INR Buyer
While I’ve been mostly buying with a little selling for 25 years I’ve never had a missing package, until now. I purchased an item shipped USPS that has gone missing. It is something I need in a timely manner so I’m paying more attention. It’s <$100 total. But, it hasn’t moved for 2 weeks. A missing mail was issued and it’s a week past due. I filed an INR and have been watching the USPS tracking. However, I noticed an entry on the ebay tracking that did not occur on the USPS site. An entry appeared, “Processed through USPS facility, Memphis”, yesterday evening. I called USPS and they confirmed they have nothing since 2/26. Where would this have come from? Is EBay just posting tracking info that doesn’t exist? I’m baffled. Anyone had this occur?
tobaccocardyahoo
·5 months agoWhat Ebay reports for tracking status is not always how USPS reports the same data.
Ebay does not report all the data provided by USPS.
If a delivery scan is done incorrectly, Ebay will stop reporting tracking information which occurs after that scan.
If I see anything which makes me uneasy in the Ebay tracking, I proceed to USPS to see their entry.
Ebay has recently changed how Missing Mail reports are handled, and my latest experience has been disturbing. The previous human initiated messages no longer exist, but the item began moving a day after the report.
I strongly advise buyers to avoid babysitting their orders. No one is likely to deal with the temporary disappearance of a package. Asking for help before the estimated delivery date is a waste of effort.
I am often well ahead of my buyers on chasing the vagabond shipments, and only because my own PO is a source of chaos.
fishing-101
·6 months agoHopefully it works out. I have a similar case. Purchased an item from China, shipping via eBay's speed pack service. Purchased on 2-04; In the US and cleared customs on 02-10; no movement until 02-24, on eBay it says package in transit, on OC website it says nothing. The final delivery date was 02-27, on 02-24 along with the new tracking info eBay changed the delivery date to 3-06. Then on 3-04 eBay again changed the delivery to 3-12. No change in any tracking. I got in touch with customer service, the first thing out of there mouth, was that the seller controls the delivery date. We all know that is not true.
I have read the replies that eBay receives the info from the shipper, but do they have to?
I learned a few years ago that USPS tracking can be manually changed to what ever fits the desire, and have seen it done. I was told, any Postmaster has the ability to change and delete anything about the tracking, unless that has changed in recent years.
jonathanbrightlight
·6 months agoYour situation is not really the same, so it would probably be best to start a new thread if you still need help.
That said, the delivery date shown in your Purchase History should never change, but if you're going back to the listing page it will show you the estimated delivery date as if you were ordering today. If the original estimated delivery date was 2/24, you should be able to open an Item Not Received case, and if it does not show Delivered, you will win that case. From your Purchase History, click the "More options" button and choose the option for "I didn't receive it":
eBay does only get the tracking information from the shipping carrier, based on the tracking number provided by the seller. I don't know what relevance the comments about postmasters changing tracking information have to your situation, and I can pretty safely assure you no US Postmaster is going in and editing your tracking details to assist in a scam of any type.
I would suggest you read up on the eBay Money Back Guarantee and the correct steps involved in utilizing it. There is almost never a need to contact eBay, as it's all automated for the vast majority of situations.
fishing-101
·6 months ago“It is useless to explain to a person who is already holding a conclusion.” ― Nitin Namdeo
That is absolutely correct and you already have your conclusion.
eBay did change the delivery date in the purchase history.
I have filed an INR, eBay is making me wait till after the latest delivery date, 03-12, if it does not change again.
eBay has removed the tracking from the item, so I now have no idea what eBay has for the delivery situation. But I have the tracking number saved.
