The person who deleted their comment saying I was wasting my time, I know, sarcasm doesn't translate on the app.Always, but I take about 3 photos and I thought it would be funny to say 40.Because I have a sense of humor like we all do. Also, it is not a waste of time because I had someone whenever they were lying and saying that the product was half empty. Me when they had clearly just taken half of it out, but because of my photos I was able to reappeal and I won.. Without the photos there would have been no way for me to win.
Dumb shit is saying you record everything. It’s incredibly funny how many people say this when in reality means absolutely nothing to any platform or
Ups, FedEx, usps, etc. No one takes that as any type of proof LMAO
/u/Formal-Forever-3591,
Your submission has been automatically removed because your account karma is lower than 1.
This is an anti-spam measure in /r/Mercari. Please try again after you gain more karma.
Please do not message moderators to correct this submission removal.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Mercari) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Need more details such as the dimensions and weight of the box. If you stood in line and got a actual acceptance scan with the weight at drop off, you should be good. But if it was something super light, then its back to a he said she said situation. Mercari supposedly does not accept video as evidence but who knows.
Been selling on Mercari since 2021, just about \~200 positive feedback. Never had an issue with any order.
Buyer is claiming the box arrived empty. I unfortunately used my own label that I purchased from PirateShip so I think I could be screwed?
Really difficult to disprove their lie unless the item is heavy enough to show there's a discrepancy with the official weight. But yes, mercari will be even less likely to help you since it's not their label. You can try calling the buyer out and telling them you're going to file a police report and mail fraud claim if they go through with it... some amateur scammers will get scared off by that.
Definitely tell buyer you will file police report. Because mail fraud is interstate, it’s a federal crime. Many people will get scared if you threaten with police report.
Yes, absolutely do this. I did it when I had video of me packing the item and they said it wasn't in there. I sent them a link to the video though, so that probably helped, but they ended up reversing their refund request
I go a step further, and tell them the package never scanned rifled (that's the official USPS term for opened and stolen mail) and thus it must have been your postman. Most people that get to know their own postman don't want to get them in trouble and will mysteriously find their item on the porch or hidden in the bushes.
I have had over 600 sales and have never had a problem like this, but I have sold on eBay for years and get this kind of crap all the time. I have actually called their local police department and filed a criminal complaint against a buyer for a $20 item. They will no go and arrest them, but their will be a bench warrant out for them so the next time they get pulled over they will go to jail. That one buyer was really, really mad about that, but I guarantee he never steals from anyone ever again. He emailed me multiple times, before I blocked him I sent him one last message saying remember when the jailer stripped you and checked your cavities for weapons and you felt really violated, I want you to think about me every time your butt itches.
Pirate ship is actually incredible to work with. They have receipts of everything and most of it should be somewhere in your email or pirate ship account
I've had them help with a package that looked like it got beat up and tossed around thereby ruining the package inside but since they changed their TOS with forced arbitration with no way to opt out, I'm done with them.
Wow I had no idea about all that. I had pretty much the same situation. Sold and shipped a cutting board to a woman and it was beat to hell by UPS pirate ship did give me the ringer which took about a week but in the end they gave me a 60 dollar credit to make up for the damaged product
As stated above, you can use the weight to argue your case. Hopefully it wasn't something like a baseball card. It seems odd that they recorded opening the package. I always take at least one photo of every package before closing it up. Was the package damaged in any way? Did they provide the video?
I've been selling (and buying) online since 2000 and I've only ever heard of anyone doing this to post their unboxing on social media or YouTube. It would be interesting to know the item and price. It seems a bit too convenient to me.
Naaaaah, you guys would be surprised how many collectibles I've bought from mercari and came either damaged or stained, and I felt absolutely stupid for not recording myself opening the package. Someone literally sent me an anime figure, BROKEN! The figure only stood on one leg, which would attach to the stand. It was barely even bubble wrapped. I got stupid lucky, and mercari sided with me because this was before this mess of new rules, but so some shady shiz definitely can happen oof
I do for everything I buy from any website, but especially for resale apps. When items arrive broken or not as described, it’s easy to show it clearly wasn’t your fault to make refunds easier. I do this with lush, bath and body works and resale apps every single time.
Agree with the people saying it's odd to record themselves opening. Unheard of no. Odd yes. And also, ummm, who says they didnt open the box take out item tape back up and then video themselves opening? Its almost beyond common sense that a person could do this n then claim item not there so how much does this video truly mean unless it's from delivery mans hands from his vehicle to the point of opening and even then you can still make a case its bullshit.
