Where Can I Send a Formal Complaint to eBay? Buyer Protection Failed Badly
Summary: The discussion centered around issues with eBay's buyer protection, with participants sharing their concerns and seeking guidance on where to send formal complaints. tinylove100 initiated the conversation, expressing dissatisfaction with how a buyer protection case was handled. Various participants contributed, but no specific solution was agreed upon. One key point was frustration over lack of support from eBay's customer service.
Where can I send a formal complaint to eBay? I was scammed by a seller who took advantage of a serious loophole in eBay system, and eBay’s dispute resolution completely failed - even though I submitted clear USPS documentation proving the item was not delivered to me.
Here’s what happened:
- I purchased a serge sewing machine, $164, which weighs 18 lbs in description, on May 17, 2025. ( I should’ve paid more attention to the red flag - the listing only had many stock photos and no actual item images.)
- The seller provided a USPS tracking number showing “Delivered†to a mailbox in my ZIP code, but I didn't receive anything.
- I called my local post office, and they found the tracking info immediately. They confirmed it was a small package that fit inside a mailbox and was not delivered to my address, just somewhere else within the same ZIP code.
- I then went to the post office in person and got a printout showing the same thing. The USPS scan photo shows it was a 3 oz flat plastic envelope - clearly not a sewing machine.
- I asked the seller to check tracking number, and told them i didn't receive anything, they told me to open a case on eBay. So I did. Then the seller didn’t even need to explain anything - just submitted the tracking marked “Delivered at/in Mailbox†- and eBay sided with them, both on the initial case and the first appeal. Each response came back within minutes. No one actually investigated or reviewed my supporting documents.
- I appealed again and got to speak with an eBay rep, who told me she couldn’t override “the system’s decision,†and even implied I could have fabricated the USPS documents.
- I offered the phone number to my local post office so she could confirm the delivery address herself if she didn't believe me. She refused, saying there was nothing she could do because the algorithm had closed the case.
I’ve been using eBay since its early days and have never experienced - or even heard of - a scam like this. It honestly makes me wonder if someone on the inside knows how the algorithm works and is sharing that knowledge with sellers. Why else would they know to mail a nearly empty package to any address in the same ZIP code, just to trigger a “Delivered†status in eBay system? Since I never received anything, I had no package to photograph to prove the item was not as described - yet the burden still fell on me. Thankfully, USPS scanned and photographed the package, but eBay wouldn’t even accept that.
If eBay had simply required the seller to provide the original USPS receipt (which includes the recipient address, package weight, and dimensions), the fraud would’ve been obvious. I understand that tracking doesn’t show the full address online due to privacy, but sellers have access to that information when they pay for postage. Why eBay dispute case does not require sellers to provide that?
If anyone knows where or how to escalate this beyond eBay’s automated system, I’d really appreciate it. I’ve now filed a dispute with my credit card company, it's been one and half months now, and hope they’ll resolve it fairly.
Thanks in advance.
kh-andreww
·3 months agoHi everyone,
Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.
Thank you for understanding.
fishing-101
·3 months agoI stumbled on this older thread, read some of the responses. Glad your CC company came through. I have been on eBay 28 years. Had the tracking scam done to me about 8 years ago, back then eBay accepted a scan from USPS as proof. This past year has been terrible, on the amount of this scam. eBay apparently is not doing anything to put a stop to it. The main shipping companies (USPS, UPS, FedEx) all contribute to making this work. With eBay it looks like a love-hate relationship, they may hate the fact that buyers get scammed, but they love the commission it generates.
I have thought about this more this year, because of my own experiences, and most all the tracking scams have one thing in common that they rely on. Purchasing a shipping label outside of eBay.
In my mind it would be so easy for eBay to require shipping labels be purchased from them, unless the seller meets certain requirements.
Buyers give eBay our desired shipping address, eBay is failing to see to it that it is shipped to that address.
ed8108
·1 year agoI am really not surprised , thank you for providing us with the details of what transpired
albertabrightalberta
·1 year ago@tinylove100
You are claiming to understand how ebay, disputes, fraud detection and chargebacks work. And in some ways, you are correct but in others, you're wrong.
You are a seller and when you signed up for managed payments, you gave ebay your personal information including SSN, back up bank account, name, address, phone number, driver's license info, etc.
The seller who scammed you also had to give ebay all that information.
So when you filed a chargeback and won it, ebay took that money from the SELLER'S account.
