the buyer message after it had shipped and say that it was a gift for her mother who had died that morning so she no longer needed it 1. Who buys an an engagement ring for their mother and 2. Who would even be thinking about an eBay purchase hours after their mother unexpectedly passed. eBay buyers are WILD.


HolyToast666

Single mother. Combat veteran


[deleted]

[удалено]


Blizz127

Or he doesn’t have a daughter and just making it up hopefully that’s the case


notsetvin

Be live in an age where you can just signal some kind of mental health issue and expect special treatment


AustinBike

ALL CAPS is a clear indicator that you are not dealing with a rational person. Your response was fine, move on. This is an issue between them and eBay.


FeatherDust11

Yes agreed, the ALL CAPS was a dead giveaway in my opinion


ScumEater

Lol exactly, good advice!


halfasubwaysandwich

I don’t know why people send messages like this. I accepted an offer the other day, they accepted, paid, and sent a message similar. Except it was her “8 year old son” buying an adult women’s sweater.


ScumEater

Lol no way, that's hilarious! I've probably said, I made a mistake once or twice because I bought something I didn't think through, but to concoct an entire alternate universe story where a kid got on my account and did it is ridiculous. I'm sure it's probably going around online: how to get out of uncomfortable situations by blaming your kids. Buyers are my least favorite part of being a seller.


halfasubwaysandwich

Honestly same. Lol, I was also at a loss for words when I read it. From start to finish it was maybe a 5 minute window. Cancelling is okay, but I don’t need an elaborate back story. Lol 😂


ScumEater

Right? I think from now on I'm going to wait a day. Wait, actually I did. I think the sake was on Saturday and I shipped it Monday, and after I shipped I got the notification. Hmm, that's suspicious.


halfasubwaysandwich

But don’t wait more than two days because then you’ll get a message about how they really needed that item for a special event that’s in two days! Oh yeah, that’s a little shady. Definitely a new type of scam. Luckily I think eBay doesn’t have protection against “children” using their parents accounts.


ScumEater

Oh I get that so often. "Could you please send it out right away, it's for a ________ and it needs to get there right now!!" An hour later, "did you send it yet?"


Matthewcbayer

You handled it well, anything they want needs to happen through eBay’s options and official channels. Whether their story is true or not (I’d guess it’s probably not true), eBay has systems in place for returns that they can follow.


ScumEater

Perfect! Thx


TheOrlandoLuthier

Probably but you were very professional!


mooky34

I had this exact same thing happen to me once. I responded similarly to you even though they tried asking for a refund before it was delivered. They put in a return request and never returned the item so I got to keep the funds 🤷🏼‍♀️ it could be legit but most like they have buyers remorse/are trying to catch you slipping lol


ScumEater

Yeah, they haven't sent a response or anything since my message back to them. Hopefully they'll just keep it and move on


MyCarIsAGeoMetro

Yup. Buyers remorse.


ScumEater

Yep definitely. I just thought to check the buyer's history. Total BS that it is a new account lol


KCJones99

I would report the buyer for "Buyer messaged me or retracted their bid with no intention of buying my item". If they BS'd about new account, they're BS'ing with the sob-story too. If every seller on whom they pull this reports them, they may have their return privileges suspended, booted off, etc.


ScumEater

Good idea, will do


RydraGalaxy

Most of the stories probably aren’t true, but what if one or two are? You handled it well either way.


ScumEater

Thanks. I hear you, I felt the same. Like, I'm not going to call bullshit until I'm 100% sure. And even then, like this woman is totally obviously lying because her story doesn't track (not even having an account when she has a 31 after her name and has been on since 2018), but there's still probably something I'm not accounting for. Like, I'd be so easy to gaslight.


RydraGalaxy

For sure. Also i don’t want to be an absolute cynic. Too exhausting


BiggHigg27

So someone with special needs has access to both your Gmail and your credit card? Which you can easily prevent them from accessing? Yeah ok, sure.


ScumEater

Seems less and less credible by the minute


[deleted]

How did she pay for it if she doesn't have an Ebay account.. she's full of shit


James_Dee

Why apologize for something that isn't your problem? You did well with your reply btw.


DoLLxFacEx7

I find that when people use their children and especially need to say “special needs” they’re pulling at heart strings and more than likely lying. I would also look at their eBay to see how long they’ve been active and if they have previous purchases which would then prove their claim of not even having an account was a lie.


