eBay

mmrooz18 · ‎02-27-2023

Today an received a notification about an item being delivered today. This is two days before the estimated shipping time. The moment I saw the notification, it being an expensive item, I checked all around my residence and neighbors mailboxes and could not find the item.

I then contacted USPS, gave them the tracking number where they said it was delivered but to a place several miles away from my address, not the address i provided to the seller, however in the same zip code as mine. Doing some further searching it seems this is a common scam on ebay to get around the tracking system.

I then contacted the seller twice with my concerns and cordially asked why they sent it to a different address with the same zip code. I have yet to recieve any response from the seller.

After talking with Ebay and sharing what USPS gave me they said to wait to open a INR case. I must wait until tomorrow to open a case. So basically is this my word against theirs now? I feel like time is against me here as I should gather as much info to defend my case that I never actually received any item.

I am just unsure what action I should take now. I am very close to just leaving negative feedback and opening a dispute with my credit card company, but I do not want to be too hasty in doing these things.

Any info on this matter greatly appreciated.

mmrooz18 · ‎02-27-2023

Thank you for the info. Im going to fight this till the end. I will probably go with Return case over INR, i just dont know when I should do it.

With INR route I don't want to deal with an appeal process if it goes in the seller's favor, also in that case I cannot give feedback, the seller won't be penalized basically getting to keep the money even if I was refunded by ebay. This is what I read on these very forums, but that policy it could be out of date so I could be wrong. I would like my feedback to be viewable and allow it for trustworthy users to steer clear from sellers like this and that is applicable when you choose INAD or Return case, right?

I dont know how much truth there is to this but I am reading that sellers can buy tracking info and apply it to their ebay shipments making it seem like its their item shipped when its a completely different item going to a different person all together. As long as its the same city and zip, in the vicinity of buyer it basically tricks ebay into thinking it was actually a completed delivery in their system.

lakefor94 · ‎02-27-2023

The feedback might stick in a INAD return case.

Don't mention that you were involved in a case or anything like that. EBay has a lot of rules and sellers know how to get feedback removed that violates policy.

You have 30 days from the delivery date to file INAD. Make sure to select a INAD return reason.

If this seller is a scam seller, they will know all the tricks. Folks here will walk you through every step along the way. Always come back here with questions. More reliable answers can be obtained here than thru eBay phone reps.

Posting ID

lakefor94 · ‎02-27-2023

@mmrooz18

"I dont know how much truth there is to this but I am reading that sellers can buy tracking info and apply it to their ebay shipments making it seem like its their item shipped when its a completely different item going to a different person all together. As long as its the same city and zip, in the vicinity of buyer it basically tricks ebay into thinking it was actually a completed delivery in their system."

Yes, they just buy a label anywhere and address it to a random address in your area. Send an empty envelope with USPS 1st Class Package tracking. Enter the tracking into the eBay system and viola, they get a verified delivery scan. This goes on thru EVERY online venue including AMZ. Happened to my wife there.

The key is to be able to vet your seller adequately before purchase. Takes a little time, but doable.

Posting ID

ma-647837 · ‎02-27-2023

@mmrooz18 wrote:
Thank you for the info. Im going to fight this till the end. I will probably go with Return case over INR, i just dont know when I should do it.

The best day is Tuesday as late as possible just before midnight Pacific Time, if it's not a holiday. Unless it spans a weekend with a holiday on Fri or Mon, if you start an INR or return on:

Mon, plus 3 business days: Fri a business day, to ask eBay to step in, 4 calendar days later.

Tue, plus 3 business days: Sat not a business day, to ask eBay to step in, 4 calendar days later.

Wed, plus 3 business days -- must wait until Tue to ask eBay to step in, 6 calendar days later.

Thu, plus 3 business days -- must wait until Wed to ask eBay to step in, 6 calendar days later.

Fri, plus 3 business days -- must wait until Thu to ask eBay to step in, 6 calendar days later.

Sat, plus 3 business days -- must wait until Fri to ask eBay to step in, 6 calendar days later.

Sun, plus 3 business days -- must wait until Fri to ask eBay to step in, 5 calendar days later.

ma-647837 · ‎02-27-2023

@12345jamesstamps wrote:
I had such an incident. Seller wrote address on package and had terrible handwriting.

Got a notification item was delivered. It was a midweek day in the afternoon. Saw the address on my notification where it was delivered. Package was delivered about 6 blocks up Nob Hill on same street from me.

I got on my motorcycle and went up to that address. My package was in a pile of about 10 packages outside. I took my package and became a happy camper. We get notifications when something is "out for delivery"...and when "it is delivered".

How did that work?

Say you live at 123 Nob Hill.

