A few days ago, I received a request from a fellow seller to write a guide about “impossible customers” on eBay.  That request came in on the heels of a recent scam attempted on me that melded well with the request and prompted this guide. 

 Folks, sometimes, when it is impossible to please someone no matter what you do, (i.e. full refund for return of merchandise, partial refund, etc.), you will find that this is just another garden variety scam artist at work.  It is important to understand that when nothing you do will ever appease someone, it is usually because they have learned that it can be lucrative to manipulate sellers in order to bleed them for free merchandise and/or money. 

It follows that, when a seller is new to eBay selling, has a high positive rating to protect, and works hard to please customers, there is optimum potential for the con artist (posing as a customer) to bleed the seller for money and/or merchandise.  In fact, some sellers are so worried about negative feedback they will often allow themselves to become a victim of online shakedown or blackmail!  So, it is CRITCAL for all sellers to know that, just as Homeland's Security faces national security threats from home and abroad, sellers face a wide variety of scam artists, using many different "social engineering" techniques to steal your goods and/or money.  So, the “impossible to please customer” may just be another online scam artist with a different “technique.”

Sadly, there has always been a segment of society who can justify their "white collar crime" because "I need the money, no one gets hurt and all that happens is the victim looses a little cash – so what?"  That sort of justification becomes an excuse to steal a password, lie about not receiving goods, to set up fake websites to hack accounts and to misuse the stolen accounts to "mess with eBay."  However, to the victim, crime is crime and the emotional and financial price is high.  Digging their way out of the financial mess created by a thief is difficult, time consuming and can be emotionally devastating. 

To be sure, those who perpetuate such scams will eventually get caught.  I am a firm believer in Karma (what you do to others will return to you, multiplied 100 fold).  I have lived long enough to see Karma work many, many times.  However, paybacks delivered from the cosmos aside, as business people, it is a worthy expense of you time and energy to assure that you know how scammers and con artists do what they do, in order to avoid becoming a victim. 

The first thing to understand is that scam artists, no matter what their exact approach to stealing from you, will use "social engineering" techniques in their scams.  Social Engineering is the act of obtaining (or attempting to obtain) otherwise secure data by conning an individual into revealing secure information with a computer.  Social engineering techniques are successful only because victims (human beings) tend to respond in a predictable manner.  For example, people innately want to trust others and to be helpful -- especially in a perceived crisis.  So, the desire to trust and be helpful becomes the proverbial rope with which the con artist hangs the victim.

The victims of social engineering are tricked into releasing information that they do not realize will be used to attack them or others (i.e., being told they made a purchase they did not make and being offered a handy (but fake) link to “correct” the information.  Or victims provide the thieves with account passwords, credit card numbers, personal identification information such a social security numbers, addresses, dates of birth, etc believing they are being given to a legitimate representatives of eBay or PayPal who have had a server crash and are now reconstituting files one by one).  Con artists use our own "human nature" against us in the perpetration of their crimes (i.e., Mr. Smith, we have lost your credit card information and have suspended your account until you click on this link and re-enter the information into our system).  Mr. Smith does as instructed providing his credit card information to a thief.  The con artist is a master at exploiting and manipulating our natural tendencies for illicit gain.  Practically speaking, most people have a desire to help someone in distress.  So if you are contacted by someone in distress caught without money or recourse in a foreign land needing to get home or get their assets out of the country you have a natural tendancy to want to help.  If the person in distress promises there will be a huge pay off for the Good Samaritan’s help, so much the better.  That two-prong approach forms the strong foundation for many "social engineering” scams and is the entire basis for most scams coming out of Nigeria and Eastern Europe today. 

Sometimes, the social engineering technique involves something similar to the "Good Cop, Bad Cop" or “start softly, then hammer them” techniques.  Those scams begin with appealing to a person’s desire to help.  If the potential victim doesn’t respond with help, the con resorts to the polar opposite behavior.  They begin to bully and/or try to blackmail the victim to get what they want.  Bill collectors are a master of this technique.  In many cases, where one approach doesn't work, the other will.  A good indicator of a scam artist of this type is a customer who rapidly changes from a nice and reasonable person, to a mean pain in the butt full of venim and threats very quickly.  This “impossible to please” meanie is likely to be just another con artist or malcontent looking to victimize you.  Many a Con artist believes that if they can get you into a defensive mode, make you upset, worried or feeling threatened – especially if you are likely to worry excessively about negative feedback – they will get whatever they want from you.  They actually can (and often do) coerce sellers into doing anything to appease them including giving a refund without return of the merchandise and/or the seller pays the buyer not to leave bad feedback, etc.