@albertabrightalberta "So it's the seller who you would sue if you were to do so."
@tinylove100 : NO, that’s incorrect.
FYI, I’m not just a buyer, I’m also a business owner with a brick-and-mortar store for over 20 years, so I understand how credit card processors, merchants, and chargebacks work.
On eBay, sellers are vendors operating under eBay’s platform, but eBay is the merchant of record for buyers. eBay takes the buyer’s payment, deducts their fees, and then pays out the seller. That means, from the buyer’s side, eBay is the one who charged the card - not the individual seller.
So yes, in small claims court, buyers sue the merchant (eBay), not the vendors. Then eBay can recover the loss from the seller who scammed the system. Or better yet - they could actually fix their broken algorithm to prevent these scams in the first place."
Again, @tinylove100 , you are mistaken.
I don't know whether you've ever watched Judge Judy, People's Court or similar TV shows but over the last 20 years, there have been many cases on those shows in which buyers took sellers to court or sellers took buyers to court.
In fact, here's one show that has the buyer suing the seller. They bought phones and received pictures of phones.
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x76fp4v
tinylove100
OP1 year ago@albertabrightalberta
I’m a business owner in the real world - brick-and-mortar—for over 20 years. Sorry, I don’t watch any TV shows. My experience and sources come from actual business practices, not entertainment.
I already won my chargeback dispute against eBay. How eBay recovers the loss from its vendors (sellers) is not the buyer’s concern. In any legal or credit card dispute, the merchant of record is the responsible party. In eBay’s case, that’s eBay - not the individual sellers.
Had I not won the dispute through PayPal, my lawyer would be sending a formal Notice of Dispute or Demand Letter to eBay’s or PayPal's legal department. I can tell you from experience how these companies operate when real professionals get involved — they’ll settle with victims before allowing arbitration or risking small claims court. Why? Because they know they’d lose and end up paying even more in these obvious fraud cases.
Let me be clear: I’m not here to attack eBay. I’ve used it for years as both a buyer and seller. I think it’s a great marketplace when it works. But if eBay continues to ignore clear system flaws and enable scammers through broken dispute protocols, consumers have every right to hold them accountable.
There are always new scam tricks emerging, and platforms like eBay need to keep up if they want to protect their customers for the sake of their own business reputation. Instead of relying on outdated algorithms and overseas outsourced agents who offer no real help, eBay should invest in real fraud prevention and resolution.
As a buyer, the lessons I’ve learned are:
Don’t buy from sellers who only use stock photos and don’t show real pictures of the item. (In my case, the seller had 1,042 reviews with 100% positive feedback, so I didn’t bother reading them. After the scam, I went back and saw the first review said: “Seller drop-shipped from Amazon, which is not obvious or stated.†That might have been a red flag — maybe the seller was scammed by their vendor, or maybe they were in on it.)
Don’t use PayPal Mastercard — read my other posts if you want to know why.
tinylove100
OP1 year ago7/22/2025 Update: I won the chargeback dispute case against eBay.
Like many long-time users - both buyer and seller - I was shocked to learn that fake tracking scams have been allowed on eBay for over 15 years. Even more shocking is that eBay has done little to improve its algorithms or dispute resolution system to protect its customers.
That said, I want to thank the helpful members here like @ittybitnot who offered solid advice.
To any future victims (and I truly hope this stops soon):
You absolutely should open a dispute with your credit card company - and make it clear this is not just an “Item Not Received†issue, but a fraudulent charge made through eBay’s platform. That makes eBay the responsible merchant in the eyes of payment processors.
I still appreciate the value eBay offers as a marketplace for buyers and sellers - but they must do more to protect users from these scams, instead of deterring victims by denying their cases. And even when a victim wins a credit card chargeback dispute, eBay could still recover the loss through its business insurance. Maybe that’s the easier route, but I genuinely believe it’s a business’s responsibility to protect its customers.
If more victims successfully win chargeback cases, maybe eBay will finally fix its flawed systems instead of continuing to enable scammers.
kathiec
·1 year agoMy apologies, I missed that minus sign before your Paypal balance. Of course you can't transfer a negative balance -- there's nothing to transfer.
kathiec
·1 year agoThere are some inaccuracies in your conclusions. EBay didn't charge your card. Adyen, eBay's payment processor charged your card, on behalf of the seller. It appears under the lump designation 'eBay Commerce' because Ayden can't do each transaction under an individual seller's name. EBay gets a fee from the seller for selling the item, but they make no other profit off the sale. So they have no skin in whether a chargeback is processed against the seller. The only entity against which you have a cause of action is the seller.
