Ebay siding with scamming buyer (fake track)
Ebay is evil.
Buyer with 7 feedbacm purchased gaming computer, shipped, week later opens INAD case with dark blurry photo. I pay for return label. Week goes by, no shipping notification but instead several emails explaining the buyer escalated with ebay, they sided with him, case is closed. Tracking “proof†is not what I paid for but rather a tracking originating from “NY distribution center†(buyer is located in Maimi!) and attemped delivery to my town with “house number doesn’t existâ€
I appeal the case since I have nothing and ebay decided that “ attempted delivery counts†and returned. This is a scam and just something purchased from somewhere not ever the item being returned. How can I be out everything as a top rated seller? How can ebay be so stupid with this scam? I’m considering legal action to make a point if I must. Is there any higher support available for sellers???
chizzy_deals0915
·2 years agoI hate to say this but I wouldn’t waste any more time fighting it or putting effort or money into it. You will lose every time. eBay will always stand with the buyer. It’s really sad that they do hurt good sellers doing the right thing but they don’t care. How they see it is, buyers are and why eBay is eBay so they don’t want to stop the money train but they forget it takes the seller to get the buyer. It’s weighing the odds of seller and buyer, the seller will have lots and lots of items for sale but to find a buyer that wants an item is harder to connect when they only want a few items out of that seller that has lots and lots. So you protect the person giving the green and not the person giving the item. Because if loosing the person handing over the green, there goes sales which makes no money for the company and it would go belly up.
chizzy_deals0915
·2 years agoalso the whole eBay will step in and look everything over if can’t agree is all **bleep** too. Not one real live person looks at the request and reads what has been said and what photos shown to prove what’s right. It’s just an algorithm behind it all and they just check to see who’s done the most “boxes†that they want you to do and whoever has the most check off, wins. Once again it’s wrong in so many ways but they don’t care. I personal know this because me and a buddy of mine was talking about it and said let’s do a return on each other and see how they handle it. All I did was start the return, went to post office, handed it over and they scanned it as they had it in the system and on the way but 2 mins later I went back in saying i wanted to add a sticker on it for a friend to remind them of a time we shared and really I added the sticker but also added a sticker over the address and made it the post office address. Now no fault to the post worker but I had to pull a fast one to see if me and my buddy was right about eBay returns. So we waited and waited and complained to eBay about how the return should be done by now and usps is not moving it and not even 6 mins later got response back saying return complete and got my money refunded and should see it in 1-3 days. We both hit the floor!! So I said let’s see and fight that and they said to do the Appel processes and would hear back from eBay in 4& hours. Not even 4 hours later says after they looked at what was provided that it stands that I get the refund for eBay’s buyer guarantee and that would be the final outcome. Every message was totally not a real person that we were talking to. It was a trip. Took 2 months for how long they allow people to lollygag about it. So most scammers already know how easy it is so they win win, money return and item kept and eBay says F.U seller. Also now days it’s not what you know but who you know. Scammers could easily have someone at the post office. So time, money, effort and sanity is everything you lose when fight it. It’s just not worth it. I know someone that’s lost close to $80K on scammers and doing returns with whole wrong items sent back. eBay will throw you under the bus because they know another seller will step to your spot but that buyer thou, will jump to the other 30 sites like eBay and spend there and that’s what they can’t have.
gamersbaystore
·2 years agoBy forcing buyers to use the return labels provided by ebay, scamming buyers would not have the ability to change the address of their returns, in turn putting a stop to fraud as a result.
As it stands, buyers can just fake a return by simply changing the address and mailing a package to an alternate location in the seller's same zipcode.
ebay's incredibly flawed return system never actually checks to see where a package was actually delivered, just to note how incompetent this platform truly is.
ittybitnot
·2 years agoscamming buyers would not have the ability to change the address of their returns, in turn putting a stop to fraud as a result.
