I was SCAMMED for a MacBook Air on eBay!!

venousdata

eBay user ribge9, purchased a brand new MacBook Air 2018 from me on 20th June 2019.

On June 26th 2019 - more or less a week after purchase, ribge9 explains that the MacBook Air is not as described and requests a refund. I explain that the listing was accurate and even if I was going to accept the return, since the MacBook is no longer in the same condition it was sold (no longer brand new as he was using it for a week prior) I would not accept his return.

Nearly a week later on 1st July 2019, ribge9 opens a return case on eBay. I message him to explain that I will be taking legal action if he attempts a scam.
ribge9 explains that the MacBook no longer works and provides an image of a letter from Apple detailing that the MacBook would boot in to recovery mode and hang.

On July 8th 2019 - an entire WEEK later, the MacBook is returned and inspected. This video documents me collecting the sealed package and unboxing it to inspect the returned MacBook Air.

I observed numerous fingerprints on the screen and keyboard in addition to numerous scratches around the screws on the bottom of the machine.

This is evidence that the MacBook itself has been opened and the internals stripped for parts and likely replaced with broken parts of the same model.

As of July 9th 2019, eBay has explained that they will close the case in the buyers favour, issuing them with a full refund (without even asking me for any evidence or proof of tampering).


Thoughts:

1. The return was auto-approved on 1st July 2019. Why did ribge9 hold the MacBook for another week?

2. How did the MacBook break between June 26th 2019 (when ribge9 explained that the MacBook was not as described, he provided a photo of the 'About this Mac' screen - showing that the MacBook was working properly at that time), and July 1st 2019?

3. Why explain that the MacBook was not as described and then later change your story to the MacBook now being broken/faulty?

4. Why did eBay, despite the obscene amount of evidence, STILL side with the buyer?

5. If eBay always side with the buyer for scams like this, what's stopping anyone from getting free electronics from innocent eBay sellers?


Proof: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJCmcjunYvU&feature=youtu.be

Question: When eBay debit my bank, I intend to file a chargeback claim to reverse the transaction. If they take me to court after debt collector letters etc. Will I lose? I have kept receipts, recordings, notes and all the evidence you could think of.

pinkshoes

Your best bet would be to get an expert report detailing the state it has been returned in.

Then send a copy of this to the buyer and give them 14 days to re-pay £X for the device, and £X for tracked return postage to them. Failure to do this and you will take them to court.

Your aggressive stance of accusing them of being a scammer and refusing a return wasn't the best move. If it was brand new, how do you know it wasn't faulty? If you did boot it up, then it wasn't brand new...

forgotmyname

I agree you refusing the return/refund and your angry tone could have triggered them to damage the item.

File a chargeback under what grounds? According to ebay/paypal your sold an item and now have that item back. Chargeback denied?

If you do manage to claim a chargeback your likely to be banned from ebay/paypal for life. People have sneakily opened new accounts and built up credit and then ebay/paypal shut them down with their credit stuck.

It was brand new and unopened so sold as untested then? You dont know it it was faulty?

wizzywig27

I am not sure that filing a chargeback results in closure of accounts, you are entitled to claim through your card provider if the item is not delivered/faulty etc, although I do appreciate that in this situation this in the seller doing a chargeback not a buyer.

venousdata

I guess technically the item was untested as it was sold brand new, but the buyer confirmed the item was fully function at the time they requested a refund for it not being as described. After eBay auto approved the refund, the buyer should have sent it back right away. Instead, it somehow broke and they claimed to attempt a system reboot and now it’s completely bricked.

I find it hard to believe that it could become faulty right after I rejected their return request.

wizzywig27

I can tell you whats happened here, they've tried to return it for whatever reason. You've said no as you believe its been used (and fully working/as described etc) so it appears they've gone into the machine to make it faulty so they have reason to return, i.e if eBay/PayPal investigate he has the evidence from Apple.

Just my opinion but seems the most likely

forgotmyname

Brand new items can be faulty or fail very quickly. Thats often the case with electrical items. If it works OK for the initial uses then its likely to work for a reasonable length of time.

The OP states it was untested so whose to know whether it was faulty from the box or not?

Became faulty after you denied them their return. Maybe that says it all?

If you sell on ebay then a return is always an option whether you want to or not. They just need to claim properly. Either unwanted and you refund them or its damaged and you refund them. They win and they win.