As for the money being in your Paypal wallet, it's easily transferable to either a credit card (which will incur a fee) or to a bank account, which is free. I routinely transfer money out of my Paypal account to the bank account attached to it.
tinylove100
OP1 year ago"EBay didn't charge your card. Adyen, eBay's payment processor charged your card, on behalf of the seller. "
Thanks for the info. It's good to know Adyen is eBay’s payment processor. But in practice, as a buyer, I paid eBay, and eBay deducts their fee before passing funds to the seller, so the merchant that charged my card is still eBay Commerce. That makes eBay responsible for the transaction from the buyer's perspective.
"it's easily transferable to either a credit card (which will incur a fee) or to a bank account"
I appreciate this info, this is very helpful. If PayPal continues to favor eBay, I should try transferring the negative PayPal balance to Synchrony, then finally I can open the dispute directly with the real card issuer. That may finally get this resolved fairly.
Thanks again!
tinylove100
OP1 year ago"As for the money being in your Paypal wallet, it's easily transferable to either a credit card (which will incur a fee) or to a bank account, which is free. I routinely transfer money out of my Paypal account to the bank account attached to it."
That information is not accurate. I just tried it myself. PayPal does not allow you to transfer a negative balance (from a reversed credit) back to your original credit card, nor do they let you pay it off with ANY credit card. The only option they give you is to add funds using a bank account or debit card. This effectively blocks me from resolving the issue through the actual card issuer, Synchrony Bank, which means I lose my ability to dispute the charge fairly.
I will stop using PayPal or the PayPal Mastercard in future, and I’ll tell everyone I know - don't use PayPal or PayPal Mastercard, especially on eBay!
xadexane
·1 year agoPayPal would be the payments processor here, not Adyen. And it wouldn't make cents for Adyen to take the PayPal payment as then it'd cost 2 processing fees.
If @tinylove100 had paid with the card at eBay Checkout then the payments processor is Adyen. If so, no dispute can be opened at PayPal.
But yes, Adyen handles and responds to PayPal disputes, and card chargebacks (against PayPal, and against Adyen) on behalf of eBay.
kathiec
·1 year agoPaypal hasn't processed payments for eBay for several years. The buyer's payment may go through Paypal, but that payment is processed by Adyen, who transfers it into the seller's bank account.
If the buyer selects Paypal as their payment method at checkout it's no different than paying directly with a credit card where disputes are concerned. You dispute with the buyer's payment source. When you fund with a credit card through Paypal you have two levels of protection -- through Paypal and through the credit card, although that apparently doesn't work too well with the Paypal MasterCard.
tinylove100
OP1 year agoAnother hard lesson I’ve learned in this scam and credit dispute:
To all PayPal Mastercard holders — if you need to dispute a charge, do not file it through the PayPal portal, even if that seems like the only option. You need to call Synchrony Bank directly at 1-844-373-4961. They are the actual card issuer and the only party that can handle the dispute fairly, but they don't offer online portal for this PayPal credit card.
Overall, after this experience, I will no longer buy anything on eBay that doesn’t include real item photos, and I will stop using the PayPal Mastercard. The card’s lack of transparency and how difficult it is to access proper cardholder protection make it simply not worth the risk.
tinylove100
OP1 year agoUnfortunately, I used a PayPal Mastercard and filed the dispute through PayPal, which seems to use a same flawed system. At this point, it feels like PayPal is "fighting" with eBay - not the seller. eBay responded with a tracking number marked “Delivered,†and PayPal accepted it and reversed the credit. I had to call and request a manual review just to get the case reopened. Now PayPal is still waiting for eBay to respond again, but there’s been no update for days.
I’m posting here to see where I can file a complaint to eBay’s upper level beyond the automated system. If this is a known fake tracking scam, why hasn’t eBay fixed it? There’s a simple fix:
At the resolution stage, require sellers to upload carrier receipts, which always show the delivery address, weight, and dimensions.
For seller listings, require real item photos, not just stock images. If sellers don’t provide them, they should automatically lose any disputes.
eBay and PayPal software engineers could easily add these requirements to the algorithms. These small changes could stop most of these scams.
kensgiftshop
·1 year agoSorry, but there nothing Ebay will do since you opened a case with Pay Pal.