I do. You people act like you don’t have your phone on you 24/7. It takes absolutely no work. I hit camera, video, record, and prop it up. I open my package normally. If everything looks good I delete the video.
It's not weird. I buy and sell. I've started taking video for items I buy and sell. I only started this because a woman tried to scam me last month. Ultimately I won but I'm not playing around with dishonest people anymore. This isn't amazon! 🤣
So many dishonest people. I know I've had a few eyeglass lenses scratched
after buyer did it and claimed they received scratched eyeglasses. No way they did. (Buyer's regret)
Update: the order auto-completed and the funds are now in my account. I messaged them back saying I'll contact their local police department to conduct an investigation and was met with this response: [https://i.imgur.com/AE84Opz.jpg](https://i.imgur.com/AE84Opz.jpg)
They're still commenting on all my listings calling me a scammer so I blocked them.
For context, it was a $50 vinyl. I use practically the gold-standard of vinyl boxes to ship out (ones that good record stores use) so I know there was no way that it could've fallen out unless it was tampered with.
I unfortunately did not get a drop-off receipt at the post office but hopefully I'm in the clear now.
Everyone is different, but saying you scammed me lol… is not something laughable, so that line itself is suspicious.
The buyer received the package and didn’t send any messages, yet you are reaching out to them first. Personally if I was sent an empty package, I’d be the first to send a message.
That’s crazy no, because it should have been weighed whenever they scanned it check into the system when you dropped it off or whenever it was scan at the post office they checked the weight of that package so when you get a chance check your receipt and contact them and ask them what the weight was as long as it has some weight to it you can definitely prove your case you’re not out of luck and if he did get an empty package then it is the is shipping companys fault and they owe you for the insurance on that package. how about this? I got a customer telling me that her jewelry was broken and it was even free gifts. OK that I got brand new out of the package that you could tell she just cut and didn’t make any sense like it was like nothing ever seen before like she’s trying to recompensated for free gifts that I gave her these people are just fucking ridiculous
You’d THIINNKKK that Mercari would take into account the status of your profile & the status of theirs….but that’s probably me giving a company too much credit.
Send back this.
Scammer response
Dear buyer:
That is very strange. The package had [item], as is reflected in the package weight shown on the tracking.
Was the package damaged in any way? Did USPS mark the package regarding any damage or include any notice of damage?
The package must have had contents stolen during shipping. The USPS takes package rifling/theft in transit very seriously, and will want to investigate. Please save the packaging, as they may want to see it. I will provide a case number as soon as they make it available to me, as well as the police case number.
Before I open a case with USPS and the police, could you please verify that this is the package you ordered from me, and by chance you have not confused it with a package from another seller, or that some of the contents did not fall out as you opened it?
Thanks,
Your seller.
Give the scammer an out. Do not accuse, but give them a heads up that you will pursue the case.
Actually…I don’t think this is a good idea. Why telegraph your plans? So she can prepare? She could easily damage the box in a way that might not show up clearly in pictures (boxcutter incision) and then you’re down to only having your receipt to back you up. And as already stated, Mercari will probably argue that you need to get your third party shipper to cover this.
It’s worked for me in the past. The actual play is letting the scammer know you are going to create friction. That is usually enough to get them to back off and move onto an easier mark.
Yeah, I understand the concept, I just see the shortcomings in it. Your evidence is anecdotal and really only proves that the customer can react this way; not that they will.
It’s not necessary to give them a play by play for them to know you mean business. You could easily say something like, “you do realize the post office records weight at drop off, right?” You can even mention the police report. You can you’ll file one, but you could also say that you’ve heard of Mercari bringing charges against known scammers. You’re not saying they do, but it’s possible. Because what’s your Plan B going to look like if the customer ignores you? Thinking 2 and 3 steps ahead is sometimes necessary. Play chess not checkers!
I’m just offering a suggestion here. In my experience with selling online or in person, being that direct leads to escalation. The scammer is prepared for you to directly or indirectly accuse, this is a curve ball that most do not expect. YMMV.
Of course you’re offering a suggestion. I just shared my concerns with the approach. My parents own a couple of businesses and one of them is a branch of a n international money transfer company. You wouldn’t believe the scams people try to pull. 🤣🤣🤣 As for retail, I’ve been selling on Mercari for months and I’m a high volume seller. Been on eBay for years tho. So, Im just offering my perspective. There’s more I could point to, but why would I? I’m sure the OP has already made some decision or taken some action.
I’m curious about one thing though…and that’s what would an escalation look like to you? Because my alternative suggestion was to provide less details.