A good example of this "polarized approach" to conning a seller is central to my most recent experience with a con.  Since I consider myself to be an expert in this sort of crime, eventually I recognized the situation and took appropriate steps to put a permanent stop to it.  I confess it took awhile.  This con artist was a master at the set up.  It surprised me how far it got before I was certain it was a scam – it was a bold faced attempt at an internet “shakedown.”

It all began with a group of 12 “Best Offers” made by an individual who had a student email address through and Ivy League Law School.  She also had a total feedback number of only 12, although those were 100% positive.  I do not make it a practice to look at feedback numbers nor do I use low numbers as a reason not to sell to someone, although in future I will pay closer attention to this.  I do exclude those with a low feedback number with more than one negative.

This person offered VERY low “Best Offers” on a few items (between $2 and $3 each).  Initially, I turned down the low offers because they barely covered the fees to list and sell the items.  I explained this in the “Decline Offer” responses.  So, this person emailed me apologizing for the low offers but went on to explain that, as a student, she had little money and was urgently trying to outfit herself for an upcoming internship. (This is a strong basis for social engineering – to gain sympathy and assistance).  Since I sell to clear closets and was once a “poor student” myself, I then accepted 12 very low “Best Offers.”  I was pleased to see that in gratitude for my sacrifice, she paid right away.  Upon reflection, it is interesting that a “poor student” had almost $100 in ready cash and such champagne taste in clothing and shoes -- making low offers on only the most expensive labels including Ann Taylor, Talbots, Ralph Lauren, and Abercrombie & Fitch. 

Since this was a large order, I printed a list to pull the items, then I checked off each item as I placed it in the shipping carton.  This gives me a list to pull from and helps me keep track of what was actually sent.  Additionally, this process helps me keep accurate records to recall exactly what was shipped.  I always keep the annotated list of items attached to the shipping label and filed.  The receipt portion of the online shipping label has the size and weight of the box.  The list and the mailing receipt provide an easy to create and full record of what was shipped.  

I processed USPS shipping for the package because  I always print my own shipping and rely on USPS tracking to prove delivery.  Delivery confirmation is an absolute MUST to avoid those who would lie about not receiving items and demand a refund while actually stealing your goods.  I learned this from having at least one customer a month deny that she received her goods in my early days of eBaying.  Strangely, the minute I began using the online USPS postage with tracking and delivery confirmation those lost packages never happen anymore.  Free tracking and deli very confirmation is offered free with USPS online.  3000 items later, I have NEVER had another item go missing in transit.  It was this lesson that taught me how many customers were willing to lie and steal (too many).  Using online shipping also offers the opportunity to automatically send a shipment date message to the customer letting them know the item is in the mail.  The message space provided is sufficiently large to provide not only notice of shipping, but the space to market your sales and store.  I also use this message space to remind customers of my satisfaction guaranteed return policy, to provide links to my Guides that may be helpful in remaining safe online, and to advertise my very generous combined shipping offer.  The email also automatically links to USPS tracking information.  The customer can then follow the progress of the package from seller to receipt.

Next morning, following an early trip to the post office to send her box, I found two more emails from my “poor student con.”  In the first, she asked when the items would be shipped (she had gotten that information 9 hours earlier in an email).  I looked up and resent the information again. 

A week later, she denied receipt of the package.  I checed the tracking number in USPS and it was sowing as being delivered.  This individual clearly knew how to use eBay and PayPal, but was being obnoxious for no apparent reason.  It was crystal clear to be this student (or whomever) was denying arrival of the goods to get a refund (and the package was not insured by her own choice).  Not a bad deal -- a large order of expensive clothes shipped to you for free if you can get away with it.

It was at this point that I was certain something was afoot.  I assumed the scam was limited to conning me into allowing the super low Best Offers – unfortunately, that was just the beginning.  At this point it was also crystal clear that I should have simply cancelled the order, put the items back into inventory and blocked her from my site the minute I thought something might be up.  To go from "poor student" into an almost instant "angry and pesky customer" was a strong clue that I was not dealing with the person I thought I was dealing with.  At this stage, I blocked her from accessing any more of my sales.  It was clear I wanted no more of this “high maintenance” customer. (To block a buyer go to Seller Resources > Block or Pre-Approve Bidders and add the buyers eBay ID)

Accoring to USPS, she received the box 2 days after I mailed it.  Yet, I immediately began to get nasty and demanding emails and threats to turn me into PayPal and eBay because she had NOT received the items she had paid for.  The email demanded that I refund her IMMEDIATELY.  I advised her to make a PayPal claim which I would refute with proof of shipment.  Her threat was to “pay up” or she would leave negative feedback.  Now the con was really on.  I knew there would be no stopping her if I didn’t deal with it now and completely.  I also knew that the Law School server she was using was probably not to be used to shake down eBay sellers!  If the website or email address was a fake and using the law schools good name, they would also be interested in stopping that too.  This “poor student con” teaches us the following:

- The individual was NOT a law student (or shouldn’t be) and had either hacked into the Law School's computers or made her own website and email address using a form of the University’s good name; and/or lived with or around a bona fide law student whose address was used to attempt fraud.