You would think as long as it has been going on, they would come up with something to fix it.
The best thing to do is open an Item Not As Described case.
ittybitnot
·1 year agoIf this is a known fake tracking scam, why hasn’t eBay fixed it?
@tinylove100
This same scam can be traced back for over 15 years here. eBay's first line of defense (to protect eBay) is DENIAL in hopes you give up and go away. After all this time there is no published eBay policy for victims of the "fake tracking scam" be you a buyer or a seller where it is used to falsify a return. We know what to do because of the many members sharing information. The main thing is DO NOT FILE "Item not received". You will lose no matter where you file your claim. The claim is sent to eBay who replies with the same (albeit fake) delivery confirmation information.
Since you have already filed with your credit card company, make very sure even at this later date that they understand it is a FRAUD/FAKE TRACKING issue, not a regular Item not received. Hopefully you provided them with the evidence you already obtained. eBay is NOT going to help you anymore. You file with your card, they are no longer (per the user agreement) required to assist. For your reading pleasure from just this year so far:
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Laser-TV-Item-Not-Received/m-p/34862223#M509687
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/I-got-scammed-out-of-999-for-an-RTX-4090/m-p/34865219#M509806
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Ebay-support-and-money-back-guaranty/m-p/34870558#M510126
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Package-delivered-to-wrong-address-by-usps-no-refund/m-p/34871240#M510140
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Tracking-number-fraud-within-EBay/m-p/34872627#M510235
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/EBAY-is-ALLOWING-a-delivery-address-switch-scam-to-continue/m-p/34873630#M510315
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Mail-fraud-switching-tracking-numbers-with-addresses-in-the-same/m-p/34873069#M510341
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Refund-due-to-seller-sending-to-wrong-address/m-p/34880629#M510871
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/I-just-got-scammed-out-of-a-baking-dish/m-p/34881587#M510926
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Another-quot-eBay-Refuses-to-Honor-Money-Back-Guarantee-quot/m-p/34887210#M511279
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Fake-Tracking-Scam-by-seller/m-p/34889174#M511418
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Seller-False-DELIVERED-quot-Waybill/m-p/34892946#M511649
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/eBay-says-item-was-delivered-but-it-was-not/m-p/34897201#M511855
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/I-think-this-listing-is-a-scam-and-I-bought-two-of-these/m-p/34897101#M511849
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Delivery/m-p/34903692#M512289
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Item-wasn-t-delivered-to-my-correct-address/m-p/34904083#M512306
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Problem-with-Purchase-and-Seller/m-p/34901935#M512174
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Beware-of-Anteww/m-p/34913899#M512840
Feb. 2025
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/DHL-Messing-up-shipping-or-a-scam/m-p/34918930#M513039
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Item-shipped-to-wrong-address/m-p/34918657#M513034
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Fake-Tracking-Scam-how-do-I-prepare/m-p/34920656#M513092
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Seller-scamming-me/m-p/34954964#M514849
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/I-just-got-scammed-and-I-don-t-know-how-to-proceed/m-p/34955823#M514900
March 2025
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Tracking-numbers-Can-you-provide-the-street-address-for-the/m-p/34964434#M515361
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Getting-scammed-by-seller-sending-tracking-info-showing/m-p/34974405#M515806
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Tracking-number-scams-why-is-Ebay-enabling-sellers-for-this/m-p/34973232#M515749
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/seller-Post-remarkable-pro-is-a-scam/m-p/34971789#M515703
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Amazon-now-better-than-eBay/m-p/34983865#M516181
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Buying-on-eBay-has-become-unbearable/m-p/34984852#M516206
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Shipment-not-received-Label-didn-t-have-my-address-on-it-but/m-p/34985134#M516230
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Got-scammed-by-a-seller-and-eBay-sided-with-the-scammer-for-both/m-p/34985593#M516238
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/My-negative-review-was-removed-I-am-unable-to-contact-ebay-and/m-p/34992301#M516558
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/eBay-appeal/m-p/34994790#M516756
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/I-got-scam-by-a-seller-his-not-willing-to-give-me-a-refound/m-p/34997184#M516907
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/I-did-not-receive-my-item-and-eBay-is-refusing-to-resolve-Their/m-p/35007758#M517275
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Scammers-on-e-bay-using-tracking-numbers-that-have-been-skimmed/m-p/35005691#M517177
April 2025