A Postmaster has the ability to change tracking on USPS, I have seen it done, about 8 years ago. This problem has nothing to do with USPS, just used it as an example that those that control the web site can do anything they please, with the info.
johnrj1226
·6 months agoeBay has nothing to do with tracking status - the carrier the seller selected does.
spark-chaser1
·6 months agoIf you havent, you should see how tracking appears in international shipments…
it is not unusual to have a package arrive with normal tracking from Europe, and then arrive in nyc, then be processed through customs, and then next scan shows it still in Europe, as if the tracking jumped into a Time Machine and went into the past… and then have the package arrive on the same day with no more domestic scans.
sometimes it pays to ignore tracking until the last estimated date for delivery arrives and goes.😉
steve22201
OP6 months agoThanks everyone. I believe my package might be moving, finally. There is an update to USPS within the past hour. I guess eBay gets the data before USPS does!?
soh.maryl
·6 months agoTo the best of my knowledge, the USPS generates the information, so there is no way for eBay to get the data before USPS. Think about it: The postal service has the package, not eBay. No one actually employed by eBay has ever had the package or seen the merchandise.
jonathanbrightlight
·6 months agoTrue, but eBay then gets the data through a different system than the public-facing USPS tracking website. Usually the USPS site shows updates sooner, but there can be cases where the updates are provided to the API that eBay and other companies use a little sooner.
soh.maryl
·6 months agoThank you for that explanation. Have found that I learn something new almost every day here.
jonathanbrightlight
·6 months agoMe too! I know some people think I have a lot of answers, but many of them are just things I learned here.
soh.maryl
·5 months agoActually, some people think I have a lot of WRONG answers.
kathiec
·6 months ago@steve22201
Ebay's tracking information comes from the carrier. They don't just make up stuff. It's actually more common for eBay's tracking information to be a bit behind the carrier. The easiest way to check isn't calling USPS. It's going to usps.com and plugging the tracking number into their Track Your Package tool. In any event, in today's USPS it's not unusual to see wonky things in tracking.
Do keep in mind that you only have 21 days from the date you opened your INR to go back and ask eBay to step in. Otherwise the case will close and can't be reopened.
steve22201
OP6 months agoUnfortunately my package moved to the next facility and hadn’t moved for 5 days. At this point I’m just going to wait and ask eBay to step in next week. I’ve not heard anything from the seller since my initial INR.
steve22201
OP5 months agoNow what? To refresh this is the timeline. 2/19 bought, 2/20 shipped, 2/21 stalled, 2/26 I initiated a missing mail and notified seller on 2/28 a day after last delivery date. No movement so filed an INR on 3/4. 3/6-3/8, moved to next facility, then nothing. No longer tracking since 3/12. My initial INR had a deadline of 3/11 but I’ve waited. I’ve not heard from the seller since 3/4. Does eBay do anything at this point? How can I see if my INR timeline was extended. I’m pretty annoyed the seller hasn’t communicated with me so I’m not reaching out again. Do I just ask eBay to help?
soh.maryl
·5 months agoGo back in your Purchase History and find this particular purchase.
What is the last estimated delivery date seen there? This is where you find the actual true EDD for YOUR purchase. Was that date the 28th of February?
If that date has passed by at least one day, but less than 30 days, you can open an item not received case with eBay. Maybe you've done this already -- I can't tell.
You mention filing an INR in early March. You give three dates. If that INR was filed then, did you or did you not return to that case 3 days later and request that eBay step in?
Yes, I now realize this reply is somewhat disjointed, but hopefully you can make sense of it.
Bottom line: If the last estimated EDD as seen in the listing was 02/28, and you haven't done anything except contact the seller, it's time to open that INR case.
kathiec
·5 months agoIf you opened an item not received case on 3/4 you have until 4/2 (21 business days) to go back to the case and ask eBay to step in. You don't have to wait to do that however. But if you ask eBay to step in now they may very well see that the package is in transit and extend the timeline for the case. You won't know that until you ask them to step in.
EBay often delays the resolution of cases where there's a holdup with the carrier in an attempt to be fair to both buyer and seller. There is no mechanism to reverse a refund, so they want to avoid instances where packages arrive after a refund has been given.
bonanza125
·6 months agoThe tracking is through the carrier not Ebay.