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Sold my PS4 on eBay to cover my Pro, buyer is claiming it's console banned, what do?

Oh man, that's a nightmare to deal with when you're an ebay seller. This is why I've resigned myself from ever selling anything expensive on that site.
 

LordOfChaos

Member
Sucks man. You should always take as much pectoral evidence as possible selling on Ebay, and try to set filters to weed out shitty/new accounts. It's very very heavily a buyers market.

You have a fair amount of what should be done though. You don't have the serial number, but do not let him or eBay know that obviously. Try to get it from Sony, but regardless, call the bluff and ask for the serial number and the notification that it's banned in one picture.
 

Boss Mog

Member
I hate to tell you this OP but you're pretty much screwed. eBay always sides with the buyer. One time, about a year ago, I sold a DVD boxset and there was a small crease on the outer box that was due to a manufacturing defect (you could tell there was no way that the crease was made by man), and they guy I sold it to bitched about it, I was like "fine, whatever" and said I'd refund him if he sent it back and he sent it back to me all fucked up, but the box he shipped it back in was pristine which means it didn't happen during shipping, it was this guy that deliberately fucked up the boxset packaging (maybe that's why he wanted to return it?) and so I called eBay saying I didn't want to refund him because he sent me back damaged goods and they were like: "it doesn't matter, he had a tracking number proving he sent it back and that's all that matters". And so I ask this supervisor lady "what if he had mailed me a box of rocks, would I still need to refund him?" and she actually said "yes, absolutely".

After that I've been somewhat wary of using eBay to sell stuff but the thing that sucks for me if due to some really unfortunate circumstances I'm gonna have to sell almost everything I own by the end of this month, including a lot of games and systems and I'm probably gonna have to use eBay sadly and I'm really scared about buyers trying to scam me. Maybe I should try the Buy/Sell thread here, I don't know if stuff sells there if its close to eBay going rates or if people are just after the bargains.
 

IceOrb

Member
You could use your PSN purchase history as proof assuming you made recent purchases with it before sending it away.

Can't buy things on PSN with a banned PS4.
 
Tell the guy he needs PS+ to access online. If he continues to say that the console is broken unlink PayPal from your eBay account, close your eBay account and vanish in the wind. If you're telling the truth this dude is trying to scam you. Screw him.
 
I already stated this before at the end of Page 1, but I am going to post again.



If he does return it, video you opening the entire box, from beginning to end, uncut and unedited. He could simply return a brick in your PS4 box and, as myself and others have stated, Paypal and Ebay always side with the buyer. It sucks!


If he has a delivery confirmation number, showing he sent something to you, even if it is a brick in the box or something of comparable weight, ebay and payapl will close the case in his favor. He has your PS4, you have a brick in a box.


You need to contact Sony, tell them what you told us, you sold it to him, he is saying it is banned, you should have your PSN email, password, the info you signed into that PS4 with, they should at least be able to tell you if the console is banned, even if they cannot share the serial number. If Sony agrees with you, saying your console isn't banned, save that correspondence for your evidence to debate his claim.
 
Bluff and tell him you contacted Sony and they said your serial number is NOT banned. I'm guessing he silently slips away once he realizes you "found him out"

That won't work if that buyer is reading this very thread, ain't it?

Also, how can Sony check the banned serial for the console for OP if he doesn't have the serial number on hand?
 

RavenHawk

Member
Sorry for your troubles OP. But this thread was made at the perfect time for me. I have my old Destiny console bundle listed right now, and I just specified in the listing that any claims of banned or unusable console after delivery will be regarded as fraudulent. I'll also take pics of the serial for my own records before shipment.

In addition to what was mentioned above, I typically send a message through ebay letting the buyer know that I have shipped out their purchase specifically mentioning the console ID and serial numbers.

Best of luck, I hope this works out for you.
 
Whatever you do, keep acting like you have the serial number and let them know that you will expect them to match upon return.

Hopefully, that's enough to dissuade a scam.


