A problem with USPS you need to know about!

[1765gt]

Recently eBay was fooled by a Mail Fraud Scam. In effect eBay became part of the scam, because they didn't track the package and request a proof of delivery. instead, eBay heeded to a fake Poof of Delivery that the seller sent them. eBay became aligned with this fraud scam because they in effect perpetuated and advanced the efforts of the fraud.  Here's how this scam was done... the seller sold me Fender Electric guitar. He was a Zero 1st time seller, but the listing "looked" real.  He used eBay shipping tools to create a label. He then used the tracking number from that label to create another (cut and paste label) The label he got from eBay was set with a weight of 22LBS. The Cut and Paste label weight was 2 LBS / 2Oz. (not 22 LBS)  The cut and paste label was not addressed to me, however it was addressed to a real address in the same town as where I live. So what was done was a label with a tracking code depicting my address and a written address that was not mine. The label was placed on a small envelope (not a 42" x 16" x 9" guitar box. Here's why this worked...the USPS uses the tracking number to route packages to the final post office, THEN...uses the written address to deliver the package, then they scan the tracking code and Wella, they just delivered a fake package to a different address and tracked the package as delivered. The seller followed up by sending a fake Proof of Delivery which included a forged signature. The Post office did a full trace and was able to step by step reverse engineer exactly how this was done.  The provided me with a FULL REPORT and LETTER from the Post Office Inspector. I submitted this to eBay and they still settled the case against me, in effect calling me a Lier.  It was a huge effort for me to research all of this, I have been with eBay for 25 years, have 100% feedback and 5 stars in all ratings on over 3200 transactions. The seller was a Zero Feedback 1st time lister. I'm very disappointed. Happy news!!! I submitted the USPS repost to PayPal who checked the details and got my money back for me. eBay Totally Failed.  Lesson... Do your transactions with PayPal as your funder!  Don't get run over by eBay. There are better ways to protect yourself! 

[12345jamesstamps]

"Zero first time seller"....that's a red flag.

[mr_lincoln]

Hi @1765gt 

Don't drag eBay into a dishonest Seller's address scam.  That would be like dragging Ford into you getting caught speeding in a Ford Mustang.  You are the operator, you are at fault, you get the ticket.

The Seller executed the scam, not eBay.  You should report the Seller for Mail Fraud here:  PS Form 8165 - U.S. Postal Inspection Service Mail Fraud Report (usps.com)

Sorry it happened but some Sellers make a bad name for good Sellers and eBay.

[krazzykats]

• Sometimes it's not important that your mailpiece reaches a specific customer, just that it reaches an address. One way to do this is to use a generic title such as "Postal Customer" or "Occupant" or "Resident," rather than a name, plus the complete address.

• If you need to correct a printed USPS label, you can handwrite the correct address directly on the label. Here are some guidelines to follow:

  1. Return Address: Print or type your return address in the upper left corner on the front of the envelope. Make sure it’s legible and accurate.

  2. Delivery Address: Write the corrected delivery address parallel to the longest side of the envelope. Use all capital letters, and avoid using punctuation marks. Ensure that the address is legible from an arm’s length away.

  3. Spacing and Fonts:

     • Leave one space between the city and state.
     • Leave two spaces between the state and ZIP Code.
     • Use a simple type font with at least 10-point type size.

  Remember that a return address is required on most mail, and for Priority Mail Express, you must use a USPS-produced address label provided by the Post Office. If you follow these guidelines, your corrected address should be accepted without any issues! 

Maybe the Post Office needs to disallow handwritten corrections on preprinted labels to eliminate theft by readdressing.

[1765gt]

eBay has a duty and has a policy to protect its members. Legally in cases of fraud, Alignment is a charge that is often sustained against  a separate party if they are in the position of being able to see that fraud may exist.  This most often is charged if a second party stands to gain from the original fraud, which could be by means of a commissions or fee. It is aggravated if they are in a position of trust and have the tools to detect fraud. In this event, proof from the USPS was provided. 

[tinsoldierunderground]

We hear these stories all the time... usually they come from new inexperienced buyers.

You've been a community member since 2008?  You must not come on these boards very often.

I agree with @mr_lincoln .

[kensgiftshop]

You would think, as long as this scam has been going, Ebay would do more to protect the buyers.

It wouldn't take much to check with the carriers and get the information they need to see it's a scam.

[gator08041971]

I think they could probably curb the issues somewhat by simply not allowing you to create a label anywhere but on eBay, and that way the information related to the tracking number can't be changed. That doesn't help if they're manually editing the label though.

I was thinking that for the scam to work they were printing the label elsewhere and just putting the tracking number in for the details manually. I didn't even think that they might be manually modifying the label or creating a fake label with a legitimate tracking number.

I guess it just shows there's no bounds that a seller might go through to cheat the system and some buyers also go through a lot of hoops to cheat the system so there's cheaters on both sides guys.

[1765gt]

Unfortunately, although you would think eBay would "hear these stories all the time" (your quote) the people at eBay Act as if they never heard of this? How long has eBay been in business, perhaps longer then since 2008?  This must happen to the inexperienced Custom Service people at eBay all the time, right?  Perhaps? One of the Custome service people I spoke too referred to himself as a shipping problem expert, yet when I explained the issue, he told me he had never heard of such a problem before, such an expert?  

[tobaccocardyahoo]

Sherlock Holmes is not on the Ebay payroll.

The Postal Investigation Service has some would-be Sherlocks, and rooting out postal fraud is one of their responsibilities.

When you take above average risks, you are more likely to have above average losses.

Why do I believe that this Fender Guitar from a brand new seller was priced at an irresistibly low price?

Con men have taken advantage of the greed of their marks for centuries. Most cons require that to succeed, those that don't require only ignorance.

[powell-memorabilia]

Some would say that you are better off filing an INAD and sending back 22 pounds of trash.   Not that I would recommend something against policy.

[1765gt]

I think your answer make good sense. What I'm hoping for is an answer from someone who works in eBay Managment who would be able to fully explain to me how and why eBay screwed this up so badly and how they plan to become more diligent and careful that they truly comply with their own policy.

[1765gt]

 What I'm hoping for is an answer from someone who works in eBay Managment who would be able to fully explain to me how and why eBay screwed this up so badly and how they plan to become more diligent and careful that they truly comply with their own policy.

[mr_lincoln]

---

@gator08041971 wrote:

I think they could probably curb the issues somewhat by simply not allowing you to create a label anywhere but on eBay, and that way the information related to the tracking number can't be changed. That doesn't help if they're manually editing the label though.

I was thinking that for the scam to work they were printing the label elsewhere and just putting the tracking number in for the details manually. I didn't even think that they might be manually modifying the label or creating a fake label with a legitimate tracking number.

I guess it just shows there's no bounds that a seller might go through to cheat the system and some buyers also go through a lot of hoops to cheat the system so there's cheaters on both sides guys.

---

@gator08041971   I suggested something like this on another thread somewhere as a potential solution for the Seller address or false tracking number scam that has been going on for a very long time.  Sellers would be lose their Seller protection if they don't print labels through eBay.  We've shipped over 9,000 items from here on three accounts printing all labels through eBay, no issues but some people use other sites, their choice of course.  

[tinsoldierunderground]

@1765gt 

Ebay CS reps are just about useless.  The ones you contact from this site read from a script, and are based on the other side of the globe.   Have you tried contacting on social media?  Ebay for business on facebook.

I'm sorry this happened to you... but just so you are aware, ebay has no clue what goes on on these boards. 

They rely on community volunteers to act as a buffer zone here, for the most part.