eBay Fraud Investigation Refusal/Denial/Slow-Walking
Has anyone experienced:
1: eBay agents promising a seller being 100% legitimate?
2: eBay agents promising an item being delivered 100%?
3: eBay leadership calling you triggered?
4: eBay leadership calling you humor (“a joke”)?
5: eBay staff acting like a troll?
6: eBay staff agreeing that three packages sent to the same ZIP code but to a FRONT DESK and some unknown NAME that does match my name is fraud?
7: eBay staff completely ignoring #6?
8: eBay staff confirming #7?
9: eBay not attaching important messages/transscripts or web rendering of the same missing/showing an error?
10: eBay staff and leaders refusing flat out to answer questions?
11: eBay flagging this fraudulent seller but let him get away with it despite prior knowledge and explicit acknowledgment of fraud?
12: eBay staff and leaders refusing to confirm alleged tickets for “coaching” and “investigations” by providing ticket numbers?
From all this it is obvious that eBay likely deliberately violates it’s code of conduct and other lofty statements and publications.
Let me know who is interested in chat logs, images and phone call transcripts.
[Removed by Moderator]
roccotacodad54
·5 months agoI'm wondering is all this fuss because https://www.ebay.com/ebay-money-back-guarantee/ wasn't read?
kathiec
·5 months agoHonestly, after attempting to read the ongoing manifestos I honestly don't care. But I suspect if you look up 'mountain out of a molehill' in the dictionary this thread is the definition. I guess everyone needs a hobby.
annadryl
·5 months agoNope, not experienced that.
(24 years)
mudshark61369
·5 months ago@flemingislandfl ,
The reason why UPS and ebay cannot help you was provided by UPS in your first reply by a UPS phone rep. " I cannot help you with this tracking number that you provided me because it has somebody else's name and their address on it and it got delivered to them".
UPS, FedEx, and USPS and any other final mile delivery service, are all bound by Federal Postal Privacy Regulations that state that only a sender can gain access to a shipping label's information Addressee's name, address, and package type/size/weight. Partial information can be provided to the Named addressee in some cases.
Your name was not the one on the label so they could not give you the delivery address on the label. Even if ebay's phone reps could contact UPS which they cannot, UPS would not give them any information because eBay had no part in the shipping contract, as either the sender or recipient. The tracking information you received from UPS only gave you general delivery info the Zip Code.
eBay's phone/chat reps work for a 3rd party call chat center, and give responses based on the information in the playbook provided them by ebay. They may have limited internet access to ebay or other company's using the service only. They should not have responded with "assurances or guarantees" of the seller being 100% legitimate or that the item would be delivered by the last estimated delivery date, April 6th. They did state; "this seller is not fraud, as I see that they are new seller here on eBay and there is no fraudulent transaction on their account." which is information you could have seen for your self by looking at the seller's feedback number, in this case either (0) or (1). If they had no sales before your purchase they would not have had any percentage, if there was a feedback and it was a positive one even if it were for a purchase, they would have a 100% rating. On the listing page it would say This seller has no feedback. A rep might be able to access the Order details for the purchase but it would not have more info than what you would see.
" I reported this to the eBay ethics hotline and they are reviewing. So now I can report these internal control failures to the SEC. As this is likely a revenue recognition issue. As eBay does not properly validate shipping this likely happens more often than just with me".
I've been buying on ebay since 1998 and selling since
`03, and have never heard of an ebay Ethics hotline. There is a security center, but its options for getting help do not include reporting of the fake tracking scam. If you found the so called Hotline online, you are not dealing with anyone connected with ebay. That site may be trying to steal your ebay info.
I've looked at your feedback profile and it appears you do not vet your seller's very well. Never go by a seller's feedback percentage alone. Below is a screen shot of a seller's profile you bought from who has what some might consider a good percentage. I wouldn't have bought from them, even if I was paid to.
flemingislandfl
OP5 months agoSo you have a different conclusion based on all the evidence provided? Please enlighten me. Seems that you are taking the shortcut.
You have decided I am wrong, so you are going to stop reading my facts:
- The UPS Mismatch (Address versus ZIP).
- The Agent's 100% Guarantee (Promissory Estoppel).
- The Systemic Control Failure (Input/Processing logic).
That is a logical fallacy—an ad hominem deflection.
Are you an attorney, forensic specialist, systems specialist, information technology auditor, compliance practitioner by any change?
Good job.
house*of*paws
·5 months agoHi @flemingislandfl
It sounds like you're trying to amass an anti-eBay army to go to war. People usually come here looking for help with a problem ... OR have a bit of time to help others solve their problems. Most members don't have the time or inclination to take down a major US company. 😉
I've personally not had problems getting refunds for items that didn't arrive ... or didn't match the description when they did arrive. I either file a claim with eBay ... or with my credit card company under special circumstances.