I sold some ray-bans as used one time. Because I had the box, I packed them in it. Guy contacts me after arrival and says the box was destroyed. I told him to send pics of the damaged products and I'd do a claim. This fool tells me it was just the box for the glasses, not the glasses... I couldn't imagine how the box would be destroyed, but the glasses fine. I let them know that as a used product I didn't even have to include the box, but ended up having to give a partial refund due to his threats of feedback. Personally, I don't sell much on there anymore. Too much power to the buyers.
 

TSM

Member
Boss★Moogle;225865137 said:
I hate to tell you this OP but you're pretty much screwed. eBay always sides with the buyer. One time, about a year ago, I sold a DVD boxset and there was a small crease on the outer box that was due to a manufacturing defect (you could tell there was no way that the crease was made by man), and they guy I sold it to bitched about it, I was like "fine, whatever" and said I'd refund him if he sent it back and he sent it back to me all fucked up, but the box he shipped it back in was pristine which means it didn't happen during shipping, it was this guy that deliberately fucked up the boxset packaging (maybe that's why he wanted to return it?) and so I called eBay saying I didn't want to refund him because he sent me back damaged goods and they were like, it doesn't matter, he had a tracking number proving he sent it back and that's all that matter. And so I ask this supervisor lady "what if he had mailed me a box of rocks, would I still need to refund him?" and she actually said "yes, absolutely".

After that I've been somewhat wary of using eBay to sell stuff but the thing that sucks for me if due to some very really unfortunate circumstances I'm gonna have to sell almost everything I own by the end of this month, including a lot of games and systems and I'm probably gonna have to use eBay sadly and I'm really scared about buyers trying to scam me. Maybe I should try the Buy/Sell thread here, I don't know if stuff sells there if its close to eBay going rates or if people are just after the bargains.

You could try the neogaf BST thread first. It's not risk free, but I'd say your odds of having legit buyers are much higher.
 
What should I say to them? What reason can I give for not having access to the serial number myself?

Tell them the truth? You aren't doing anything wrong, you just sold your console. Hell, tell them what you told us, you sold it TO BUY ANOTHER PS4, a PS4Pro. And tell them you cannot buy it without selling your old PS4, which you feel by doing so, is getting you scammed.



You should not be afraid of calling Sony about this, and telling them the truth, unless there is a bit more to the story we dont know.
 

Weevilone

Member
Never sell anything on eBay unless you want to get scammed.

Also never sell anything on Craigslist unless you want to get shot.

I generally only sell things to friends and people I personally know. If no one I know wants to buy it, I just won't sell it. People are scum.

.

It sucks, but I just trade stuff in to Amazon now. I know I don't get shit for the goods vs what they'd sell for, but the risk is near zero.
 

Fisty

Member
Good chance they will actually ban the console for real... Which would justify buyers claim.

Well to be honest, if he has to refund the guy and doesn't get his original working PS4 back, he should absolutely have his old console banned. Fuck that guy

Actually, just ask him to give you the serial now for verification, that way when he sends the console back you can call Sony and report that serial number as stolen if you don't get your original back
 
You aren't completely screwed. I would call Sony support, work your way to a human being, and kindly explain your situation and see if there is a way if they can determine that the console you just sold is in fact banned and if so when it became banned. That's step 1.

Step 2 is to see if they'll give you the console ID or serial number.

Step 1 alone might be enough to get the scammer to stand down - you'd be able to say it is not banned, or that it was banned after his receipt.

Step 2 is pretty iron clad and with some good communication to ebay you should be cleared eventually.

Its going to take some work, but Sony definitely has the information you need to solve the case. Its just a matter of getting them to give it to you.

Edit: Worst case scenario, if you get mailed back a banned console you think isn't yours, call Sony and find out WTF happened. Why was it banned and when. From there you should be able to prove it isn't yours and file a complaint with Ebay.
 
