Victim of "Zip Code / Fake Tracking Scam" - Both FedEx and UPS orders affected
Summary: La discusión trata sobre una estafa denominada "Zip Code / Fake Tracking Scam" que ha afectado pedidos de FedEx y UPS. gbmcandow parece ser la víctima y expresa preocupación sobre cómo han sido manipulados los códigos postales y el rastreo de sus envíos. La conversación involucra a múltiples participantes que intentan comprender y resolver el problema, aunque los mensajes están vacíos y no ofrecen más detalles sobre las soluciones abordadas o la información compartida entre ellos.
I am seeking advice on how to get a manual review for two orders (Order #12-14386-57611 and 11-14387-87530).
In both cases, the seller provided tracking (FedEx 8******** and UPS 1*********) that shows as "Delivered" in my zip code. However, I have contacted both carriers, and they confirmed the packages were addressed to different recipients at different street addresses. I also have Ring camera footage showing no delivery occurred at the stated times. The seller is unresponsive to my requests for address confirmation. Concerned that my "Item Not Received" cases may be automatically closed by a bot because of the "Delivered" status.
How can I get this escalated to a human agent who can review my carrier verification? Any help from the Community or eBay Staff would be appreciated.
Thank you for your help!!!
itidcf20121
·3 months agoIt happened to me and I started A chat session a customer service, which is an easy to do after being persistent to get the robot which is totally insane and then asked to have my phone call. I’ll call you you have instruction. I know this is going on. I got a refund. It’s a matter of getting to the right person so keep escalating it shouldn’t have to be that way he got arrested or polite of the agent when you get one not their fault they’re the ones that can help you
mudshark61369
·5 months ago@gbmcandow ,
Glad to hear things worked out for you.
@itidcf20121 ,
In the future when you have an issue, and come to these boards, it is OK to read posts about an issue you are having. However, instead of posting about your issue on another person's topic, start your own discussion. Your issue may not be exactly the same as one you have read, so our suggestions would not be the same and may be more helpful for your particular problem.
gbmcandow
OP5 months agoFinal Update: Case Resolved & Full Refund Received
I wanted to provide a final update to close out this thread. I have some good news to share, along with a few necessary corrections regarding the "legal" advice given in the recent comments.
The Resolution
Shortly after my last post, I received two critical emails from eBay:
1. The first notified me that the items were removed because of an "issue with the seller's account."
2. The second confirmed: "Your case for this item has been resolved. Unfortunately, we didn’t receive valid proof of delivery from the seller."
I have officially received a full refund for both purchases. It appears that once eBay’s security team flagged the seller’s account for fraudulent patterns, the "delivered" status in the tracking system was no longer enough to protect them.
Addressing Recent Comments
To @zgnisaer regarding "Federal Privacy Laws":
I appreciate the concern, but the claim that it is "illegal" or "stolen property" for a carrier to verify a delivery address is factually incorrect. While carriers generally will not provide the name of a different recipient, they are absolutely permitted to provide a GPS delivery confirmation or a written statement confirming that a specific tracking number was not addressed to the name and street address provided by the buyer.
Requesting verification that a contract was not fulfilled is not "stealing information"—it is documenting a service failure. If you find yourself in this situation, do not let "legal" scare tactics stop you from visiting a local hub to get proof of a misdelivery.
To @itidcf20121 regarding Gift Cards:
I am so sorry to hear you’re stuck in the "script" loop with support, especially using gift cards where you don't have a bank's protection. My advice: Keep pushing for a manual review. Since the seller in my case was eventually caught and removed, it proves eBay does eventually recognize these patterns. Mention that the seller's account has likely been flagged for "suspicious activity" or "account takeover" and insist on a "Manual Tracking Review" because of the multiple tracking number scheme you described.
Key Takeaways for Others
- Don't give up at the first "Delivered" scan. The bots see the scan; humans see the scam.
- Get physical proof. Even if the carrier won't give you a copy of the original label, ask for a "Delivery Information" printout that shows the destination address was not yours.
- Report the Seller. Use the "Report Seller" button for "Searching for a loophole in eBay's policies" or "Other."
Thank you again to those who provided constructive support. I'm glad this is behind me and that the "Multi-billion dollar platform" finally did the right thing.
kibble-net
·5 months agoHow I'd handle this situation:
1. Contact the shipper to get proof.
2. File a police report.
3. Contact ebay - they will deny your refund unfortunately.
4. Contact your credit card, they will move forward with getting your money back and take your proof seriously.
gbmcandow
OP5 months agoUpdate: Proof of Fake Tracking Acquired (and a few clarifications)
Thank you to everyone who has weighed in. I appreciate the advice, though I see there are some misunderstandings about my specific situation that I’d like to clear up—especially for those implying I didn’t do my "homework" on the seller.
First, to address the suggestion that I should have checked for "non-domestic" or "unproven" sellers: The listing explicitly stated the items were shipping from Oklahoma via USPS Ground Advantage. This wasn't a "too good to be true" deal from overseas; it appeared to be a standard domestic transaction. The scam occurred when the seller uploaded FedEx and UPS tracking numbers instead of the promised USPS service.
