How I got scammed

[pavzaq]

I really dislike people - and I am now out 1k because I fell for a scam on eBay - eBay's buyer protection is worthless - they refuse to do their due diligence and actually look into the issue. 

Here is how I was scammed this holiday season - 

I've been searching for a Christmas present for my mom - found one for a really good buy it now price - shipping from Denver Colorado. I bought the item - and promptly received a shipping notification with tracking number. Sweet! I waited - the item showed delivered; I checked my security cameras - no delivery, I checked with my neighbors - no delivery. I called the post office with the tracking number - yes the package was delivered. I confirmed the address on the package - the tracking number had a different destination address. I confirmed the name on the package - the name was not mine. I went back to my purchase history - My name and address are both correct - I messaged the seller - no response. I filed a claim with eBay - they sided with the seller because the tracking number shows delivered. I provided documentation from USPS showing that the name and address on the package was not mine - eBay still sided with the seller. All eBay has to do is call the phone number provided in the documentation from the post office - and they will tell them that the name and address for that tracking number is not mine - will eBay do that? Nope. 

So now I am out 1k - with no recourse. All eBay has to do is look at the original listing - see that the seller ships from Denver Colorado, then look at the tracking history and see that the item was in fact shipped from Sarah MS - then they just need to call the post office and confirm the information - yet they refuse to do it. 

[soh.maryl]

My understanding is this:  eBay is not going to look at anything or call the PO.

You need to get written on paper documentation from the USPS that the package was delivered to an address that was not your address.  

[lynnlowe]

That's just unbelievable! Need a civil action against eBay and the buyer protection agencies need involved because this has been an ongoing problem for quite awhile now, I have been having a lot of seller problems to, (Scam, not received, not shipped, no response at all except to take your money), Then fight tooth and nail just to have them say WE ARE JUST A PLATFORM!!! Very Ironic.

[mudshark61369]

@pavzaq,

You posted this topic, then piggybacked on another topic saying the same thing. The person who wrote that topic did not follow the instructions they were given.

You should have waited until YOUR topic was replied to. If you follow the instructions I wrote in the link below to the letter, you will be able to get a refund from ebay.  It also has info that explains why ebay denies item not received claims, when tracking has a Delivered scan.  Just so you know eBay will not accept an email from a shipping agency as proof of non delivery, because emails can be faked. 

Unfortunately, at this time of year to get the letter you need, it would be best to go to your P.O. before the door opens in the morning, and the lines get long.  You do have 30 days from the date your initial dispute was denied to file an appeal.

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Shipping/What-do-you-do-when-ebay-support-will-not-help-you/m-p/340800...

" found one for a really good buy it now price ".

That is often the very first sign of a scam. You should have checked the seller's feedback profile page to see if they had experience selling the type of expensive item you bought.

Had you done that before buying the last item you left feedback for, you would have seen they were a new seller, who most likely did not know that ebay places a 21-30 day hold on new or returning after 1 year off seller's first few payments. Most do not know about the hold or how to deal with it to get the funds released sooner. Do be aware that a new seller may have a fair number of feedback and a 100% rating but for buying only, at least in the last 12 months. That is just one reason why you should check each seller's feedback profile before buying from them.

[mudshark61369]

@pavzaq,

FYI, I forgot to add to my first reply that in order to win a payment service or card provider dispute, you will need the same information you need to win an ebay appeal. They too cannot access shipping label information or accept emails from shippers as proof.

[mudshark61369]

@lynnlowe,

"That's just unbelievable! Need a civil action against eBay and the buyer protection agencies need involved because this has been an ongoing problem for quite awhile now".

It is not ebay's fault that the shipping agency's privacy policies prevent them from accessing shipping label information, because they are neither the sender or recipient. They also prevent payment services and credit card providers from accessing it as well, and this scam does happen on other 3rd party online sites.  FYI, ebay's user agreement prevents for the most part your ability to file civil suits against the company. besides you would have to file one in San Jose Ca, and appear in court there.

"I have been having a lot of seller problems to, (Scam, not received, not shipped, no response at all except to take your money), Then fight tooth and nail just to have them say WE ARE JUST A PLATFORM!!! Very Ironic".

