Got Scammed for $6k
Bought a camera from a seller on eBay. He provided a shipping tracking number with USPS and then scanned it on a self scanner. It sat like that for a week never moved. Then I filed an “item not received†claim.
Then he said the post office messed up. Let me ship it with UPS instead. Then he sent a 2nd day air tracking number. The day of the delivery, today, I got a notification that it was delivered to a completely different address than mine.
With the help of UPS I was able to find out what the address was. I went to that house and when I showed up there, the police were already there.
The people at the house were concerned that it was a suspicious package so they called the nonemergency police line. It was an empty manila envelope with nothing inside of it.
The UPS delivery driver also showed up while I was there. She said someone called in this morning and had the address changed from mine to some random house near mine this morning.
I saw my tracking number that the seller provided me on the package, but with the sellers name. So this was my package.
The police provided me an incident report and UPS has possession of the package again. They said they will mark it as “package with no contentsâ€. But it still shows delivered with UPS, currently at least.
So I was scammed.
I still have an item not received claim open. However, on the eBay order page it shows delivered. So what should I do now:
- Keep the “item not received†open until I can get eBay involved
2. Close this request and do a “missing pieces or parts†return request
lifeandmylens
OP1 year agoAn update:
Thanks all for the help and advice. I reached out to eBay and spoke with the high value claims department. I emailed them documentation and an explanation of what happened. One of the documents I sent them was proof that the package was delivered to an address other than mine. They responded within 20 minutes stating they will be refunding in full.
I did ask them about what would have been better, leave the INR case open or to close that and open a missing pieces and parts return request. He said really either would have worked fine. But closing the INR case and opening the missing pieces or parts return request may be quicker because they have more options to side with the buyer on.
He said the INR generally only checks if it was delivered to the same city and state. And after that the buyer can request proof of signature confirmation from the seller. eBay then gives the seller 3 days to provide that, if they don't eBay will issue a refund. They also give the buyer a chance to provide same the documentation I did that proves it was delivered to an address other than mine.
So basically either way works.
stephenmorgan
·1 year agoGreat, glad for you that it was corrected favorably.
Hopefully eBay will be able to retrieve the money from the seller.
kensgiftshop
·1 year ago@lifeandmylens
Open an Item Not As Described case and if you have to return anything, send back a copy of the police report.
pikabo-icu
·1 year agoYeah I like that idea a LOT!
lifeandmylens
OP1 year ago@chevymontecarlo88 I agree, I noticed the same . I will definitely update this post with the resolution.
emerald_door
·1 year agoA similar thing happened to a friend. The tracking number indicated that the item had been delivered, signed by some person she didn't know. She filed Not as Described, the seller had to provide a return label, and she mailed an empty box to the seller. She returned exactly what she received: nothing. She then received a full refund.
chevymontecarlo88
·1 year ago@lifeandmylens
lifeandmylens
OP1 year ago@mudshark61369 - The UPS tracking number is in the order as well. The seller entered it into the system, which shows multiple tracking numbers under the order.
wastingtime101
·1 year agoIt doesn't matter. UPS showed delivery without signature confirmation so eBay would have refunded you through the INR because of the item's value and lack of sig conf. Your refund would have come faster.
lifeandmylens
OP1 year ago@mudshark61369 This is inaccurate information. You can open a return case after closing a INR case. After posting this thread I did some research and @kathiec appears to be correct to close the INR case and open a missing parts case since it technically shows delivered on UPS tracking. Which I did. The email I mentioned was an auto email from eBay security. Nothing related to my case, which is still open. Now that they've admitted the sellers account was fraudulent I have zero worries I will be refunded.
mudshark61369
·1 year ago@lifeandmylens,
I did write; " eBay only allows one dispute to be filed per transaction in most cases.
My concern is you relying on the UPS information, if the USPS tracking number is the one that shows in your Order details. As I wrote before, that is the tracking info that ebay goes by.
Since ebay has closed the seller's account, they should have issued a refund for INR. But since you closed it you may now end up having to go through your card provider, and you may want to call the customer service number on the back of your card, explain what happened and ask them how you should proceed and what info you may need to provide, to get a refund.
lifeandmylens
OP1 year ago@mudshark61369 I received an email from ebay that the sellers account has been compromised and deleted. It mentions to contact my credit card company if I purchased something from them, but I guess I will wait a few days for ebay to step in on the missing parts or pieces return.
mudshark61369
·1 year ago@lifeandmylens,
Apparently you did not take the advice offered earlier by @wastingtime101 , not to close the INR dispute.
eBay only allows one dispute to be filed per transaction in most cases. Closing the INR is why ebay is telling you to file with your card provider and not issuing the refund themselves. You would have won the INR had you stayed the course and waited for them to reply to the dispute, which does not always happen immediately. Since you are an ebay seller, you should know how the MBG works.
lifeandmylens
OP1 year ago@soh.maryl Self scan is a self postage machine in post offices. The moment I saw that I was concerned it was a scam. It sat in that status for a week, meaning it was never turned over to a postal employee.
mudshark61369
·1 year ago@lifeandmylens,
"... . He provided a shipping tracking number with USPS and then scanned it on a self scanner...
If you mean the item was marked as Shipped, that automatically happens when a shipping label is created and uploaded to ebay. What is important is no Acceptance scan was provided by USPS and ergo no Delivered scan. A delivered scan is what ebay's automated INR first step looks for.
FYI, no scan from anything but a USPS scanner will update information on the USPS site which is where ebay's tracking information comes from.
"... Let me ship it with UPS instead. Then he sent a 2nd day air tracking number".
Other tracking numbers sent to you via ebay messages, do not count with ebay. Because the USPS tracking does not have a delivered scan, ebay will find in your favor.
" UPS has possession of the package again. They said they will mark it as “package with no contentsâ€. But it still shows delivered with UPS, currently at least.
If for some reason, your initial INR dispute is turned down, then you may need the UPS message. However, using it in an Appeal of an INR dispute may not work. If that happens, come back to these boards and ask us how to proceed.
soh.maryl
·1 year agoWhat is a self scanner?
lifeandmylens
OP1 year ago@wastingtime101 @kathiec Thank you both. I just submitted the report seller. The original tracking number did have a signature required on it, but the new one did not. I will probably go ahead and close the INR and open a missing pieces or parts.
wastingtime101
·1 year agoDon't close the INR. There's no signature which means the system will find in your favor. You just have to wait a few days to ask eBay to step in.
stephenmorgan
·1 year agoYou have a very good case for eBay to easily resolve in your favor. Was this a international purchase? If not then hopefully the police will forward a report to the law enforcement where the seller resides.
wastingtime101
·1 year agoHi @lifeandmylens . Does the tracking number provided include signature confirmation? Check to see. If there's no signature confirmation then the easiest path is to stick with the item not received claim.
With anything valued $750+ eBay requires signature on delivery for the seller to be protected.
In addition, you should report the seller for the tracking fraud. Report Seller
kathiec
·1 year ago@lifeandmylens
The easiest path is close the not received case and open a missing parts or pieces return. If required to send something back you can send an empty manila envelope, since that's what was received.