Fake tracking scammers are winning
Summary: In a discussion about dealing with fake tracking scams, rott-n-ink emphasizes the importance of choosing "Item not received" as the reason for refund cases to avoid fraudulent seller tactics. They share experiences of successfully obtaining refunds by documenting proof from shipping companies and contacting customer service through social media. Another participant, eburtonlab, suggests filing a "not as described" return and warns against purchasing from sellers with questionable profiles. stainlessenginecovers humorously comments on the length of one of the posts.
“How This Fake Tracking Works
Use of Real Tracking Numbers: Scammers access legitimate tracking numbers from databases. They use a number from a shipment delivered to the same area/zip code and use that number to claim proof of delivery.” That’s what’s happening here.
Timeline
January 11th ordered ninja slow cooker. Delivery window January 15th to January 22nd
January 15th Marked shipped
Later on January 15th tracking became available marked delivered January 14th
[Removed by Moderator]
January 25th Contact seller Informing them I had not received the package (no reply)
February 10th I have not received reported to eBay
February 10th seller responded immediately to eBay with updated tracking information (same old tracking information) eBay said “The seller asked us to review this case and make a final decision” Case # 5373820938
February 14th eBay closed case against me
February 14th contact UPS and they informed me that the seller had provided wrong shipping address and also received from them a FULL report including the actual address the parcel associated with the tracking number provided was delivered to! Which was a GARAGE clothing store at a local shopping mall (Same town and zip code as mine of course). Contacted the store and they confirmed that the package did not match the item I ordered. I have no evidence that links the GARAGE store people with this seller.
February 15 contacted seller and informed them I thought this was a scam thinking that if there was any last chance that they weren't scammers they would correct it (no reply)
February 18th Filed an appeal and was immediately blown off by eBay. Despite providing the entire UPS report showing the actual address the parcel was delivered to. Showed that tracking was provided after the supposed delivery date and the delivery was described as “INSIDE received by Veronica” when there are no inside deliveries at my home nor a single Veronica.
eBay continued to state that the tracking information provided by the seller was proof of delivery to my address. Case closed!
Most relevant parts of ebay’s response here:
My name is Abi and I will check this thoroughly
After reviewing the details of this case, the tracking information shows that the item was delivered to your address which matches your city, state and Zip code. When a seller can show that an item was delivered, we won’t hold the seller responsible. Please understand that we must use tracking information as proof of delivery, and we must keep our original decision, but we also recognize that this does not align with your actual experience.
It was a well laid out cut and paste response but still something wasn’t right so I went to the eBay to English translator. Translation here:
We appreciate you taking the time to prove that the parcel in question did not arrive at your home and that the seller defrauded you and probably many others and will continue to do so on our platform. Thank you very much. We do not care. Scammers are goanna scam. What can we say? Case closed.
UPDATE. I believe I’ve discovered the functionality that allows this crime to happen. Under selling/orders each order you have sold has a button labeled “edit tracking” where you can, without any verification that it is linked to the address or the product, enter any number you what. So if a tracking number that has been or is going to be delivered to your city and zip code is entered eBay will accept that as proof of delivery to your address. That’s a lot of numbers to choose from!!!
Suggestions?
Any suggestions on leaving of feedback so others are warned about this seller?
mudshark61369
·2 weeks ago@rott-n-ink ,
"... Only after I have this document in hand and have it scanned in as a pdf file will I open the appeal on the closed case and then I go straight to the ebay Facebook account and send them a direct message... ".
I have been posting the same thing as you did for the last several years, and it did work when ebay had Facebook, X and Instagram based customer service. However, eBay no longer has social media based customer service, so that no longer works. It is now up to buyers to try and figure out before hand whether or not they may be scammed. Since the vast majority of this scam are done by Chinese or other foreign based sellers, one has to check feedback profiles and carefully read listings to avoid it. Read the reply I posted to the link below. If it looks like things were redacted from the reply under what you see is a More button, click on it and from the menu click Edit. the page will reload with the full reply visible.
