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

Call his bluff.

Tell him you have marked the PS4 is a specific spot, noted the serial number, and taken photo and video evidence of this. Tell him he's more than welcome to return it, but you will need to check the console is the one you sent before returning any money.

He'll almost certainly stop the request.

Unless he asks for proof. In which case Id cut off contact until he returns it

Fuck eBay for this though. Buyers should have certain reputation before buying certain priced items


Can OP lie and pretend buyer sent a different ps4?
 
Unless he asks for proof. In which case Id cut off contact until he returns it

Fuck eBay for this though. Buyers should have certain reputation before buying certain priced items


Like what would you use a requirement number of transactions? Because you can buy like $.25 items from China on eBay shipped.
 

joecanada

Member
Such sad state of things.... but I fully agree. Last car I sold was the last one I will ever sell p2p. Would give every detail, pictures, videos and tell them my HARD min price and not to come see it if that was not what they would pay..... 10 people later I finally solid it for less than my hard price cuz i was tired of spending the time.

OP my heart goes out to you in this crap situation.

Lol cars may be the worst ... People are hilariously low balling ... I had a friend who bought a car pose as three different sellers , " two " of which informed the seller his price was too high. Got about 4k knocked off price ... Jeez poor seller never knew what hit him probably
 

godhandiscen

There are millions of whiny 5-year olds on Earth, and I AM THEIR KING.
They are going to send you back a banned console OP.

Do you have the serial number of you console? Check with SONY if it banned.

Either way tell them you have checked with SONY that your console is not banned. Call their bluff and tell them you recorded the serial number.
 

Arzehn

Member
As a last resort you could bluff.

Ask to confirm the serial number, important to mention you have it already written down but want to confirm, and say that you will verify with Sony Support if the serial banned or not after confirming they are the same.

Say that if he provides the incorrect serial or the console is not banned that you will file a report for fraud with ebay and possibly the police depending on circumstances.
 
Of course if the dude does send you a different console. You could do something that is also just a shady. If you have access to somebody other serial number......
 

DragoonKain

Neighbours from Hell
I would send him a response that says something like:

"The console was not banned, I used it and it was working perfectly up until the time I shipped it, so either you're lying and trying to scam me, or something screwed up on Sony's end. So here is what I'll do, since I personally verified before shipping it that it was in perfect working condition. I have the serial number on the console logged and with photos. If you send me back a console that has a different serial number or has been tampered with, I will report you to eBay, Paypal, and the police for mail fraud. I have your information and mail fraud is a federal crime. Trust me, you don't want to go down that road for a mere xx dollars. If everything is indeed as you claim, then your refund will be processed once my original console is returned 100% in the condition I sent it in and with the issues you described. Otherwise, legal action will be taken. Thank you."
 

dubq

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.
This is dumb. I've sold tons of stuff on eBay and have never been scammed.
 

DJ88

Member
If you'd read his post you'd notice he lives in the UK where it's about 9:30pm. Sony does not have 24 hour support. He has to wait until the next day and he's pretty lucky they have weekend chat/phone support.

I saw that, but he doesn't even need to contact Sony yet. The best suggestion I've seen a lot of people give is to call out the buyer's bluff. If he still demands a refund, then he can contact Sony and try to get the info he needs.
 

Rellik

Member
Damn dude. Just sold my Vader PS4 to upgrade to the Pro on ebay. I didn't take the serial number down, either. Buyer just gave me positive feedback, so I'm in the clear, but I didn't realize how reckless I was being without taking down important shit like the serial number.

eBay/PayPal don't care about evidence anyway. They still rule in favour for the buyer the majority of the time. Just don't use them. They're a horrible, horrible company that allows these scammers to operate.
 
This is dumb. I've sold tons of stuff on eBay and have never been scammed.

I've sold 100+ things on eBay too, in fact just recently sold a few games I got as extras when doing console trade ins, but I really, really, really hate selling physical stuff on eBay and would never, ever do it on craigslist. Sure, the odds of a scammer hitting you are fairly low - like 1-2% maybe? - but if it happens that erases pretty much all the profit you might have made in months if not years of casual eBay. eBay favors the buyer in just about every case, as a seller you are really at the mercy of not encountering a scammer.