- The individual involved was a master at “social engineering” online scams and had done this sort of thing before (and probably gotten away with it).  Success feeds the fire to lie and steal -- the more they get away with, the more they do.

- She demonstrated a keen knowledge of how to use eBay and made large numbers of purchases at a single sitting, but had a remarkably low feedback number (12).  This was a sign that this individual had probably gotten bad feedback for this behavior previously and may have even been banned from eBay and/or PayPal for scamming and had set up a new eBay account to bypass the ban.  Unfortunately, banning doesn’t stop cons because they just start new accounts and do it all again to the next victim until the theft gets serious enough to lead to an arrest.

- This individual probably had to adapt her original fraud plan of denying she ever received the package when she discovered that the box I sent was tracked and had delivery confirmation.  So, she went to “Plan B” and decided she would just threaten me till I gave a full refund to be rid of the negative feedback and personal threats.

- Not only did I never want to deal with this person again, I wanted to assure she was stopped -- period.  So, I began with blocking her from my site, I put together a number of reports and communications for the law school, eBay and PayPal.

My note back to the customer advised her that:

 -  I keep a list of packed items, along with the box weight and size and all tracking information.  I knew what was in the box because I personally put it there, kept the annotated list and personally mailed the box. 

 -  I further informed her that internet fraud was a crime.  When fraud crossed state lines there was a Federal component to it which made it a Federal crime.  That issue alone indicated to me that she was not a law student because she would have known that what she was doing was a crime.  As a law student she probably would have had the sense to be worried about doing it.

  -  Her low feedback number, coupled with a strong understanding of how to use eBay and PayPal was a red flag too.  I indicated that I was sure she had probably been banned or had set up new accounts without negative feedback to commit this new fraud against me. I advised her that changing accounts or setting them up with new information works only as long as eBay and PayPal choose not to investigate in more depth.  Repeat offenders properly reported and documented were likely to draw that type of deeper investigation. 

    -  I also advised her that when eBay or PayPal decides to track down a con or a scammer, all activity, regardless of account name(s) can be tracked to the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the computer being used for the fraud.  Associated activity for any IP address accessing those sites is recorded and traceable.

I then informed her of my next planned moves:

 -  That she was blocked from my store and auctions permanently and I planned to share what I knew about her with fellow sellers.

 -  That I had contacted the Law School IT Department to advise of the problem, providing copies of all information I had on this person including the “or else” threat emails.  I am certain they do not want their severs used in the commission of fraud (or any criminal activity) for very obvious reasons.  If her email is linked to a fraudulent website using the law schools name, I informed her they would probably be dropping by with a law suit since they certainly know how to do that.

  -  I advised that I had shared my experience with her, my suspicions and correspondence with PayPal and eBay so they would be both forewarned of any fraudulent claims on her part.  I included my suspicions concerning the attempted scam and recommended a review of all transactions related to her IP address on their sites to determine how many accounts she used and what had been happening with them. 

 -  I closed by letting her know that since her name indicated she might be in this country on a student visa, she needed to be clear that perpetuating crime on the internet while a guest in this country would likely result in the loss of her student visa.  When visas are pulled they are usually followed by a permanent “no re-entry” stamp on their record (i.e. they become a persona non grata).  This meant she would not remain a guest in this country for long, and once bounced out, would not be returning EVER.  I shook my head in wonder that anyone would think petty theft was worth that??? I also find it more than a little interesting that I have not heard from this individual since receipt of my message!

Lessons learned about “Social Engineering” are:

- If it is impossible to please a customer, ask yourself if you have offered all possible and practical solutions, including full refund upon return of the merchandise.  This is necessary even if you have stated all sales are final in the ad.  Condition is a VERY subjective thing.  You may think the item is perfect, while your recipient believes it should have been thrown away rather than sold.  You cannot legislate an opinion.  So don’t try.

