Fake Seller shipments

[suoiretsym]

Anybody dealing with sellers giving fake shipment info to try and void eBay/PayPal claims? This last one I'm tied in has been very challenging where most of the shipment looks valid, but I was home the whole day and no delivery was attempted.

[toomuchstuffagain35]

Two possibilities

1. it's part of a "fake tracking scam" so you can't win an INR, in which case you file a Not as described claim instead - missing parts (like ALL of it lol).

2. It's been misdelivered by the carrier, OR scanned as delivered but it's still on the truck (given weather conditions).

[ittybitnot]

 Anybody dealing with sellers giving fake shipment info to try and void eBay/PayPal claims? 

@suoiretsym 

Yes, just about every day here.   What have you done so far to determine it was purposely sent to another address, and not simply misdelivered by the carrier?  

Does your product have a tracing number that starts with ESUS?  i.e. a collectible card or coin? 

[suoiretsym]

UPS has been contacted. That was a hurdle in itself, then the Investigation department was closed today and have to call back Monday. Trying to do a reverse look up to see if package was ever intended for my residence or name. UPS My Choice dashboard does not show this tracking number as a shipment coming to my residence. A weird shipment however did pop up with a different tracking number that shared all the same moves after the package supposedly hit the state, but nothing was actually ever delivered. The seller's response just seemed so scripted like it was prepped many times before. I actually had a similar incident awhile back, but the courier was USPS. I had friends in places there that were able to do a reverse look up and let me know that was a package that went to a neighbor down the road. That seller immediately refunded me after I let him know I was already in touch with a Supervisor and was back tracking. I am not that fortunate in this incident. The one thing I got going for me is UPS package details stated a weight of 12.4lbs the items physically should be 24lbs (3 gallons of fluid) plus packing material. Seller gave me a bogus run down of the specific UPS service that was listed auto-generates that weight as a default. Not a whole number, but "12.4"

[ittybitnot · Accepted solution]

@suoiretsym 

Thank you for the reply.  The problem has been (and still is) that eBay has been requiring "written documentation" from the carrier stating that the address on the parcel is NOT intended for you in the cases of the fake tracking scam when "tracking shows delivered" .   That is really special since eBay knows that acceptable "written documentation" is impossible to obtain, and thus grounds for dismissing your claim and your appeal.  

Once there is a 'recorded delivery' and it is determined the parcel was NOT intended for you, no matter where you seek monetary redress,  you have to give up the ITEM NOT RECEIVED terminology (even though it is quite logical).   If you get thrown under the bus by eBay, and try PayPal or your credit card company (NOT all at the same time, please) and insist on INR, you are going to lose again.  The request is sent to eBay and they simply respond with the "tracking shows delivery" mantra with the same phony information used against you in the first place. 

Again, this problem is nothing new.  It has been going on for years.  While USPS has been more cooperative of late, UPS and FedEx apparently are not.  Sometime you can get an email  stating "they will not talk to you because you are neither the sender nor the recipient of the parcel".....too bad eBay will not accept email evidence.  Your credit card company just might, or at least lift a finger to check.  It would be prudent to call and ask what evidence they need before pursuing a claim via the Pal (if you paid that way) or your credit card.  Again, do not file multiple claims at the same time. 

eBay knows about this, PayPal knows, the carriers know, and the credit card industry knows.  It seems like they all hope YOU DON'T KNOW and will give up and go away.  

For eBay, this matter is best addressed through one of the social media portals.  These are US based employees that are familiar with the issue, and do have the authority to help you.  If this is your "sellers" 15th Rodeo with this problem, for example, they might just refund you on the spot, especially if the seller is "no longer a registered user".   It won't hurt to ask what additional documentation they want.  You can use the blue message button on this page to get started: 

https://www.facebook.com/eBayForBusiness

OR one of these: 

https://twitter.com/askebay

https://www.instagram.com/ebayforsellers/

Another less savory alternative that usually works:  Once it is determined that the fake tracking scam is underway, simply file an "item not as described" claim with eBay.  If the seller sends you a return label, use it to send back exactly what you received. ie. nothing.   Pay attention to the timelines with this process, and you should be refunded accordingly by eBay's most gracious auto bot system.  

Good luck, and let us know how this turns out for you. 

[suoiretsym]

Thank you so much for this insight. I was really at a lost and still may be. This will be my lesson in trying to save a couple dollars. Only sellers with high sales and ratings from now on. I will update once this is all over. I genuinely believe this seller really is a scammer after re-evaluating low sales volume and generic positive feedback from accounts, with majority less or equally low feedback amounts. Thank you again @ittybitnot for taking the time to respond to this.

[suoiretsym]

UPS delivered to a business down the street. Claimed GPS coordinates matched my residence. Denied any claim. Business did not even look for correct address. Lucky enough a customer new a family member and pointed us in the right direction.

[mrelms]

I am going through this right now, I have made an appeal.  I provided ebay with an email statement from ups that the tracking number did not have my name or address on it. I did find out where the package was delivered and to whom it was. I provided this info to ebay and they still denied my refund. Stating the package was delivered and that they are not responsible for shipping. Also for me to contact the seller who has not responded to any of the 6 messages I sent.  I am beside myself.

[mudshark61369]

@mrelms,

First off you should not piggyback an issue you have on another person's posts on these boards. You can read them to see if there has been an accepted solution, and take that advice, or post your own Discussion.

To save you time I will tell you what you need to do.

'I have made an appeal. I provided ebay with an email statement from ups that the tracking number did not have my name or address on it. I did find out where the package was delivered and to whom it was. I provided this info to ebay and they still denied my refund."

eBay will not accept emails as proof of anything since they can be faked, so your appeal will be denied. However, there is still one option left to you that will get you a refund. You will need to do some leg work to get the proof you need. 

You will have to go to your local UPS store.  You need to bring a copy of your order details page which shows your address and the tracking number with you. If you bought using a phone or tablet, you can bring that to show the clerk the order details. Since you received an email from UPS bring a copy of that along with you.

   You want to ask the clerk to check the label address against yours, and also to check the Package type/size weight info to see if was is appropriate for what you should have received.  If the info does not match up, you ask the clerk to write a note on Company stationary saying in general that the shipping label's address was not yours, and if applicable that the package type/size/weight was not right for what you should have received. Do not ask for specific address or package info, they cannot give it out.  Have the clerk print their name then sign and date the note.

Once you have the note, you can contact ebay through their Facebook or Instagram social media pages. (links below) You can write out what happened and what you found out, and add a CLEAR photo or a scan of the note to the message.  The reps on those sites, know about the fake tracking scams and will authorize a refund, you will need to have the seller's username and the ebay item number. At the end of your message give them your real and ebay username. 

https://www.facebook.com/eBayForBusiness

https://www.instagram.com/ebayforsellers/

  In the future I strongly suggest that you check the feedback profile pages of each seller you intend to buy from, before bidding on or buying their items.  You can access a seller's feedback profile page from near the bottom of listing pages. Use the See All Feedback  button below where their name is in a large font.  On the profile page if the seller has received neutral or negative feedback, click on the numbers of them to read only those comments. Never go by a feedback percentage alone. Some people who have been scammed but did not file a dispute may have left feedback saying they never received their items.

For Future reference, Read the info in the link below about ebay's money Back Guarantee (MBG) policy and time frames. and save it to your device.

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy...