AI and Ebay resolutions are helping the scammers. What a shame!
I bought a brand new Minelab Manticore metal detector for $680 plus taxes {$743}. Seller does not have any sales. Item was showing a UPS tracking number as usual 3 days after purchase. Item was delivered to my address per the tracking Thursday 26th, a week ago but it was delivered to another address. I called Ebay to let them know of the issue and they suggested me to call UPS with my complaint. Before calling UPS I got the proof of delivery via a picture showing a box about 15" x 12" long. I called UPS and the representative kindly let me know that indeed the package was delivered but not to my address and it didn't have my name on it. I asked the rep to give me the address of that buyer but mentioning legality she didn't oblige.
I did all the possible, I contacted the seller telling him about the package delivered to another address and that it didn't reflect the size needed to fit the metal detector. After my claim of not being delivered to my address Ebay was supposed to let the seller know that he needed to respond. Of course he didn't respond since he knew Ebay would settle for the seller since the item was delivered.
The proof of delivery's picture shows a white door facing the street. The threshold is 6 inches high. The frame on its right is neglected. The sun heats it, there's a shadow of a tree's leaves on its left and the shadow on the ground is close to the package being delivered. My door is black, with a white metal door as a protection. The threshold is about 3 inches high. To its left there's the end of the 25 feet long garage, so there's no tree that can cast a shadow on anything. I sent both pictures to Ebay. I dared them to Google my address to see the garage on the front and my front door at the end of it to compare it with the door on UPS proof of delivery. I explained that this was a scam and of course I got the reply telling me to reach them if the item wasn't delivered yesterday March 4th.
Well, about an hour ago I called Ebay after initiating a claim of not delivery. I was called by Ebay and 2 minutes into the conversation I got the notification that the case was closed because THE &*&^% ITEM WAS DELIVERED. {I bet they will do more to punish me for the insult than for my case, for sure}.
Who did the determination? AI? Of course!
While I was reviewing the determination that I was scammed by Ebay and its scammers, I asked the representative to note what I said about Googling my address and compare my house's layout with the house "my package was delivered at". After listening to me being mad, the rep kind of rushed to tell me he would escalate my case and kind of hung up on me. I know if won't make a difference, the human touch has been lost not only on Ebay but in any contact you make with any other company out there.
The scammer, sold something of lower value on Amazon, and that tracking he uploaded it on my purchase. Ebay is protecting him or her by not asking proof of the shipping label. And by not having a person looking at my case it validates my statement.
So, I am a victim of Ebay and its scammers. From now on, I will buy on Amazon. I may even close my account on Ebay. I get yelled at, receiving a negative without any explanation, returning this, refunding that, being nice and now I see myself being at the end of a scam.
This is so pathetic seeing myself being robbed $743 by Ebay and its accomplices the scammers.
Go ahead moderator, instead of punishing me, help me out.
What a shame!
pickapaper
·6 months ago@escuintla
I'm not trying to beat you up but did you do any vetting of this buyer before you bought the item? There are more than 2 Billion listings on eBay every day and eBay has no way to authenticate every item or police what the seller does. So it is basically up to a buyer to research the seller before buying from him and if the buyer does not receive what is advertised, he can use eBay's Money Back Guarantee, or in the case of a fake tracking scam, can go to his payment source.
I put "Minelab Manticore metal detector" into eBay's search box and it brought up multiple listings. Many are using the same stock photos (including the one you bought) and prices are varying by several hundred dollars.
You said you saw that this seller had no feedback. That and the fact that he used stock photos with a price that was a lot cheaper than most of the other listings for the same item would have been a red flag for me. I'm guessing you got excited that you found the item for a much cheaper price than it usually sells for and you went for it.
I know it's after the fact but when you buy an item on eBay, especially a pricy item, always pay with a source such as a credit card so you will have some recourse if things go south.
I'm sorry this happened to you. I hope you get it worked out.
fullers_uk
·6 months agoLooks like a job for https://www.uspis.gov
jonathanbrightlight
·6 months agoThey used UPS shipping (for the fake tracking number) not USPS.
ccomic
·6 months agoWelcome to eBay
krazzykats
·6 months agoGet confirmation from the UPS that it wasn’t delivered to your address, then file a claim with your payment source.
