If a buyer returns an item with a different serial number?
Hi everyone. First time poster!
I’ve just sold a high value item and am preparing to ship it. (This is by far the most valuable thing I’ve sold £2300). I will be shipping by fully insured special delivery, with full tracking.
I’m concerned about Buyer Fraud. It’s a tech item with an individual serial number and I have heard of buyers who have an unreturnable faulty item buying a new one on Amazon and then claiming it didn’t work and returning the faulty item. I’ve taken a photo of the serial number next to the buyer’s packing slip to make sure there’s a record of it. Should I do something else? Am I worrying about nothing?
Best Regards
Jon
8 replies
Seller_JB8wPCk9zkyad
Hi Jon,
Personally, talking to friends, associates, workmates, acquaintances and random blokes in the pub, who freely admit to me getting " free stuff ", the motivations / attraction for some folk to try it on, is A) because they think they are dealing with a faceless company who " can afford it ", and B ) said faceless company has hundreds of staff in departments which don’t communicate with each other and simply process returns without checking.
Therefore, whenever my " spider senses " tingle, or I forsee a potential vulnerability, I always think about some sort of " friendly, helpful deterrent ", which whilst thanking and assisting the customer for the purchase, communicates I am a small personal seller, not a big company with bottomless pockets and a warehouse full of stock just waiting to be given away for free.
So, variously, I write a Hand Written note, thanking the customer for the sale, introducing myself as a small personal seller devoted to customer service, and assuring the customer that if there are any issues I personally take care of them myself.
For example, on a PC Software product, I have made a large photo copy of the specs, stapled it to my note, and just asked the customer to double check their specs before unsealing, as the item would become unreturnable. Perhaps, I mention I have done a Windows compatibility check, at will only work with a certain video card or chip … It just heads off the possibility of somebody " accidentally opening and installing it " …
On a Serial Number product, I guess you could mention in your Thank You note that the serial number can be found on the bottom of the item, but as it is small, you include a large photograph, to make it easier for the customer to register the product etc. Give them a website address for FAQs and quick setup etc. Having been helpful, ask the customer not to open if they have any issues, and to contact you. You’ll have made it clear, that you have the serial number, you have a record of it, and if there are any issues, you will be dealing with it.
A minority of people may be tempted try it on with large faceless companies, but opportunists might be less tempted if they realise there is a real person at the other side of the transaction.
Seller_BuNMsd0so0Amp
Hi Jon,
I’m guessing it might be a Graphics Card.
If you haven’t packed it yet you may want to rig a camera above the packing desk and video it being packed, weighed (showing the packed weight in the video) and labelled.
You could have the serial number in the video as well. If the product is open then a video view of all sides or of the sealed retail box if it is so. Show the weight of the retail box before it’s packed.
Above might help only after there is a problem.
Do I proceed or Cancel? That’s the £2.3k question.
Does the buyer’s name match the delivery name?
You can also have a look at the address on google - even see the house or the building.
You might get a sense of the buyer from their location. Is it a business, is it a student, is it a multi-occupancy address?
Does the buyer have a social media presence?
It’s so sad that we have to think of such things but it is what it is.
I have successfully sold items of this value and higher in the past, but only on the other place, never here.
Everybody_Has_One
Has made some real good suggestions that might mitigate there being a problem…
I wish you the best with it.
Seller_77IcbQKVGdZo0
What I would do is put a custom packing slip in with the package. Which details the description of the item and the serial number. You can then sign it to confirm to the customer that the item packed is the one.
Little things like this help to combat fraud as it points out to the customer that you have records of what they have been sent.
Seller_6sxtIS0RbZ5k7
I’d go so far as to send them the pictures of the serial number and your packing process before they have even received it.