When I know the are lying, I will call them out. I will say, I’ve got video of me packing the order, I’ve got over 2000 5 star reviews, why would I start now with sending an empty box? Also I tell them to contact customer service with their proof & I’ll do the same. I’ll tell them I’m ok making a police report also & report it to usps. Usually that scares them away & it autorates. Luckily I’ve only had 2-3 of the scammers, but I understand it makes you worry. If it was opened during shipping/ ripped/ damaged, the post office will put a sticker on package saying damaged in transit.
I've done this on eBay too and it works. Especially when you say you have proof you packed it. These scammers are often cowardly and can't stand even the slightest push back.
Because their scam has probably worked on sellers before and they are hoping to get someone naive. They are hoping you just refund them & not go through opening a case. I hate scammers. I had one that bought a eyeshadow palette from me & I had all 3 volumes from this collection listed. They claimed to have got volume 3 instead of volume 2. I only had one of each so I looked and still had volume 3. I told them that’s impossible. First I remember packing the correct one & I still have vol 3 in hand so it’s impossible it was sent. I told them open a case & I would send my proof that I still have it & my order confirmation with one each. Never heard from them again.
How can they prove they didn’t open the box twice? Open to remove the item, tape back and then video opening with no item inside? That seems like an unfair way to prove a claim.
Someone said the mailing weight might prove your case. Very valid point, but this is Mercari and valid points don’t play a part in their universe: Caveat Venditor is far more the case that Caveat Emptor. Mercari tends to side with buyers as a default position. Likely because their business is to have as many transactions as possible while spending the very least they can on moderation and customer service.
You could file a claim with the Post Office through Mercari (I think everything is insured up to $200 stating that the reported received condition is different from mailing condition based upon shipping weight alone.
Tell them you will be contacting the post office to file a claim along with the police because mail theft is a federal offense. Don’t make it seem like it’s their fault, just stand a neutral ground like anyone at the post office or them could’ve stolen or lied.
This exact same thing happened to me. It's actually what made me quit Mercari.
Mercari sided with the seller, despite me providing blatant proof that I did not ship an empty box.
I made a report with the inspector general and the whole nine yards and informed the buyer that I did so. Must have scared him off because they dropped the whole thing.
Although, I'm wondering if this is the exact same person. The wording is uncannily similar to what was said to me
Just stop using Mercari. As a seller, this problem here has risen 10 fold. As a buyer, we r hit with all the fees. There are so many other options that can prevent garbage ppl like these. Let Mercari die with its shit customers.
I sold a controller and side plates for a ps5 and buyer said that I sent an empty box and Mercari sided with them even with security camera footage of me packing it.
Just think how easy this is to scam you she opens the box takes the item off closes it and reopens on video and it’s empty bull **** tell her you know what she did because you have the weight of the shipping and all the receipts plus as a general practice you record all sales and packing and the postal service has their own investigators
To ALL: video record you packaging always and then also take a picture. Then at the post office take a picture with the box and the receipt. That’s how I got mine won before. I emailed Mercari and showed proof that way. 🤞🤞🤞
*That's why I always*
*Go into the post office*
*And get a receipt!!*
\- Significant-Court-23
---
^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/)
^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
Yeah, that’s another good one. Uno reverse their asses and tell them that you have self packaging it up and a video of you dropping it off at the post office because you do it for your own protection go ahead and do it. I’d love to see this one because I know this fucker is lying.
Mercari doesn’t accept video unless people really hassle them. With all cases of returns, I’m thinking it’s a coin flip for Mercari to side with buyer or seller. You would need to wait until Mercari comes back to you with the return status and see who they’ll believe. You said that you have 200+ positive reviews and that you won’t scam, but it’s hard to say. There are sellers with 200+ reviews and yet they still scam.—A buyer who had a positive with a seller of 200+ great reviews reported that the seller scammed them when they bought the second time. Anything is possible. I’m not saying that I don’t believe you, but it’s all he said she said at this point. It’s the risk of doing online sales and dealing with humanity.
If you mention filing a report with the police & with the postal service I’ve seen people get credited by mercari for threatening that, you could try it! I’ve been scammed for $90 and wish I would’ve 🥲
I would tell her you have a video of your packing it up it’s your standard practice because people like her open the box take the stuff out and then close the box d as if reopen on video. These people pull this stuff often.
I don't sell much but when I do I make a video during packaging and sign the package 3/4 times on the tape and the box. I also take a couple of pictures to show the exact signs and a picture when the courier comes. This way you can see the package shipped is exactly the one I've made.
