The $500 empty-box case
A zero-feedback eBay buyer made an above-market offer, then claimed the delivered package was empty.
What happened
A new buyer account with zero feedback made an offer well above the value of a high-value electronics item.
The offer looked good, so the seller accepted and shipped the package.
After delivery, the buyer claimed the package arrived as an empty box and opened a not-as-described case. eBay sided with the buyer. The seller lost the item and roughly $500.
How this plays out - real cases from other sellers
In one case, a zero-feedback buyer opened an item-not-received claim shortly after tracking showed the package had been delivered to the correct address. The seller contacted eBay, tracking confirmed delivery to the right ZIP code, and eBay closed the case for the seller; the buyer later said the package had been found.
In another case, a zero-feedback buyer whose account had been created one day before purchase claimed a $250 delivered item never arrived and opened the case within hours of the delivery scan. The seller submitted tracking, eBay reviewed it, and the case was closed for the seller.
The red flags
The signals below are the ones that mattered in this case.
- Brand-new or zero-feedback account
- Account created right before the purchase
- Offer above market value
- Claim filed unusually fast after delivery, or oddly long after
- Buyer pushes for a refund quickly or stops responding
What to do
A zero-feedback buyer is not a red flag by itself, but a new account plus an above-market offer on a high-value item is a stack. I slow that order down before shipping.
For item-not-received claims, tracking to the eBay order address is strong protection. For empty-box or not-as-described claims, tracking alone does not answer the contents dispute, so I protect myself before the label goes on: signature for high-value items, serial numbers, photos, and packing documentation.
If the stack feels wrong enough to cancel, I delist the item for a while so the same buyer cannot just make a new account and re-buy immediately.
Save this for the next time a buyer feels off.
Sources
- The site owner's own experience
- Reddit eBay seller thread
- Reddit eBay seller thread