A step-by-step guide
This post is in defense of the many buyers on eBay who have been scammed/cheated by some of eBay's highest rated sellers in lieu of eBay’s Money Back Guarantee. What concerns me is that eBay considered a safe place to buy items, but these trusted sellers continue to repeatedly scam consumers. eBay tends to overlook claims filed against sellers with high ratings. In doing so they are allowing the sellers to exploit eBay’s claim system. If a buyer has no history of falsely filing claims and returning items then they should be entitled to a full refund of their money.
So to all buyers out there here is what you do to protect yourself against these types of scams:
- You need to record the unpacking process after your item has arrived. You need to do this before you open the package. The video should be recorded high quality and in one shot so as not to compromise the legitimacy of the video.
- In the video you need to clearly show the shipping label so that the tracking number and shipping address are legible.
- Additionally, record the entire opening of the package and removal of the item. Include a brief test of the item to verify its functionality. This way you can confirm the item was not damaged by you.
If you find anything wrong with the item you now have legitimate proof that either the seller sent the wrong item, a defective item, or an item that was not as described. Never give the seller the upper hand. If you do you're just sending free money and allowing them to continue running a fraudulent business.
I hope this helps everyone reading this. If you have any additional thoughts or opinions on this matter feel free to share them. So we can protect ourselves from similar situations.
