I thought I would post this here, as I recently saved a friend from a $1,000 USD loss by doing what I am about to elaborate on, and thought that since there were a lot of members here who use eBay, it would be useful to them.
My friend James recently bought a valuable item on eBay (very collectible baseball cards) that was slightly over $1,000 USD at auction's end. He told the seller to insure the cards for $1,000, and to include delivery confirmation. The seller did these things, and I just happened to be over at his house playing poker with him when the mailmain knocked on the door, as the package was a little too big for his mailbox. James was excited, exclaiming "oh, my cards are here!" I went to the door with him so I could see the cards when he opened the package, and since the postal carrier was right there, I asked her if she'd mind watching as James opened the package.
James was perplexed, but the postal carrier didn't mind. She stood by, and James opened the package. Nothing but 9 empty card sleeves. Welcome to your textbook eBay scam.
The seller sells the item, insures it, and adds delivery confirmation, but does not include the correct item (if they include anything of value at all) in the package. Usually, the postal carrier drops the package off when the recipient is at work or elsewhere, and the recipient comes home long afterward, only to find out then that they have recieved a bum package.
With no [credible] witnesses around to have seen the package being opened, there is no way the buyer can prove that they did not simply recieve the item and hide it before making a complaint to the seller and eBay. The delivery confirmation further protects the seller, as the seller complains that USPS confirms the package has having been delivered, and the seller will wonder aloud to eBay: "Why would I insure an empty box?".
The buyer's hands are tied at that point. Even if the buyer WAS savvy enough to have called a public service police officer to witness the opening of the package, it has to be done after it has been recieved, as no one has a cop just standing by waiting for a package to come. Because of that, the buyer can't prove that they did not tamper with the package before the officer arrived, and the same goes for taking the package to a notary public to witness the opening.
However, if you ask the postal carrier to witness the opening, the postal carrier could then testify that he/she handed the package to the recipient, and the recipient opened it right then, verifying that it has not been tampered with.
James took the postal carrier's information, and went to the seller. The seller tried to play hard ball, claiming no proof, etc., etc. My friend replied that he had the postal carrier witness the opening, and within the hour, his money had been refunded. He was lucky.
Not everyone can be home when a postal carrier drops off a package. Always ask a seller to include signature confirmation on a package, and pay the extra. The carrier cannot drop it off without a signature, nor can anyone take it from the post office without such. This insures that you will always be able to use the USPS as a witness to the opening of the package. The extra safety signature confirmation provides you is worth the few extra dollars you will pay to add it.
The scammers get away with it because most people don't think to do this, and by the time they realize they've been had, it's too late.
My friend James recently bought a valuable item on eBay (very collectible baseball cards) that was slightly over $1,000 USD at auction's end. He told the seller to insure the cards for $1,000, and to include delivery confirmation. The seller did these things, and I just happened to be over at his house playing poker with him when the mailmain knocked on the door, as the package was a little too big for his mailbox. James was excited, exclaiming "oh, my cards are here!" I went to the door with him so I could see the cards when he opened the package, and since the postal carrier was right there, I asked her if she'd mind watching as James opened the package.
James was perplexed, but the postal carrier didn't mind. She stood by, and James opened the package. Nothing but 9 empty card sleeves. Welcome to your textbook eBay scam.
The seller sells the item, insures it, and adds delivery confirmation, but does not include the correct item (if they include anything of value at all) in the package. Usually, the postal carrier drops the package off when the recipient is at work or elsewhere, and the recipient comes home long afterward, only to find out then that they have recieved a bum package.
With no [credible] witnesses around to have seen the package being opened, there is no way the buyer can prove that they did not simply recieve the item and hide it before making a complaint to the seller and eBay. The delivery confirmation further protects the seller, as the seller complains that USPS confirms the package has having been delivered, and the seller will wonder aloud to eBay: "Why would I insure an empty box?".
The buyer's hands are tied at that point. Even if the buyer WAS savvy enough to have called a public service police officer to witness the opening of the package, it has to be done after it has been recieved, as no one has a cop just standing by waiting for a package to come. Because of that, the buyer can't prove that they did not tamper with the package before the officer arrived, and the same goes for taking the package to a notary public to witness the opening.
However, if you ask the postal carrier to witness the opening, the postal carrier could then testify that he/she handed the package to the recipient, and the recipient opened it right then, verifying that it has not been tampered with.
James took the postal carrier's information, and went to the seller. The seller tried to play hard ball, claiming no proof, etc., etc. My friend replied that he had the postal carrier witness the opening, and within the hour, his money had been refunded. He was lucky.
Not everyone can be home when a postal carrier drops off a package. Always ask a seller to include signature confirmation on a package, and pay the extra. The carrier cannot drop it off without a signature, nor can anyone take it from the post office without such. This insures that you will always be able to use the USPS as a witness to the opening of the package. The extra safety signature confirmation provides you is worth the few extra dollars you will pay to add it.
The scammers get away with it because most people don't think to do this, and by the time they realize they've been had, it's too late.
