eBay

gettingby414 · ‎09-06-2023

The item is just a roll of packing foam - cost about $17.

The seller was slow to ship, so I went to contact the seller and I could not.

I went to look at the seller's profile and the seller is "no longer a registered user."

The strange thing is, suddenly, the shipping was updated. I verified the shipping number on the FedEx website. Something I definitely shipped under that number because FedEx says it's moving toward me and lists my destination, correctly.

My concern is that I get an empty parcel, or incomplete order. Should I call eBay now? Or is there nothing to be done until the parcel arrives? I am thinking there is nothing to be done until it arrives.

Anyone heard of this before? I could see someone trying to skip out with the money on an expensive item, but a $17 item? This is very odd...

Any ideas? Thank you,

-Rob

mudshark61369 · ‎09-07-2023

@gettingby414,

FYI, you cannot call ebay, but you can request a call back from them. Any eBay customer service phone number you find online will be a fake one phishing for information.

As an experienced seller yourself, you should know the terms of the MBG. You should also know that a seller cannot unilaterally close their account. If they became NARU it is because ebay shut them down.

Since there is a tracking number you will have to wait until there is a Delivered scan, before ebay will do anything, even though the seller was slow to ship. If you receive your item all is well and good. If you receive something else then you would file a Not As described dispute using the More actions box on your purchase history page.

What you may have to worry about is that something possibly an envelope or small empty box is being sent to an address in your Zip Code but not to your address. If that happens, before filing an item not received dispute. Come back to this board to get instructions on how to deal with that situation. eBay's Money Back Guarantee (MBG) system is not set up to deal with fake tracking number scams, and you have to do some investigating to get a refund.

In the future no matter what a seller's feedback percentage is, you should check their feedback profile page. A seller could have a 100% rating and a fair number of feedback, but it could all be for buying not selling, at least in the last year. If a seller is new or returning after over a year, ebay will place a 21 day hold on their first few payments, and many new/returning sellers do not know about it, or how to deal with it to get the funds released sooner.

"THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS FOOLPROOF, BECAUSE FOOLS ARE SO DARNED INGENIOUS!" (unknown)

ma-647837 · ‎09-07-2023

@gettingby414 wrote:
The item is just a roll of packing foam - cost about $17.

I verified the shipping number on the FedEx website. Something I definitely shipped under that number because FedEx says it's moving toward me and lists my destination, correctly.

My concern is that I get an empty parcel, or incomplete order.

Well, how heavy is it? When FedEx gets a package @gettingby414 it updates the weight on the FedEx website.

simba6 · ‎09-07-2023

Just have to wait for it to arrive. If it's not as described, you can file a case. The fact your seller was booted off by eBay has no effect on the case. Does not sound like a scam.

legalbeagle52 · ‎09-07-2023

@gettingby414

I agree with @simba6 that it doesn't sound like a scam & should have no effect on your order.

I've purchased from sellers that were NARU and my items arrived just fine. I used to buy a lot of coupons on ebay (when they were allowed) and plenty of those sellers were kicked off for various reasons. My items always arrived just fine. I did receive what I ordered. Yes, just wait & see ... and open a case if and when you need to.

woodland_gnome · ‎09-07-2023

@simba6 wrote:
Just have to wait for it to arrive. . . .

OR for the tracking to show delivery but you didn't get it (and if you don't get it come back with details as mudshark advised) OR for the estimated delivery date you were given when you paid (check the "Order confirmation" email you got--the estimate in your Purchase History can change with updates from the carrier but the one you were given when you paid is the one that counts in starting the 30 days to file unless tracking shows delivery somewhere before then) to elapse and the tracking does not show satisfactory progress to your location.

gettingby414 · ‎09-07-2023

Alright, well all is well and good. It arrived and it is what I ordered, but it came from a source I did not expect.

I did not think about the possibility that eBay shut the seller down. I think that is it.

So I think this person was a drop shipper or something. What I ordered came from Walmart.com, according to the label. There is a possibility he was out of inventory of this particular length of shipping foam and that's why he ordered it there and sent it to me.

If he was a drop shipper - he is kinda bad at it. What I ordered was a very good deal. Unless he had store credit, a giftcard, or something like that, there is no way he made made money on this foam. I am fairly certain he lost money. There are additional possibilities, though.

I never really looked into drop shipping and how eBay feels about it, since I had no desire to ever drop ship. Could what be the reason why he was kicked off? While he was not an experienced seller, he was at 100%.

I should have checked his recent seller history - you are right. I did not think of that. I will do that going forward with "too good to be true" type of buys. However, wasn't REALLY too good to be true - I have other shipping suppliers who somehow offer really excellent prices, and it always worth a search on eBay every once in a while to see if a "former seller" is just getting rid of stuff because they are "sick of it".

I wasn't super worried about the $17, and I figured eBay would make me whole. I was concerned the seller would get away with something while I had a chance to prevent that, even if it was only $17. I thought, maybe the next time the seller tries it with a higher value transaction.

Well, thank you everyone, I hope no one feels I wasted their time. It was only $17, but it was the principle and I like to try to keep abreast of scams (and this wasn't a scam).

gettingby414 · ‎09-07-2023

I did not consider the weight. This will be helpful in the future, I bet. Foam is very very light, though.

buyselljack2016 · ‎09-07-2023

could be, but may not be, a situation where someone else's CC (stolen) was being used to pay the retailer allowing for you, the buyer, to get a "good" deal. (triangulation ?)

legalbeagle52 · ‎09-07-2023

I'm glad it worked out for you. It's never a waste of our time (to answer questions) , as many people read the boards and it could be helpful to them as well. I've had items that I ordered on ebay come from Amazon, but never from Walmart. But I've heard that items do come from Walmart as well.

Drop shipping is allowed under certain circumstances. There are many threads about it that you could read. Others are more familiar with it than I am. Thanks for coming back & letting us know the (happy) outcome. 😊