@gamersbaystore
The unsavory 'buyers' are already ahead of you. It is a simple matter to edit the PDF label to change the ship to/return addresses and retain the tracking number on the return label issued by eBay before printing it out.
toomuchstuffagain35
·2 years agoBut then you should be able to get a statement from USPS that the address shown does not match the address per the barcode?
gamersbaystore
·2 years agoThe tracking system decides where packages go, and changing anything else on the label will make no difference.
ittybitnot
·2 years agoThe tracking system decides where packages go, and changing anything else on the label will make no difference.
@gamersbaystore
Carriers/delivery drivers still deliver products to the printed ADDRESS on the label. The printed address is not ignored in favor of "what the address was supposed to be" in accordance with the barcode, nor is a barcode address correction scanner provided to delivery people that I ever heard of.
Apparently, no alarm is sounded to alert anyone that the "barcode" is truly originally from a return in address in Miami, when it is changed to a return address in N.Y. and shipped from N.Y. No alarm is sounded when the parcel is delivered to a gas station (falsified address on the label) in the recipients ZipCode instead of their home.
gamersbaystore
·2 years agoChanging the address does not change the destination. USPS tracking system scans labels, could care less about text.
ittybitnot
·2 years ago@gamersbaystore
Found this today, and thought of you. See the photos in post #29 while they are still up.
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Scammed-on-e-Bay-by-buyer/td-p/34170804/page/3
The first is of the original eBay generated return label sent by the seller to the buyer.
The second is the "altered" label with the same tracking number and barcode where the ship to address is not the same. This is what the buyer used to document the 'return' The package DID NOT GO TO nor WAS DELIVERED back to the seller's address. It went to the new fake address on the label.
The buyer got a free IPhone.
gamersbaystore
·2 years agoWhat service did you use to ship, was it USPS? If it was then file a mail fraud report. USPS has broad authority to file charges against people, UPS and Fed Ex do not. The postal service has convicted scamming buyers on my behalf many times in the past, and they were ordered to pay me restitution for what they stole.
I'd be scrutinizing the tracking number your buyer provided for the return. What service is that tracking number issued from?
In situations like this, I contact the post office and ask for a full printout that proves where buyer sent the item.
In one case, I had a buyer send a pen, rather than the expensive game they bought to an appliance store around the corner from my home. ebay initially closed the case in their favor; then quickly reversed their decision when I provided proof I never received the item back. They were also convicted for mail fraud by USPS.
dolcetreasures
·2 years agoThis is a total joke of a website.
kabilab
·2 years agoYou, according to your posts, are a top rated seller with thousands of sales, yet you listed an item you were not prepared to loose, that was in a highly scammed category. For this, you accused e-Bay of being both evil and stupid?
productgenius7
OP2 years agoAh yes victim blaming. you can say that about any store that gets stolen from. what a poorly thought out post that contributes nothing
ittybitnot
·2 years ago@productgenius7
Was you computer shipped to a Freight Forwarder address in Miami? Is your buyer registered in another country?
The reason I ask is your scenario sounds so very familiar. It is played out often here, and sometimes called as suggested the "cheap trinket return scam". It is a variation of the "fake tracking scam" used to satisfy the bot driven eBay return system.
When a buyer uses a Freight Forwarder, they typically give up any protections offered by the Money Back Guarantee ONLY if the seller is aware of the issue and knows where to get the problem resolved. eBay protects eBay, and treats these all as regular transactions until the seller speaks up. Using the automated system, or the regular outsourced foreign call center customer service you get on a call back or chat is likely NOT going to be useful for you.
Your product is already in another country. If you sent a label for a return, it was only from the forwarder in Miami back to you. The crook, however, needs to satisfy the eBay bots to prove they returned the product.
They either use a different label to send a cheap trinket to an address in your zipcode (gas station, library, etc.) OR use your label (with the same tracking number) and alter the addresses to satisfy their goal. (It is quite easy to alter the PDF label). Problem is that eBay only looks to see that something was delivered somewhere. Nobody is going to check to see the return was for a 2 ounce envelope, when it should be a 10 lb. box., nor if the return address is NY, when the buyer is "supposedly" in FL.