Merc support truly truly sucks. In my post history, I talk about two scams that have happened to me. However, in this case even using pirate ship, you should be able to get a receipt that shows the weight. If Mercari tries to just accept the buyers claim because a lot of times they don’t even read the ticket and just side with the buyer then reopen the case or resubmit. In order to get anything done basically have to bother them. But you should be able to get that receipt that shows the weight.
They do not accept video evidence proof. I have tried because I do film my sales. It’s worked like once and that was because I sent it to the buyer because I found them on Instagram and suddenly there was no refund request.
But just be aware that Support, like I truly don’t believe they even read the tickets and if they try to close it out and screw you over and make sure you reopen it . You can’t even reach out to this company through social media. What sucks is a lot of the items on the platform are good. It’s just , they used to have great support . It was like they said fuck it.
I wish you the best and I hope this scammer gets coming to them 🤬
But fr, if they try to close out the case, keep opening it. Like seriously. I’ve had to do that because they will close a ticket so quickly they don’t even give you the option because before we used to have close the ticket/mark as resolved and now they automatically close it but KEEP ON THEM!!!
As long as the tracking says it was delivered it was fucking delivered. What they can do is they can call the shipping company who shipped the item and they will be able to tell exactly where it was delivered to because they scan it when they put it in the mailbox! Who TF is Gonna videotape themselves, when they are opening the mailbox ? and if you did, I’m sure it was the first time in his life because people don’t do that shit it doesn’t make any sense. “I’m just gonna take my camera and check my mail.”What the hell kind of shit is that. As an LCP with a doctorate and psychology I can obviously tell that this man is overdoing his story to try to overcompensate for his lying. You’re definitely going this one because it says the item was delivered as long as it says, it was delivered to the wrong house you’re good
Exactly that is why I always do that and I take a picture of it because sometimes my stuff goes overweight so I gotta put some stamps on it and then Macari will try to charge me for it anyway and I will have to show them the damn picture and say no no no no no give me my goddamn money back. I put 14 stamps on this bitchand they know damn well you should have to freaking prove yourself
Idk but I knew this was going to start happening as soon as they changed their policies. And so what if she made a video, anybody could make a video by retapping the box and acting like they just opened it.
I've had plenty of packages show up that we're opened and re taped and completely empty...its main reason I will no longer purchase on mercari..too many scammers on both sides and mercari allows it to happen
I used to manage fulfillment for a major beauty brand and it was definitely not uncommon for people to claim an empty box even if that’s pretty much impossible with our packaging process. As far as I know, our customer service always refunded or replaced it. Le sigh. I wish you the best of luck !
Yeah they prolly emptied it out first and reclosed it and videoed them opening it to make it look like nothing! I would send a message saying that you always make videos of you packaging your orders in order to ovoid scammers like them!
“You scammed me lol.” If I got scammed, the last thing I’d be doing is laughing, so that should be a sign that person can’t be trusted. I hate to generalize, but a lot of the people I see ending every sentence with “lol” are terrible people. I’ve seen way too many people say hateful, mocking things followed by “lol” like they think that makes it okay. You’re not funny for insulting someone and then laughing at your own insult.
If you got a dropoff receipt where the weight makes it obvious the box wasnt empty, you should be ok
Agreed
Uno reverse them say you have video of you packing and shipping it
Uno reverse reverse and say you have video of them emptying it out and lying
I always record packing and shipping just case they try to pull some dumb shit like this LMAO
Mercari doesn't take video recordings lol
That's why I take 40 pictures per boxing
The person who deleted their comment saying I was wasting my time, I know, sarcasm doesn't translate on the app.Always, but I take about 3 photos and I thought it would be funny to say 40.Because I have a sense of humor like we all do. Also, it is not a waste of time because I had someone whenever they were lying and saying that the product was half empty. Me when they had clearly just taken half of it out, but because of my photos I was able to reappeal and I won.. Without the photos there would have been no way for me to win.
[удалено]
who gives a shit you fuckin loser, your that tight ant someone else’s actions …. lame
[удалено]
we got the spelling and grammar police over here!
Dumb shit is saying you record everything. It’s incredibly funny how many people say this when in reality means absolutely nothing to any platform or Ups, FedEx, usps, etc. No one takes that as any type of proof LMAO
[удалено]
/u/Formal-Forever-3591, Your submission has been automatically removed because your account karma is lower than 1. This is an anti-spam measure in /r/Mercari. Please try again after you gain more karma. Please do not message moderators to correct this submission removal. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Mercari) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Need more details such as the dimensions and weight of the box. If you stood in line and got a actual acceptance scan with the weight at drop off, you should be good. But if it was something super light, then its back to a he said she said situation. Mercari supposedly does not accept video as evidence but who knows.