I think it's been about 15 years since I've spoken to eBay's Customer Service, so I don't have a bunch of humorous stories to share about eBay CS’s ineptitude. Whenever I have difficulty knowing the best way of solving a problem ... I come to the eBay Community and usually get spot-on advice.
IF you have a particular problem you'd like help with ... then I recommend that you describe it here. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by the help you'll get from fellow buyers and sellers. 😊
flemingislandfl
OP5 months agoSure. Provide advice. I am not amassing an army. I am providing advice based on facts. You call them humor. They are jarring.
eBay is NOT A VICTIM. Because it is a huge company with decrepit technology.
Audit Finding: Systemic Control Deficiencies in Dispute Resolution
1. Failure of "Matching" Logic (Input/Processing Control)
The Control Gap: The application validates delivery based on a many-to-one relationship (multiple addresses per zip code) rather than a one-to-one relationship (specific street address/unit number).
The Exploit: Fraudsters generate labels for a different address within the same zip code. The API returns a "Success" flag because the boolean check for ZipCode_Match is TRUE, even though Recipient_Name_Match and Street_Address_Match are FALSE.
Audit Impact: This represents a failure of Data Integrity and Transaction Accuracy.
Please explain to me why eBay is a victim when a) their controls are weak, b) they ignore warnings about fraud, c) mock people? Not these opinions but facts please. Thank you.
house*of*paws
·5 months agoNobody mentioned eBay being a 'victim' @flemingislandfl . Another poster mentioned what you should do in case YOU are the victim of a very common scam ... the 'Fake tracking scam'. Nobody here believes that eBay is a victim. Stay focused. 🙂
flemingislandfl
OP5 months agoBut by having me use my bank you implicitly admit that eBay is incapable of resolving issues. Thank you for proving me right. A bank is not supposed to resolve issues that a company creates. That is unethical.
This is common. Recently DoorDash refused to refund sales taxes. The FL Dep of Revenue wrote to DoorDash: THESE ARE STATE PROPERTY AND MUST BE REFUNDED. And other escalation. Then I got this response from some executive team with apologies blah blah.
Anyway, I reported this to the eBay ethics hotline and they are reviewing. So now I can report these internal control failures to the SEC. As this is likely a revenue recognition issue. As eBay does not properly validate shipping this likely happens more often than just with me.
Faulty internal controls combined with charging a credit card fully without complete address validation (AVS) create a high risk for significant revenue recognition issues, often leading to material weaknesses in financial reporting.
Such practices suggest a failure to satisfy key revenue recognition criteria, including the ability to identify a valid contract and the collectability of the revenue.
Why This Is a High-Risk Scenario:
Failure of Collectability (ASC 606): Under accounting standards, revenue cannot be recognized if collectability is not probable. Charging a card without full address verification (AVS) increases the risk of fraudulent transactions, which lead to chargebacks (reversals). If a merchant loses a chargeback dispute, they lose the revenue, the goods, and pay extra fees.
Premature Revenue Recognition: Without robust controls, companies might improperly recognize revenue immediately upon receiving payment, rather than waiting for the performance obligation (delivery of goods/services) to be met.
Weakened Internal Control Environment: Faulty controls—such as lack of segregation of duties or manual, unverified, and unmonitored charging processes—are common causes of financial misstatements. Inadequate address verification is a specific control gap that fails to prevent fraudulent sales, leading to misreported revenue.
Auditor Red Flags: Auditors are likely to categorize these deficiencies as material weaknesses or significant deficiencies because they allow for improper revenue reporting.
In summary, this combination allows for revenue to be recorded from invalid or fraudulent transactions, which does not meet the "transfer of control" and "collection probability" requirements of modern revenue recognition standards.
So this is for the SEC to investigate if they deem this a priority. I also have to notify eBay's statutory and internal controls auditor through their ethics website.
jonathanbrightlight
·5 months ago@flemingislandfl Good luck with that.
soh.maryl
·5 months agoJust curious: Where did you find an "eBay ethics hot line"?
jbbowers12012
·5 months agoThis my friend is an excellent question - Browsed around from here - No Joy.
powell-collectibles
·5 months agoThere is an eBay ethics hotline. Most big companies will have this. This is really for internal issues, I would think. Whistleblower type stuff. Sexual harassment. Things where someone wants to remain anonymous, often.
house*of*paws
·5 months ago@flemingislandfl
I was merely telling you the easiest way to get your money back. Use that information however you’d like. 🙂
dryophelia
·5 months ago@flemingislandfl
There is no way for eBay users to communicate with eBay leadership.
If you are a victim of the fake tracking scam, the best way to get a refund is to go through your credit card company. Make sure to tell them it is the ‘fake tracking scam’.
flemingislandfl
OP5 months agoI have used eBay for 21 years now and never had a problem. However, with the change to AI (that is a limited robot that lacks comprehension and is thus by all intents and purposes a 2010s bot in my opinion) nothing is resolved immediately anymore.