The OP would probably need to pay Apple to write a report stating that it had been opened but didnt the buyer state they took it to apple for repair? So apple could have opened it???

wizzywig27

forgotmyname wrote: »

didnt the buyer state they took it to apple for repair? So apple could have opened it???

If thats the case then Apple will have a log of all diagnostics/repairs/actions against the serial number of the device

venousdata

The buyer sent an image of the “About this Mac” screen displaying the technical specs and claimed it was not as described. In order to get to that screen the computer needs to successfully boot to desktop.

The current condition of the computer is that it does not boot at all. It goes straight to internet recovery and then hangs indefinitely.

I agree that the buyer did something to the MacBook so as to have a legitimate reason to return it.

On the other hand though, I’ve read very recent articles from reputable sources like 9to5mac explaining that the exact same model MacBook Air I sold has a small percentage of machines that are affected by a logic board issue preventing it from powering in properly. Apple has confirmed this. So I think there may be a chance this is all a massive coincidence?

Luckily, the MacBook is still under warranty so I’ve booked it in for a free repair which will result in me having to now sell a refurb machine instead of a brand new machine. I’ll make a loss of a few hundred, but not a complete loss of the original price, which is good I guess.

custardy

venousdata wrote: »

eBay user ribge9, purchased a brand new MacBook Air 2018 from me on 20th June 2019.

On June 26th 2019 - more or less a week after purchase, ribge9 explains that the MacBook Air is not as described and requests a refund. I explain that the listing was accurate and even if I was going to accept the return, since the MacBook is no longer in the same condition it was sold (no longer brand new as he was using it for a week prior) I would not accept his return.

Nearly a week later on 1st July 2019, ribge9 opens a return case on eBay. I message him to explain that I will be taking legal action if he attempts a scam.
ribge9 explains that the MacBook no longer works and provides an image of a letter from Apple detailing that the MacBook would boot in to recovery mode and hang.

On July 8th 2019 - an entire WEEK later, the MacBook is returned and inspected. This video documents me collecting the sealed package and unboxing it to inspect the returned MacBook Air.

I observed numerous fingerprints on the screen and keyboard in addition to numerous scratches around the screws on the bottom of the machine.

This is evidence that the MacBook itself has been opened and the internals stripped for parts and likely replaced with broken parts of the same model.

As of July 9th 2019, eBay has explained that they will close the case in the buyers favour, issuing them with a full refund (without even asking me for any evidence or proof of tampering).


Thoughts:

1. The return was auto-approved on 1st July 2019. Why did ribge9 hold the MacBook for another week?

2. How did the MacBook break between June 26th 2019 (when ribge9 explained that the MacBook was not as described, he provided a photo of the 'About this Mac' screen - showing that the MacBook was working properly at that time), and July 1st 2019?

3. Why explain that the MacBook was not as described and then later change your story to the MacBook now being broken/faulty?

4. Why did eBay, despite the obscene amount of evidence, STILL side with the buyer?

5. If eBay always side with the buyer for scams like this, what's stopping anyone from getting free electronics from innocent eBay sellers?


Proof: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJCmcjunYvU&feature=youtu.be

Question: When eBay debit my bank, I intend to file a chargeback claim to reverse the transaction. If they take me to court after debt collector letters etc. Will I lose? I have kept receipts, recordings, notes and all the evidence you could think of.

venousdata wrote: »

The buyer sent an image of the “About this Mac” screen displaying the technical specs and claimed it was not as described. In order to get to that screen the computer needs to successfully boot to desktop.

The current condition of the computer is that it does not boot at all. It goes straight to internet recovery and then hangs indefinitely.

I agree that the buyer did something to the MacBook so as to have a legitimate reason to return it.

On the other hand though, I’ve read very recent articles from reputable sources like 9to5mac explaining that the exact same model MacBook Air I sold has a small percentage of machines that are affected by a logic board issue preventing it from powering in properly. Apple has confirmed this. So I think there may be a chance this is all a massive coincidence?

Luckily, the MacBook is still under warranty so I’ve booked it in for a free repair which will result in me having to now sell a refurb machine instead of a brand new machine. I’ll make a loss of a few hundred, but not a complete loss of the original price, which is good I guess.

not getting a free repair

venousdata

Why? It’s still under warranty