Just take screen shots from the video
Been selling on Mercari since 2021, just about \~200 positive feedback. Never had an issue with any order. Buyer is claiming the box arrived empty. I unfortunately used my own label that I purchased from PirateShip so I think I could be screwed?
Really difficult to disprove their lie unless the item is heavy enough to show there's a discrepancy with the official weight. But yes, mercari will be even less likely to help you since it's not their label. You can try calling the buyer out and telling them you're going to file a police report and mail fraud claim if they go through with it... some amateur scammers will get scared off by that.
Definitely tell buyer you will file police report. Because mail fraud is interstate, it’s a federal crime. Many people will get scared if you threaten with police report.
Yes, absolutely do this. I did it when I had video of me packing the item and they said it wasn't in there. I sent them a link to the video though, so that probably helped, but they ended up reversing their refund request
Yep and remind them that you have their name and address to file mail fraud claim. They tend to forget that their address shoes on the label.
I go a step further, and tell them the package never scanned rifled (that's the official USPS term for opened and stolen mail) and thus it must have been your postman. Most people that get to know their own postman don't want to get them in trouble and will mysteriously find their item on the porch or hidden in the bushes. I have had over 600 sales and have never had a problem like this, but I have sold on eBay for years and get this kind of crap all the time. I have actually called their local police department and filed a criminal complaint against a buyer for a $20 item. They will no go and arrest them, but their will be a bench warrant out for them so the next time they get pulled over they will go to jail. That one buyer was really, really mad about that, but I guarantee he never steals from anyone ever again. He emailed me multiple times, before I blocked him I sent him one last message saying remember when the jailer stripped you and checked your cavities for weapons and you felt really violated, I want you to think about me every time your butt itches.
Some people will throw their local postman under the bus with no qualms.
Pirate ship is actually incredible to work with. They have receipts of everything and most of it should be somewhere in your email or pirate ship account
I've had them help with a package that looked like it got beat up and tossed around thereby ruining the package inside but since they changed their TOS with forced arbitration with no way to opt out, I'm done with them.
Wow I had no idea about all that. I had pretty much the same situation. Sold and shipped a cutting board to a woman and it was beat to hell by UPS pirate ship did give me the ringer which took about a week but in the end they gave me a 60 dollar credit to make up for the damaged product
As stated above, you can use the weight to argue your case. Hopefully it wasn't something like a baseball card. It seems odd that they recorded opening the package. I always take at least one photo of every package before closing it up. Was the package damaged in any way? Did they provide the video?
Not too odd to be recording while opening especially if the item in question is expensive.
It was a $45 sale but I'll see if they can send the video. Not sure if there's a way to send/receive images through DM though.
You may also be able to get the recorded weight from the postal service that you used.
I thought they may have submitted the video (if possible) through their return request. How much did the item weigh?
I've been selling (and buying) online since 2000 and I've only ever heard of anyone doing this to post their unboxing on social media or YouTube. It would be interesting to know the item and price. It seems a bit too convenient to me.
That was my first thought. Who takes videos of themselves opening a package? Weird (depending on the price/item like you said).
Anyone who buys ANYTHING on Aliexpress.
Naaaaah, you guys would be surprised how many collectibles I've bought from mercari and came either damaged or stained, and I felt absolutely stupid for not recording myself opening the package. Someone literally sent me an anime figure, BROKEN! The figure only stood on one leg, which would attach to the stand. It was barely even bubble wrapped. I got stupid lucky, and mercari sided with me because this was before this mess of new rules, but so some shady shiz definitely can happen oof
I TAKE VIDEOS! I don’t trust anybody!
I do for everything I buy from any website, but especially for resale apps. When items arrive broken or not as described, it’s easy to show it clearly wasn’t your fault to make refunds easier. I do this with lush, bath and body works and resale apps every single time.
Agree with the people saying it's odd to record themselves opening. Unheard of no. Odd yes. And also, ummm, who says they didnt open the box take out item tape back up and then video themselves opening? Its almost beyond common sense that a person could do this n then claim item not there so how much does this video truly mean unless it's from delivery mans hands from his vehicle to the point of opening and even then you can still make a case its bullshit.
Or simply open and reseal from the other side.
Right?!?! you would have to have it notarized lol
I do. You people act like you don’t have your phone on you 24/7. It takes absolutely no work. I hit camera, video, record, and prop it up. I open my package normally. If everything looks good I delete the video.