If an item is not shipped and/or received by the last estimated delivery date, all you have to do is use the More Actions or Return item button on your purchase history page. Select as the reason I have not received it. Once you do that the seller will have 3 days to reply by either issuing a refund or providing proof of having shipped. If they do neither on day 4 you ask ebay to step in and a refund will be provided. That system is pretty much automated and there is no need to contact ebay about it. If you had read the terms of the Money Back Guarantee (MBG) policy, you would have known what to do. There is a link to it on most ebay listings.

You should also start checking the feedback profile pages of each seller you intend to buy from, beofre making purchases and never go by a feedback percentage alone. Had you done that before buying from the last seller, you bought from, you may have avoided the problem.  on a profile page you can click on the numbers of neutral and negatives a seller has received to read only those comments. 

IF you tried contacting ebay by phone using a customer service number you found online, you never reached ebay. They do not have a C.S. number listed online. 

[lynnlowe]

I Know but they always put it hold, By the time it's done, your money is tied up for a month or longer because the seller keeps changing delivery info and then eBay says to wait more time even though the seller didn't actually change anything, Just never shipped it, Just tracking no# pre-shipment info, That one took a month and a half to get my money back!

[lynnlowe]

I also research the seller completely before I buy but there is a lot of generated bogus feedback which makes a good vet almost impossible sometimes and I buy a lot, Just 22 purchases today.

[lynnlowe]

Almost to much hassle anymore, Hope the new meta platform coming is better.

[ebooksdiva]

Sellers can’t change delivery info once an item ships. That would be the shipping service used USPS does it all the time. 

[mudshark61369]

@lynnlowe,

I assume your last 3 replies were directed at me. To reply to a specific person click on "@" and a list of those who replied will show and you can click on the person's name you want to reply to. You can also click on the reply button to another's post and it will direct the reply to them.

I will tell you this, Your replies indicate that your issue is not the same problem the original topic is about. @pavzaq is dealing with a fake tracking number scam, not an Item Not Received dispute. You should scroll to the upper part of the Buying board page above the posted topics, and use the Start a conversation button. Write out a topic title possibly "Item Not Received dispute keeps getting extended"

then use the body to fill in the details of your particular issue. Starting with when you purchased an item, and the last estimated delivery date when you paid. Then what actions you have taken and when you took them.  Be specific and don't wander off on a rant.

In your second and third replies you wrote.

"I also research the seller completely before I buy but there is a lot of generated bogus feedback which makes a good vet almost impossible sometimes and I buy a lot, Just 22 purchases today... Almost to much hassle anymore, Hope the new meta platform coming is better".

I checked the feedback profile of the seller you are probably having issues with. They have received 3 neutral and 11 negative feedback out of 180 sales. You can click on those numbers to read only those comments on any seller's feedback profile page. I would have seen their percentage which was probably at 95% when you bought the item, and hit the back button without even looking at their profile. Granted they are a medium volume seller, but why take chances?

Meta Platform?  I hope you do not mean the new A.I. driven listing tool ebay is going to try out. A.I. is fine as long as the program used was generated by a human who knew what they were doing.

   IMO too many idiots are trying to come up with A.I. programming without taking into account how HUMANS think. As a seller, I will never allow a site to automatically generate a listing for me based on just one photo. Any one who thinks that is a good idea hasn't the intelligence of a common housefly, and probably got through school using A.I. to do their homework or take their tests.

[doc-holmes]

I'm unsure as to why someone can't open an INAD here. Well, I do, but don't really care. Was it delivered? According to ebay and the shipper, it was. Did you receive what you ordered? No, you received nothing. Why can't you return the incorrect item (nothing) on the scammer's, err...seller's dime and get your money back? This is obviously not a porch pirate, which would be a completely different scenario. 

[joe_bopz]

yep, ebay for some reason now sides with the sellers
they make it real hard for buyers to not get scammed - like it's just impossible.
it's a fact of life that you're going to get scammed trying to save money buying on ebay - ive come to realize its just not worth it anymore.

[soh.maryl]

Are you saying that you, as a seller, have been having a lot of problems with buyers?

Or that you, as a buyer, have been having a lot of issues with sellers?

Most of the latter can be resolved with the MBG.

As for the former, feel free to tell us more and maybe there is a suggestion that might be helpful for you.

[treasurescove-05]

I’m sorry to hear you got scammed. I never had problems with any eBay sellers  .did you check to see seller feedback from others costumer who bought from same seller?