Got scammed on Swappa

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Originally Posted by hallstevenson
What if UPS/Fedex/USPS ignores the signature requirement and just leaves them on the guy's porch, unsigned, like they do with everything we get ? Nowadays it's too easy to claim "porch pirates" stole the package(s).


In that case the USPS will have to pay if they don't show a proper delivery signature (other than theirs...lol). And even if they refuse to pay, your C/C or Paypal will probably pay up.

Ensure you take photos or a video of the package being sealed up and handed over to the USPS. One time I was sending a $250 package out and I suspected possible fraud, I sealed the package in front of my USPS postal inspector....but he wasn't very happy doing it and would only say he saw me sealing a package....what did he know about the true value of the item? He's not an expert. They just don't see it from our perspective. You will get no sympathy for "white collar fraud" of small proportions from your AG, local police, USPS, or even the govt's on line Financial Crimes Internet/Cyber reporting. It probably takes $25K-$50K minimum to get them interested in a case....and especially if many customers were defrauded at $1 MILL+. Feel free to post your complaint with BBB, on line Fraud Websites like RipOff Report, etc. It might help someone else...though not likely. And it could even come back to bite you someday.
 
Some of these counterfeit phones are pretty close to the original, but they aren't fooling anyone. The local news had a story a few weeks ago about a girl that bought an iPhone on OfferUp, met in person and paid cash. Phone looked close enough to the real thing that she was fooled at time of purchase, but once she got home and into the software it was clearly a fake.

There's a bunch of comparison videos on YouTube, I find them interesting.
 
Originally Posted by tony1679
So I reach out to Swappa. After several days of nonsense going back and forth and finally several emails with Swappa's Director of Support, the final verdict was that I am required to send the fake phones back to the seller, and only after he receives them will I get a refund. At that point Swappa will "review" the seller's account, but he has a great track record, so they must establish a trend before taking any harsh action.


Absolutely unacceptable.


Why is this unacceptable? Have you become Swappa's policeman? The greater Internet's?

You took a chance on some low priced items, your time was wasted, you get your money back, that's all you get in this world. At best you can fight to get return shipping payed for.

Yes, fake goods make me angry, too. I keep buying manufacturer listed, ships-from-US items on Amazon and then getting a shipped-from-China notice and fake goods. I immediately on receipt of the shipping notice (China format not UPS or USPS) complain to Amazon and get my money back. Sometimes it gets held up for a return. I hate it. But I don't expect anything more than all my money back. At best I get to keep some cheap fake goods as well. I'd rather not but at least I don't have to return it.
 
Originally Posted by dishdude
Some of these counterfeit phones are pretty close to the original, but they aren't fooling anyone. The local news had a story a few weeks ago about a girl that bought an iPhone on OfferUp, met in person and paid cash. Phone looked close enough to the real thing that she was fooled at time of purchase, but once she got home and into the software it was clearly a fake.

There's a bunch of comparison videos on YouTube, I find them interesting.



He says "Not a bad value."
lol.gif


He makes it sound like buying fake phones is OK as long as they kind of work for the most part. Geeez, half the products in the world will be counterfeit the way that whole "industry" keeps growing.
 
Take them to small claims court. It should be user friendly and give instructions. Go for the max your state allows against all parties if you want. That would get Swappa's attention.
 
I reached out to Visa, they couldn't help me. They said only my financial institution could start a claim/dispute with them. When I did, they (my FI) said they couldn't help because a reasonable solution was offered, and a refund was offered. So after dealing with high-ranked reps at Swappa, PayPal, Visa, my FI, and even my local PD, nobody can help and nobody cares. I'm absolutely dumbfounded and at a complete loss.

So let this be a lesson that even reputable companies won't stand up for you when it really matters. The scammer wins, and I'll absolutely NEVER do business with PayPal or Swappa ever again. A criminal walks free with evidence against him and an address to take him down. Nobody can will do anything. Yet we wonder why there are so many scammers in the wild.
 
I don't think you realize that possession of a counterfeit item is not a crime. Not unless one possesses a dumpster full of fakes. Nor is the unintentional sale of one. Unless someone can prove the seller absolutely knew that they were selling fakes, there is nothing the seller can be arrested for. If the seller were to be discovered to be in possession of a lot of genuine articles and some fakes, it gets even harder to prove.

Jurisdiction is another gray area here. The agencies that actual deal with counterfeit electronics are usually prosecuting cases involving entire slaveshop warehouses or multiple shipping containers full of these fakes. Nobody has time to put the spotlight on 3 phones on Swappa.

It seems Swappa prides itself on having human beings who rigorously review all ads to stop fakes. Make a post on Reddit or something, detailing the flaws of their system and maybe something will get done as bad PR spreads.

This does not end with the seller in handcuffs.
 
BITOG gave you more help than any of the others.

