A small business owner has spoken out after falling victim to a refund scam, where a customer returned empty boxes in place of the purchased items. Jodie Annabelle, who operates an online business called NINENINENINE selling eyelash extension kits and tools, was left distraught when the customer she had sympathized with returned only empty packaging.
Following a request for a refund nearly two months after her order, the customer cited disappointment with the product quality. Despite the return window having passed, Annabelle offered a full refund and covered shipping costs, contingent on the items being returned. The customer then claimed financial hardship, stating she was a "broke" single mother needing immediate funds for a special event.
Annabelle, empathetic to the situation, agreed to process the refund upon receiving a tracking number from Australia Post. However, upon opening the returned parcel, she discovered the boxes were empty, and the product components, such as lash kits and tweezers, were missing or had been used. "Someone just sent me back empty boxes and I've already processed her refund," Annabelle said tearfully in a video detailing the incident.
The incident is one example of return fraud impacting small businesses in Australia. Another case highlighted involved Emma Diedrichs, who runs LuxeLittleOne, a business selling baby bags. Diedrichs was defrauded of nearly $250 when a customer purchased items, received them, and then filed a credit card chargeback claiming she did not recognize the transaction. To add insult to injury, Diedrichs later discovered the same customer attempting to resell the bags on Facebook Marketplace.
In Annabelle's case, the customer reportedly blocked her after the scam was discovered. Annabelle has since reported the incident to the police. She noted that such experiences make it difficult for businesses to maintain lenient return policies, stating, "It's people like this that force businesses to be so strict on return polices."