eBay let someone scam me out of $700.

I sold a Mavic 2 Pro drone with 5 batteries. The whole process was a mess. Scammer initially complained that it didn't come with the CrystalSky tablet in one picture (that was only added AFTER after start of bidding BY the scammer, to show Flight Logs, andwas explicitly disclaimed as not being a part of the package, nor was it in the receipts I sent the buyer). After pointing out those details, silence.

Then, three weeks later:

"The batteries don't work. I want a refund."

"Batteries? Any of them? All of them?"

"All of them, none work. I want a refund."

Note that two of the batteries were less than 4 months old, still in warranty.

He then stated he wanted a refund of $800. Realize that five brand-new batteries would only be $670.

No evidence was shown, despite multiple requests (like a video of a battery on a charger, or on the drone, failing to power up). I stated I'd like to get the original batteries back, as at least I'd be able to get them replaced under warranty or possibly repaired and recoup some of my money (I was skeptical there was -any- issue, but still, good faith). He "happily" agreed. I asked him to send me a message on eBay (so it was tracked and not avoiding their system) acknowledging that offering a partial refund was contingent on his sending me the batteries back and that he accepts me disputing the refund if not.

He sends a message indicating all of the above.

Refund is sent (for about $700, to include his return shipping costs).

Thirty-five minutes later, I get a message, "USPS says they don't ship damaged batteries, so I will not be returning them". (35 minutes? So what, you sat around waiting for the refund, and then the moment I sent the money, you jumped in your car, got to the post office, had this discussion, got home, and were able to send me this message? When your home address shows you about 15 minutes from the nearest post office?)

I then suggest we meet in person to exchange them (I live a few hours away, not convenient, but still, $700...). He umms and ahhs, "How will I be able to prove that I gave them to you in person?". I suggest we do it in a police station and point out that his local PD even welcomes people to use their lobby for CL, etc. on their website. More umms and ahhs. "I need to contact eBay support to see if they allow this." I point him to eBay's specific FAQ page describing exactly this and how they recommend doing in person sales, and refunds, documentation thereof, and how they support it. But he ignores that and says, "I never heard back from eBay support, so I'm not sure what to do". I point this page out again, and he goes silent.

I opened a dispute. No evidence was provided for damage or faulty goods, referenced the multiple requests for video, or of anything.) Multiple instances of the buyer trying to show something was problematic with the listing, not abiding by the agreement and refusing/avoiding any method of returning damaged items.

Overnight, no further inquiries.

"We have closed your dispute. Based on our review, the buyer is entitled to keep the partial refund for damage. He is also not required to return the damaged items".

So he ended up with a Mavic 2 Pro, with less than 20 hours flight time, 5 batteries, for in the order of $950, all told.

That sucks. I've been selling things on eBay for... longer than I care say out loud but I've read enough horror stories that I don't think I could get the nerve to sell anything high-priced for fear that I would get scammed by a "professional buyer" like you did. They know eBay's rules and how to work within them to get what they want. Unfortunately, as a seller you have to know the rules as well as they do (or better) to keep the scam from working, and even that is not always a guarantee.

When there is a dispute or request for a refund, as a seller, the hardest part is knowing the correction action to take when these things happen. If you do the wrong thing, or do the right things in the wrong order, you unknowingly paint yourself into a corner. You basically have to be your own "ebay rules lawyer" and read _all_ the docs and policies (some of which are hard to find) as well as discussion threads.

One of the big things I do to defend myself against scammer buyers is I make it clear that I don't offer partial refunds, only full product returns where return shipping is (initially) at the buyer's expense and the shipping is reimbursed ONLY if the item is received by me in good condition. This isn't 100% protection against the kind of scam you encountered, but it's been effective for me so far.

An additional trick for handling some kinds of suspected scam eBay buyer problem reports, which has worked for me multiple times...

I ask the buyer to double-check, saying that if there's still a problem, I'll refund their money and ask the Postal Inspector to investigate how the problem could've happened.

Whether it works because the person is sure to go and double-check, and thereby realizes an honest mistake, or because the complaint wasn't honest to begin with, I can only guess.

I never ever sell anything online for this reason. In-person only, cash in hand or GTFO.

You could still go to small claims court!