I trade in dozens of games and a few consoles a year to gamestop though, and while I may not get the absolute best value and are "stuck" with gamestop credit to me the peace of mind is worth it. I traded in my launch PS4 for $187.50 and my xbox one elite for $190 two weeks ago, picked up a PS4 Pro and Xbox One S and while maybe I could have saved a few bucks with eBay, it took me 30 minutes total and no shipping or dealing with random people.

while its totally true ebay/paypal stick with the buyer, think about it though: how could eBay really arbitrate these cases? Lets say I am a scammer selling stuff, and I send people defective goods. Fine, they open a return and return the product. I claim the box came back with bricks instead of what I sent them, and "take pictures" to prove it. How would eBay ever really get to the bottom of any of this? Even banning people after a while doesn't help much, since its fairly trivial to open a new account and I'm sure there are thousands of hacked eBay accounts for sale.
 

Effigenius

Member
eBay/PayPal don't care about evidence anyway. They still rule in favour for the buyer the majority of the time. Just don't use them. They're a horrible, horrible company that allows these scammers to operate.

You are right, but really, it is a difficult situation to be in. They don't know what happened, and you can never prove anything either way. But yeah, for big ticket items, don't sell on eBay.
 

Akai__

Member
Again, he does not have proof because he can't prove what console he sent to him in the first place. At least not with a MAC address. You have to think from the buyer's POV. He can easily play ignorant and say "well, that's the PS4 he sent me. Prove that it wasnt"

I unfortunately weng through this once, so not really.

If the MAC adress is unique, you cross check it with the serial number. If that same serial number and MAC adress goes online at the scammers home, it is pretty obvious that the scammer sent back a faulty one.
 
Never sell expensive things on eBay (I know you know this now...sorry)

If you get screwed here, you have this persons address right? Get digging. Find their name and keep tabs on them. Exact revenge in about 10 years.
 
You're being scammed, shit like that is why I would rather just sell my stuff to a big chain and take the loss. He's doing one of the following things:

1: Sending you back his banned system.
2: He managed to get your system banned very quickly and wants to fob it back off.
3: He'll pretend the system was sent back to you and went missing in the post, kick up a big fuss to get his money back and if eBay sides with him he'll keep both the system and the money.

Either you're going to have to eat the loss, or fight tooth and nail with eBay (and probably lose if you have no proof of what your original serial number was).
 

TalonJH

Member
Somewhat off-topic: When it comes to serial numbers; when you first receive high ticket items, take a picture and upload it to a secure cloud storage site. I have a collection of them. It comes in handy if you ever have anything stolen or need to provide a serial number to a company to verify you were the owner.
 
Ok, a THEORY:

When you REGISTER a Sony DEVICE on sonyentertainmentnetwork.com, they save the serial number of that device.

OP probably deactivated his old PS4, but he definitely should PRETEND that it's still saved online and he will be able to check if the PS4 he will get send back is his own or the buyers old banned one.
If Sony is cooperative, a calling customer support might do, but don't even tell the buyer how exactly you are going to check, just mention that the serial number was saved in his PSN account and that he'll be able to see. That might be enough to scare the buyer not to fuck him over and send him his real old PS4 back.
 

jrcbandit

Member
This is dumb. I've sold tons of stuff on eBay and have never been scammed.

You are lucky, sellers always need to take precautions on Ebay because it is so heavily pro-buyer.

In general, sellers should only ship items via Priority Mail or Fedex/UPS with full tracking numbers, if the amount is over $750 then you need to have signature confirmation. If one doesn't purchase the shipping through Ebay, the tracking info needs to be added to the transaction.

Any product you sell with a serial number, always take photos of the serial number for your records. In general, I also take photos of the items I sell before shipping and keep them for 6 months to show the condition they were in. Ebay has a ridiculously lengthy time that buyers can contest their purchases so that is why you have to wait 6 months before deleting...

Someone just tried to scam me 80 days later after I sold a limited edition anime to them using a Chargeback, but I shipped to a Paypal verified address with tracking info, so it was ruled in my favor.
 

