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I purchased a shipping label on ebay. The tracking says it is "counterfeit postage". Any experience?
Hey all. I have searched and seen this happen to maybe ONE other person with no real explanation. I purchased a shipping label on ebay. Popped it on the box, popped it in my mailbox to pick up (it was a small package). I do this all the time and have had no issues before. Today, it is picked up and then I see this message on the tracking info:
"Tracking information will not be displayed because this package was shipped with counterfeit postage. Please contact the merchant or seller with any questions."
Well, I am the seller and I have questions??? I called my local post office and they told me they had no idea what the program was but they would look at my box when it arrives (it is likely still on the local truck). I obviously did not intent to ship with counterfeit postage, and this looks real sketchy to my buyer! Anyone ever have this issue?
kh-vince
·1 year 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.
midi-8582
·1 year agoI just received an item with postage due because the shipping label is counterfeit.
The label has a different sender than the seller name.
I paid the postage due. I want the item.
It is the correct item, but there is no mention of eBay on the label. It says Pitney Bowes.
The post office label says: Counterfeit postage. Postage Due $5.65
It was USPS Ground Advantage.
Is this a scam, or is something going wrong (e.g.printing the label at the wrong resolution)?
wastingtime101
·1 year agoHi @midi-8582 . Can you click on my ID in this post and send a message with an image of the label? You can black out your personal info.
I'm one of the shipping experts here and I'm happy to take a look and help with this.
midi-8582
·1 year agoI will have to do it later. I am waiting for an important call, and I need the phone to make the image..
elizabeth@ebay
Hello everyone,
Please see the update below regarding this issue:
"USPS corrected the root cause of the counterfeit and seized notices on tracking. This was a false notice. All shipments are continuing through the mail stream and progressing toward their final destinations. USPS is actively working to update the current tracking and delivery events. Clear and concise tracking visibility will soon be restored. Please let customer service know if you're still experiencing issues with this, or experience any new instances"
Thank you,
aklthingz
·2 years agoHi Elizabeth, unfortunately this just happened to a package I sent on 12/4/23 to a buyer. The package was intercepted on 12/6/23. The buyer had to go to the post office and paid for the shipping in order to retrieve the package. I contacted USPS and the agent confirmed that the shipping label generated from ebay was a counterfeit. I just got off the phone with Raven from the ebay selling/buying team. She will investigate and get back to me within 48 hours. Is there anything you can do for the buyer at this point? Thanks!
lux-libri
·3 years agoI hope it's just a glitch that resolves itself. If not, eBay should not penalize sellers monetarily and should be prepared to remove any negative feedback for affected transactions.
I've had scary messages show in tracking before that turned out to be nothing. On one occasion, the tracking said "Visible Damage," but the package arrived completely unscathed according to the buyer. No damage at all.
xray360
·3 years agoWe had about 24 packages with this Alert. Asked local post office to check intranet tracking. Internally the packages are fine and are moving. Nothing was seized. Some tracking numbers started to update on USPS.com
In my experience a supervisor at the local post office is 1000% more helpful than calling customer support on usps.com Supervisors have access to intranet tracking which is not available to all postal workers.
nia_handmade_shop
·3 years agoTwo packages I sent out on July 31st got flagged for counterfeit postage on Aug 1st. No updates since. I asked my local post office what's the deal and they don't know the reason either. I am contacting Ebay when they open to add me to that Alert list. I am SMH....
c2partssupply
·3 years agoSame here. Few packages from Monday are marked as counterfeit postage.
hotlikefrosty
·3 years agoMy labels affected yesterday seem to be moving through the system normally, so hopefully others are seeing the same today.
elizabeth@ebay
Hello everyone! If you're being affected by this issue, please reach out to our Customer Service here and ask to be added to ALERT14863, which has also been added to our tech board.
Thank you,
jfc9897
·3 years agoHi. I am having this same issue. I’m having trouble getting in touch with an agent. Please help!
wastingtime101
·3 years agoHey @jfc9897 - use the chat (type agent in the chat window) or call back option on the left side of this page:
https://www.ebay.com/help/contact_us?id=4002&st=10
When you get to a live rep, ask them to add your account to ALERT 14863
jfc9897
·3 years agoHi @wastingtime101. Thank you for your reply and trying to help. I tried the chat window and typed in "agent" and I answered whatever info the automated chat asked me to try and narrow down my inquiry but it wouldn't bring me to a live agent. It's hard to explain to the automated chat what the situation is. I tried typing "tracking" "selling" "shipping" and none of it worked. And I don't see any call back option on the left side or anywhere. So frustrating.
jfc9897
·3 years agoI was able to finally able to get through to an agent through chat but I need to talk over the phone. I plan on calling tomorrow. My tracking still says “counterfeit.†Is anybody else still having this issue or did your packages just resume moving through the usps system?
rockinthreadsrecords
·1 year agoHello, I know this is an old post but I'm having the same issue where my package is being held due to being counterfeit. Here's the tracking # 61299998825471963991 I filed a case through USPS and they informed me that it's not being returned or delivered since it's counterfeit. I printed this label directly through Ebay so I know it's not counterfeit. The Post Office told me to contact Ebay and Ebay informed me to contact Post Office. I'm hoping you can help me get this back. Thanks.
midi-8582
·1 year agoHow do I do that? Customer Service seems to have no selection for doing that.
elizabeth@ebay
Hello everyone,
Thank you for reporting this issue. Our team is aware of this issue and are working on this now. We will post an update shortly.
muncie-rx
·3 years agoThe counterfeit postage label issue on labels purchased thru eBay has affected My labels also!!