- Social engineering scams can be small or large, simple or complex.  Always remember that you do NOT know the people you are dealing with – therefore, be careful when resorting to your natural desire to “believe the best in people,” “help” “nurture” and/or “provide” for those in need.  Write a check to your favorite and trusted church or charity instead.

- If in doubt, cancel the deal!

- If the total cancellation of the deal is not possible and the buyer will not work with you to end it satisfactorily, you probably have a scam artist at work on you.  Unfortunately, the more you try to fix the problem, the more convinced they are that you are a patsy.  Once the customer won’t let go, you must take steps to let it go and be done with it. 

- Make sure you use tracking or delivery confirmation to assure you have a record (proof) the customer received the item.  On large orders, my process for keeping track of what you put in the box is easy and it works.

- Never succumb to “Feedback threats or blackmail.”  It is inevitable that most sellers (even the best) will get a negative feedback at one time or another.  One of the best ways to avoid being a victim of “Feedback Threats” or “Blackmail” is to make it clear that you leave feedback only AFTER it is left for you.  I wish it wasn’t necessary to do it this way but it is.  I resisted good advice on this matter for a year and learned the hard way -- so take my word for it.  That approach also encourages people who want to receive feedback to leave it for you.  It also helps to protect you against scam artists, idiots and feedback spoilers.  Newbies are famous for giving negative feedback rather than giving the sellers an opportunity to fix the problem first.  Make sure you reciprocate for negative feedback with the same for not contacting you before leaving a negative.  Negative feedback should also be given for “secret negatives” too, in which the buyer posts a positive but then slams you in the comments area.  This is inappropriate use of Feedback and the sooner people learn the right way to use feedback, the better it is for the community.  eBbay guidance on feedback is clear that contact with the seller should come BEFORE negative feedback.  Buyers and sellers are CLEARLY reminded of that several times before actually making the negative feedback permanent.  Sadly, newbies often learn to use feedback appropriately following receipt of a Negative Feedback that knocks their rating down to 50% or 75% instantly, while the longtime seller with 100% positive is barely affected by a single buyer’s negative. 

- It is shocking but true that there are those who actually LOVE to spoil perfect feedback records.  As insane as that “hobby” sounds, these are angry, unhappy and possibly mentally ill or poorly socialized people who have to share their misery with anyone and everyone they contact.  A computer makes it easy to be confrontational and demanding and to say things they would not dream of saying in real life.  A customer who constantly complains (or keeps shifting the complaint every time you fix the problem) is seeking attention.  Any kind of attention (positive or negative) works the same for them.  Unfortunately, their attitude forces sellers to keep apologizing and offering recompense with no real negotiation or solution possible.  This is simply an outlet for the powerless (creepy customer) to feel more powerful.  Or, for the “playground bully” to have an outlet for internal feelings of inadequacy and/or self hate.  The seller trying to make a customer like this happy is simply the fall guy for this customer’s personal misery.  When you are dealing with this type of person, the threats from them (i.e. negative feedback, report to eBay and/or PayPal) are inevitable.  So, continuing to jump through hoops over it is a waste of time and energy.  If it begins before the item is shipped, cancel the sale, request return of  final value fee from eBay and relist the item.  Don’t forget to block the pain in the butt customer too – dealing with them more than once is a waste of precious time and energy. 

- Don’t EVER give malcontents, scam artists and creeps power over you that makes you feel worried or intimidated – it is what they want and you have the power to say “NO.”.  Do what you can to make it right, but when you are clear that NOTHING will work, send a crisp professional note that you are finished dealing with them, block them, report them if there is sufficient basis, and then let it go. 

- Keep copies to defend yourself to eBay or PayPal if necessary, and simply chalk it up to a learning experience.  That is, take the lesson (whatever it may be) and simply move on. 

- Make sure you reply to any negative feedback you receive indicating that no chance was given to fix the problem and to warn others off -- be factuual NOT nasty or offensive. 

I also believe in Community responsibility.  It is that sense of educating the Community that is my purpose for blogging and writing Guides.  If we all share what we know (especially scammers tactics), we save others from being victimized.  Together, we make a wiser, stronger, safer online community.  So, I also ask you to report scammers to eBay and PayPal and on the blogs.  If you have never blogged before, check out my free guide to blogs and blogging.

Finally, I have dedicated a couple guides to understanding other types of online fraud including Nigerian scams.  Please visit my guides and check them out too.  When you know what they do and how they do it – you recognize it BEFORE they turn you into their next victim.

Thanks so much for dropping by.  Please visit my store “The Write Place Ladies Clothing” and my auctions (Pepper120851) where old fashioned bargains are just a click away – every day!
Happy eBaying!