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Scammer and eBay sided with the seller scam
I’m reporting an issue with a recent purchase. The item was never received, and the seller has not responded to any of my messages.
After contacting the shipping company, I was informed that although the tracking shows “delivered,” the address does not match the one I provided.
This raises serious concerns about a potential scam, especially since the seller is new and this appears to be their only sale.
I opened a case with eBay, but it was resolved in favor of the seller based solely on the tracking showing “delivered.” I then opened an appeal, providing additional evidence that clearly shows the delivery was made to a different address and does not match my order.
Despite this, the issue remains unresolved. I would appreciate further review and assistance, as all evidence indicates the item was not delivered to me.
If anyone has suggestions on how to proceed, I would really appreciate it. I also find it very concerning how easily seller accounts can be opened. From my experience, I remember being asked for more information than when opening a bank account, which makes this situation even more confusing.
My recommendation is to be very careful when choosing who to buy from. I also hope someone at eBay reads this, as situations like this affect the platform’s reputation and negatively impact active and honest sellers.
megtrading-18
OP5 months agoIt could be as simple as adding an option to open a case for “false tracking,” without forcing buyers to misrepresent what actually happened.
Thank you for all the information. I hope other buyers read this and take precautions, and that someone from eBay also sees this and makes adjustments to help prevent these situations.
megtrading-18
OP5 months agoRequiring buyers to go through social media or to open a “not as described” case for an item that was never received only highlights a flaw in the system.
Yes, there may be alternative paths to get a refund, but that doesn’t change the core issue: a seller can upload invalid tracking, win the case, remain active, and continue doing the same thing to others.
At the end of the day, this is something eBay should be addressing directly, instead of placing the burden entirely on the buyer to navigate workarounds.
eburtonlab
Mentor5 months agoYes, there may be alternative paths to get a refund, but that doesn’t change the core issue: a seller can upload invalid tracking, win the case, remain active, and continue doing the same thing to others.
Scammers will try to exploit any weakness in any system.
False tracking is not a long-term strategy that can be used with a single seller account over and over again. Over time, even eBay will notice if the seller is forced to keep refunding buyers; the scammer may be able to get a few early negative feedback comments removed if those buyers lose "item not received" cases, but more negatives will inevitably follow, some buyers will get "not as described" refunds and be able to leave feedback that is not easily removed, some buyers will go through the social media route to get refunds. Observant buyers will notice the negative feedback, sales will dry up or eBay will suspend the account. The scammer will have to start over with a brand new account or a hijacked account.
This suggests that buyers can largely avoid "false tracking" scams by avoiding new or unproven seller accounts, or seller accounts that shown obvious signs of being hijacked, or that are offering deals that are obviously "too good to be true".
Buyers that do not manage to avoid the scam can use various options to get a refund, which hurts the scammer's profit margin and brings unwanted attention to the scammer's account in the form of bad performance metrics and negative feedback, which will hasten the end of the usefulness of the scammer's account.
At the end of the day, this is something eBay should be addressing directly, instead of placing the burden entirely on the buyer to navigate workarounds.
I am not arguing that eBay should do nothing. eBay should make it easier for buyers to report "false tracking" and do more to remove the accounts of sellers that engage in that behavior, sooner.
I am arguing that buyers do not need to make it easy for scammers, regardless of what eBay eventually does.
megtrading-18
OP5 months agoThank you for your response, but this is not about filing the “wrong type” of case.
I provided clear evidence that the tracking number does NOT correspond to my address. This is a textbook case of false tracking, yet it was still ignored and the case was decided in favor of the seller.
Telling me to open a “not as described” return makes no sense, since I never received any item to return in the first place.
The real issue here is that the system is being exploited, allowing sellers to use fake tracking to win cases. Meanwhile, the seller remains active and can continue doing this to other buyers.
This is not a user error — this is a serious flaw that only eBay can address. Until that happens, both buyers and honest sellers are at risk.
eburtonlab
Mentor5 months agoYou cannot win a standard "item not received" case; therefore you filed the wrong type of case. Those cases are automatically decided for the seller if the seller provides tracking that appears to show delivery.
You can win a "false tracking" case, but that can only be started via social media.
You can win a "not as described" case as long as you are willing to return exactly what you received (nothing) in a box if the seller provides a prepaid shipping label (why would the seller actually do that if the seller did not ship anything?).
You can get a refund from your payment method in many cases, but not if you file the wrong sort of case.
If you want a refund, you can get one. eBay could make things easier, but it can be still done.
eburtonlab
Mentor5 months ago@megtrading-18
If you have contacted the shipping service directly to determine that the tracking number does not correspond to a delivery to your address you are likely looking at a case of "false tracking".
Ordinarily I would suggest obtaining documentation that shows that the package was not addressed to you, then contacting eBay via social media direct message, but eBay is shutting down the social media teams on Facebook and Twitter, apparently. At the moment, Instagram is still available, so you might try that:
https://www.instagram.com/ebay/
If you cannot get documentation, or if that does not work:
Since false tracking allows a scam seller to win an "item not received" case, the next step would be to file a "not as described" return on eBay and be prepared to return exactly what you received if the seller provides for return shipping, or ask eBay to step in after three business days if the seller does not refund you or provide return shipping.
You may have recourse through your payment method if you are unable to get satisfaction through eBay, though once you involve a payment method, eBay can no longer help with that transaction. Be sure you mention "false tracking" specifically, otherwise your provider may assume a simple missing or stolen package and defer to eBay's ruling based on the tracking showing delivery.
In the future, stick to experienced sellers with a long and demonstrated history and avoid new or unproven sellers, or sellers that show warning signs of being drop-shippers or potential scammers: drastic changes in selling behavior or offering deals that are "too good to be true", or shipping heavy items that are unlikely to be profitably shipped via retail shipping.
megtrading-18
OP5 months agoThank you for your response.
I have already tried everything mentioned, including contacting the shipping company and confirming this is a clear case of false tracking. Despite providing evidence, the case was still decided in favor of the seller.
What is most concerning is that this seller remains active and will likely continue scamming other buyers. This not only affects buyers, but also damages the reputation of the platform and harms honest sellers.
At this point, only eBay has the ability to properly review this case and take action. I strongly urge eBay to step in, re-evaluate the evidence, and address this situation before more users are affected.
eburtonlab
Mentor5 months agoDespite providing evidence, the case was still decided in favor of the seller.
You filed the wrong sort of case. As mentioned, you cannot simply file an "item not received" case, you must either contact eBay via social media direct message and mention false tracking and be given a chance to provide your documentation that way, or else file a "not as described" return and be prepared to return something to the seller.