Breach of Buyer Protection after concrete evidence of scam.
Summary: taki2324 shared an issue with a product purchased on eBay, where the package was tracked but delivered to a different address. After contacting USPS and the seller, they suspected a scam due to receiving incorrect tracking numbers. Despite providing evidence, their claims were repeatedly denied by eBay, leaving them unable to recover $650. kensgiftshop and shire123 suggested filing different types of claims to address the issue more effectively, criticizing eBay's handling of fake tracking scams.
I purchased a product through eBay on 08/18/2026. The package was being tracked the whole way with the tracking number the seller provided, the package ended up getting delivered, but not to me. I immediately contacted my local USPS office, opened a case. They called me within 30 minutes stating my address was not correlated to that tracking number at all, and that I possibly got a bad tracking number. I reached out to the seller, informed them. The seller tried playing it off, and I called them out. They stated they shipped another product, and gave me another tracking number. I opened a case with eBay to get my money back and that this was possibly a scammer. The second package was tracked all the way, and delivered, again to a different address. I did the same thing with USPS and they called me pretty quick and said I needed to alert eBay of this. eBay denied my case and stated the tracking number showed delivered to my address. The only information on the delivery for the tracking number was my city and zip code, so I got documentation from USPS verifying it got delivered to different addresses, actual pictures of the shipping labels from both packages with house number and last name marked out for privacy. I submitted this to eBay multiple times, and they end up denying my appeal. I was livid, I call their customer service line stating this covers me under eBay’s buyer guarantee, they could care less, because nobody could re-open the case, no one could reappeal. I called corporate, no answer or call back. I’m out of options and eBay allows their seller to provide false tracking information and get away with it. Now I’m out $650 and can’t get it back no matter how many times I call or who I talk to. Order #05-15061-10623
eburtonlab
·1 month ago@taki2324
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".
If you can, I would suggest obtaining documentation that shows that the package was not addressed to you, then contacting eBay via social media direct message using Instagram and mentioning that you have a case of "false tracking" to be given an opportunity to share your documentation:
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.
shire123
·1 month agoYou probably filed an item not received case. That's the,wrong case to file for a fake tracking number scam. File item not as,described case.
Yes eBay is abysmal about following up on fake tracking scams. But you can combat it with TBE correct action
kensgiftshop
·1 month agoIf it's been less then 30 days, file an INAD.
If the seller wants something returned, make a copy of the shipping labels and send it to the seller.