https://community.ebay.com/forum/buying-57914/topic/why-is-ebay-backing-china-sellers-with-a-lie-in-there-post-there-location-171054/#M526369
rott-n-ink
·2 weeks agoI will ALWAYS 100% of the time take screenshots of everything on the order details like the first tracking number that never works and the location of the item shipping details and the seller about location before ever reaching out to the seller about items not received or opening a case for Items not received because if they only suddenly come back with a different tracking number that shows details as being delivered status to manipulate the ebay system using the automated case closing in their favor by providing fraudulent tracking number that shows delivered to the same zipcode. The first thing I do is call the shipping company and ask them to verify the delivered tracking number was addressed to my address or addressed to someone else at a different address in the same zipcode as I am. If they say it wasnt addressed to my address I always go to the carrier office in person to get the intranet back office tracking details on that tracking number with a handwritten note by the clerk saying that tracking number was not sent to me or my address and it was not my tracking number it was for someone else at a different address but also within the same zipcode #xxxxxx. Signature and dated in a handwritten note on the tracking number details print out they have. Only after I have this document in hand and have it scanned in as a pdf file will I open the appeal on the closed case and then I go straight to the ebay Facebook account and send them a direct message to speak with an actual human that can look at my screenshots and my document that proves that the seller was using a fraudulent tracking number details to commit multiple ebay user policy violations as well as commiting felony mail fraud by using false information to steal money from me and crossing multiple different states which is what qualifies it as a felony.
I have had the fraudulent tracking number situation happen to me two different times and I was refunded both times by the Facebook Ebay customer service person who I was chatting with. In your chat there are some statements that you need to include verbatim to the customer service person to get the automated decision in the sellers favor reversed and they can initiate the refund to you right then when you are chatting with them. No need to even give the seller time to respond to your appeal to the closed case, or wait for them to fabricate any other lies to manipulate ebay to side with them and not hold them responsible for their violations and misuse of the system.
Another thing is to never open the case as anything other than "item not received" and NEVER EVER close it before it is done with the current step it is going through because once you close it you can never open it again or under any other "reason" and the intranet back office tracking details for the number and handwritten note shows that you never received the item the seller was saying you did because it was "delivered" status. If you just accept the first case decision and you don't appeal it with your documents to a live person you can show them proving you never received that package because it wasn't even yours or shipped to you or sent from the sellers location or the item location on the ebay item details or the sellers about location which all should match or that is a violation of the location policies on ebay.
stainlessenginecovers
·2 weeks ago@rott-n-ink your post is not long enough.....
sdneped
·5 months agoYou had up until Feb 14, 30 days from the fake delivery @radahurst5mwf to start a return request using the MISSING PARTS OR PIECES reason. Even after you lose the Item Not Received case, and its appeal.
But go ahead and try anyway: Click RETURN THIS ITEM, select that reason, add 2 tiny paragraphs of comments, upload the documents instead of a photo of the Japanese turtle, and Submit request.
Otherwise, which would be wise, file a chargeback with your card issuer for the fake tracking scam reason, provide the shipped-2-days-before-order-was-placed document, and get your refund.
rott-n-ink
·2 weeks agoThe return reason must ALWAYS BE "Item not received" ONLY!!! By opening the return refund case under any other reason you are already going to be unable to fight decisions in the sellers favor by them providing fraudulent tracking number showing a delivered status. And you can never open another case using the correct reason after you selected the wrong one or if you ever close it voluntarily before it has completed the open case process and timeline. Sdneped's comment has no correct content for what should actually be done in the fraudulent tracking number scam from sellers!
eburtonlab
·2 weeks agoThe false tracking allows the scammer to win an "item not received" case, since the tracking appears to show delivery. Much like an "empty box" delivery, one way to combat false tracking is to file a "not as described" return or "missing parts & pieces" return. Or else to obtain documentation from the shipping company that shows the tracking does not correspond to a delivery to the buyer's shipping address and contact eBay via social media to submit the documentation.
Or better yet, avoid buying from new or inexperienced seller accounts or accounts that show signs of being drop-shippers or scammers.
campanaelia
·5 months agoSince it was delivered in January your ebay MBG protection expired already.
If you paid through paypal, you can file a claim for the reason, "The item was delivered to the wrong shipping address"
And lastly, you can open a dispute with your credit card for fraud/fake tracking scam.
radahurst5mwf
OP5 months agoSorry it took two attempts and a week to have the marked as spam rating removed. It's too late now to leave feedback.