Advice on a tampering claim through ebay authenticity guarantee
Hi all, I need advice on a tampering claim through ebay authenticity guarantee
I sold my louis vuitton neverfull GM through ebay authenticity guarantee. After shipping/delivery the buyer claimed the bag smelled like a smoker’s home, had dog hair on it, and had stains in the interior pocket… i don’t smoke, never have. i don’t own dogs. the original authentication report from before i shipped confirmed the bag in excellent condition (how I listed it) on june 8th. none of her claims appeared in that report.
The return got approved anyway despite the original report showing nothing. multiple reps agreed with me throughout this process, one flagged the buyer’s account internally and said new damage not present in the original report should result in rejection not approval. still got approved somehow.
The bag came back to me two days ago. the white stain she filed her entire claim on is gone. she very clearly tried scrubbing it out before shipping it back to me. her own return photos clearly show a white stain in the interior pocket (attached here). what i received back is dark destroyed fabric in that exact same spot where she tried to remove it. the weave is permanently altered. if i sent her a stained bag why would she clean it before returning it? you wouldn’t. you’d preserve the evidence. the only reason to scrub out a stain before a return is if you caused it yourself and didn’t want it confirmed on the second authentication.
beyond that the base of the bag came back with brownish grime and white residue that wasn’t there before. new chalky mark on the exterior canvas. pen marks inside the bag not present in my listing. food crumbs found in the pochette. she left food in my bag. she filed the return about a day after receiving the bag. i think she took it out, had a night, spilled something, panicked, and filed the return hoping the second authentication wouldn’t catch what she did.I have attached pictures here of my listing, the buyers return claim photos, and the condition of my bag when I received the return.
i called ebay the same day i got it back. was told tampering is a separate and more serious claim than a standard return dispute and i have 5 days from delivery to pursue it. the rep sent me a link following the phone call to submit my listing photos, buyers return photos, and current condition photos showing three different states of the same bag.
one of the reps i spoke to tried to reassure me by saying people resell damaged bags all the time and that i’d get some money back... that’s not the point. i know i can resell it. the point is a buyer lied, used my bag, tampered with the evidence, and is being rewarded for it while i’m left cleaning up her mess on a deadline.
has anyone won a tampering claim through ebay authenticity guarantee? what should i expect and is there anything else i should be doing right now? it’s been 2 days since i got the bag back and filed the appeal and i’ve heard nothing. i sold this to fund a medical procedure and i’m watching the clock run out.
TL:DR: sold authenticated LV neverfull GM, buyer claimed stains/smoke/dog hair, none of which were in the original authentication report. return got approved anyway. bag came back with the stain she complained about scrubbed out and replaced with permanent fabric damage, plus new dirt, pen marks, and food crumbs. pursuing a tampering claim within the 5 day window. has anyone won one of these?