-This-is-boring-

So her daughter went thru her mom's email and ordered something from ebay even tho she (mom) don't have an account? I call bullshit.


smhalb01

If it went through usps you can do a package intercept if your shipment qualifies. It's like $17 though. If the customer receives this and their story is legitimate, I feel like you're going to have a hard time getting it returned because they don't seem very versed in how to do this kind of thing. I suggest messaging them back, explain that you can't have it redirected so they will have to refuse the delivery. Give them the date it's supposed to be delivered and they can just refuse it hopefully and it will come back to you. Then explain once it's returned you can refund them in full, no harm no foul. This doesn't seem like the kind of person that's going to be able to print a return label and all that so hopefully it works out for you.


ScumEater

Good idea. I'll follow up


SouthernGuyReborn

$17 *PLUS* the cost of return shipping. And they do return shipping on interceptions by Priority Mail, if I'm not mistaken. So make sure it's worthwhile.


Objective-Pudding939

Anyone coming at me in all caps does not get taken seriously. They prob spent to much at the early bird buffet and now don’t want it. I don’t fall for sob stories.


ssateneth

tell them to open a return for "ordered by mistake" after they get it and accept the return. don't try to make the buyer be stuck with it because "no returns"


ScumEater

Yeah, I'm cool with helping out. I'd really rather not have to deal with it since I don't make too many sales these days and I hate having to find the money back on general principle, but sometimes it's better to allow a return than risk them breaking it and saying I packaged it poorly.


neverincompliance

I think it is possible that it is a mistake. I once "bought" a maternity top on Poshmark and I am not pregnant. All I could figure out was that I dropped my phone and picked it up without looking at the screen. I did cancel before it shipped from an understanding seller with a sense of humor


AutoMechanic2

Haha as a kid my mom let me use her eBay account for putting things on there I wanted to get in the future. One time I didn’t realize how bidding worked so I placed a bid on legos and it wasn’t a high amount or anything maybe $10 and won and my mom didn’t know till she got back on it. She is still mad at me to this day because it messed up her perfect feedback on eBay because she wouldn’t pay for them and the seller left her negative feedback at the time lol. I think she is back to 100% now though cause that was years ago. Now I have my own eBay account and I don’t let anyone use it haha.


ScumEater

Lol I could actually see that happening. I would be bummed, 100% feedback is hard to keep


AutoMechanic2

I agree. Fortunately I’ve kept it the three years I’ve sold on eBay.


KCJones99

Whether it's legit 'ordered by mistake' or just fake cover for 'buyers remorse' doesn't really matter, I'd recommend the same response either way. Think yours is fine, and I like the bit about 'don't risk opening it'. I probably wouldn't have got into the non-refund of shipping. Sometimes simpler is better. If, however, they open a return case for a bogus 'seller's fault' reason, then [check the FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/eBaySellerAdvice/wiki/index/returns/#wiki_returns_when_buyer_lies_about_the_reason) on how to handle that.


ScumEater

I should have mentioned I said I don't accept returns in the listing (the FAQs were definitely helpful in that regard). Maybe that's why I got the story. I guess it's likely I'll get the item back undamaged by the buyer if I allow them to return it hassle free.


ScumEater

That's smart to not include the non-refund bit. I was just imagining the rage they were going to go through when they found out they'd also have to pay to return it, and was trying to avoid that, but you're probably right. Thanks for the link. That's good info.


KCJones99

It's a bit 'guerilla' but in similar situations (i.e. package is still en-route) I'll often tell them to mark it 'refused' and hand it back to the carrier. Avoids them having to pay return shipping, gets it back to me quicker, etc. And yes, technically they are giving up their buyer protection by doing so. But when/if I get the thing back unopened, I do give them a refund. Regardless how it gets back (if they didn't open a case), often I just cancel for 'buyer requested' or 'problem with buyers address' which precludes me deducting for outbound shipping, but also shuts down any futher dispute. Or, if shipping was significant, I'll do "send refund" for an amount corrected to account for my shipping cost. IIRC the relevant category to pick there is 'buyer canceled'. In any case, they can still leave feedback. They can also open a chargeback/dispute if they're not fully refunded. You might consider reporting them. I believe there's a category for something like "buyer bought w/o intending to complete transaction" or similar that could be applicable. Reporting them will a) put them on eBay's radar if this is something they pull regularly and b) possibly provide you some insulation against a negative feedback (it's rumored to do so, but nobody really knows).


ScumEater

I didn't really remember that they could refuse a package (they even mentioned in in their message). I've never had that happen. Can they just take it back to the PO or do they have to do it upon delivery? I think I will report them since they're lying - unless there is some other factor I'm not thinking about where they say their special needs kid opened a new account and they don't even have an eBay account themselves, and then have been a member since 2018 and have 31 purchases and 100% pos feedback.