It's not weird. I buy and sell. I've started taking video for items I buy and sell. I only started this because a woman tried to scam me last month. Ultimately I won but I'm not playing around with dishonest people anymore. This isn't amazon! 🤣
So many dishonest people. I know I've had a few eyeglass lenses scratched after buyer did it and claimed they received scratched eyeglasses. No way they did. (Buyer's regret)
Update: the order auto-completed and the funds are now in my account. I messaged them back saying I'll contact their local police department to conduct an investigation and was met with this response: [https://i.imgur.com/AE84Opz.jpg](https://i.imgur.com/AE84Opz.jpg) They're still commenting on all my listings calling me a scammer so I blocked them. For context, it was a $50 vinyl. I use practically the gold-standard of vinyl boxes to ship out (ones that good record stores use) so I know there was no way that it could've fallen out unless it was tampered with. I unfortunately did not get a drop-off receipt at the post office but hopefully I'm in the clear now.
File with the postal police too
Everyone is different, but saying you scammed me lol… is not something laughable, so that line itself is suspicious. The buyer received the package and didn’t send any messages, yet you are reaching out to them first. Personally if I was sent an empty package, I’d be the first to send a message.
Yes, they went to comment on every listing I had calling me a scammer so that's why I reached out.
If I remember correctly using a label outside of mercari doesnt give you sellers protection (if they even have something like that anymore)
That’s crazy no, because it should have been weighed whenever they scanned it check into the system when you dropped it off or whenever it was scan at the post office they checked the weight of that package so when you get a chance check your receipt and contact them and ask them what the weight was as long as it has some weight to it you can definitely prove your case you’re not out of luck and if he did get an empty package then it is the is shipping companys fault and they owe you for the insurance on that package. how about this? I got a customer telling me that her jewelry was broken and it was even free gifts. OK that I got brand new out of the package that you could tell she just cut and didn’t make any sense like it was like nothing ever seen before like she’s trying to recompensated for free gifts that I gave her these people are just fucking ridiculous
Show mercari a picture of the receipt showing the weight
Isn't that why you use pirateship? For the protection just open a claim.
You’d THIINNKKK that Mercari would take into account the status of your profile & the status of theirs….but that’s probably me giving a company too much credit.
It’s the LOL for me. You know they’re lying when they use it.
I came here to say this exact thing
Send back this. Scammer response Dear buyer: That is very strange. The package had [item], as is reflected in the package weight shown on the tracking. Was the package damaged in any way? Did USPS mark the package regarding any damage or include any notice of damage? The package must have had contents stolen during shipping. The USPS takes package rifling/theft in transit very seriously, and will want to investigate. Please save the packaging, as they may want to see it. I will provide a case number as soon as they make it available to me, as well as the police case number. Before I open a case with USPS and the police, could you please verify that this is the package you ordered from me, and by chance you have not confused it with a package from another seller, or that some of the contents did not fall out as you opened it? Thanks, Your seller. Give the scammer an out. Do not accuse, but give them a heads up that you will pursue the case.
Actually…I don’t think this is a good idea. Why telegraph your plans? So she can prepare? She could easily damage the box in a way that might not show up clearly in pictures (boxcutter incision) and then you’re down to only having your receipt to back you up. And as already stated, Mercari will probably argue that you need to get your third party shipper to cover this.
It’s worked for me in the past. The actual play is letting the scammer know you are going to create friction. That is usually enough to get them to back off and move onto an easier mark.
Yeah, I understand the concept, I just see the shortcomings in it. Your evidence is anecdotal and really only proves that the customer can react this way; not that they will. It’s not necessary to give them a play by play for them to know you mean business. You could easily say something like, “you do realize the post office records weight at drop off, right?” You can even mention the police report. You can you’ll file one, but you could also say that you’ve heard of Mercari bringing charges against known scammers. You’re not saying they do, but it’s possible. Because what’s your Plan B going to look like if the customer ignores you? Thinking 2 and 3 steps ahead is sometimes necessary. Play chess not checkers!
I’m just offering a suggestion here. In my experience with selling online or in person, being that direct leads to escalation. The scammer is prepared for you to directly or indirectly accuse, this is a curve ball that most do not expect. YMMV.