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PS. eBay did not sell you anything, the seller did.
ccomic
·6 months agoThe problem is this works once or twice. I think as credit card holders we have some obligation not to repeatedly put our accounts at risk. How do we justify going back to the bank the second or third time after we make additional purchases from the same company that gave us trouble before?
And although eBay doesn't execute fake tracking scams themselves, they must know that these things go on and they apparently still refuse to refund the buyer. That puts them into an ethically questionable position in my book.
krazzykats
·6 months agoYou’d think that after the first time this happens, a buyer would get smarter and check out the seller's reputation thoroughly before making another purchase.
eBay is aware of the issue. Every fake tracking message posting is being recorded on another thread.
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ccomic
·6 months agoSo they record all these instances and still leave the buyers to twist in the wind? If that's true, it seems even worse.
krazzykats
·6 months agoNo, other members are recording the threads that eBay has access to.
The thieves are the "sellers" who do this, not eBay.
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escuintla
OP6 months agoI paid with Ebay funds and $133 from my CC.
UPS won’t do anything since they protect their customer’s “privacy”.
Ebay doesn’t have a human being reading the claims. Once the item was delivered, though via scam we are done.
eburtonlab
·6 months ago@escuintla
If the buyer actually receives something, the buyer can file a "not as described" return within thirty days for a full refund. In fact, any buyer on eBay can file a "not as described" return, provided the buyer is willing and able to return exactly what was received.
If tracking shows delivery but nothing arrives and the buyer can obtain some hard copy documentation (email is not good enough) that says that the package was not delivered to the buyer's address or documentation that shows the weight or size of the package cannot possibly correspond to the ordered item, or the shipping date precedes the order, then the buyer may be able to contact eBay via social media direct message, provide that documentation to eBay and get help with "false tracking".
https://x.com/askebay
https://www.facebook.com/ebay
https://www.instagram.com/ebayforsellers/
With "false tracking" if you go through a standard automated "item not received" case, on the other hand, you will lose the case because the seller can provide tracking that appears to show delivery. If you then appeal, you may have some additional options at that point. It appears that eBay has added a new appeal option regarding "delivery to another address", but I do not know how effective that is compared to contacting eBay via social media with documentation and explicitly mentioning "false tracking", which seems to work provided you can obtain the necessary documentation.
If you are unable to get help through eBay, you may have recourse through your payment method, though you should probably exhaust all your eBay options first since once you go through your payment method, eBay will no longer help with that transaction.
In general, you can avoid a lot of headaches by choosing to purchase only from established sellers that have recent and past positive feedback as a seller for selling items in the same category that you intend to buy. If someone is selling a dozen apple watches, but has no feedback, or only has feedback as a buyer, or only has feedback for selling dress patterns or fishing lures (actual examples I have seen), perhaps wait until they have a track record of positive feedback for selling electronics before you buy from them.
escuintla
OP6 months agoAI has more decision power than a human representative. I had expl in my case, all about what I described on this topic. My front door against the other door and the box not being able to fit the metal detector. Nobod, a human read that. AI is driven by “item delivered” and that’s it.
I just hope the last representative really talks to another human being so they can verify my allegations.
I am really frustrated because of the lack of the human touch.
eburtonlab
·6 months agoAI has more decision power than a human representative.
Not if you contact eBay via social media direct message and specifically mention "false tracking" and get a chance to submit your documentation. If you filed a standard "item not received" case, that would have been decided by a bot.
Or you can file a "not as described" return, and the bot will decide in your favor.
krazzykats
·6 months agoIt sounds like you should request a chargeback from your payment source, such as PayPal or your credit card, if eBay has ruled against you due to a fake delivery scam.
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eburtonlab
·6 months agoIt sounds like you should request a chargeback from your payment source, such as PayPal or your credit card, if eBay has ruled against you due to a fake delivery scam.
OP paid most of the cost with eBay funds, so the OP should pursue either a "false tracking" claim via social media direct message or a "not as described" return on eBay if the clock has not run out yet. Going the CC route will ensure that the OP gets only a fraction of the funds returned, at best.
luckythewinner
·6 months agoI am really frustrated because of the lack of the human touch.
IF eBay insists that you received the item, you should still be able to file a "Not as described" dispute. Because after all, what you got (nothing) was not what you ordered.
And if the seller wants you to return the item for a refund, you should pack the box with what you got (nothing).