I was scammed and can't get eBay to step in and help!
This seems absolutely insane that I can't seem to get a live person to help with Felony level fraud! it's all automated and it seems now scammers are exploiting this lack of a real person in customer service to scam people on the platform! I was scammed out of over $260 by a seller who intentionally shipped an item to the wrong address in my zip code. There was no tracking provided until the day it was "delivered" the picture was not my porch and the box was obviously too small to be the item I ordered. It was an OBVIOUS SCAM! This is a known scam but eBay denied my claim because of the tracking showing delivered to my zip code. PayPal is all in india and nobody will call fedex and verify the package was not delivered to me. I have wasted hours now dealing with this and my mind is blown there are no better protections for buyers. What should I do next a police report and take eBay to small claims court. I desperately need help I'm not a new eBayer I've been buying and selling for years! Now it seems eBay won't let me speak with a real human and describe my case. I feel completely ripped off and eBay couldn't care less...
12345jamesstamps
·4 months agoYou bought something with a debit or credit card that goes through the Pay Pal process.
I would go online with my banking source and do a 'dispute with a charge' with my debit card(it's what I use as a source of a payment)...since eBay isn't doing anything. I would never go through Pay Pal.
I would go through my bank to get a faster service.
ryry-jj
·4 months agoIt was so much easier to get a statement from the carrier showing/telling you the package did not go to your address...the photo helps too...and file a charge back with the fraud dept of your bank card. Claim you are the "victim of fake tracking scam" easy to reverse.
I first would have gotten the letter of wrong address delivery, then filed a return for "item not as described" & force the return label, and then mail back a "package" with a copy of the note from the carrier...knowing in the end I have my bank as the final go to.
You have been spending all your energy in the wrong place and continuing to look at options, again in the wrong place
kibble-net
·4 months agoYou said this is felony level fraud. I assume you have filed a police report? Maybe hired a lawyer?
mamacassidy
·4 months agoUnfortunately, once you open a dispute with your bank/ credit card company, ebay is out of it.
As you mentioned, this is a well known scam and has been for quite some time. I am really surprised that ebay hasn't taken steps to address this.
I know there are postal privacy regulations that ebay deals with, so they can't see the exact address with the tracking number. But there are other steps that they could take:
If when you opened an INR, there were options to choose from (like when you open a return):
1. Item was never sent
2. Item was lost transit
3. Item was delivered to address different than mine
If you choose number 1 or 2, then the INR would work the same way it does now with the tracking. If you choose number 3, the system will prompt you to upload documents from the carrier showing it was delivered to a different address.
Then, give these sellers who pull this scam a "2 strikes and you're out" deal. Give a permanent suspension to anyone who does this more than once (give them one for any flukes/ accidents).
Obviously this is not a perfect fix. I personally wouldn't want to have to waste time contacting the carrier over this, but at least I'd know that ebay has my back. At this point, this widely-known scam is just really bad for ebay's reputation and trustworthiness.
asmi5095
OP4 months agoWell unfortunately it's wasted a lot of my time. I feel like it could be easily addressed if I could just figure out how to get a human on the phone! And PayPal has been an absolute joke in regards to this I got a hold of somebody who said that they would put it under review and of course the scammer instantly responded with the tracking information showing it was delivered and they closed the case. Then it was reopened when I explained to them multiple times that it was not delivered to my address. One agent said he called FedEx and reopened the case because it wasn't delivered to me but it needed more time to be reviewed and then they denied it again! It's an obvious scam it was not mailed to my address I even have security cameras that are time stamped that would show nobody came to my door with a package!! I guess I'm going to have to go through synchrony who runs the line of credit behind PayPal and file a dispute there maybe? It really makes me uneasy using eBay in the future as a buyer or a seller. An eBay charges an exorbitant amount of money to sell on their platform you think they could hire a few people in a fraud department somewhere!!!! I guess last ditch effort will be small claims court if there's not some arbitration clause somewhere that I digitally signed 15 years ago!!!
kensgiftshop
·4 months agoYou would think so, but no.
All they go by is the tracking number that shows something was delivered in your zip code.
They know buyers will file an item not received case and the scammer will win.
Best way to beat these scammers is to file an INAD.
grann-4629
·4 months agoBest way to beat these scammers is to file an INAD.
Even tho it's not technically an INAD, this seems to be the best advice unless you are told you have to return something. If so, send an empty envelope back to the scammer.
Then you can proudly say "My scam beat your scam!".
grann-4629
·4 months ago... if there's not some arbitration clause somewhere that I digitally signed 15 years ago!!!
There probably is, so I'm guessing you're pooched. Good luck.
kathiec
·4 months agoWhat you digitally signed 15 years ago no longer matters. Ebay, like everyone else, routinely updates and replaces their user agreements. They did the last update late last year. You should have received an email informing you of the new agreement, with the statement that if you continued to use the platform that signified your acceptance of the new agreement. And yes, like all the previous agreements this one limits you to binding arbitration.
If you'd like to read the current user agreement you can do so here:
https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/member-behaviour-policies/user-agreement?id=4259&mkevt=1&mkpid=2&emsid=e99011.m2.l1&mkcid=8&bu=43188285858&osub=c069baafe004c13f36c5e9d7ed6ba371%257E1768387362789EM_T_ALL_T&segname=1768387362789EM_T_ALL_T&crd=20260121120000&ch=osgood
It should also be noted that even if you could take eBay to small claims you would quite likely have to go to San Jose to do it, as cases usually have to be filed in the defendant's jurisdiction.
mamacassidy
·4 months agoOpen a return request for Item Not As Described. The seller can't deny this type of return.
If they require you to send something back, send them an empty envelope just like they sent you. If they don't respond, ask ebay to step in and refund you.
You will be refunded.
Then leave appropriate feedback.
asmi5095
OP4 months agoWell that sounded brilliant! Unfortunately, because I got nowhere with eBay I tried a dispute with PayPal it's blocking me from even doing a return request now because of that!!!
krazzykats
·4 months agoFake Tracking scam.
If you funded your PayPal by credit card, do a chargeback with the credit card company.
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