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Buyer scam help!
I purchased an item from a Hong Kong seller, received a tracking number for an item not addressed to me or to my address. The item was marked as delivered, my post office confirmed the item was not addressed to me. eBay customer support is unreachable.
I submitted a case but don't have any progress. Is there any hope to speak with a real person at eBay for help?
I also used PayPal to pay for the item and will look into their help.
3 comments
eburtonlab
Mentor9 months ago@johnrager
If the buyer actually receives something, the buyer can file a "not as described" return within thirty days for a full refund. In fact, any buyer on eBay can file a "not as described" return, provided the buyer is willing and able to return exactly what was received.
If tracking shows delivery but nothing arrives and the buyer can obtain some hard copy documentation (email is not good enough) that says that the package was not delivered to the buyer's address or documentation that shows the weight or size of the package cannot possibly correspond to the ordered item, or the shipping date precedes the order, then the buyer may be able to contact eBay via social media direct message, provide that documentation to eBay and get help with "false tracking".
https://x.com/askebay
https://www.facebook.com/ebay
https://www.instagram.com/ebayforsellers/
With "false tracking" if you go through a standard automated "item not received" case, on the other hand, you will lose the case because the seller can provide tracking that appears to show delivery. If you then appeal, you may have some additional options at that point. It appears that eBay has added a new appeal option regarding "delivery to another address", but I do not know how effective that is compared to contacting eBay via social media with documentation and explicitly mentioning "false tracking", which seems to work provided you can obtain the necessary documentation.
If you are unable to get help through eBay, you may have recourse through your payment method, though you should probably exhaust all your eBay options first since once you go through your payment method, eBay will no longer help with that transaction.
In general, you can avoid a lot of headaches by choosing to purchase only from established sellers that have recent and past positive feedback as a seller for selling items in the same category that you intend to buy. If someone is selling a dozen apple watches, but has no feedback, or only has feedback as a buyer, or only has feedback for selling dress patterns or fishing lures (actual examples I have seen), perhaps wait until they have a track record of positive feedback for selling electronics before you buy from them.
johnrager
OP9 months agoThank you.
The seller provided a tracking number for an item that arrived to someone in my city and state area but it was not to me or my address. I went to the post office with the tracking number and all they would tell me is that package was delivered to a different person at a different address and they would not tell me who to protect that person.
I don't know how the scam seller in Hong Kong got that tracking number but it was not meant for me.
The item I purchased was a a very low price for what it was but I felt secure with eBay's money back policy. I did file a item not arrived case and will follow up as best I can.
eburtonlab
Mentor9 months agoA very low price ("too good to be true") is often a warning sign of a scam, particularly if the seller's account is new or registered overseas.
Scammers can obtain tracking numbers by having an inexpensive item shipped to a nearby business location and then reuse the same tracking number on eBay. eBay does not see the actual delivery address for the tracking, just the zip code, since eBay is not the sender or the recipient.
The post office may not tell you the actual delivery address for privacy reasons, since the package was not addressed to you, but the post office should be able to provide a document stating that the tracking number does not correspond to a delivery to your name and address. If you can get that document, you should be able to contact eBay via social media direct message and pursue a "false tracking" case.