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/How-do-I-report-a-possible-scam-to-Ebay/m-p/35017555#M517689
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Victim-of-Tracking-Number-Scam-What-to-do-next/m-p/35019117#M517785
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/wrong-address/m-p/35028116#M518283
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/HALLPPP-I-ve-been-defrauded-What-to-do/m-p/35028633#M518342
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Ebay-doesnt-care-about-buyers-cant-not-take-my-refund-in-a-item/td-p/35029246
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Zip-code-scam/m-p/35042036#M519144
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Pkg-delivered-to-wrong-address-don-t-know-where-pkg-went/m-p/35046254#M519411
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Sketchy-seller-scamming/m-p/35050675#M519618
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/The-seller-misrepresentation-and-the-item-bought-never-arrived/m-p/35047569#M519467
May 2025
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/How-exactly-to-beat-the-fake-tracking-number-scam/m-p/35069031#M520661
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/New-Scam-by-sellers-that-eBay-refuses-to-honor-buyer-protection/m-p/35071532#M520842
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/USPS-lost-items-and-gave-me-proof/m-p/35072152#M520890
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Some-Sellers-Post-False-Tracking-Numbers-And-Get-Away-With-It/m-p/35069517#M520687
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/purchase-marked-delivered-but-not-to-my-address/td-p/35080898
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Bought-a-Scam-Listing-and-Need-Assistance/td-p/35070311
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Got-Scammed-for-6k/m-p/35086048#M521697
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/No-more-eBay-for-me/m-p/35091460#M521999
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Item-not-received/td-p/35095839
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Seller-claims-my-package-was-accidentally-sent-re-using-outdated/m-p/35102569#M522531
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Seller-is-a-Liar-and-Cheat/m-p/35108131#M522799
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/eBay-sided-with-seller-who-provided-false-tracking-ID/td-p/35106506
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Ebay-is-now-allowing-Sellers-to-give-fake-tracking-numbers/m-p/35110521#M522912
June 2025
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/EBAY-WILL-NO-LONGER-INVESTIGATE-FAKE-TRACKING-WILL-SIDE-WITH/td-p/35119176
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/BUYERS-BEWARE/m-p/35121785#M523584
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Thanks-to-Ebays-quot-Delivered-quot-policy-Seller-just-got-36/m-p/35125146#M523782
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Case-closed-in-the-seller-s-favor-but-should-it-have-been/m-p/35123142
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Seller-scammed-ebay/m-p/35125736#M523815
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Tracking-scam-received-refund-seller-continues-with-impunity/m-p/35125816#M523825
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/SCAM-WATCH-OUT-Google-this-EBay-false-tracking-number-scam/m-p/35134480#M2577503
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Item-with-false-tracking/m-p/35135234#M524362
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/I-was-cheated-by-seller/m-p/35137420#M524516
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/An-item-I-purchased-with-tracking-number-was-not-delivered-to-my/m-p/35144453#M524855
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Package-sent-to-wrong-address/m-p/35148551#M525172
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Item-Not-Received-INR-Problem/td-p/35146774
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Both-seller-and-ebay-won-t-address-an-item-I-didn-t-receive/m-p/35152146#M525362
tinylove100
OP1 year ago"This same scam can be traced back for over 15 years here... "
This is SO sad for all the victims, and for how eBay continues to enable these scams. They basically lure buyers into INR (Item Not Received) claim traps, deny those claims, and force victims to use improper NAD (Not As Described) claims just to maybe get a refund, if they even knew this method at the first place. eBay is completely messed up! All of eBay’s upper management should be ashamed of this!!!
For what it's worth, I reported eBay Commerce Inc. to the FTC https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/ I encourage all victims to do the same.
Thanks so much for the tips, I now understand the hindsight. But what I still don’t understand is why eBay and PayPal refuse to fix this. I know many software engineers - this is not hard to fix. eBay could simply flag mismatched weights or dimensions, require real item photos, and ask sellers to upload carrier receipts that show delivery address and weight.
Why wouldn’t eBay want to protect its own platform? It would cost far less to improve the algorithm than to keep paying outsourced agents who can’t actually help anyone, running along with inefficient, outdated automated systems that are only good at irritating customers, frustrating victims even more, and driving loyal customers away. Only protecting their internal metrics and fee structures instead of protecting customers is very shortsighted.
albertabrightalberta
·1 year agoYou keep blaming ebay.