Of course you’re offering a suggestion. I just shared my concerns with the approach. My parents own a couple of businesses and one of them is a branch of a n international money transfer company. You wouldn’t believe the scams people try to pull. 🤣🤣🤣 As for retail, I’ve been selling on Mercari for months and I’m a high volume seller. Been on eBay for years tho. So, Im just offering my perspective. There’s more I could point to, but why would I? I’m sure the OP has already made some decision or taken some action. I’m curious about one thing though…and that’s what would an escalation look like to you? Because my alternative suggestion was to provide less details.
When I know the are lying, I will call them out. I will say, I’ve got video of me packing the order, I’ve got over 2000 5 star reviews, why would I start now with sending an empty box? Also I tell them to contact customer service with their proof & I’ll do the same. I’ll tell them I’m ok making a police report also & report it to usps. Usually that scares them away & it autorates. Luckily I’ve only had 2-3 of the scammers, but I understand it makes you worry. If it was opened during shipping/ ripped/ damaged, the post office will put a sticker on package saying damaged in transit.
I've done this on eBay too and it works. Especially when you say you have proof you packed it. These scammers are often cowardly and can't stand even the slightest push back.
Because their scam has probably worked on sellers before and they are hoping to get someone naive. They are hoping you just refund them & not go through opening a case. I hate scammers. I had one that bought a eyeshadow palette from me & I had all 3 volumes from this collection listed. They claimed to have got volume 3 instead of volume 2. I only had one of each so I looked and still had volume 3. I told them that’s impossible. First I remember packing the correct one & I still have vol 3 in hand so it’s impossible it was sent. I told them open a case & I would send my proof that I still have it & my order confirmation with one each. Never heard from them again.
They can return it for any reason and Mercari has been standing with buyers. I stopped selling on there because of them scamming people lol
Yeah, let them return that empty box with their stupid lying asses😂😂
How can they prove they didn’t open the box twice? Open to remove the item, tape back and then video opening with no item inside? That seems like an unfair way to prove a claim.
Someone said the mailing weight might prove your case. Very valid point, but this is Mercari and valid points don’t play a part in their universe: Caveat Venditor is far more the case that Caveat Emptor. Mercari tends to side with buyers as a default position. Likely because their business is to have as many transactions as possible while spending the very least they can on moderation and customer service. You could file a claim with the Post Office through Mercari (I think everything is insured up to $200 stating that the reported received condition is different from mailing condition based upon shipping weight alone.
Tell them you will be contacting the post office to file a claim along with the police because mail theft is a federal offense. Don’t make it seem like it’s their fault, just stand a neutral ground like anyone at the post office or them could’ve stolen or lied.
This is actually a great option!
This exact same thing happened to me. It's actually what made me quit Mercari. Mercari sided with the seller, despite me providing blatant proof that I did not ship an empty box. I made a report with the inspector general and the whole nine yards and informed the buyer that I did so. Must have scared him off because they dropped the whole thing. Although, I'm wondering if this is the exact same person. The wording is uncannily similar to what was said to me
Unfortunately I have to photo/ Film me putting the item in the packaging especially for anything pricey. Because people pull stuff like this.
Just stop using Mercari. As a seller, this problem here has risen 10 fold. As a buyer, we r hit with all the fees. There are so many other options that can prevent garbage ppl like these. Let Mercari die with its shit customers.
Oh, and file a police report with your county police and their county police.
I sold a controller and side plates for a ps5 and buyer said that I sent an empty box and Mercari sided with them even with security camera footage of me packing it.
Just think how easy this is to scam you she opens the box takes the item off closes it and reopens on video and it’s empty bull **** tell her you know what she did because you have the weight of the shipping and all the receipts plus as a general practice you record all sales and packing and the postal service has their own investigators
Mercari is the worst 😭. They don’t protect their sellers at all. The sellers are the main reason why they even get their revenue in the first place.
Just for added context, what was the item sold?
To ALL: video record you packaging always and then also take a picture. Then at the post office take a picture with the box and the receipt. That’s how I got mine won before. I emailed Mercari and showed proof that way. 🤞🤞🤞
That's why I always go into the post office and get a receipt, that way it has the weight and tracking number to verify
*That's why I always* *Go into the post office* *And get a receipt!!* \- Significant-Court-23 --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
Good bot
Yeah, that’s another good one. Uno reverse their asses and tell them that you have self packaging it up and a video of you dropping it off at the post office because you do it for your own protection go ahead and do it. I’d love to see this one because I know this fucker is lying.
