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Scammer Purchase Question

S

Stephen@NCAutoUSA

Legendary Member
Joined
15 November 2006
Messages
4,161
Location
New Orleans
So I'm looking for some quick advice. Story is I bought a Tial Bov from scienceofspeed with my air to water setup and heat exchanger. I didn't need the BOV in the end so used my old set up and never installed the new one.

I posted it on ebay and in here to sell and it never did. My ebay auction ended and I received a private message from someone with positive feedback wanting to buy it.

We exchange a few PM's there and he paypals me money. I send it fedex with signature insured just encase and haven't heard anything back from him since.

Today I receive an email saying that he has confirmed that the tial bov I sold is a counterfeit and that he wants a full refund.


Now I know SOS didn't sell me a knock off tial bov. I'm thinking that he's a scammer and probably swapped out some parts or is going to swap out a knock off valve and ship it back to me if ruled in his favor. This again is a paypal purchase.
 
I am assuming you did not do it as an ebay sale, just though Paypal. Did you send him an invoice with the item description? That is really the only way to protect yourself. You can indicate that you purchased it from a vendor that has the invoice for the original manufacturer. If he insists that he wants to return it, You just need to be very clear that you expect the original part and all the packaging. if it does not come back with that original part, you'll just have to do a dispute with Paypal.
 
Jeff@Carbon6 said:
Wow. Do you have the info from SOS with the model # that you bought/had?
Click to expand...

I do have the original invoice, SOS does not include the model number on their invoice. Here are pictures of the real valve vs what he's claiming he received. The part number on mine is hard to see but enlarging it you can clearly see they are different and the item has been switched out.

realtial.jpg

serial number is SN08131115 on mine

faketial.jpg

serial number on his is SN07102092 on the one he swapped out too

I contacted Tial and the rep said also his is fake and mine is real. But now it's in the hands of paypal to decide. It's obvious it was switched out. The buyer claims to be building a 20k porsche turbo so maybe someone on here knows him? Shoot me a PM and I'll give you his information.

He lives in TN.

- - - Updated - - -

Anyone else have this type of thing happen to them in this sequence?
1. List item on ebay.
2. Item not sell and you are messaged on ebay from sellers asking if your items still for sale.
3. Respond with contact information outside of ebay
4. Receive the payment via paypal
5. Ship item
6. Buyer claims it's not the same item, "obviously since it was switched out".
 
I haven't had this exact thing happen to me, but once I bought a set of wheels on Prime and used Paypal for the transaction.

My car had a front BBK at the time, and I specifically asked the seller to measure the clearance on the front wheel spokes, by putting a straightedge on the mounting surface and checking the gap. He did, and sent me the number, saying it would easily clear- but he didn't tell me he was measuring one of the rear wheels.

So, the wheels arrive and lo and behold, they are nowhere close to fitting. Even if I had been able to find spacers thick enough, they would have stuck out past the fenders by around an inch. When I pm'd the guy to ask about sending them back, he had the nerve to tell me it was my responsibility to make sure they fit prior to paying, as though I hadn't done exactly that. I told him that's why I asked him to do the measurement, and he said it was my fault. I believe this was out of incompetence rather than malice, but still, I was out $1200 for wheels I couldn't use.

The part where this relates to your situation is that I opened a dispute with Paypal, and we both submitted our explanations about what had happened. Paypal took a few weeks to come back with, basically, "We cannot be responsible for transactions that were conducted outside eBay auction listings, and will not refund the charges." Let the guy open a dispute, and they will probably do the same thing for you.
 
After this is resolved, hopefully in your favor, I suggest some form of revenge.

The following method is that of which I approve:
http://www.poopsenders.com/

Hopefully PayPal rules in your favor and can see what's going on. Since you have pictures with the serial number of the item you shipped, that's a good thing.

Here's to hoping it pans out. If not, get pictures of the interior of his home and start emailing them to him... Trust me, it works and everything can be found on the internet. ;) If you don't get your money back, at least he'll be scared shitless.
 
I've heard of paypal always siding with buyers no matter what... I have no idea on which way this is going to sway.

It's real strange because the buyer on ebay has 100% positive feedback and like hundred feedback ratings and a long time member.

Whereas my ebay I've never left anybody feedback, and rarely buy anything on ebay so I only have 13 in the past I guess 5 years?

It's a real odd situation. The only other thing I can suspect if he's telling the truth is that maybe he got it shipped to his friends that's building the car or just a shop and that somebody switched it out?

- - - Updated - - -

I'm not sure why selling and buying things online is so hard nowadays...

But just to protect yourself whoever reads this I'd suggest.
1. Making an invoice or type exactly all the details out in the details box when you send money
2. Take pictures of the item being shipped before being shipped with any markings you can find that will distinguish it from the rest
3. In my case with items like this with counterfeits floating around I'd go as far as taking a video of me packing and taping up the item and hold on file

I know these are extremes but I think these things would help.
 
It's a scam and 50/50 you're screwed.

He intentionally bought it outside of eBay so you can't leave negative feedback. Easy to have great feedback if you only scam when conducting deals outside of eBay... Your picture proves you had/own a different BOV, but it really doesent prove what you mailed him. Its fraud that works both ways; some people sell authentic items and ship knock-offs, while others ship the real item and get screwed by someone who already owned the knock-off and is looking for a free upgrade.