You should be blaming the seller because that's who scammed you.
Ebay didn't "lure you into an INR (Item Not Received) claim trap." It was your mistake in filing the wrong type of claim because you didn't understand and weren't aware of how sneaky dishonest sellers create inaccurate tracking. And as such, you didn't understand the difference between INR (item not received) and NAD (not as described).
We understand that you didn't receive the item and understand why you filed the type of claim that you did but for the scam you were victim to, it's the wrong claim.
But to blame ebay for this is wrong. Ebay has no way of knowing that the seller used a different address and that they altered the shipping label. Sure they're aware of the scam and that's why it needs to be reported when it happens but with over 18 million sellers, they can't possibly monitor every transaction every day.
You're expecting the impossible. How can they know weights and dimensions of every item sold on the platform? Even if they knew the dimensions of the item, how can they predict how each seller will package them, whether in small boxes, large boxes, envelopes, double boxes, etc.
And how do they know whether "real" photos are the seller's item or another seller's item or even a stock image? Many sellers use light boxes and background removers so identifying the ownership of images is even more difficult because they tend to all look like stock images.
As for requiring sellers to upload carrier receipts that show address and weight, what good is that? First off, receipts don't show addresses. And what's to stop a dishonest seller who sold $150 sewing machine to stuff an appropriately sized box with 20 lbs. of rocks?
You're asking for and expecting the impossible.
tinylove100
OP1 year ago@ albertabrightalberta "You keep blaming ebay.
You should be blaming the seller because that's who scammed you. "
I blame both—the scammers and the enablers. eBay has knowingly allowed this scam to run rampant for over 15 years. That’s a long time to ignore such a widespread issue. They could easily fix it with better fraud detection and verification tools but choose not to.
Also, eBay lost the chargeback case. If their flawed algorithm allowed payment to a scammer, then that’s on them—it’s their loss. I hope eBay’s upper management finally takes action to prevent future losses and stop enabling fraud. Maybe these are such small amounts they just don’t care.
And you kept saying “impossible†- no, you’re wrong. There are always measures that can be added to protect customers. It’s just a matter of whether they care to do it.
.
kensgiftshop
·1 year agoThe seller lost the charge back case, Ebay didn't have anything to do with it.
tinylove100
OP1 year ago@kensgiftshop
No, you’re wrong again. eBay lost the case because eBay is the merchant, not the seller. Credit card processors don’t have direct accounts with eBay sellers - they process payments through eBay as the merchant of record.
So ask yourself: How is eBay tracking down and recovering the funds from the scammer?
They’re not. That’s exactly the problem.
If their flawed algorithm allowed payment to a scammer, that’s on eBay - it’s their system, their responsibility, and ultimately, their loss.
christworks
·1 year agoI am sorry this happened to you.
USPS receipts, at ones I deal with, do not show the delivery addresses. They show the city, state, zip code, and weight. There may be more information printed if a package is taken to the post office, weighed, measured, and paid for there. I imagine most sellers buy their labels from eBay or a 3rd party vendor though, and those receipts do not show the full address.
The other thing you as a buyer need to be aware of is that sellers are not always able to obtain physical receipts. For instance, my post office will not scan more than 10 packages. If there is a long line, like there is during the holidays, they won't scan them at all. I have no choice but to leave them with the lobby manager, who is supposed to scan them when they take them to the back. Because I live in a small town, I have to use FedEx and UPS access points when I use those services. I only get a text confirmation with the tracking number of the package I dropped off. It does not give me package details or any address information.
While I agree with you there needs to be a solution to this scam, the one you suggested isn't it. It will only hurt honest sellers like me.
reallynicestamps
·1 year agoand told them i didn't receive anything, they told me to open a case on eBay. So I did.
The case you opened was Item Not Received?
The Seller showed Delivery (falsely, I agree)
EBay found for the seller.
In hindsight, you would have won with a Not As Described dispute, and could even have opened an NAD when the INR went against you.
The seller would have been required to provide Return Shipping or abandon the "sewing machine" and then refund.
But that's hindsight.
You did the right thing in going for the credit card chargeback.
gosimus
·1 year ago@tinylove100
< I’ve ... never experienced - or even heard of - a scam like this >
I believe it, because you didn't know what to do. It hasn't happened to me – yet – but I've read so many threads here on the boards that I'm acquainted with the procedure. If you had been a frequent browser of these boards, you'd have known too. Note, I'm not blaming you for not knowing, just pointing out that it's preferable to learn from the mistakes of others.