Sad.
In my case it is not on my side:
Based on the provided transcript, here are the explicit guarantees and instances of negligence listed in chronological order:
Explicit Guarantees & Assurances
Date Speaker Excerpt
March 31 Alexander "rest assured you are protected by eBay on this" (p. 3)
April 1 Hyen "I can guarantee that this seller is not fraud, as I see that they are new seller here on eBay and there is no fraudulent transaction on their account." (p. 7)
April 1 Hyen "I can assure you that you can still expect your item to arrive on or before April 6, 2026." (p. 7)
April 1 Hyen "I can guarantee you that this seller is legitimate here on eBay as we are evaluating every seller information and have them send necessary documents before letting them sell here on eBay." (p. 9)
April 1 Hyen "The latest delivery date of the transaction have not yet passed. You can definitely expect your item to arrive." (p. 10)
April 1 Hyen "Yes, the seller listing did not violates any ebay policy, I can assure you that the description is correct." (p. 10)
April 1 Hyen "I did not state that the seller is perfect, and yes you can expect your item to arrive on or before April 6, 2026 as this is the time that has been given to them." (p. 12)
April 1 Hyen "Which guarantees that they will still ship the item." (p. 13)
Instances of Negligence & Procedural Failures
Date Speaker Description / Excerpt
March 31 Alexander Discouraging Dispute: "filing a dispute will ake a longer way on investigation" to prevent the user from seeking a bank chargeback. (p. 3)
April 1 Aditya Failure to Read/Verify: Misunderstood the query and asked if it was about a "recent purchases item" after the user had already specified $800 fraud. (p. 5)
April 1 Hyen Circular Reasoning: Claimed the seller isn't fraudulent specifically because they are new and have "no fraudulent transaction" yet. (p. 7)
April 1 Hyen Refusal to Act on Indicators: Ignored the user's report (as a Certified Fraud Examiner) regarding inventory deletion and blocked messaging as red flags. (p. 9)
April 1 Rennie Disavowal of Agency: "we have no controls on what our Team Mates had provided with their statements." (p. 16)
April 1 Rennie Dismissiveness: Characterized the representative's 100% guarantee as the user's "humor" through the situation. (p. 19)
April 2 Renuka Failure to Answer: Repeatedly ignored the direct question regarding why the previous agent provided 100% guarantees. (pp. 33-34)
April 2 Joanna Ghosting/Delayed Response: The user noted Joanna was "ghosting" after they presented the legal argument for Promissory Estoppel. (p. 38)
This does not appear acting in good faith and according to the code of conduct at all.
UPS:
Proof of Delivery
Dear Customer,
This notice serves as proof of delivery for the shipment listed below.
Tracking Number
1Z30E9990323188883
Service
UPS Ground
Shipped / Billed On
04/01/2026
Delivered On
04/02/2026 10:26 A.M.
Delivered To
FLEMING ISLAND, FL, US
Received By
BAKKAR
Delivery Location
Front Desk
Please print for your records as photo and details are only available for a limited time.
Sincerely,
UPS
Tracking results provided by UPS: 04/03/2026 6:09 P.M. EST
UPS On the Phone:
[00:23:04] Speaker 2
Yeah, that doesn't work. Okay, because there's nothing to report it there. So you're making stuff up.
[00:23:12] Speaker 3
Oh, Peter, I cannot help you with this tracking number that you provided me because it has somebody else's name
and their address on it and it got delivered to them. And also, it was part of a shipment. So like he told me that you
you ordered only one package, so you will have to visit on the website.
eBay on the phone:
Thank you for contacting eBay customer service. This is Ellie here, responding to your callback
request. For security reasons, may I have your full name, please?
[Speaker 1] (12:17 - 12:18)
You do?
[Speaker 2] (12:19 - 12:25)
Yes, I do have the full address and the zip code, and for some items we even require a
signature.
[Speaker 1] (12:25 - 12:32)
For this item it's required. Why is there no signature and why does your system accept it
without signature? Can you explain that to me?
Because it's not there.
[Speaker 2] (12:32 - 12:53)
Yes, I can explain it to you. That's an issue with the couriers. And on our side, we will take
further actions even on that part.
Since there was no signature required, even though the item requires a signature, we'll try to
resolve it. But right now, the case is in the SolarMedia time period.
So eBay claims it matches on address. It does not because the UPS guy already confirmed it is not addressed to me by name or address.
Tons more. Interested?
This is on eBay. Not on me.
jonathanbrightlight
·5 months agoNope. Never had a problem, and I’ve never seen a report of anything like that, but every previous situation in which a user complained and said they were taking legal action very much appeared to have been because of failures on their side.