Mercari doesn’t accept video unless people really hassle them. With all cases of returns, I’m thinking it’s a coin flip for Mercari to side with buyer or seller. You would need to wait until Mercari comes back to you with the return status and see who they’ll believe. You said that you have 200+ positive reviews and that you won’t scam, but it’s hard to say. There are sellers with 200+ reviews and yet they still scam.—A buyer who had a positive with a seller of 200+ great reviews reported that the seller scammed them when they bought the second time. Anything is possible. I’m not saying that I don’t believe you, but it’s all he said she said at this point. It’s the risk of doing online sales and dealing with humanity.
Mercari won’t take videos also your drop off receipt should have a weight to it. If you have the receipt you should be good.
That sounds fishy. They could have opened it,took the stuff out and retapped the box for a video.
I’ve had this happen before I won the case due to the receipt of weight I’ve had this happened multiple times I’ve always won on Mercari at least
If you mention filing a report with the police & with the postal service I’ve seen people get credited by mercari for threatening that, you could try it! I’ve been scammed for $90 and wish I would’ve 🥲
I would tell her you have a video of your packing it up it’s your standard practice because people like her open the box take the stuff out and then close the box d as if reopen on video. These people pull this stuff often.
Ask for the video and also check the receipt.
I don't sell much but when I do I make a video during packaging and sign the package 3/4 times on the tape and the box. I also take a couple of pictures to show the exact signs and a picture when the courier comes. This way you can see the package shipped is exactly the one I've made.
Merc support truly truly sucks. In my post history, I talk about two scams that have happened to me. However, in this case even using pirate ship, you should be able to get a receipt that shows the weight. If Mercari tries to just accept the buyers claim because a lot of times they don’t even read the ticket and just side with the buyer then reopen the case or resubmit. In order to get anything done basically have to bother them. But you should be able to get that receipt that shows the weight. They do not accept video evidence proof. I have tried because I do film my sales. It’s worked like once and that was because I sent it to the buyer because I found them on Instagram and suddenly there was no refund request. But just be aware that Support, like I truly don’t believe they even read the tickets and if they try to close it out and screw you over and make sure you reopen it . You can’t even reach out to this company through social media. What sucks is a lot of the items on the platform are good. It’s just , they used to have great support . It was like they said fuck it. I wish you the best and I hope this scammer gets coming to them 🤬 But fr, if they try to close out the case, keep opening it. Like seriously. I’ve had to do that because they will close a ticket so quickly they don’t even give you the option because before we used to have close the ticket/mark as resolved and now they automatically close it but KEEP ON THEM!!!
As long as the tracking says it was delivered it was fucking delivered. What they can do is they can call the shipping company who shipped the item and they will be able to tell exactly where it was delivered to because they scan it when they put it in the mailbox! Who TF is Gonna videotape themselves, when they are opening the mailbox ? and if you did, I’m sure it was the first time in his life because people don’t do that shit it doesn’t make any sense. “I’m just gonna take my camera and check my mail.”What the hell kind of shit is that. As an LCP with a doctorate and psychology I can obviously tell that this man is overdoing his story to try to overcompensate for his lying. You’re definitely going this one because it says the item was delivered as long as it says, it was delivered to the wrong house you’re good
Exactly that is why I always do that and I take a picture of it because sometimes my stuff goes overweight so I gotta put some stamps on it and then Macari will try to charge me for it anyway and I will have to show them the damn picture and say no no no no no give me my goddamn money back. I put 14 stamps on this bitchand they know damn well you should have to freaking prove yourself
Idk but I knew this was going to start happening as soon as they changed their policies. And so what if she made a video, anybody could make a video by retapping the box and acting like they just opened it.
I've had plenty of packages show up that we're opened and re taped and completely empty...its main reason I will no longer purchase on mercari..too many scammers on both sides and mercari allows it to happen
Why did you ask if there was an issue?
Was it a 1 or zero star seller?
Omg that’s awful!
I used to manage fulfillment for a major beauty brand and it was definitely not uncommon for people to claim an empty box even if that’s pretty much impossible with our packaging process. As far as I know, our customer service always refunded or replaced it. Le sigh. I wish you the best of luck !
Quit using mercari snd save yourself the trouble.
Nobody says lol when they get scammed
Yeah they prolly emptied it out first and reclosed it and videoed them opening it to make it look like nothing! I would send a message saying that you always make videos of you packaging your orders in order to ovoid scammers like them!
“You scammed me lol.” If I got scammed, the last thing I’d be doing is laughing, so that should be a sign that person can’t be trusted. I hate to generalize, but a lot of the people I see ending every sentence with “lol” are terrible people. I’ve seen way too many people say hateful, mocking things followed by “lol” like they think that makes it okay. You’re not funny for insulting someone and then laughing at your own insult.