New Shipping Scam, eBay Customer Support giving full refund to buyer

[oakcitydistributors]

This is the second time in the last month we have seen this same scam from different buyers. They have a high-end gaming laptop shipped to to an an address in New Castle, DE, and the eBay tracking will show the item as delivered. This is the eBay seller shipment tracker in its entirety.

Then the following day the tracking will show the item was picked up in South Carolina and will begin transit to PA where it eventually gets delivered to a random address. The only way I know this is by putting the tracking information into a 3rd party provider such as aftership.

The kicker is that the official UPS website only shows the delivery information post-second pickup in SC. This is the UPS website tracking for the same tracking number in its entirety.

I lost the original case as the buyer was emphasizing the package was delivered to PA.

When deciding in the buyers favor the customer service rep initially claimed  1) I did not purchase Signature Confirmation (which we did!) and 2) That the item was delivered to the wrong address then it my responsibility to open a case with UPS. The granted both the original case and appeal to the buyer and gave them a full refund. I am currently out $600 for my buy-cost of the laptop and all associated selling / shipping / advertising fees on a $1000+ sale.

Any and all advice is appreciated. Does this scam have a name? Have you guys seen it on your accounts?

[12345jamesstamps]

Can a USA resident who lives in the USA use that "freight forward" address to receive packages the USA?

I had an item go to that address last month(buyer in Armenia)...shipping forward since October 20th with the tracking. So I assume it never got scammed. Received positive feedback already. Tracking never closed and still show going forward. I got lucky. Buyer could have asked for a refund from me.

I always check eBay ID to see where buyer lives when I have a freight forward to that address.

[gamersbaystore]

Your only obligation is to ship to the address provided at checkout, which you did. In situations like this, you should always get a rep on the phone and demand they close the case on the spot, this is what I do.

You should have put the buyer in their place to begin with too, pointing out the fact the item was delivered to the address they provided.

Either way, I'd be demanding ebay cough up your money, as ebay clearly goofed here.

[coins-jewelry-collectibles]

I have seen this on Shameazon lately 🙂

Tracking number when put into USPS is correct - this is a government website.

Scammer puts in tracking into a geolocation altering tracking website like the one above - the times will be identical but the destination zip will be changed.

Result? Full refund.

Insist on government websites ONLY - Do not let CS use customer supplied geolocation altering sites!

[wastingtime101]

You said this has happened twice in one month and you lost the INR on both? I would appeal both of them, a second time if needed @oakcitydistributors .

Go through eBay's social media CS team:

askebay on twitter, ebayforbusiness on facebook, ebayforsellers on insta

Pick a channel. Send a DM, explain the suspected fraud/scam, point out with screenshots the original delivery with signature confirmation. Then point to MBG policy where buyer MBG is voided if they have the package forwarded. Buyer both used a freight forwarder and used some kind of scam to manipulate tracking after the sig conf delivery event which you could attempt to argue is a type of forwarding. Point out this is the second time this has happened within the last month.

Report the buyers through eBay for abusing the MBG.

Report the problem to UPS.

You might - if you want to take this further - contact the freight forwarder you shipped to and alert them of the buyer's name and how they're scamming sellers and putting the freight forwarder in a negative light. FF might cut them off. Obviously they can just move on to another FF, but the more you limit their options the better. If every seller did that it might make a difference.

Keep us posted.

[rugerskick]

Ebay does not follow its own rules when it comes to the seller protections it tells sellers they will give them, and support them in fraud cases.

Ebay to sellers: We have your back.  Until we stab you in it.

[nyconelion]

Class action lawsuit. eBay is probably aware and in collusion with shipping partner to defraud costumers 

[robbie31415]

This has nothing to do with the FF.

The FF probably signed for it, collected it and forwarded it as they were supposed to.

However, it's the UPS that is giving bad information to eBay and eBay can really only go on what is presented.

Based on the tracking shown the only real delivery shows to the completely wrong area.

Now I believe the seller here that he is being scammed. It looks like UPS tracking manipulation. Not sure exactly what they did, but a new label with old tracking bar code.

I would definitely appeal to ebay on social media like Facebook and try and explain the situation.  I would also try and fish out as much information from the UPS and get a real explanation on what occurred with the tracking system.