Any resolution?
muncie-rx
·3 years agoAny ebay response to this situation? My shipped item was in "Counterfeit Postage" status and now, after 3 days, appears to be simply "Picked Up"?
Please let Me know of a solution!
happycalicollector
·1 year ago6/18/2025: I am now having the exact same issue and would like to know when eBay will take responsibility for its mistake? My package is now low, usps says they won’t send it back because the label is counterfeit and eBay forced me to reimburse the buyer. Please advise.
 
 
jerseyboymusic
·3 years agoChecking with my postmaster... my packages from this morning are showing the same thing...
It looks like a glitch according to him... everything internally looks normal, so hoping it all works itself out
I did send some stuff out Saturday morning they arrived yesterday without a problem
momtoabeautifuldaughter
·3 years agoJust checked my Sunday and Monday printed labels and thankfully all of them are moving through the system as normal.
playerkillers
·3 years agoPurchased 11 labels from eBay on Sunday and 14 labels on Monday for orders over the weekend... took all 11 from Sunday and 13 of the 14 from Monday directly to post office today. Just like normal, I scanned them at the self serve kiosk...I then dropped the packages directly to the counter clerk who took them directly to the conveyor (2 plastic post office boxes full). I just looked up the statuses and all 11 Sunday labels are fine, showing movement and correct tracking. Unfortunately, All 14 of my Monday purchased labels show counterfeit on the USPS tracking page. I have the receipt clearly showing I paid for all the labels. Also... One of the 14 Monday labels is still in my possession waiting to go out since I need to go to my storage to retrieve the book. Even the one I haven't sent out yet says counterfeit. Help!
trini_ty088
·3 years agoI also purchased 8 labels through ebay on 7/31 and am getting the same error across Priority, ground and Padded Flat Rate.
agemelee
·3 years agoThis is scary
tlc_company
·3 years agoSent out 13 packages through eBay today. Three were UPS: everything was fine. 6 out of my 10 USPS packages have the same error message on the USPS website: counterfeit postage. All purchased through eBay directly.
kingkoalagames
·3 years agoI sent out 7 ground advantage packages with the bulk shipping tool and all of them say counterfeit. I dropped them off at the post office as normal and no one said anything. I'm super worried something will happen to them but hoping it's just a glitch and my packages won't be trashed...
electoblaze
·3 years agoI am also seeing the same error message for 3 usps ground advantage labels I purchased directly through ebay. I will call the USPS help line tomorrow when they reopen. Glad to see I am not the only one, it definitely seems like a glitch affecting multiple sellers. Very concerning.
hotlikefrosty
·3 years agoThis is a nightmare scenario and has just happened to me from a lot of packages over the weekend worth $2,000...
vontos
·3 years agoI've also had this issue with all 7 of my packages today. Two are priority, five are ground advantage. It's not an issue with the seller making a mistake, it is an issue with the labels themselves somehow.
vontos
·3 years agoI should add that I also had several shipments using the ebay standard envelope label. I don't know yet whether any of them are flagged as counterfeit.
xt88mk92
·3 years agoSame here two of my label is showing up as counterfeit on USPS site.
ms.rodriguez*
·3 years agoFirst email the buyer and let them know that it's an obvious mistake IF YOU PRINTED THROUGH EBAY! Tell them to please be patient while you fix this. Now, if you put on some stamps on the package, you might as well refund. The new policy is for the post office is to confiscate the items and NOT deliver nor return to the sender. I don't see how a label created on ebay can be called counterfeit. I would go to the post office first thing in the morning. BEFORE YOU DO THAT, SEE IF YOU CAN REPRINT THE SHIPPING LABEL BY GOING TO MY EBAY, then to orders and then to shipping label. If you can't print, see if you take a photo of the receipt or the actual page where the label was created. Take this with you to the post office and speak with the postmaster. See if you can get him to RECALL the package back to you because it has to be a mistake. They need to NOT charge you because it's a mistake. You do NOT want the buyer to get the box and a refund because I am sure that if they are newbies, they will open a case.
Please come back and tell me if you added any stamps to the box because perhaps you underestimated the weight?
kensgiftshop
·3 years agoHow was it shipped, what service?
sdneped
·3 years agoHopefully @mak929_0 it's not this, next?
monroe67
·3 years agoA couple things stand out:
Info provided (above) by "sasa790592" shows this package arrived in Houston, Texas, on March 14 of this year.
Today, July 31, 2023, OP got the message that the postage was counterfeit.
Could OP have made a mistake and possibly printed (yesterday, July 30) a postage label that he/she validly used some time between March 10 to 14?
As OP is the eBay seller of this package --
And it looks like the USPS has confiscated the package --
I hope OP has refunded his eBay buyer completely, apologized profusely, claiming some sort of bizarre mishap occurred . . . .
I am hoping to learn how this situation turns out.
kingkoalagames
·3 years agosasa790592's image doesn't relate to OP's package today. They were just providing an example of the error. This seems to be a widespread issue today affecting many sellers (including me). Hopefully we'll hear something soon before our packages are thrown out. I'll be out hundreds of dollars from just from today's sales that this is happening to.
4wheelersandmore
·3 years agoAll 7 I shipped out today all state the same thing. I called eBay they stated they were going to open an investigation. Well I see it as this is in them not the sellers as I purchase all my labels through them.
vontos
·3 years agoI was told by ebay support that they're aware of the issue and not to worry about it. I am still going to worry about it and call USPS Tuesday if there isn't clarity by then.
simba6
·3 years agoYou need to contact USPS right away. Go to their web site.
sdneped
·3 years agoIt looks @simba6 like OP already "Go to their web site" and even "contact USPS right away" with a phone call?
Anything else they should do, that they haven't done?