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Seller Sent My Item to Wrong Address - Apparently I have no recourse?
I think this situation is a lost cause, but I'm asking this question for my reference for future orders. After this situation, my worry now is that any seller can ship anything via USPS (even an empty envelope as long as it has a tracking number) to a different address, and as long as the USPS shows it was "Delivered" then the buyer is complely powerless. At least that is what seems to have happened to me this month...
In early December I bought an item for around $50, the seller shipped it and provided me a USPS tracking number. Per the USPS tracking site, the item was delivered a few days later at 3:00 PM...however, it was not delivered to my house. I have three pieces of evidence towards this:
1. I use the USPS "Informed Delivery" service, where I can log into my USPS website account to see all postal mail and packages that are expected to be delivered (including tracking numbers) on specific dates. I have found this service to be flawless over the past year. However, the tracking number provided by the seller was never included in the "Informed Delivery" service,....not on the date of the supposed delivery, or any other date.
Further, I had three different packages delivered by the USPS on that date at 1:30PM and all three of them can be seen in the "Informed Delivery" page. Thus, the USPS delivery vehicle was at my house at 1:30PM, not 3:00PM.
2. I have 24-7 video surveillance around my house, and the video footage shows only the 1:30PM USPS delivery, and nothing afterwards. So, there was no other delivery, no "porch pirate", etc.
3. I made contact with someone at the USPS and they looked up the tracking number in their system, which includes the USPS address location where the package was delivered that is logged when the driver scans the package at your doorstep. Per their own records, the tracking number was delivered to a completely different address miles away from my house.
I doubt the USPS is at fault considering the tracking number was never linked to my address in "Informed Delivery", and the delivery driver surely would have noticed the address being completely wrong when they delivered it to a completely different address miles away from my house.
Anyway, I reported this as "not received" to eBay, and the seller only responded once saying "Tracking shows it was delivered." I was EXTREMELY curteous and asked the seller to please look in their shipping label history because I think most likely they put a different customer's shipping label onto my package. No replies from seller.
Yesterday, I received the verdict from eBay that no refund will be given because 'the seller provided proof the item was delivered to my address". There is literrally no way they could have provided honest, and true proof because it was absolutely NOT delivered to my address. On the contrary, I have 3 pieces of proof that it was not delivered to my address (per the above)...and I didn't even want to request a refund...I just wanted to receive the item I ordered.
I am going to try to file an appeal, but I'm sure it will go nowhere because it seems this is a pretty solid loophole leaves the buyer powerless with no options for recourse.
Does anyone have any advice for what I should do next? Prior experience with this issue? Ways to prevent this in the future?
comics-scifi-collectibles
Mentor9 months ago@rybo-flavin I'm sorry that happened. It sounds like you are a victim of the false tracking scam. This is a problem not just with bad sellers on eBay but other sites too.
Sorry if this is a bit of a form reply but sadly we get so many of these that I need to use a macro>
1) First, call the postal carrier to see if the tracking number label had your name and address on it.
a) If your name and correct address were on the label, ask the postal carrier to review the GPS on the delivery, retrieve the item from the wrong house, and deliver it to you.
b) If your name and address weren't on that label, ask the postal carrier if they will put this in writing. Also, ask for the weight of the package using that tracking number. Follow the rest of the steps here:
2) Then, report the seller using this process
https://www.ebay.com/help/action?topicid=4022
Important, select "The seller has violated one of eBay’s policies"
then "Other"
Explain that the seller is using fake USPS tracking numbers
Include these phrases
Seller uploaded tracking not associated with my transaction
Tracking details were not accurate
Seller use a false tracking number
Don't write a novel, it's initially being read by a computer, that's why I want you to use those 3 specific phrases in the message.
3) Finally, contact Customer Service and inform them that the seller uploaded a "false tracking number" on your purchase. Request a refund.
Use the Customer Service that is on social media this way:
- https://www.facebook.com/ebay
- https://www.instagram.com/ebayforsellers/
Just send a private message to the page. Explain you have a fake or false tracking number situation.
If the above steps do not result in a refund then you will have to pursue a chargeback with your funding source ( bank, credit card, etc) . Once you ask your funding source to step in eBay can no longer assist you.