Last updated April 16, 2026 — Revised for clarity.
This online shopping scam example highlights the need for caution when selling merchandise online and how to protect yourself from fraudsters.
The eBay platform has always been excellent for finding deals and selling merchandise. However, that positive experience can turn to frustration when a manipulative buyer plays games.
Several days after this fellow purchased an item from me, he requested a refund, stating that he found it too difficult to use.
I obliged, since it was still within the 30-day limit stated in the refund policy. I sent a reply through eBay’s email system saying that I would refund his purchase price and shipping cost in full as soon as I received the returned item.
However, he said he would only return the product once I refunded his payment. So I referred him to the refund policy, clarifying that he must return the product within 30 days.
All communication between buyers and sellers must be conducted through eBay’s email system, in case they need to review it later. And that definitely helped me in this case.
He refused to return the item and filed a dispute with eBay’s customer service. However, his game-playing was about to backfire.
According to eBay, a dispute mediator reviews the internal emails and settles the case based on fairness and ethical conduct. If one party operates professionally and in good faith and the other party does not, the mediator will recognize who is causing the problem.
The mediator emailed him, stating he needed to return the product before a refund could be made. He continued to argue with eBay until his 30-day limit had elapsed.
He finally returned the product, but well after the deadline. And I discovered why he was trying to get me to refund his money before I saw the item’s condition — it was damaged.
I notified eBay about what happened and asked if I should return the product to the buyer since it was returned to me broken.
Their mediator gave me a comforting reply:
We are closing the case. You can keep it, fix it and resell it, or dispose of it. However, you don’t need to refund his payment since he returned the item after the deadline.
That was his loss! And to think — I would have issued a refund for a damaged unit I could no longer use or resell if I had not insisted on following eBay’s policy.
Enforcing a strict return policy is crucial with online shopping.
Sometimes things work in our favor even when someone tries to take advantage of us, as long as we follow the rules.
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