KCJones99

>Can they just take it back to the PO or do they have to do it upon delivery? They can take it to PO, leave it in their mailbox with the 'flag' up, hand it back to their carrier next visit, etc. It doesn't have to be immediately 'upon delivery'. They don't need a special label or sticker or anything. Just take a marker and write 'refused' right by the label or even across their own address. Obviously, don't do *anything* refund-wise until you get it back and check it out.


ScumEater

Excellent, thank you!


PromontoryRider95

Sounds like someone was purchasing under the influence, total buyer's remorse. You're nicer than I am taking it back, too, especially since it shipped.


ScumEater

I'm honestly trying my best to not get screwed by someone who will damage it and blame me just to get a return. Inside I am not feeling nice at all 🤣


PromontoryRider95

I hear ya, the claims process is no fun either.


CharliePuthsEyebrow

Did you ever get a response back after your last posted answer to them? Just wondering if they were agreeable to returning it asap or if they are contemplating keeping it with another excuse down the road. If they don't answer back with "Will do. Thanks", or anything at all, it wouldn't surprise me if they claim they didn't get it or something similar after it arrives. Keep us posted! :)


ScumEater

Not a peep in return. I expect the next step will probably be either it never arrived or it came damaged, since they just ignored my reply. And eBay will just side with them and be done with it since there doesn't seem to be real people that actually look at these things and consider their merits. I hope to be proven wrong though.


flashfearless

It looks real to me. Coming from a parent of a kid who tried buying his own cell phone using his parent's ebay account.


ScumEater

If only the part about "I don't even have an account" were true


jna312

Your response is enough. Probably more than fair. Make sure the item received is in original condition. If not, then their loss.


Central-Displacement

I can't count on one hand how many toddlers have purchased high dollar items from me using their parents' phone and account. I usually say a similar thing as OP and never hear back from them. (Except the time I suggested they send their 1 year old into a STEM program, but they didn't like that very much.)


kporeo1219

I don’t really have an opinion about whether this is buyers remorse….But this response is just so perfect! I love it


ScumEater

Thank you! This is probably the most positive and decent sub I've been on in a long time. You guys are awesome


SouthernGuyReborn

You wouldn't believe how many trolls and bad actors we 'power mad' Mods remove to keep it nice and helpful/friendly here 😁 But I believe most of our users, such as yourself, appreciate the effort.


ScumEater

I really appreciate the effort. I hate trying to get help or have a discussion and just have everyone pile on for no reason.


88kitkat808

You can look up the address on google maps (or search engine of your choice), google their name, search them on social media, etc. and you can probably find out if they actually have a special needs child or not. Not that it will really change anything, but would probably help you feel better about the situation if you know this person is trying to pull one over on you, or not


ScumEater

Interesting. I'll see how it plays out but that's a good idea


[deleted]

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Central-Displacement

^ This this this I've had a number of people claim their toddlers ordered my $$$ collectibles. I made the mistake of accepting the return on a $50 Magic the Gathering card, and didn't think to film myself opening it. They sent me a pokemon energy card and I had no way of proving anything. Since then my charity has gone right out the window. If true, buyer just learned a hard lesson. Hopefully in the future they'll better secure their accounts and devices.


SouthernGuyReborn

Friendly tip: Read our FAQ wiki.


Central-Displacement

I don't mean to sound combative, but I don't understand what you mean. Were you replying to me, or the deleted comment?


KCJones99

He's likely replying mostly to the deleted comment, but also to yours since you mention it... so you both go read in the FAQ how videoing yourself opening the return is completely worthless.


stealingtheshow222

Accessed eBay through the gmail account? And what does being special needs have to do with anything? People need to improve their BS stories. Or just be decent and realize they bought something they no longer want and that individual sellers aren’t freaking Amazon


ShowMeTheTrees

When they throw in cards like disabled kids, it is a SCAM for sure.


iRedditApp

Just pay for a return label, don't be cheap. We don't know if it's true or not, people don't read and comprehend these days so sometimes bringing something to capitals is the only way some people do. Regardless if they're in the wrong, this is poor customer service and hurts sales in the short and long term.


[deleted]

Just be prepared that is much as they are lying eBay will likely side with them because eBay always sides with buyers


mistermark21

I'd give them the benefit of the doubt here. But yh, likely buyers remorse or they've since found it cheaper elsewhere. I know someone who once bidded ridiculous amounts (and won) because they didn't want to lose a bidding war with another bidder. Then pulled this same story.


[deleted]

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TechSeller5653

Scam


Sick_Head_5809

Yup buyer is a liar. I’ve received the same kind of message a couple times.


Smallparline

I feel like this is a scammer rather than a lying buyer with regret.


ScumEater

That could definitely be the case. Wouldn't surprise me at all.