How can sellers protect themselves from an "empty envelope" claim on Paypal?

Buyers should always try to contact the seller first if such accidents arrive. Most sellers will work it out either by issuing a refund, or by sending a replacement.

A negative feedback really hurts a seller's reputation.

As for the "empty envelope" scam, I'd really want to hear from people who experienced it. It's probably the hardest kind of scam a seller can ever face.

Yes, and unfortunately that will happen at least once for roughly every 100 returns that you get (depending on what you're selling). But Ebay doesn't always side with the buyer if you fight it and clearly explain that the buyer's return was not the original item sent.

I once sold a sub woofer on Ebay for around $400 plus $85 for shipping. The buyer said it arrived damaged from delivery, so "refused" for a return back to sender. Upon receiving back from UPS, the sub woofer was completely destroyed and broken in pieces. Even screws were stripped from the box. So I compared the pictures in my ad versus the pictures I took when it arrived back to me. I explained there's no way possible that a 120 sub woofer in an ultra enforced box could be destroyed to such degree during shipping when the box arrived back in good condition and not destroyed. And also there wouldn't be any possible way for screws to be missing from the sockets. I won this case. Because the buyer obviously took the one I sent, and mailed back a damaged one. I personally had to investigate with UPS that although he technically refused the delivery to get out having to ship back, but the package was left at his house for 2 days before UPS picked it back up.


Now that case could have went either way, but if you can prove your point, Ebay or Paypal will not just automatically side with the buyer. And that's why items such as really expensive jewelry typically have a special kind of white glove delivery program to prevent this. The package is opened and verified upon delivery. Obviously too expensive to ship products of average cost like this.

But the only other possible way to avoid "item not as described" is to record any unique serial numbers on the item if possible. If a used product, take many high quality photos. Tedious, but can save you big if you're selling expensive goods.

And, the problem is made worse as some dealers on eBay are using 'stock photos' of old items they are selling and only describing the item in generic terms, such as saying, 'scratches, light dents, normal wear'. If the seller is not taking time to show an actual photo of at least one item he is selling, the he's likely to get a buyer complaining, the item is 'not as described'. After all, how can an item be 'as described' if you are using a photo of a brand new item when selling a used product. Ebay should crack down on this practice of using misleading photos.