Insane Ebay policy, asking their buyers to prove a negative

[ba0701]

Not sure if this is the right place to put this thread, I'll gladly move it if needed.

So, long story short, I purchased an item on Ebay, and a week after it was purchased I asked the seller for a tracking number, as one was not posted, which the seller did. The only information available with the FedEx tracking number was that it was heading to my city. The day the package showed delivered, there was no package, and none was delivered to my home as I have multiple cameras around my home, nobody had approached my home all day, so I opened a case with FedEx. FedEx called me back, asking to speak to a woman I had never heard of. Thinking there was a mistake, I explained I was the person who had opened the case on this tracking number, and the FedEx employee stated that the person, and the address this 1lbs package was shipped to was entirely different from me, and she stated that I had been provided a "fraudulent tracking number". The item I ordered was a large air compressor, the package provided in the tracking number was 1LBS, clearly not an air compressor.

I opened a case with Ebay, which was then denied, as it stated the package had been delivered. I appealed that decision, and the guy I spoke to stated that it was on me to prove that the package had not been shipped to me. I explained that I have no ability to do that, as the tracking number only lists the shipped to city, no further details. He told me he would do me a one time favor and reverse the decision so that I get a refund, but that in the future I would have to get on touch with FedEx to get them to provide me with a letter that states the package was not shipped to me. Yes, you read that correctly, Ebay policy is for the buyer to prove a package was not shipped to them, literally LOL over the ridiculousness of the entire thing.

I went and looked at the case, and it states I was refunded because Ebay had determined the package had been stolen after delivery. I never said anything about stolen, in fact I told them the exact opposite, that the package had never been shipped to me.

I spoke with FedEx, and just as I told the Ebay guy, they will not provide me with such a letter. So, when someone provides you with a fraudulent tracking number, it is on you to prove it wasn't shipped to you, which is something you literally have no way of proving.

Figured I would leave the seller some feedback, so as to warn others not to buy from him, and the next day my feedback had been removed.

So, Ebay, in their infinite wisdom has decided it is better to side with a literal fraud/scammer who has 8 feedback, against an upstanding Ebayer who has had their account since 1998, and not so much as a neutral feedback. Go figure, just be warned folks, Ebay used to look after both sellers and buyers doing their best to protect from fraud, but in my case they are literally protecting the fraudulent party at every turn.

[3eyedfishcatcher]

It is doubt full that a company like fed ex sol the seller a shipping service to falsely show a item was shipped and delivered when nothing was shipped. After a item has been delivered it is pretty much no longer the couriers responsibility as the buyer needs to be home or make arrangements to have the item brought inside to prevent theft. I understand that you have cameras that show no delivery was made. It is possible the item was misdelivered to another address by mistake. I would suggest calling FEDEX back and verify the address on the label was your address. Then have them check the scan data from the driver scanning the package before delivery to see if the GPS matches your address or points to another address. I think this might point to what really happened if indeed your cameras show no delivery or theft from your porch.

Though you were upset eBay was right in removing the feedback as the seller had nothing to do with this.

[kensgiftshop]

---

@ba0701 wrote:

but that in the future I would have to get on touch with FedEx to get them to provide me with a letter that states the package was not shipped to me. Yes, you read that correctly, Ebay policy is for the buyer to prove a package was not shipped to them, literally LOL over the ridiculousness of the entire thing.

---

Yes, if tracking shows the item was delivered, it's up to the buyer to find out what happened to the package.

If the package was not addressed to you, you need to get a letter from the carrier stating that and use the letter to appeal the case.

All Ebay knows is what the tracking shows, and if it shows delivered, they don't know if it was delivered to you or across town.

[ba0701]

You clearly didn't read the op, which I would recommend ytou do. The item was not shipped to my address to begin with, it was a 1lbs package shipped to a woman at a completely different address. No, Ebay didn't do the right thing, period.

[ba0701]

Another person who didn't read the OP. I did contact FedEx, they will not provide such a letter, stated this dispute has nothing to do with them, as the fraud was committed by the person who posted the false tracking number. That tracking number is a valid number, and I have no rights with FedEx to inquire about it whatsoever, since it was not shipped to me. The first Ebay person I spoke with actually had some common sense, stated that it was clearly not the compressor I ordered, give the tracking number provided was for a 1LBS package. Unfortunately I spoke to him prior to the 3 days expiring, so he couldn't do anything. So, yeah, that policy of the buyer having to prove a package wasn't shipped to them, when the delivery service will not provide that information makes perfect sense. LOL

[releasethekraken_1]

Yes, this particular scam is becoming more of a problem.

Did you ask FedEx to provide you with a letter that showed the address the item was delivered to, or did you ask them to just provide a letter stating that the delivery address was not yours, without revealing what that address was?

