Fraud

[mo-320448]

I never received the item.$1,000..

The shipping number didn't have my name or number associated with it. Ebay claims it was delivered to me. I appealed, they said they didn't see any wrong doing and it was delivered to me. The shipping number, like it mentioned, was bogus.. but they denied my appeal and closed the case  Clearly they didn't do any real checking out of the delivery.  The seller is supposedly in good standing. However  the seller is not responding and I don't see where they are even selling other items. It says only one transaction. The one with me. I have been a customer of ebay for years. They think I can just suck it up. Wrong.. they are supporting this fraudulent transaction  I am still in shock that this happened 

[mudshark61369]

@mo-320448,

"The shipping number, like it mentioned, was bogus.. but they denied my appeal and closed the case Clearly they didn't do any real checking out of the delivery".

The only information ebay is allowed to access is what the semi-public tracking info shows, due to the shipping agencies privacy policies. Even you as the recipient cannot access the shipping label address or package info. If it has a Delivered scan to someplace in your zip code they will find in favor of the seller. Scammers know this and that many people will give up.  Even though you appealed and lost, there is still one ebay avenue left to you, eBay's Facebook or Instagram social media sites, but in order to make it work, you have to do some leg work.

  You will have to go to your P.O. or  a local UPS or FedEx store.  You need to bring a copy of your order details page which shows your address and the tracking number with you. If you bought using a phone or tablet, you can bring that to show the clerk the order details.

  You want to ask the clerk to check the label address against yours, and also to check the Package type/size weight info to see if was is appropriate for what you should have received.  If the info does not match up, you ask the clerk to write a note on Company stationary saying in general that the shipping label's address was not yours, and if applicable that the package type/size/weight was not right for what you should have received. Do not ask for specific address or package info, they cannot give it out.  Have the clerk print their name then sign and date the note.

Once you have the note, you can contact ebay through their Facebook or Instagram social media pages. (links below) You can write out what happened and what you found out, and add a CLEAR photo or a scan of the note to a message.  If you go the social media route where real ebay employees check the info, and know about the fake tracking scams, you will need to have the seller's username and the ebay item number. At the end of your message give them your real and ebay username. 

https://www.facebook.com/eBayForBusiness

https://www.instagram.com/ebayforsellers/

In the future I strongly suggest that you check the feedback profile pages of each seller you intend to buy from, before bidding on or buying their items.  You can access a seller's feedback profile page from near the bottom of listing pages. Use the See All Feedback  button below where their name is in a large font.  On the profile page if the seller has received neutral or negative feedback, click on the numbers of them to read only those comments. Never go by a feedback percentage alone. Some people who have been scammed but did not file a dispute may have left feedback saying they never received their items.

[ittybitnot]

 I am still in shock that this happened 

@mo-320448 

Don't be.  It is nothing new.  When a buyer claims "Item not received"  when there is a record of delivery of something to somewhere associated with the transaction they will lose.  The eBay Money Back Guarantee will be a FAIL.   

It is up to the buyer to obtain documentation that the parcel was either misdelivered by the carrier or more importantly NOT Intended for the buyer in the first place.  Ebay only accepts written documentation, which in most instances is impossible to obtain.  eBay knows this. 

Commonly called the "fake tracking scam" (even though real tracking numbers are used) it is quite successful and popular with scammers on this site.  There is redress for you, if you know what to do, and where to go.

First off, you will have to give up on the "item not received" mantra.  At this point, if you file with PayPal (if you paid that way) or your credit card because you "didn't receive the item", the case is sent to eBay, who responds with the same 'tracking shows delivery' and you are going to lose again.  If it is determined that the fake tracking scam is underway, that is what you should call it from this point forward.  Unfortunately, there is nothing in the dropdown menu on eBay for you to choose, so it is natural for anyone to select INR.  

@mudshark61369  in message #2 gave you some information on how to attempt to obtain the information you need to appeal to eBay.  Do not file anyplace else if you plan to try this route through the eBay social media portals.  They know all about it, and unlike the regular outsourced foreign call center reps you get in eBay call back or chat, they do have the authority to act.   If your seller is no longer a registered user, for example, you may not need to do all the legwork. Do check on that as well.   Ask them what they need as a victim of a fake tracking scam.  

What to do next is basically dependent upon what documentation you can obtain from the carrier.  Presently, it seems that USPS would likely be cooperative (and may even provide a photo of the label used), while FedEx and UPS will not other than to tell you in an email, that since you were not the sender nor the intended  recipient of the parcel they won't talk to you.  (Email evidence such as this may be accepted by your credit card for a fake tracking scam, but not for eBay).   

What sort of evidence have you obtained so far?  Who was the carrier? 

[fab_finds4u]

Tracking numbers show only  the city and zip code. If it matches your city and zip then eBay sides with the seller and assumes your package was stolen after it was delivered. Not the seller's fault.