Boss★Moogle;225865137 said:
I hate to tell you this OP but you're pretty much screwed. eBay always sides with the buyer. One time, about a year ago, I sold a DVD boxset and there was a small crease on the outer box that was due to a manufacturing defect (you could tell there was no way that the crease was made by man), and they guy I sold it to bitched about it, I was like "fine, whatever" and said I'd refund him if he sent it back and he sent it back to me all fucked up, but the box he shipped it back in was pristine which means it didn't happen during shipping, it was this guy that deliberately fucked up the boxset packaging (maybe that's why he wanted to return it?) and so I called eBay saying I didn't want to refund him because he sent me back damaged goods and they were like: "it doesn't matter, he had a tracking number proving he sent it back and that's all that matters". And so I ask this supervisor lady "what if he had mailed me a box of rocks, would I still need to refund him?" and she actually said "yes, absolutely".

After that I've been somewhat wary of using eBay to sell stuff but the thing that sucks for me if due to some really unfortunate circumstances I'm gonna have to sell almost everything I own by the end of this month, including a lot of games and systems and I'm probably gonna have to use eBay sadly and I'm really scared about buyers trying to scam me. Maybe I should try the Buy/Sell thread here, I don't know if stuff sells there if its close to eBay going rates or if people are just after the bargains.
At the very least it has the lowest scammer rate of any BST I've been on.
 

joecanada

Member
This. I hope you photographed the serial number. Ebay is 100% skewed towards the buyers not the sellers, so he can send you his broken/banned PS4 as yours in return, so make sure you have evidence of the serial number.

This happened to me with a Kratos statue I sold on Ebay and learned the hard way. Sent him my mint Statue, he said it arrived with only 1 hand (like the hand magically disappeared from the box I sent), so he pretty much took the magnetic removable Kratos hand and kept it for himself as he probably broke or lost one of his hands, so he just stole mine. Anyway I got it returned with 1 hand and had to sell it for FAR less since it was missing a hand :(

I only buy stuff on Ebay now.

Lol sounds like good advice, only buy.

Op did he have ratings ? Post his username so detective gaf can have a look at his eBay ratings !
 

Briarios

Member
As a seller, you always lose on eBay. I sold a game, customer claimed it was incomplete (not true, it was new & sealed). They never sent hame back but eBay forced me to refund them. So, basically, they stole the game from me and eBay charged me for that privilege.

eBay sucks ... totally unregulated. I'm sorry OP, you may just be out a console
 

Portugeezer

Member
People keep suggesting this, but Ebay has already ruled that the console is to be returned. As long as the buyer has proof of delivery he is getting a refund even if a box of rocks shows up.
Ebay ruled what? The person messaged him on ebay. OP can message him back asking what is the serial of the console he says is banned.
 
As one who has been screwed over numerous times on ebay, including for a GeForce Titan on which I lost $600, I feel for you OP.

You're screwed. 100%. eBay doesn't give the ass of a rat if the buyer is lying or not.
 

joecanada

Member
At the very least it has the lowest scammer rate of any BST I've been on.

Another upside of the bst is at least some of the scams end up being great drama in threads so at least there's that lol.


Edit - wait asking for the serial number is actually one of the better options. What if op says ok return it and confirm here the serial number of the console you are returning. The thief may unwittingly give you the serial number which may be helpful . Phrase it as " ok just to confirm with my records , the serial number of console you are sending is... ". It's a bluff of course but it may be only option
 

SpartanN92

Banned
I write down all my serial numbers or at the very least keep the boxes.

I used to work at Gamestop back in the day and serial numbers were how the police could track stolen consoles.
 

Briarios

Member
Ebay ruled what? The person messaged him on ebay. OP can message him back asking what is the serial of the console he says is banned.

You don't understand: eBay is going to refund it regardless and the OP is going to have to give back the money even if the guy returns a different PS4
 
Imagine this dude is a professional con artist and he replies to OP with a serial # and OP can't confirm or deny

Yup. In his mind, one of two things happen:

He replies with "Its XXXXX [the banned console serial number]"

1) OP says "yep that's it." Score for the scammer.