[ra_201044]

Everyone read the OP. And yes, Fed Ex WILL provide a letter saying that tracking number xxxxxx was NOT addressed to you. That's what you need. You can also check to see if that tracking # was an old one delivered days/weeks before you ordered whatever to add a bit more info.

[ba0701]

No, I told them I wasn't interested, at all, in who the person was (though they did accidentally provide me with her name and address when I opened the case). I simply told them I just wanted a letter which stated it was not shipped to me at my address, and they explained they do not provide such a service to an uninvolved party, other words not the shipper or the seller. It is obvious by the weight, which was actually brought to my attention by the FedEx investigator when she asked me what I ordered. She stated obviously a 1LBS package is not going to contain a 6 gallon air compressor. But they still protected this seller, wouldn't even allow me to warn other members of the scam. Back in the beginning, that was the purpose of the feedback system, but now they will erase any feedback trying to shine light on a scammer.

[3eyedfishcatcher]

I am sorry I did not catch that detail in your original post. I had this happen once when a drop shipper sent the item to another town if you look at the tracking and it shows delivery to a zip code other than your call and point that out to the eBay rep. and they should rule in your favor. 

Then if FedEx misdelivered to a address not on that label the seller will have to take that up with them. If the seller provided the wrong address by not using eBay label and purchased the label at the counter then FEDEX will not be of fault but either way with a misdelivery it is not your fault which was my main point in directing you to the direction you need to go rather than focus on the feedback being removed. Also if the item was delivered to a address in your zip code you will need to get documentation from FEDEX as to the address it was delivered to. I do not use FEDEX and only use USPS. I do believe any FEDEX sipping location would be able to check this and give you proof to go back and submit for a claim with eBay.

[ba0701]

I just spoke to FedEx today, and the first woman who answered the call then called the investigator who was assigned the case I opened, and they both said they would not provide such a service. In all honesty, you are making the dispute between me and FedEx, I actually agree with them, that isn't their place to provide such information every time a scammer posts a fraudulent tracking number. They did their job, and properly delivered the package they were paid to deliver. How is that their responsibility? So, no, you are simply wrong and that is coming from two separate FedEx employees.

[3eyedfishcatcher]

Just because the item was delivered to a different address does not mean the seller was scamming you. From what you described the seller did their part and shipped the item and tacking shows it was delivered it is just a matter of figuring out was because the address on the label was incorrect or did FedEx deliver to a address other than what was on the label. 

If the tracking shows it was delivered to a address in your zip code you will need some documentation  proving the address was different from yours. As i suggested a FedEx shipping store in your area may be better than a phone rep. If the tracking shows a different zip code than your zip code call eBay back and point this out and they will rule in your favor. Not all sellers or eBay reps look closely over the tracking and a simple thing like the zip code and city the item was delivered to can be over looked. Stop focusing on not being able to leave bad feedback against the seller accusing them of scamming you as you really do not know for sure who cause the error FEDEX or the seller and focus more on proving the misdelivery so eBay will side with you and the seller will have to take the issue up with FedEx as they were the person who bought the label.

[ba0701]

No apology needed, no worries at all. It was a lengthy post, and that is the shortened version, was originally going to post information in messages passed between the seller and I, but decided against it. It still got lengthy.

When the FedEx investigator called me about the case I opened, she asked for the actual addressee of the package, which was a woman I had never heard of, and she even said the address, which was on the other side of town. The tracking number in question was actually created on the day I bought the item, so that wouldn't have helped me. Great idea though, I hadn't even thought to check that before you mentioned it. Thanks!!

[ba0701]

The package shipped was 1 pound, the item ordered was a 6 gallon air compressor. So, you tell me, if it was fraud or not. When I opened the case, the seller initially began by begging me to close the case, telling me he would refund me after 3 days. When I refused to close the case, he simply started posting the same tracking number repeatedly. Never claimed something happened in shipping, or anything of the sort, just went straight to asking me to close the case promising a refund.

[3eyedfishcatcher]

if the item was delivered to someone else in your town then it is highly doubt full the seller had 2 buyer in your town at  on the same day and most likely a driver for FedEx delivered the package to a different address the tracking should show from the scan a zip code different than yours and when pointed out a eBay rep should see this. The item not received case should be reopened and closed in your favor. The seller will need to take this issue up with FedEx as they purchased the label. It is highly doubtful that the seller was truing to scam or rip you off they probably just denied the claim based off of the eBay orders page showing the item was delivered. Most likely both the seller and eBay missed this small detail as not every one checks this. I only know of this from reading the forums and from past experience as a buyer.

[ba0701]

By the way, Ebay did reverse the denial, and I eventually got a refund. But, they put a fake reason behind it, which made it look as if the item had actually been shipped to me at my address and stolen, then refused to allow me to leave negative feedback over the whole thing by deleting it. Ebay said the reason the reversal was given was that the item had been stolen after delivery, when the facts are there was no delivery to my address, and a 1LBS package does not contain a 6 gallon air compressor.