LOLCats

Banned
I unfortunately weng through this once, so not really.

If the MAC adress is unique, you cross check it with the serial number. If that same serial number and MAC adress goes online at the scammers home, it is pretty obvious that the scammer sent back a faulty one.

All MAC addresses are unique. But how would you cross check it? how would you know its "come online" at the scammers home? Sony wont provide a SN over the phone they will only confirm one, your advice seems flawed, can you elaborate?
 
OP should unlink his cards then close his accounts and start new ones. Don't willingly let yourself be fucked. If you wanted to be really safe you could block PayPal from the bank end for a couple weeks too.
 

Carnby

Member
And you guys in the BST thread were wondering why I was selling my ps4 here for only 100 dollars. Because I'd rather sell it cheap here instead of dealing with Ebayers.

Sorry OP.
 

Lemstar

Member
since I don't really have anything to tell OP that he hasn't heard already

i'd like to point out that it's ironic that everyone's using this thread as a soapbox to shit on eBay when

a. selling on Amazon is even worse for buyers
b. say what you want about their values, but GameStop will literally not scam you
 

N° 2048

Member
OP should unlink his cards then close his accounts and start new ones. Don't willingly let yourself be fucked. If you wanted to be really safe you could block PayPal from the bank end for a couple weeks too.

OP do this if you don't care about ruining your credit score/being sent to collections by PayPal.

His account has already been flagged too if buyer put in refund request.

That is not the way to fix this problem.
 

redcrayon

Member
OP, if you are going to get scammed, I suggest you recommend the buyer opens a dispute once you've received the item back and confirmed it's dodgy. This means all communication is logged and will provide an easy record of the proof you ask for all to see, and I would clearly state your concerns there so that the buyer can see you are already raising your suspicions with eBay long before the deadline for resolution comes up. They recommend both parties reach an agreement but otherwise make a ruling 4 weeks later if not (usually in favour of the buyer). However, this does mean you can string out giving a refund for several weeks after receiving the dodgy PS4 back while you chase Sony for the PS4's serial number.

Are there any distinguishing marks on your PS4?

Also, I'd bluff and say that once you've received the PS4 and the serial numbers match up, you'll issue a refund. Make it clear in every communication that the serial numbers need to match up to avoid fraud. DO NOT LET SLIP THAT YOU DONT HAVE IT.

Regarding eBay, Ive sold around 150 items on eBay and only had one dodgy buyer (over a £3 item!).
 

BigEmil

Junior Member
And you guys in the BST thread were wondering why I was selling my ps4 here for only 100 dollars. Because I'd rather sell it cheap here instead of dealing with Ebayers.

Sorry OP.
Not a bad deal when you compare it with ebay fees + paypal fees takes away alot too.
Selling on ebay sucks ass more than ever
 

ryushe

Member
Man, this is scary. Just sold my Arkham Knight Limited Edition PS4 and I never knew about this "system swap" nonsense.

Granted, my system would be a little hard just swap like that, but still..
 
Call his bluff.

Tell him you have marked the PS4 is a specific spot, noted the serial number, and taken photo and video evidence of this. Tell him he's more than welcome to return it, but you will need to check the console is the one you sent before returning any money.

He'll almost certainly stop the request.

This. Also verify all your stuff with the Amazon receipt for the serial and Sony for the ban just in case he does go through with it you can prove it.
 

LOLCats

Banned
OP do this if you don't care about ruining your credit score/being sent to collections by PayPal.

His account has already been flagged too if buyer put in refund request.

That is not the way to fix this problem.

Ebay/Paypal is not a bank and does not send debts to standard collection agencies. I know this from experience.

If you use "bill me later" and dont pay, that is a different story. But standard "ebay disputes" like this are not sent to any collections agency and does not get reported on your credit report.
 