I had a scammer rip me off on Ebay years ago. I got similar treatment as you suffered from the companies running the show.
Full stopped selling stuff on their site after that as they sided with the scammer.

Buyer And seller beware
 
Originally Posted by DoubleWasp
This does not end with the seller in handcuffs.
I know this, and that's not what I'm after. The seller may have been duped by the real con artist. He truly could be innocent. I was definitely assuming it was breaking a law, but wasn't entirely sure. I'm not a lawyer.

All I am asking is that the phones be seized, destroyed, or be made permanently incapable of operating on major networks, and receive my refund. I don't feel that's too much to ask.
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Which do you want more, your money back or to go on a fruitless campaign to protect innocent people from getting hosed?

You have to look out for you first, then help others. The way you make it sound, it's too late to be refunded and made whole, so now what? You could have still crusaded AFTER you were refunded, so why didn't you? You can't police everyone.
 
Originally Posted by tony1679
Originally Posted by DoubleWasp
This does not end with the seller in handcuffs.
I know this, and that's not what I'm after. The seller may have been duped by the real con artist. He truly could be innocent. I was definitely assuming it was breaking a law, but wasn't entirely sure. I'm not a lawyer.

All I am asking is that the phones be seized, destroyed, or be made permanently incapable of operating on major networks, and receive my refund. I don't feel that's too much to ask.
21.gif


I don't understand why you think you even have the right to demand the phones be destroyed on otherwise rendered inoperable.

As you said the seller may have been duped himself - so he should be out his property and his money?

Send his phones back, get your money back. Keep his phones, he keeps your money.

Seems pretty simple to me.
 
Originally Posted by rooflessVW
Originally Posted by tony1679
Originally Posted by DoubleWasp
This does not end with the seller in handcuffs.
I know this, and that's not what I'm after. The seller may have been duped by the real con artist. He truly could be innocent. I was definitely assuming it was breaking a law, but wasn't entirely sure. I'm not a lawyer.

All I am asking is that the phones be seized, destroyed, or be made permanently incapable of operating on major networks, and receive my refund. I don't feel that's too much to ask.
21.gif


I don't understand why you think you even have the right to demand the phones be destroyed on otherwise rendered inoperable.

As you said the seller may have been duped himself - so he should be out his property and his money?

Send his phones back, get your money back. Keep his phones, he keeps your money.

Seems pretty simple to me.


It's buyer beware. If the seller bought fake phones and didn't know it, he should try to get his money back, he shouldn't try to pawn them off on someone else.

If you get fake currency, guess what? You got scammed and you can get charged if you try to pass it off and knew it was fake.
 
Originally Posted by tony1679
I reached out to Visa, they couldn't help me. They said only my financial institution could start a claim/dispute with them. When I did, they (my FI) said they couldn't help because a reasonable solution was offered, and a refund was offered. So after dealing with high-ranked reps at Swappa, PayPal, Visa, my FI, and even my local PD, nobody can help and nobody cares. I'm absolutely dumbfounded and at a complete loss.

So let this be a lesson that even reputable companies won't stand up for you when it really matters. The scammer wins, and I'll absolutely NEVER do business with PayPal or Swappa ever again. A criminal walks free with evidence against him and an address to take him down. Nobody can will do anything. Yet we wonder why there are so many scammers in the wild.


Let me put it this way: every organization out there has a budget and a target to meet. Whether it is make money or how many criminal cases per dollar prosecuted.

I came from a place where cab driver charging 50c USD more than the exact fare, because he expect a tip, is being sued and prosecuted, wasting the court and attorney $2000 and more, is considered justice. This is total Cow Crap.

You should be glad that your local tax dollar is not wasting $10k or more to prosecute a guy that sold you a fake phone but will take it back and refund you. This is the reason you are not paying another $10k a year in tax, or murder case dropped to deal with a fake phone purchase.
 
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Originally Posted by tony1679
Originally Posted by DoubleWasp
This does not end with the seller in handcuffs.
I know this, and that's not what I'm after. The seller may have been duped by the real con artist. He truly could be innocent. I was definitely assuming it was breaking a law, but wasn't entirely sure. I'm not a lawyer.

All I am asking is that the phones be seized, destroyed, or be made permanently incapable of operating on major networks, and receive my refund. I don't feel that's too much to ask.
21.gif



Probable cause. Someone would have to inspect the phones, prove they are fake, and then commit to the appropriate procedures.

There's a 4th Amendment issue at hand here. I realize you want intervention here, but there is no system in place to do this appropriately.
 
I've had the phones inspected by a professional company and they determined they're fake. They said it was very very easy to tell. I guess I have to send them back and say "good luck" to anyone buying an S7.

Merica.
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Home of people constantly falling victim to scammers (I know my phone rings 5 times a day) and home of the most idiotic policies in the world to not do a [censored] thing about it.
 
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