You need to contact eBay via one of their social media portals. This leads to US based customer service reps who are very familiar with this problem, and do have the authority to help you. I think they have three different ones now, but I will supply one to get you started.
In these situations, you are likely to need written documentation from your Post Master or carrier saying the return label was not intended for you. You do not need to know exactly where it was sent, only that it was not for your address. This used to be harder to obtain than it is now, but if you bring along a print out of the tracking number from your eBay records, it will be a good start. It seems many Post Masters are well versed in these scams now as well.
Then you can use the blue message button on the top of this page to contact eBay. Give them your user ID, item number/transaction number and a brief description of the problem. Be sure to be clear this was a FREIGHT FORWARDER situation, with a FAKE TRACKING RETURN SCAM.
https://www.facebook.com/eBayForBusiness
Good luck, and do let us know how it turns out.
broto_64
·2 years agoBy "confirmed delivery" the only thing necessary per ebay is the tracking shows delivery.
robbie31415
·2 years agoHe isnt in Miami, he is probably not even in the US.
What you need to do is contact the carrier and get a statement that the return label was altered and the return was not send to your address.
Then you have to file an appeal and explain fraud has happened. You should also report to all fraud agencies and internet crime divisons. Possible file a police report that you were scammed.
Provide all these documentation for your appeal.
coli-7460
·2 years agoIf you believe that eBay has wrongly sided with a scamming buyer who provided a fake tracking number, there are steps you can take to address the issue and seek a resolution. Here's a general guide on what you can do:
Contact eBay Customer Support:
Provide Evidence:
Appeal the Decision:
Report Fraud:
Contact PayPal (if applicable):
Check Seller Protections:
Be Persistent:
Remember that the specific steps and options available to you may vary based on the details of your situation and any updates to eBay's policies after my last training cut-off in January 2022. Always refer to the latest information available on eBay's website or contact their customer support for the most accurate and up-to-date guidance.
vintagecraze50
·2 years agoOne thing I need to tell you is you have got to get on these like a hot potatoe when you discover that the buyer has done this. You get proactive and you get all the info from the postal service you can get and get them to cooperate with an investigation and send info to Ebay.
vintagecraze50
·2 years agoLooks like you got a customer sending something back to a different address than your return address? Looks like also they sent it back NOT WITH THE LABEL YOU PROVIDED, but sent it back with their own label to a different address than your return address. This is the trick they use with the tracking number showing delivered or attempted delivered in your case since they sent it to probably a vacant building within your zip code. These are tricky and complicated . Youhave to get proof from the postal service that the item was not shipped back to your return address. This problem could be solved if ebay could require that the customer use THEIR label that you gave them, but probably not enforceable which is bad. Ebay is not evil, your scammer is evil, and you need to report them to the USPS fraud inspector for mail fraud. Also try ebay for facebook to discuss this but you have to have proof submitted to them by the USPS showing this was defrauding seller using the postal service as their means of fraud.
richard1rst
·2 years agoDid you use the return process to send an email through the open claim? Or did you send him a separate email you generated yourself? In which case the return package should have had the tracking number generated by eBay.
I ask because if you sent the label through eBay's return case then it should have also preprinted your address so the "house number does not exist" looks odd.
There is an appeal process available but in fairness since I have never used it I do not have the link. Ideally someone with information on that point will chime in.
vintagecraze50
·2 years agoI think what happened here is the scammer used a different label than the ebay generated one. Another known scam used on here. They there sent the item back possible to a vacant building within the sellers zip code.
productgenius7
OP2 years agoof course label was purchased through ebay, buyer never used it. buyer used some other tracking I said earlier originating from “NY distribution center†obviously bogus he is in maimi. I’ve read from other’s here now it’s a “tricket scam†buying something online and using the tracking.