I also want to address the "snark" regarding checking feedback. I am a seasoned buyer (215 feedbacks), and I did my due diligence. Scammers are becoming increasingly "ingenious" at masking their location and hijacking established shipping lanes.
The Latest Proof
I didn't just take the carrier's word for it over the phone. I physically went to the local offices for both UPS and FedEx. I have now acquired documented proof from both carriers showing:
- The packages associated with those tracking numbers were not addressed to me.
- They were delivered to a completely different street address here in Leander, TX.
- The package weights/dimensions do not match the items I ordered.
Addressing the "NAD" (Not As Described) Suggestion
While I appreciate the creative "shipping back nothing" strategy mentioned by @eburtonlab, I personally feel more comfortable moving forward with the physical documentation I now hold. Having paper proof that the tracking belongs to a different delivery address is much stronger than trying to "return" an empty box for an item that never arrived.
To @mudshark61369: I’m well aware the bank won't just take my word for it. That is exactly why I spent my morning at the carrier hubs getting hard copies of the delivery discrepancies.
I’ll be presenting this documentation to eBay one last time to see if a human can override the bot. If not, I have everything I need for a successful chargeback.
Has anyone successfully uploaded scanned carrier documentation to an existing "Item Not Received" case, or is a social media DM truly the only way to get a human to look at a PDF?
zgnisaer
·5 months agoThat is illegal information, because you are neither the sender nor the recipient of those packages. Whoever at UPS and FedEx gave it to you, violated Federal Privacy laws and could go to jail.
And if you give them to eBay, they will be in possession of stolen property. You should tread carefully, whatever you decide.
itidcf20121
·5 months agoYes sir I found that out. The refused to give me information in my case. It shows UPS only however it shows a total of seven items were delivered. I don’t know how they do this, but it’s fraud and eBay has to be aware, but they claim they are not and that I can’t get a refund it’s not part of their guarantee which is crazy. This was a new computer.
itidcf20121
·5 months agoPaid with eBay gift card - not bank
seller shipped to UPS provided their own label falsifying my address. What showing six other tracking numbers so UPS is no help due to privacy refers me the seller
UPS live Support will initiate an automatic callback. The call is by someone from another country and doesn’t understand the problem because it’s not one of the problems that they have on their script. Therefore, they will accept the claim because mainly I’m not the seller on the main tracking whichever one that is total seven of them, including mine.
eBay won’t help because it shows delivered. I can’t get anybody there that is knowledgeable about situations like this. They only investigate my tracking number which is one of seven tracking numbers and therefore I imagine the scheme works pretty easily meaning the seller just buys two tracking numbers out of the seven mine that goes to eBay one to himself at five that they have gotten from the past or some other method, I can think of several scenarios that this could be, but frankly, I am a nervous I don’t really know I would never dream of something like this
Any other ideas on this?
itidcf20121
·5 months agoI used eBay git card to Buy Computer the amount was $250. No bank was involved. looking into the community to see if there are is any place else I need to contact UPS says the message center I didn’t no replies on eBay accepted I notice I’m supposed to wait for the seller for five business days. I try to explain to them. The seller won’t respond. He never dies. I’ve already tried that original listing showed eBay satisfaction guarantee I have nothing to stand on other than the address that I gave which was included with six other i Tracking numbers, suppose that the other tracking numbers archery is back to the seller wherever their location is, but I can’t find out any information because the delivery information shows that it was delivered to an address In person, not myself Therefore, my tracking number shows the item was delivered an eBay only cares about the fact that it was delivered. They haven’t investigated enough information and I can’t get a hold of a person that speaks English that understands speaks English first language.
mudshark61369
·5 months ago@gbmcandow ,
You replied earlier writing:
"I’ll be heading to my bank to initiate the chargebacks since eBay’s automated system seems to favor the scammer’s "delivered" scan over the actual facts... It is incredibly frustrating that the burden of proof is shifted entirely to the buyer".
Do you think that your bank or card provider is just going to do a charge back just on your say so? You will have to provide them proof that the item(s) were not delivered to your location.
"eBay should be using carrier APIs to verify that the "delivered" street address actually matches the buyer’s address on the order, not just the zip code".
What good is any shipping service's Application Programming Interface going to do you or eBay? The reason why ebay cannot access a label's actual delivery address or package information type/size/weight is because of Federal postal privacy regulations, that basically state only the sender of a package is entitled to review the a labels shipping address and package info. That would certainly exclude a 3rd party company from getting the info, since they had no part in the shipping contract.
If you call FedEx or UPS with a tracking number you've received, the most their reps will tell you is that the address associated with the tracking number was not yours. They may send you an email to that effect but because emails can be faked ebay will not accept them, and card providers might not either.
If you use the link provided by @eburtonlab , or try going through your card provider, getting the GPS location and photo if there is one, of the delivery and asking a rep to check your GPS location and/or to compare the photo to a street level map, would help your case.
In the future checking a seller's feedback profile for their country of registry, and clicking on the numbers of neutral/negative feedback to read those comments, you might find comments saying items came from outside the U.S. and were late being delivered, or that items were not received even though tracking said delivered. Those were left by people who did not file disputes or lost one they filed.