I really can hate ebay for stuff like this.
Happened to me too, in the past.
When i sell something on ebay now, i always make a video of everything. Condition of the item, functionality, how i put it in the package / envelope, how i close / seal it etc. So i have some proof.
 

thenameDS

Member
I would send him a response that says something like:

"The console was not banned, I used it and it was working perfectly up until the time I shipped it, so either you're lying and trying to scam me, or something screwed up on Sony's end. So here is what I'll do, since I personally verified before shipping it that it was in perfect working condition. I have the serial number on the console logged and with photos. If you send me back a console that has a different serial number or has been tampered with, I will report you to eBay, Paypal, and the police for mail fraud. I have your information and mail fraud is a federal crime. Trust me, you don't want to go down that road for a mere xx dollars. If everything is indeed as you claim, then your refund will be processed once my original console is returned 100% in the condition I sent it in and with the issues you described. Otherwise, legal action will be taken. Thank you."
Send this OP.

I luckily still haven't had issues with eBay, but I always make sure to take pictures of serial numbers.
 
OP even if you don't have the serial number of the console you sent, maybe you can bluff them anyway.

Send them a message that you have the serial number of the console you sent them, that you checked it with Sony and that they state it is clear. Then state that if any console is returned you will be making sure that the serial matches both on the case and in software with what you sent.

If they really are scamming you (which is likely), that might spook them off.Give them an out, though. At the end tell them to let you know if they get it working.
 
Somewhat off-topic: When it comes to serial numbers; when you first receive high ticket items, take a picture and upload it to a secure cloud storage site. I have a collection of them. It comes in handy if you ever have anything stolen or need to provide a serial number to a company to verify you were the owner.

I do this too. Also with documents, receipts, payments. I have them all scattered in my phone, organizing them in the cloud seems more secure.
 

Drifters

Junior Member
I would send him a response that says something like:

"The console was not banned, I used it and it was working perfectly up until the time I shipped it, so either you're lying and trying to scam me, or something screwed up on Sony's end. So here is what I'll do, since I personally verified before shipping it that it was in perfect working condition. I have the serial number on the console logged and with photos. If you send me back a console that has a different serial number or has been tampered with, I will report you to eBay, Paypal, and the police for mail fraud. I have your information and mail fraud is a federal crime. Trust me, you don't want to go down that road for a mere xx dollars. If everything is indeed as you claim, then your refund will be processed once my original console is returned 100% in the condition I sent it in and with the issues you described. Otherwise, legal action will be taken. Thank you."
Listen to this man.
 
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.

I sold plenty on craigslist and never died : )
 

anothertech

Member
How important is your paypal/eBay account op?

You can remove/transfer funds out if there and remove bank account info if there isn't a hold on the account already. Have to move fast though. Once they start the hold, you can't touch the money in there for months sometimes.

I don't use paypal anymore because of this. Scams and PayPal/eBay go hand in hand now days.

If you have the option to do so, I'd get your funds out and leave paypal and the scammer behind immediately. I did this years ago after getting scammed by a fraud computer company. Luckily I got all the funds out before anything happened.
 

Spades

Member
I would send him a response that says something like:

"The console was not banned, I used it and it was working perfectly up until the time I shipped it, so either you're lying and trying to scam me, or something screwed up on Sony's end. So here is what I'll do, since I personally verified before shipping it that it was in perfect working condition. I have the serial number on the console logged and with photos. If you send me back a console that has a different serial number or has been tampered with, I will report you to eBay, Paypal, and the police for mail fraud. I have your information and mail fraud is a federal crime. Trust me, you don't want to go down that road for a mere xx dollars. If everything is indeed as you claim, then your refund will be processed once my original console is returned 100% in the condition I sent it in and with the issues you described. Otherwise, legal action will be taken. Thank you."

This. Do this.
 

Tigress

Member
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

Sadly if they are experienced in this it won't cause they'll know eBay almost always sides with the buyer even if the seller has proof. I've heard of people taking pictures of serial numbers and getting a different product back with different serial number and eBay still siding with the buyer. This is why I don't sell any popular item with scammers (like anything to electronic) on eBay. Or really anything.
 
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

This is absolutely one of the first things you need to do! It's your best bet to throw him off and make him rethink about scamming you.

I wouldn't worry about the serial numbers. I don't think they are easy to swap at all and my guess is he didn't think that far ahead.
 
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