If you have written proof from the PO the tracking number was not to your name and street address then you should prevail.

[ittybitnot]

If you have written proof from the PO the tracking number was not to your name and street address then you should prevail.

@fab_finds4u 

Actually, we don't know yet if USPS was used.  In any event, a $lK item would seemingly require 'signature confirmation' of delivery.  Was there any?   eBay has denied the OP's claim and appeal already.  

[vintagecraze50]

The seller probably did not use an ebay generated label which absolutely would have had signature tracking.

[gosimus]

@ittybitnot  @mo-320448 

< written documentation, which in most instances is impossible to obtain >    

You said it.  A couple of years back, a package was delivered but not to me.  I knew what to do, the letterhead thing and all, but I ran into a brick wall.  The carrier was FedEx. 

FedEx refused to help.  Customer Service would not give me that documentation.  The manager of the local office would not, either.  They confirmed that the address was different from mine, but would not put it in writing.  Some service, hah!  I considered creating some FedEx letterhead of my own, but I thought committing forgery might be a little too much. 

So what I did – I am not advocating this, it's told for entertainment purposes only – I turned the scam around on the scammer.  I opened a Not As Described dispute.  The buyer always wins those.  My rationale was that what I received was nothing, and the listing did not describe that I would receive nothing.  I understand that eBay has begun asking a photograph to be submitted with the dispute, so I wouldn't try the NAD route now because a photo would introduce an actual fabrication. 

[ittybitnot]

So what I did – I am not advocating this, it's told for entertainment purposes only – I turned the scam around on the scammer.  I opened a Not As Described dispute.

@gosimus 

That works, too.  From reports from others who have used the "beat eBay at their own bot denial

stance" the eBay/seller generated return label often goes to an 'empty lot' or some such and is returned to sender.  The buyer still prevails.  

That photo a buyer has to put up can be anything.  I don't think anybody is actually looking to see if the photo actually relates to the product in question anyway.  If the buyer chooses "wrong item sent"  the proverbial box of rubber bands should suffice for the eBay SNAD claim.  

For some it comes down to a matter of personal ethics or even moral compass if one should decide to take this path.  The "seller" certainly had no ethics.  The fact that eBay remains in the first line of defense of DENIAL, with no policies or procedures in place for victims, suggests a lack of ethics and moral compass as well even though this problem can be documented here going back as far as 2013.  It is certainly an expedient solution for the buyer that is a victim.  

Even if denied by eBay, the buyer can still go to their credit card for redress.  A seller that is a victim of the fake tracking RETURN scenario ,must rely on the benevolence of eBay that still tries to manage the process by denial and control of the money.  

[12345jamesstamps]

You can do a dispute with your credit card online. Pretty easy to do it online.

You got nothing to lose. Usually the bank will address the problem with eBay and get back to you in 10 days or less.

[buyselljack2016]

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@vintagecraze50 wrote:

The seller probably did not use an ebay generated label which absolutely would have had signature tracking.

---

Color me confused. I know that eBay requires that to meet policy, "signature" must be used, but never knew that it was included without action by the seller that was purchasing the label.

[ittybitnot]

You got nothing to lose. 

@12345jamesstamps 

In this instance, if the OP files an "Item not received" claim via their card, they stand to lose $1K.  From my message #3: 

 At this point, if you file with PayPal (if you paid that way) or your credit card because you "didn't receive the item", the case is sent to eBay, who responds with the same 'tracking shows delivery' and you are going to lose again. 

They OP must give up on the term "item not received". 

[12345jamesstamps]

What if buyer states does not recognize purchase? Just curious what would happen.

I had a buyer do that a while back. I wasn't even able to do anything about it.

When it's done online it seems there are less questions to answer.

[ittybitnot]

I wasn't even able to do anything about it.

@12345jamesstamps 

Did you have tracking with a recorded delivery? 

[bearlover69]

Just wondering what the tracking Number was- and where it was shipped from?
There's several sites to use for tracking
IE: https://www.17track.net/en

Which may give a bit of different information.. but not the name / Address...
But it may be enough to show that tracking is Fraudulent. 
See when the date of shipping started and ended- the points along the way.

[mudshark61369]

‎

"Just wondering what the tracking Number was- and where it was shipped from?
There's several sites to use for tracking  Which may give a bit of different information.. but not the name / Address...
But it may be enough to show that tracking is Fraudulent. 
See when the date of shipping started and ended- the points along the way".

One does not need to go to one of the "Track any package anywhere" sites to get information. Many of those sites are used by scammers to collect info, that may end up on the dark web.

Tracking numbers and the service used can be accessed from the Order Details page, or one can go to the shipping service's site, which may have more info, but not everything that is needed to prove where an item is delivered.  If the delivered scan is connected to a zip code in a different city than the buyers, that is easily picked up on appeal, if it is mentioned in the message.   Scroll to my reply from yesterday, to see what info needs to be collected and how to get it.