The way to success is to obtain written & signed letterhead documentation from the carrier that the address associated with the tracking number was not your address. They won't tell you the actual address, but all you need is the statement that it was not yours. Then you have to appeal the lost case to the eBay employees, at the social media contacts, and upload an image of that document. Then you win.
tinylove100
OP1 year agoThe exactly the problem here is why should the burden of proof fall entirely on the buyer, especially when the buyer never received the item in the first place?
eBay presents itself as a resolution center, so the system should be fair and proactive, not one where buyers must jump through hoops, chase down carrier statements, or dig through message boards just to have a valid case reviewed properly. In my case, I already uploaded USPS detailed delivery and routing info and their scanned photo of the package with that tracking number on it, shown they were from their internal system. The rejections came back in munities by their AI system.
If this is a known scam, as you and others have noted, then eBay should be improving its systems to prevent it - not pushing all the responsibility onto victims. As a platform that facilitates these transactions and profits from them, eBay should take direct responsibility in contacting USPS or other carriers when fraud is suspected. A fair dispute system shouldn’t require buyers to become private investigators just to be protected.
roccotacodad54
·1 year agoI agree with you on the thought that buyers shouldn't have to act as private investigators running around gathering evidence etc.
If this happens again there's always the option of filing an Item Not As Described return and when asked for a picture(s) just use the one(s) on the origional listing.
It's not really the 'proper' way to handle this scam but I've heard it works. I see no reason to play by the rules when they aren't. Fight fire with fire as the saying goes.......................
mtgraves7984
·1 year agoThe way to success is to obtain written & signed letterhead documentation from the carrier that the address associated with the tracking number was not your address.
@gosimus
You know, I've heard of buyers (after losing such INR claims) opening NAD Returns (and winning them) by enclosing copies of such documentation into the package they sent back to the seller. Heck, I've started to advise doing that as I like to allow 1) eBay run its course... then move to 2) PayPal, if needed... then to 3) the payment source as a last resort.
tinylove100
OP1 year ago1) eBay run its course... then move to 2) PayPal, if needed... then to 3) the payment source as a last resort.
Right now, I’m stuck between step 2) PayPal and 3) Synchrony Bank.
Now, PayPal agents are calling me to collect what i owe them $164, for a sewing machine I never received.
I called Synchrony Bank, but they told me they can only see the charge and refund on their end. So, they can’t do any dispute at this point. Meanwhile, PayPal has already closed my case twice:
1st time after getting the seller’s tracking,
2nd time, 6 days after I appealed, even though they had said they would contact the post office to verify the delivery. They never did and they didn't get any more response from the seller, but they closed the case.
Now I’ve had to appeal again, but I don’t know if they’ll just close it again. I can appeal until 7/14/25. But I am losing my faith... So after PayPal, move to 4) file with the BBB?
And if so, who do I file the complaint against: eBay or PayPal?
Thanks!
kensgiftshop
·1 year agoThe BBB won't do anything but take your complaint.
They don't have power to do anything.
albertabrightalberta
·1 year agoIf you're a "principle girl," you can always file a small claims action against the seller. It'll cost filing fees ($50-$75 depending on jurisdiction) but you would win if you come armed with the postal documentation showing that the item wasn't delivered to you at your address.
(I'm not sure whether you can also include your filing fees as part of your loss. When you win, maybe they'll make the seller pay that too.)
kathiec
·1 year agoUnfortunately in most cases small claims actions must be heard in the defendant's jurisdiction. And while court costs are recoverable if you win, other expenses, such as travel, housing, etc., aren't recoverable. So unless the seller lives close by small claims is usually not cost effective.
@tinylove100
If you have an appeal avenue open with Synchrony call and ask to speak to their fraud department. They should be familiar with this scam.
tinylove100
OP1 year ago"If you have an appeal avenue open with Synchrony call and ask to speak to their fraud department. They should be familiar with this scam."
The worst part about PayPal Mastercard is how misleading it is. They never tell you that Synchrony Bank is the real issuer, and the only way to dispute a charge is through the PayPal portal.
After I filed the dispute:
Chargeback went: PayPal → Synchrony → my PayPal Mastercard
When PayPal ruled in eBay’s favor, they reversed it: PayPal → my PayPal balance (not back to the card)
At Synchrony end, there were charge and chargeback → no charge on the MC card, so their fraud team can’t help. Synchrony told me PayPal can’t return the chargeback to the card - only to my PayPal wallet. I’m stuck with a -$164 PayPal balance for a sewing machine I never received.