Maybe you get a decision in your favor, maybe you don't. Fingers crossed for you.

Anytime I ship something (like you suggested) I take pics/video of the item with my phone while I'm at the post office. Show off the serial number and record you placing and sealing the item in the box. The shipping company will have date/time for your transaction which you can match up to the embedded info in your picture/video (you want them to be as close as possible). It's still not absolute proof, but most reasonable people would likely side with you if you could provide such compelling evidence. Yeah, it's way over the top, but I don't trust anybody.
 
Sduff@Composites said:
It's ridiculous. Is there any way to contact eBay or the authorities about it because I'm sure he'll be doing it again.

Again I have his name and shipping information and email.
Click to expand...

Once you took it outside the protection of fleabay you screwed yourself. Paypal will usually side with the buyer so there is not much you can do.
 
not good. karma will get him back or do like I did and drive and meet him in person.

I got screwed outta 1000 deposit for a red NSX in NC drove all the way up there from tampa and made a police report in his home town.

then to get a lawyer was 1500 to sue him to get back 1000 and I would need to travel to NC everytime a court hearing wasn't worth it.

sorry for you luck man. I wonder why he couldn't just buy it now on ebay and he waited till after the sale so you had no recourse ay know
 
Luck was on my side. Because of a rep over there that saw my Scienceofspeed invoice and knew of their reputation it was closed in my favor but after the fact it was ruled in the buyers favor. Yes paypal protects buyers and this person is a professional that had all angles covered.

I'll be calling eBay today and notifying them, although they probably don't care they can mark his account like paypal did.
 
Sduff@Composites said:
Luck was on my side. Because of a rep over there that saw my Scienceofspeed invoice and knew of their reputation it was closed in my favor but after the fact it was ruled in the buyers favor. Yes paypal protects buyers and this person is a professional that had all angles covered.

I'll be calling eBay today and notifying them, although they probably don't care they can mark his account like paypal did.
Click to expand...

I'm confused by this. Can you clarify the outcome. It sounds like you both "won" and "lost". Hopefully you won. Either way karma is indeed a bitch.

eBay won't do anything. What could they do? Mark his record because you accused him of doing something? Mark it how? Because you completed the sale outside of eBay, its between you and the seller. I'm not a scammer, but if someone contacted ebay and said I was, and eBay took any action or unfairly ruled against me in some future dispute, I'd be pissed. If I was ebay and you called me I'd advise you to be more careful next time and leave it at that.
 
It's confusing but to follow up on this after he filed this is what happened.

1. He filed a complaint
2. We communicated back and forth via emails for a few hours exchanging photo's and email forwarding from a Tial rep Pam since she checked authenticity and I spoke with her on the phone too.
3. I escalated the claim and called paypal because I thought it was BS
4. I got an email from paypal saying that the seller was going to ship back the BOV and wanted to double check the address to ship back too and I had 3 days to respond.
5. I called paypal again because I thought it was BS and spoke with someone different.
6. This person believed me it was a scam and closed the case "meaning buyer wasn't supposed to ship my valve back anymore and that it was ruled in my favor"
7. I thought it was closed.
8. I got another email the next day like the one in #4 "meaning that it was I guess reopened somehow, maybe the buyer called paypal as well".
9. I called paypal again and spoke with a manager, he heard my case, and offered the only solution I think he could and that was to refund both of us, myself and Steven Riveting the piece of shit buyer.

The manager stated that it was ONLY because the person that closed the case in #6 didn't follow paypal procedures. The case should've never been closed, the buyer at that point should've shipped the valve back, and then whatever other steps after that but since it was automatically closed it broken paypal procedures.

BTW his name is Steven or Stephen Riveting, and his ebay name is Riveting. If he ever contacts you via pm then you know what's going to happen. If anybody contacts you via pm then it's an issue I'd say...

He lives in MURFREESBORO, TN
 
Riveting has to be his porn name.....:rolleyes:
 
Whatwasthat said:
i hope you get your original part back
Click to expand...

I did not. The buyer actually got my real part and his money back, whereas I received my money. I have my money back but it's not the point sometimes, the guy is going to do it again and get away with it, again since he made out with what he originally wanted anyways.

B2FiNiTY said:
Glad to hear it worked out. buying and selling online can be really iffy at times.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I'm used to prime and pretty honest sellers. I think I'm done with ebay truthfully.
 
Just FYI this serial number has been confirmed to be a fake BOV. It's been a long time since I've posted on prime, but this thread popped up in a Google search for the same serial number, it's on a BOV someone is trying to sell me as authentic.

Someone on the BMW forum ran into the same issue with the same serial number as well: https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1071333

Sorry for the necro-bump but wanted to append this info in case anyone finds this thread in the future googling the serial number.
 
lawdogg said:
Just FYI this serial number has been confirmed to be a fake BOV. It's been a long time since I've posted on prime, but this thread popped up in a Google search for the same serial number, it's on a BOV someone is trying to sell me as authentic.
Click to expand...

Sorry for dumb question, but where can I check if the number is fraudulent? This is the first time I've come across this.
 

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