Something new: "high-value" eBay claims...

Was the package insured? If so, file a claim/report with the postal service, since fraud was attempted against them.

 

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Nope. Two (in my case) slabbed double eagles, empty padded envelope with $2.62 postage.

Since insurance only protects the seller, what would be the point of insuring an empty package?

 

Just my opinion but that fact right there should have been enough for Ebay to realize something wasn't on the up and up with the seller. I mean who in their right mind would ship two double eagles in a simple padded envelope.

 

Well, I've gotten a single 1oz AGE in a simple padded envelope before -- no signature required, not even any tracking. (And yes, it was a legitimate AGE.) Pointed out to the seller that he might should protect himself a little better when sending something of that value -- if I'd said "I never received it", he wouldn't have had a leg to stand on. Fortunately for him (and for me), I'm not that type.

 

Guys, there are a ton of "unboxing" videos on YouTube of people opening expensive items on camera only to find a cheap substitute for weight or nothing at all. Search "eBay scam" or "eBay unboxing". Trust me, eBay probably gets dozens of such calls from duped buyers every single day

 

"Dozens"? I'm guessing "hundreds", maybe "thousands".

I'm also betting that if police departments start getting a substantial number of calls from eBay fraud victims, they'll act to reduce the drain on their own resources -- most likely by telling people firmly "that's not our job".

 

This thread strikes a nerve in me. I have hundreds of items I want to sell and it's buyer/scams "I received an empty box" that add to my procrastination. I have a scamming coworker who made a "not received" claim after receiving a package with no signature required. He gets his item free of charge and I guess the seller is out his money.

If the following is considered thread hi-jacking please point it out, with my sincerest apology I will start another thread. The knowledge I receive from everybody here is very welcomed!...

Can I protect my self with a "item working or in one piece packing video" and insist the buyer obtain insurance the same way we insure our coins both ways when shipping to TPG's?

 

A new thread, with a more on-point title ("how do I protect my self when selling") is more likely to get viewed and ideas.

 

I'm sorry that you got scammed too. Did you shoot for the 1980 no-motto piece? I had my eye on that one as well, but decided it wasn't quite enough of a good deal. Little did I know.

I've just had a read through eBay's current Money-Back Guarantee terms, and there's not a peep in there about requiring buyers to involve the police. This is starting to smell a bit.

 

Imagine if this went the other way around and buyers opened these claims on sellers as part of a buyer scam. I think that requirement is going to create problems. How do we work around that?

Not always. Some people don't print their own shipping labels. If postage is paid on the counter in line, it is anyone's guess what is inside that package.

 

That's what I meant, if you use "their" shipping labels. I do all my shipping at my P.O. manually just to get out and see people.

 

Shipping high value items in uninsured cheap padded envelopes is probably better than a small box with a couple thousand dollars insurance. There are unscrupulous postal employees who would jump on that box but let the envelope slip by.

But I digress... If you're scammed, file a complaint in small claims court. If the other party (probably) doesn't show up you'll win by default and be given an abstract of judgement. This document can then be used in the defendant's state or local jurisdiction (it varies by state) to file a lien against him and his property. This lien will immediately affect his credit rating (and stay there for 7 years) and will prevent his selling any property or motor vehicles until the debt is paid off.