Here’s the trap:
You can only dispute directly with Synchrony if you call them first - but you don’t even know they’re the issuer. Once you click “Dispute†in PayPal, it’s locked in. And PayPal favors eBay, not the buyer.
Trap after trap for eBay scam victims. So,
Don’t use PayPal Mastercard for purchases.
Don’t buy from eBay sellers who don’t show real item photos.
tinylove100
OP1 year ago"If you're a "principle girl," you can always file a small claims action against the seller. "
In this entire credit dispute, there’s no seller involved - eBay is the one who charged my card. PayPal favors eBay, I think they’re working together on this.
So if I am "principle girl", I’m suing eBay or PayPal, not the seller.
BUT, since eBay got a chargeback from Synchrony, I’m guessing I can’t sue them. They could just say the money was refunded back to the card.
The real issue is: PayPal reversed the chargeback and applied that amount to my PayPal wallet, not my Mastercard. Synchrony says PayPal has no authority to put it back to the card.
Then PayPal had their collections agent call me, saying I owe them $164 - for something I never received.
Wow, scammers can just sit back and laugh, while these big corporations do all the work to protect them.
I just don’t understand why these companies wouldn’t care. If they keep this up, decent buyers and sellers will leave. Also, there are plenty of other credit cards and payment methods too, who would want a PayPal Mastercard after this?
albertabrightalberta
·1 year agoNo, you're mistaken.
Of course there's a seller involved and it's the seller who scammed you by sending a trinket to an address in your zip code knowing they'd win the case if you filed a claim for non-receipt.
So it's the seller who you would sue if you were to do so.
tinylove100
OP1 year ago"No, you're mistaken.
Of course there's a seller involved and it's the seller who scammed you by sending a trinket to an address in your zip code knowing they'd win the case if you filed a claim for non-receipt.
So it's the seller who you would sue if you were to do so."
NO, that’s incorrect.
FYI, I’m not just a buyer, I’m also a business owner with a brick-and-mortar store for over 20 years, so I understand how credit card processors, merchants, and chargebacks work.
On eBay, sellers are vendors operating under eBay’s platform, but eBay is the merchant of record for buyers. eBay takes the buyer’s payment, deducts their fees, and then pays out the seller. That means, from the buyer’s side, eBay is the one who charged the card - not the individual seller.
So yes, in small claims court, buyers sue the merchant (eBay), not the vendors. Then eBay can recover the loss from the seller who scammed the system. Or better yet - they could actually fix their broken algorithm to prevent these scams in the first place.
For what it’s worth, I won my credit card dispute. eBay lost.
grand-and-glorious-purpose
·1 year agoAll you need to do is start a not as described return, they aren't going to send you a label.
12345jamesstamps
·1 year ago'dispute with my credit card'...eBay is out of the picture now other than letting you know of the outcome of the dispute which eBay sends in an email and amount returned to you.
'one and half months'...it is usually very quick like a week or so.
If you have done disputes before with other companies then that could be why it's taking so long for an outcome.
house*of*paws
·1 year agoHi @tinylove100
I’m surprised your credit card company didn’t reverse the charges immediately … letting you know that they were subject to change pending investigation.
eBay is extraordinarily slow in creating policies to help buyers deal with this extraordinarily common scam. [It’s happened to me 5 times already … different selling venues, different shipping companies.]
I’ve been recommending that eBay buyers go immediately to the Fraud Department of their credit card company when they realize they’ve been the victim of the ‘fake tracking number scam’ … at least until eBay awakens from its Rip Van Winkle length nap.
grand-and-glorious-purpose
·1 year agoThe glitch of showing free shipping on mobile for items the had free local pickup lasted for well more than a decade.
I would bet that ebay never creates any sort of policy for these cases.
Not when they focus on adding pictures to feedback, or the words "verified purchase" and other useless features.
kensgiftshop
·1 year agoSince you went to your credit card, there's nothing else Ebay will do.
Be sure to tell your credit card, it's the fake tracking scam.
simba6
·1 year agoOnce you file with your card company, eBay is out of the picture. They can no longer help. That is the classic fake tracking number scam. Card companies know very well about it. It can take several months for them to decide. In most cases the buyer will win.