what I’m baffled about is before anything has been confirmed delivered (nothing is) ebay gave them the money back, AND DENIED MY CLAIM **bleep**! I’m a too rated seller with thousands of sales and they are a few feedback scammer using freight forwarder and a scam return label never delivered!! Ebay does not care about me unless it’s a phone call to use more promoted listings!!!
gamersbaystore
·2 years agoebay needs to stop allowing buyers to use their own labels in place of ebay's. That would certainly help put a stop to a lot of the return fraud we see happening here.
mam98031
·2 years agoHow would they be able to prevent it? It is a good idea, just interested in how they would accomplish it.
productgenius7
OP2 years agoABSOLUTELY! Why did I even buy a label through ebay if they aren't required to use it?
I got the post office to look further into the tracking number the buyer decided to use. Even though it did have my correct address, and they don't know why it wasn't delivered and marked house doesn't exist (investigating) The weight shows as only 7 ounces! As expected not my MSI laptop. Strange since I do online arb and never have had my house not be delivered to. I will get this in writing soon (the weight) and follow up with Ebay for Business
mam98031
·2 years agoYou don't PAY for the label if it never gets used.
Weight is always a tell tail detail that is extremely important.
productgenius7
OP2 years ago7 ounces is not my computer. Ebay does not care, ebay for business is doing nothing for me!!!
ittybitnot
·2 years ago, ebay for business is doing nothing for me!!!
@productgenius7
Did you inform them that this was originally a "Freight Forwarder" issue as directed in message #10? Did you provided a written note from your Post Office outlining the parcel was delivered to an address that the "and marked house doesn't exist" (whatever that means) in that address?
It could be that the people on the F.Book portal have been directed NOT to be of assistance anymore to seller victims of such scams. When buyers are victims of a fake tracking scam, they can still go to their credit card for a refund. Sellers are stuck with denials by those that control the money.
mam98031
·2 years agoI understood what your post said. Don't piecemeal the info to Ebay. Gather everything you can and then take it to Ebay. Get the evidence that the package was 7 oz and where it got delivered to. Most carriers now take pics upon delivery, see if you can get that too.
kagel51
·2 years agoDealing with a situation where a buyer appears like smokerschef to be engaging in fraudulent activity can be frustrating. If you believe a buyer is scamming you by providing a fake tracking number, here are some steps you can take:
Communication: Reach out to the buyer through the eBay messaging system to inquire about the tracking number. Politely ask for clarification and express your concerns. It's possible there might be a misunderstanding or an issue that can be resolved through communication.
Check the Tracking Information: Verify the tracking information provided by the buyer. Cross-check it with the courier's website to see if there are any updates or if the tracking number is indeed invalid.
Document Everything: Keep a record of all communications with the buyer, including screenshots of the tracking information and any relevant messages. This documentation can be valuable if you need to escalate the issue.
Contact eBay Support: If you're unable to resolve the issue with the buyer, contact eBay customer support. Provide them with detailed information about the situation, including evidence of the fake tracking number. eBay has policies in place to protect both buyers and sellers, and they may be able to assist you in resolving the problem.
Appeal a Decision: If eBay has initially sided with the buyer, you may have the option to appeal the decision. Provide any additional evidence you have and explain why you believe the buyer is engaged in fraudulent activity. eBay will review the case, and if they find in your favor, they may take appropriate action.
Report the Issue to Law Enforcement: If you have strong evidence of fraud, consider reporting the issue to your local law enforcement agency. Fraudulent activities, including providing fake tracking information, are illegal, and law enforcement may be able to investigate the matter.
Review eBay Policies: Familiarize yourself with eBay's policies, especially those related to buyer and seller protection. Understanding the rules can help you make a stronger case when dealing with customer support.
Remember that each case is unique, and eBay's decisions may depend on the specific details of the situation. Patience and persistence are key when dealing with these matters. If you are unable to resolve the issue through eBay's normal channels, consider seeking legal advice or contacting your local consumer protection agency for guidance.