Leica eBay Scammers and PayPal

bobbywise

Regular
Location
Nantes, France
Name
Robert Wisbey
I recently posted on another Leica forum, (A moment of therapy - M9 may never arrive), but thought I'd also post here as I'm a regular user of Amin's forums :D

I recently won an ebay auction for an M9 for a great price of 1929 euros. Luckily, I paid with PayPal (so should have the protection). I asked the seller to send by UPS, but they said they couldn't as they were too far from UPS, and they sent by another courier service with a tracking number. The package didn't arrive, but had apparently been signed for. I initially came to the conclusion that the Le Poste had messed up the tracked delivery (I currently have a complaint open with them, which they are investigating). However, the ebay seller has just got some negative feedback from another buyer for sending an empty box of a Canon Lens. This got me thinking, and I've come to the conclusion that the seller is a scammer. Some initial information I have from my local post office shows that the dispatch office for the delivery was for a different area in my city. The la Poste tracking website also suggests it's a recommended letter (not a package). Therefore, I think the the eBay seller looked on Google maps to find an address near me (and some other online tools to find another person at that address), and post a recommended letter to that address. This would mean that someone would sign, and the delivery is completed.

I've opened a PayPal dispute suggesting this has happened. Assuming this seller is a scammer, and did as I suspected, is it sure that PayPal will reimburse me under the buyer protection scheme ?
 
I'm in the UK for a week, so can't see my bank right now. The PayPal debits come straight off my account. Basically, I raised the dispute for a claim and the seller (scammer) has until the 5th Jan to account for themselves. They haven't replied yet. My gut feeling (maybe I'm hoping) is that they will fail to reply to PayPal's questions because they are a scammer, and so PayPal will refund me. Aparently later on in the lifecycle of the claim (after the seller responds (if they do)), I then have to answer questions (but not sure what questions until the claim reaches that part of the lifecycle). My guess is from Jan 5th, either PayPal will simply refund me, or ask me some questions before they give the refund.

If PayPal don't want to refund me under the buyer protection, I'll take it up with my bank.

For PayPal, I can't really provide that much proof of no delivery (unless the La Poste give me a report). Basically, I plan to tell PayPal the following:
- seller didn't use UPS as requested (they said too far away, but you can ask UPS to come to your doorstep)
- seller couldn't provide me the serial number of the M9 (so they never had one)
- seller sent a registered letter (not package) to a different address -- this is evident from the print out from my local la Poste (the address is not written on that print out, but the distribution point corresponds to another region of my city, and not mine)
- if I'm lucky, the La Poste will provide a full report (maybe PayPal will need this, but for now I do not have it) ... I have a case number logged with the la Poste for this ongoing report, so I can provide that to PayPal so they can deal with the la Poste directly if needed
 
An old thread and not ebay.

I have reported this seller multiple times but still they remain and still people get sucked in.

Recently "sold" 2x Leica Q 007 cameras at about £1500 with six weeks delivery (long enough to bank the money and vanish), and now has a virtually unused M11 at 20% retail advertised.

Perhaps if enough people report the listing, he/she can be stopped?

 
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