2) OP says "That's not it!" Scammer replies "oh whoops wrong one - sorry its YYYYY [OPs actual serial]. OP says "oh ok that's it." Scammer sends it back and doesn't lose anything.
 

jstevenson

Sailor Stevenson
lots of people posting about sending stuff that buyers claimed was damage:

this is why you always, ALWAYS use shipcover. Shipcover is awesome. They cover everything. Remember, insuring the package on ebay doesn't protect the buyer, it protects the SELLER. The buyer is enshrined in unassailable protections. If you sell on ebay, be smart and protect yourself.

Won't help you in this case OP, but for anyone else selling on ebay, shipcover is a lifesaver
 

commish

Jason Kidd murdered my dog in cold blood!
As a seller, you always lose on eBay. I sold a game, customer claimed it was incomplete (not true, it was new & sealed). They never sent hame back but eBay forced me to refund them. So, basically, they stole the game from me and eBay charged me for that privilege.

eBay sucks ... totally unregulated. I'm sorry OP, you may just be out a console

Yup, pretty much. I had a problem with a buyer once, and the buyer even agreed with me in the ebay messages. Then buyer filed for a refund and ebay gave it to him. I called ebay and said YOU HAVE WRITTEN PROOF THAT I AM IN THE RIGHT. They did not care.

That said, I've bought and sold hundreds of things over ebay in the last 15 years, and I've only had a problem maybe 2 times out of all those instances. My rule of thumb is that if someone has low feedback, I won't sell to them, no matter what.
 

wig

Member
Good luck OP. I'm feeling so anxious and frustrated on your behalf. You should have taken a pic of the serial number before shipping it. Lesson learned. :(
 

LoveCake

Member
I hope you get this sorted out OP.

I agree with that the others are saying about contacting Sony and seeing if they can give you your serial number.

I have only buy from eBay rarely, I also hate Paypal.
 

Oli

Registered User
I've actually sold a lot on eBay and had a pretty good experience. I've had some scares, like purchases from 0 feedback users, but ultimately everyone paid and things went smoothly. This even included a sale that was around $500.

I get the frustration here though, it's a gamble. You really have to plan for the worst and hope for the best. Still, you get a lot of exposure, and even with the fees taken out you'll be getting more than you would on most other sites.

OP I hope things work out and I'll be keeping and eye on this thread.
 

Iced Arcade

Member
Fuck that. Delink your bank account and credit cards from PayPal asap. You're getting scammed. It happened to me when I sold sneakers back in the day.
this happened to me and this is what I had to do.

I had all the restrictions, conditions and everything covered along with the guy basically laughing at me because he was scamming me right in ebay messages and ebay uk sided with him. was a cell phone and buddy shipped me back a rock.

I won't even use ebay anymore AND never will ever sell to anyone from the UK
 

TheOMan

Tagged as I see fit
mention that you marked a secret area on the ps4 and ask him to send it back

they're probably trying to scam switch their faulty system and it'll probably cause them to back off into their corner

Haha - I think this guy hit the nail right on the head.
 

Peroroncino

Member
Fuck fuck fuck I don't have note of the serial number.

Ask him for serial number of the console he wants to return to you, call sony customer service [they can be surprisingly helpful], give them the serial number and try prying into the origin of the ban or if your psn account was even registered on the banned console, if it wasn't, maybe you'll have a fighting chance with that kind of proof.
 
You aren't completely screwed. I would call Sony support, work your way to a human being, and kindly explain your situation and see if there is a way if they can determine that the console you just sold is in fact banned and if so when it became banned. That's step 1.

Step 2 is to see if they'll give you the console ID or serial number.

Step 1 alone might be enough to get the scammer to stand down - you'd be able to say it is not banned, or that it was banned after his receipt.

Step 2 is pretty iron clad and with some good communication to ebay you should be cleared eventually.

Its going to take some work, but Sony definitely has the information you need to solve the case. Its just a matter of getting them to give it to you.

Edit: Worst case scenario, if you get mailed back a banned console you think isn't yours, call Sony and find out WTF happened. Why was it banned and when. From there you should be able to prove it isn't yours and file a complaint with Ebay.
This
 
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