Seller Scam? How to Proceed?
I've had good success ordering discounted stamps on Ebay, but on a recent order, had an issue and want guidance on the best way to resolve this.
The seller shipped through DHL initially and it went to USPS to finish the delivery. It did not show in my informed delivery, but showed delivered 2 hours before my street gets mail. It was not with my mail, so I went to the Post Office. They looked up the tracking and when they saw the street it went to was not where I lived, the employee said I likely got scammed. He showed and let me take a photo of his screen that showed the label with tracking number was addressed by the seller to a totally different street than mine, but same zip code. I know from being anEbay Seller, I lose the Item Not Received claim, so what do I do to use the Ebay Money Back Guarantee on likely fraud? I have not filed a claim or reached out to the seller as I do feel it is fraud.
*** Updated ***** So it got interesting.... I initiated a not as described return. The seller accepted the return, but has not issued a label yet. The projected return to address is some random other address in my city. This was sent from out of Houston, TX to a same zip, but different address than me in Pittsburgh, PA and the seller randomly selected a separate Pittsburgh, PA address for a return, likely knowing it will cause an issue for me if they send a fraudulent label or if I send back an empty mailer to a random person in the same city. I reached out to Ebay's outsourced phone support telling them I want them to stand by the money back guarantee and offer a refund on their part, but was told to just wait and then have Ebay step in later. The seller even got negative feedback I left removed.... as a seller of many items, I've rarely been successful getting feedback removed from a buyer. This really has left me feeling terrible as a long time Ebay seller that sells around $100k a year on here and someone who buys around 10 to 15 items a year here. I'm disgusted and still seeking help resolving this. Thanks.
**** update **** seller is no longer a registered Ebay user. Seemed to trigger a case and Ebay chat indicates a refund will be coming my way. I will use USPS only for stamps.
wallyboat123
·8 months agoThis exact thing happened to me. eBay sided with the seller even though their tracking was incomplete and vague. I had all the details from the USPO that proved the item didn’t come to me or my address. Even the shipping weight was incorrect on the tracking. I asked for a refund-denied! I filed an appeal-denied! I escalated my appeal-denied. Yesterday I filed a police report and I am going to Paypal for a refund. If you have any advice please let me know.
caseypl
OP8 months agoThat is awful. I felt that an appeal would work. The whole thing left such a bad taste in my mouth with Ebay that a scammer could succesfully do that to me when I am a buyer, and yet as a seller, the Ebay moneyback guarantee is something buyers can use against me. I did a not as described return and the seller had not issued a label yet. I had basically called an Ebay number, talked to what obviously seemed like an outsourced call center and nothing seemed to happen. Somehow the return turned into a case for me and seller was no longer a registered user, so I got a refund. What I would do is a credit card dispute and I would do a not as described. I would do it that way because Ebay would back the seller. You were supposed to receive xx as described in the listing, but you received nothing. Essentially you received an empty box.
kibble-net
·8 months agoThe only place you should be ordering stamps is from USPS.
End of discussion.
caseypl
OP8 months agoThank you for telling me that, I really appreciate it.
12345jamesstamps
·8 months ago'I've had good success ordering discounted stamps on eBay'....I always do as well.
'DHL'...why? I assume this was from another country and not a USA seller.
I have never had a stamp seller use DHL for shipping to me from the USA.
'they saw the street it went to'...I only thought USPS can look up the zip code...maybe someone else here can clarify this for us...
caseypl
OP8 months agoI don't think there is a need for anyone else to clarify it. The front counter employee at the post office used the tracking number to pull up a scan of the mail piece. The same tracking number the seller used was on there on a USPS label and the Post office did line through the name and house number, but it is clearly a totally different street.
roccotacodad54
·8 months agoSee message #3......................
caseypl
OP8 months agoThanks, that's the route I'm going on it, opened the INAD return on it.
goldwing2
·8 months agoIf I understand correctly, the item was shipped to a different address correct? If the item was not shipped to your address, you dont need to do any of the above, just file a item not received case with ebay or you may want to ask seller for refund first since it was not mailed to your address. What does the shipping address in Ebay show? You can back up the INR case with the information from the PO. You should get all of your money back is the seller did not ship to your address (that you provided to ebay). That is a standard policy, that if a seller does not ship to your address they are not covered by ebay ! Should be a simple case in your favor!
roccotacodad54
·8 months ago"Should be a simple case in your favor!"
Not so simple. First one has to go to the PO and get that info. on an official letterhead and go from there burning ones time and gas playing detective and jumping through hoops.
"That is a standard policy"
Since the seller didn't adhere to standard policy (false tracking scam), then I can't see where the buyer is expected to, or should. As far as I see the buyer should seek redress in whichever way causes them the least amount of time. stress and money........................
caseypl
OP8 months agoThanks for pointing that out. As an Ebay seller, I dread the occasional INAD buyer returns, but never sweat the INR ones. I kind of knew INR would auto close in the scammer seller's favor, so did not even use that route and figured they expect most buyers to claim item not received and win on that in most cases. I just wish Ebay made it easy to report fraud. I could not find anything on the purchase page to do it, so just went INAD and will happily return exactly what they "sent" me.
darits_60
·8 months agoHow do I reach ebay to report it? The item shows delivered, so there are no additional options. I don't see anywhere to report fraud.
lacemaker3
·8 months ago@caseypl
Even if you don't have the house number on the street, do you have the ZIP+4 code?
If so, you can look up the ZIP+4 code, and it narrows down the location to usually just a few houses or locations on the street. This USPS lookup requires the street name and zip code, and will give you a list of all the ZIP+4 codes, and which addresses are included in each.
https://tools.usps.com/zip-code-lookup.htm?byaddress
In my own case, my ZIP+4 is only shared with about half a dozen houses on one side of my street.
With that information, you can go to that street, and ask about your package. You might be able to get it back, if there was nothing valuable in it. Then you could do a Not as Described case, and if they insist on having it sent back, they have to pay the return shipping to get their empty envelope or worthless trinket back.
That would probably be the most satisfying end to this, from your point of view. And the best way to discourage the seller from continuing with this.
caseypl
OP8 months agoSo it got interesting.... I initiated a not as described return. The seller accepted the return, but has not issued a label yet. The projected return to address is some random other address in my city. This was sent from out of Houston, TX to a same zip, but different address than me in Pittsburgh, PA and the seller randomly selected a separate Pittsburgh, PA address for a return, likely knowing it will cause an issue for me if they send a fraudulent label or if I send back an empty mailer to a random person in the same city.
ccomic
·8 months agoGoogle for "USPIS Counterfeit Postage". There is some good reading there.
caseypl
OP8 months agoThanks, I am done ordering stamps on Ebay after looking at that.
luckythewinner
·8 months agoYou were supposed to receive stamps, but you received nothing.
So did you received exactly what was described?
Or was it "significantly not as described"?
caseypl
OP8 months agoThat seems like the route I'll have to go.
caldreamer
·8 months agoEBAY only uses tracking# as proof of delivery and will not help you. You should contact your "credit card company" and provide them with your proof of fraudulent delivery scam.
Good luck to you!