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Refund denied even though item never arrived and seller account was fraudulent
I purchased an item on eBay at 10:54 PM on June 23, 2024.
On June 25th, at 3:24 AM I received an email from the seller stating the item was being shipped.
At 5:27 AM on the same day I received an email from eBay telling me it was shipping with an estimated delivery: Fri, Jun 28 - Wed, Jul 03. They also provided the following FedEx tracking ID: 276156730590.
When I went to the FedEx tracking page, and entered the tracking number, I found out that the package had been delivered on June 24th!!
Per their tracking system it shows a label had been created on the 20th and on its way to me on the 21st - two days BEFORE I purchased it!!! How could the item be shipped to me before purchasing it? I contacted FedEx about this on the June 25th but have heard nothing back.
The eBay tracking systems says that the item was paid on June 23; shipped on June 23; and delivered June 24.
The original listing showed the item was in California, yet FedEx says it originated in South Carolina but shipped from Georgia and eBay says it needs to be returned New York - to an account that no longer exists.
I have also notified eBay, but eBay says I need to return the item I never received. eBay even acknowledges that the item doesn't exist; I can't even access the item/account to leave feedback because it is gone.
I made made a similar purchase a few minutes before this purchase. eBay acknowledged that that seller was fraudulent and the money was refunded. There was a rash of fraudulent sellers, selling the exact same item, during that day and the following days.
And now that the item has been marked as "delivered", per eBay, and they will not refund my money, nor talk to me until I ship the item (which doesn't exist) back to a fraudulent account.
I NEVER RECEIVED THE ITEM AN EBAY KNOWS IT WAS A FRAUDULENT ACCOUNT! I want my money back!
7 comments
eburtonlab
Mentor2 years agoIf tracking shows delivery but you do not receive anything, check with the shipping service to determine if the tracking number corresponds to a delivery to your address.
If not, you may be the victim of a false tracking scam or the seller may have given you the wrong tracking number by mistake. Either way, see here for some good instructions about what you can do about it:
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Shipping/What-do-you-do-when-ebay-support-will-not-help-you/m-p/340803...
What kind of feedback for selling does your seller have? You can avoid many issues by choosing to only do business with sellers that have a proven track record of delivering what was sold and that have sold similar sorts of items before. Avoid new or unproven sellers, sellers with a pattern of serious negative feedback, or sellers that have drastically changed behavior or that have unexplained gaps in selling feedback.
If your seller is a drop-shipper, the seller may have been the victim of the company doing the drop-shipping and providing the tracking number.
correus
OP2 years agoHello -
Thank you for the reply. The seller had a low amount of sells, with 100% positive feedback. Unfortunately the account no longer exists, eBay removed it.
I am reading through the link you sent - thanks.
I have not been able to find an "appeal button" on my case.
It's infuriating to know eBay obviously didn't even look at the information I sent them, and their own information contradicts the FedEx information. It would be so much easier if it were possible to speak to an actual person.
eburtonlab
Mentor2 years agoThe "item not received" case is largely automated, and the seller wins by having tracking that shows delivery. eBay is neither the shipper or receiver, so may not have access to details of the tracking that you can see.
The folks that run eBay's social media accounts are familiar with "false tracking" cases, and should be able to help.
correus
OP2 years agoI contacted eBay via Instagram. They acknowledged that there was something "wrong" but said there was nothing they could do because I contacted PayPal. PayPal denied the claim because eBay said it was delivered. eBay then said I should of gone through their 'Money Back Guarantee' program... when I first looked at contacting them in re a refund, there was nothing stating that I should go through that system first. All I saw, at the end of the 'order details' email, was a listing saying "eBay Money Back Guarantee".
I just double checked on another item I purchased. I looked at the "more options" tab. There is nothing listed within the 'return' or 'not arrived' system that suggests going through the Money Back Guarantee system.
They said they have to rely on what the seller tells them. They have the same access to the same information the seller gave me and it was obvious something was wrong. The eBay system said it was shipped on the 25th,but delivered on the 24th. How does that not trigger something. And all of the screenshots of everything clearly showing the issue - which the person noted and commented on - should of been enough.
But... per eBay it's completely my fault, even though they have acknowledged there was an issue with the seller and the shipping.
eburtonlab
Mentor2 years agoI contacted eBay via Instagram. They acknowledged that there was something "wrong" but said there was nothing they could do because I contacted PayPal. PayPal denied the claim because eBay said it was delivered.
eBay's money back guarantee is a catch-all description of eBay's protection, but that no longer applies once you open a case outside of eBay.
Once you start a case through your payment method, eBay can no longer help, as the matter is taken out of eBay's hands.
You would have been better off contacting eBay via social media before going to PayPal.
You may still have recourse through your payment method if you paid using a credit card through your PayPal account. If so, be sure to make it clear this is a "false tracking" case rather than an "item not received" case, or else you will lose for the same reason you lost with PayPal.
correus
OP2 years agoHow is the average person supposed to know they should go through the Money Back Guarantee system first if there is nothing within the process telling you to do so?
eburtonlab
Mentor2 years agoThe whole eBay process is part of eBay's money back guarantee. There is a link to the money back guarantee in the listing that explains how it works, including the part about any eBay case automatically ending once a case is opened outside of eBay.
The problem is you are dealing with a seller that is a scammer that knows how the process works better than you do, and if you make a wrong move, you can wind up limiting your further options.