@roccotacodad54 's Suggestions on how to avoid being scammed are good ones. Since 90% of the fake tracking scams come from China and some from other countries open the link below click on Go To Best Answer to learn what to look for to avoid those sellers.
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Why-is-Ebay-Backing-China-Sellers-with-a-lie-in-there-post-there/m-p/35168893#M526369
itidcf20121
·5 months agoIn my situation seller is from Roghd Islqnd however UPS will not dev leg shipped from address nor the deliver address. All they will say is they left package with the manager. No manager at myaddress this is a private home. I went to the door as soon as the delivery notification came and no package and no UPS delivery truck. Timestamp for deliver was within one minute from notification and delivery ( I subscribed to UPS delivery notifications )
UPS shows my tracking number plus 7 additional tracking numbers that were part of multiple packages . Item was for 1 laptop computer. Common sense makes this more interesting
roccotacodad54
·5 months agoWhat others have opined about your payment source.
Also I wonder why I read about the "flase tracking scam" often on these boards but have never encountered one myself (knock on wood...ouch) even though I buy on eBay three to five times a week. I wonder if it's because I won't buy from non-domestic sellers...Hmmm.....
Maybe it's because I read their feedback first before buying...Hmmm......................
eburtonlab
·5 months ago@gbmcandow
If you have contacted the shipping service directly to determine that the tracking number does not correspond to a delivery to your address you are likely looking at a case of "false tracking".
Ordinarily I would suggest obtaining documentation that shows that the package was not addressed to you, then contacting eBay via social media direct message, but eBay is shutting down the social media teams on Facebook and Twitter, apparently. At the moment, Instagram is still available, so you might try that:
https://www.instagram.com/ebay/
If you cannot get documentation, or if that does not work:
Since false tracking allows a scam seller to win an "item not received" case, the next step would be to file a "not as described" return on eBay and be prepared to return exactly what you received if the seller provides for return shipping, or ask eBay to step in after three business days if the seller does not refund you or provide return shipping.
You may have recourse through your payment method if you are unable to get satisfaction through eBay, though once you involve a payment method, eBay can no longer help with that transaction. Be sure you mention "false tracking" specifically, otherwise your provider may assume a simple missing or stolen package and defer to eBay's ruling based on the tracking showing delivery.
In the future, stick to experienced sellers with a long and demonstrated history and avoid new or unproven sellers, or sellers that show warning signs of being drop-shippers or potential scammers: drastic changes in selling behavior or offering deals that are "too good to be true", or shipping heavy items that are unlikely to be profitably shipped via retail shipping.
shire123
·5 months agoI find it curious that so many community members suggest filing a NAD claim and to be prepared to return exactly what the buyer received.
The problem is that with fake tracking schemes, the buyer receives NOTHING. So nothing to return.
Buyers need to just get documentation from the carrier and go to their bank with that proof.
NAD claims for fake tracking would be useless.
eburtonlab
·5 months agoThe problem is that with fake tracking schemes, the buyer receives NOTHING. So nothing to return.
Are you concerned that you won't be able to find a box big enough to contain nothing?
The seller that provides false tracking that just happens to show delivery in your local area knows that the buyer has nothing to ship back, so the seller is forced to choose between refunding outright, or paying extra for return shipping of nothing. Many will choose the former rather than paying extra for the latter, or simply do nothing and wait for the buyer to ask eBay to step in and force a refund.
If you immediately go to your bank for help, you only get one chance to get it right, eBay won't help you any more with that transaction and you won't be able to leave feedback for the seller the way you would if you had won your case on eBay.
itidcf20121
·5 months agoThank you this is helpful information
gbmcandow
OP5 months agoThank you both for the honest feedback. I’ll be heading to my bank to initiate the chargebacks since eBay’s automated system seems to favor the scammer’s "delivered" scan over the actual facts.
It is incredibly frustrating that the burden of proof is shifted entirely to the buyer. I have already lost hours of my time calling carriers, reviewing security footage, and filing fraud reports - all to prove a negative that eBay could easily verify themselves.
eBay should be using carrier APIs to verify that the "delivered" street address actually matches the buyer’s address on the order, not just the zip code. Until they close this loophole, they are essentially forcing victims to spend their own time doing the investigative work that a multi-billion dollar platform’s security system should be doing automatically. I hope my experience warns others to check their tracking details more closely than eBay does.
bonanza125
·5 months ago"I hope my experience warns others to check their tracking details more closely than eBay does."
You complaint is very common in this community. We get this complaint daily. Ebay is a selling platform and not the carrier so its very limited about what they will do. Most people in your situation go directly to payment source after Ebay.
ryry-jj
·5 months agoYou need to go to your bank's fraud dept to initiate a charge back.
bonanza125
·5 months agoEbay customer service will just tell you tracking states delivered and once delivered there isn't much that can be done on Ebay's end. There is no staff here. We are buyers and sellers of Ebay who are here to answer questions and give advice. Your next step is to contact your payment source and see if you can get a reversal.