I'm being charged by USPS for voided shipping label dating from December 2023?!?!?

[cobra_viper]

This is something I haven't encountered before in the 23 years that I have been selling on Ebay.

This week USPS charged me for 2 separate shipping labels that had been voided back in December of 2023.  Their reason was because the labels were used after they had already given me a refund...which is not true.  The labels were never used at all...but  for some reason the tracking numbers attached to the labels are showing that they were used for shipping in March of 2024.  I don't understand how that is even possible.  The labels were thrown away in December and never used...but the tracking is updating as if I mailed the packages out last week...which I did not do.

Is anyone else having this same issue?  I'm not even sure how to fight it with USPS and the only things that I can think of is that the tracking numbers are being recycled and someone else has shipped a package using the exact same tracking number...OR...it is a glitch with the USPS tracking system that is somehow providing false updates when nothing has actually been shipped.

[kyle@ebay]

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@wastingtime101 wrote:

There are now 4 sellers reporting the problem that I've seen - 3 on this thread and 1 @thebargainprincess here:

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Shipping/USPS-back-charge-New-on-on-me/m-p/34345140#M472838

I tagged kyle@ebay on the above linked thread and asked him to look into it.

In the meantime I suggest any seller that's affected contact eBay CS to report the problem, assuming you all purchased your labels on eBay.

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Hey @wastingtime101 thanks for flagging this.  I have shared this info with the shipping team for review.

[thebargainprincess]

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@truelove091500 wrote:

The thing is with mine, it was still also delivered to my buyer's address.   So the new person in NY, who got issued my old tracking number, never changed the mailing address?  Or was that a USPS glitch, and the original addresses trumped the new addresses?  

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Mine also shows delivery to the original city/state/zip.

[bctk5292]

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@wastingtime101 wrote:

Makes you wonder if there's some kind of fraud happening here with scammers hijacking the tracking numbers. 

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Yes reusing a tracking number is happening now, viz a seller sending the same photo of an eBay return label* by email

for returns each from buyers in different** cities all returning to the seller's house***.

* and in the return request "The seller let us know they sent you a return shipping label" to stop eBay seeing**** the reuse

** not even altering the return label to each buyer's address as the sender of that return.

*** mansion in a private gated neighborhood

**** label won't be rebilled

[frankiefasthands]

Yup, all 10 labels suddenly appear months later at the new york hub. One of which was on its way to texas from Tennessee so it is impossible it would have taken the route from TN to NY to TX

[clp1967]

I have three voided labels from December that I am now being charged for in March. Two labels have gone through the Metro NY facility as mentioned in this post and one through the Los Angeles facility. My regional facility is Detroit. USPS #9400108205498488885694 from MI to OK. USPS#9400109205498498953901 from MI to IA. USPS#9400108205498441512490 from MI to CA. None of the labels would have gone through the Metro NY facility. Any one know how I can dispute and get my money back?

[thebargainprincess]

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@wastingtime101 wrote:

Makes you wonder if there's some kind of fraud happening here with scammers hijacking the tracking numbers.

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My belief is that it's an inside job perpetrated by a USPS employee. 

I can't think of any other way that someone would be able to know which labels were voided and resurrect them. 

I think they're also purposely doing it with low cost ($4-$6) labels because sellers might be less apt to complain and dispute a $4 charge than they would if the crook did it with $15 labels. 

This is a job for the OIG to investigate.

[cobra_viper]

I don't understand how USPS could reject my dispute case when it clearly shows no acceptance / origin scans for either of the 2 tracking numbers?  Anyone with half a brain should be able to look at the tracking and see that the package couldn't just magically arrive at the New York Metro station from Illinois (after a 3 month period according to the tracking dates) without being scanned several other times while en route.  This is all so stupid and I'll bet neither USPS nor Ebay will give us back the money they charged us.

[nenu-5410]

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@thebargainprincess wrote:

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@wastingtime101 wrote:

Makes you wonder if there's some kind of fraud happening here with scammers hijacking the tracking numbers.

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My belief is that it's an inside job perpetrated by a USPS employee. 

I can't think of any other way that someone would be able to know which labels were voided and resurrect them. 

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Unfortunately, it's easy. USPS tracking numbers are just numbers, valid every 5 to 13 numbers apart.

So just start counting up (or down), to find USPS tracking numbers that

- are valid, and

- have not scanned yet.

- Done.

[dogofwar777]

The USPS is all jacked up. Hopefully you can get this resolved, but it's a pain in the behind dealing with them. They don't care. I used to work for them and they laugh at customers behind the scenes.

[clp1967]

I also don’t understand how there can be a falsely generated tracking of all the supposed stops my packages took along the way. These packages do not exist.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@cobra_viper wrote:

This is something I haven't encountered before in the 23 years that I have been selling on Ebay.

This week USPS charged me for 2 separate shipping labels that had been voided back in December of 2023.  Their reason was because the labels were used after they had already given me a refund...which is not true.  The labels were never used at all...but  for some reason the tracking numbers attached to the labels are showing that they were used for shipping in March of 2024.  I don't understand how that is even possible.  The labels were thrown away in December and never used...but the tracking is updating as if I mailed the packages out last week...which I did not do.

Is anyone else having this same issue?  I'm not even sure how to fight it with USPS and the only things that I can think of is that the tracking numbers are being recycled and someone else has shipped a package using the exact same tracking number...OR...it is a glitch with the USPS tracking system that is somehow providing false updates when nothing has actually been shipped.

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@cobra_viper 

A similar thing happens on dot ca with both voids and editing a tracking number. The 2 numbers get linked together. eBay's system makes it appear that multiple shipments were sent. In testing there is no way to correct and remove a defective(or not used) tracking number. With ebay tracking they will both show as being delivered.. If you go to either USPS or in my case Canadapost your voiding tracking number should show as not used. If it does show as being used you would need to contact USPS and explain what happened. It is definitely a glitch in the ebay system.

As a side when I send something by letter I use the date and and order info as tracking. When I ended it again it shows 2 shipments which is something I would never do.

-Lotz

kyle@ebay 

[wastingtime101]

What you're describing is an entirely different situation @lotzofuniquegoodies and unrelated to this discussion.

[baypari]

Hi cobra_viper,

Yes, I just got notified by ebay of a USPS APV adjustment for a shipping label that their tracking shows was used last week but was voided and refunded back in December 2023. Opened a dispute with them yesterday. Waiting for their resolution of the matter.

[crazyscientist]

Same thing happened to me with a label printed with Paypal ShipStation - so it's not just an Ebay problem.  I think indeed someone is perpetrating fraud here by searching for USPS tracking, finding unused tracking numbers, then using that barcode with a different address on the package where it will ultimately get delivered at the originally purchaser's expense. 

Here's mine:

https://tools.usps.com/go/TrackConfirmAction?qtc_tLabels1=9400111206217842654535

The weird thing is that it was still delivered to my original customer in GA.  I just messaged him to find out what he got!

[tweedysshop]

There are a number of people being charged for the duplicate shipping for voided labels.

USPS is rejecting the request for refunds for many. I haven't gotten my reject letter yet but sure I will since the ladies on the phone wouldn't even take my tracking number, saying they had thousands of reports from ebay sellers. They were sure it was an ebay glitch because it had not happened on any other platforms. 
I had to get on the computer to file, they wouldn't even take it.