And the handwriting said 456 Nob Hill.

USPS would notify the people at 456 Nob Hill that they are receiving mail today,

and would not notify you at 123 Nob Hill ... as it's not your address that USPS saw on the mail.

Or if it was a USPS tracking number,

it would say "out for delivery" and eventually "delivered"

but it wouldn't tell you waiting at 123 Nob Hill that it was delivered to another address.

mmrooz18 · ‎02-27-2023

@ma-647837 wrote:
@mmrooz18 wrote:
Thank you for the info. Im going to fight this till the end. I will probably go with Return case over INR, i just dont know when I should do it.
The best day is Tuesday as late as possible just before midnight Pacific Time, if it's not a holiday. Unless it spans a weekend with a holiday on Fri or Mon, if you start an INR or return on:

Mon, plus 3 business days: Fri a business day, to ask eBay to step in, 4 calendar days later.
Tue, plus 3 business days: Sat not a business day, to ask eBay to step in, 4 calendar days later.
Wed, plus 3 business days -- must wait until Tue to ask eBay to step in, 6 calendar days later.
Thu, plus 3 business days -- must wait until Wed to ask eBay to step in, 6 calendar days later.
Fri, plus 3 business days -- must wait until Thu to ask eBay to step in, 6 calendar days later.
Sat, plus 3 business days -- must wait until Fri to ask eBay to step in, 6 calendar days later.
Sun, plus 3 business days -- must wait until Fri to ask eBay to step in, 5 calendar days later.

Thank you for the awesome break down. Incredibly helpful! I already have an open inquiry with USPS to confirm the seller sent to a different address where they can send me a letter of proof. This USPS claim takes 3-5 business days. Wait for that or just put in the Return case tomorrow night per your advice and hope they just get back to me with a refund? My concern is getting a shipping label with no proof from USPS to send or not having the option to have ebay step in. Very much appreciate everyone's help as never experienced this before. 99% of the time sellers respond and make the return process as smooth as possible.

ma-647837 · ‎02-27-2023

@mmrooz18 wrote:
@ma-647837 wrote:
@mmrooz18 wrote:
Thank you for the info. Im going to fight this till the end. I will probably go with Return case over INR, i just dont know when I should do it.
The best day is Tuesday as late as possible just before midnight Pacific Time, if it's not a holiday.
This USPS claim takes 3-5 business days. Wait for that or just put in the Return case tomorrow night per your advice and hope they just get back to me with a refund?

My concern is getting a shipping label with no proof from USPS to send or not having the option to have ebay step in.

If the seller @mmrooz18 doesn't

-- respond,

-- issue a refund, or

-- send a prepaid return label,

ask eBay to step in after 3 business days.

Following, if eBay sends a return label instead of just refunding after you ask eBay to step in

-- you have 10 clock days (not the usual 10 business days if eBay was never asked to step in) to mail that return label.

So that fortunately should give you more than enough time.

ittybitnot · ‎02-28-2023

Saw the address on my notification where it was delivered.

@12345jamesstamps

The USPS notification actually showed the (not your) address?

ittybitnot · ‎02-28-2023

I am very close to just leaving negative feedback and opening a dispute with my credit card company, but I do not want to be too hasty in doing these things.

@mmrooz18

If you do that, eBay is going to be ready for you. They will simply respond with the same tracking/delivery scan that eBay would use to deny an eBay claim. Please consult with your credit card company as to what evidence they will require to show that this is not an ordinary 'not received' issue, but rather involves the fake tracking scam. It is VERY IMPORTANT that this is understood before making any claim with your credit card.

Be advised as well, that if you do go to your card for redress, ANY eBay claim will be closed. You should know this if you plan on using the "missing parts/pieces, not as described route".

ittybitnot · ‎02-28-2023

But if you go directly to start a return request, even though you received nothing, with nothing to return....

@ma-647837

Thank you for the screen shots. Though that post by brittanie@ebay was a couple of years old, I wonder if it would sill apply as a viable alternative for at least the BUYER victims of the fake tracking scam. There seems to be more and more every day, and those are just the ones that come to the boards.

It would certainly be helpful for those victims that are unable to get written verification needed to counter the phony delivery scans (scams) , even if the victim knows what to do when their inr claims and appeals are denied. No more time wasting trying to get documentation that nobody will give you. Let the autobot take care of it, and maybe the old 'elephant in the room' will leave.

ma-647837 · ‎02-28-2023

@ittybitnot wrote:

I wonder if it would sill apply as a viable alternative for at least the BUYER victims of the fake tracking scam.

We'll see, it's in progress today.

But the seller could have more tricks yet.

12345jamesstamps · ‎02-28-2023

Seller wrote incorrect address and we sometimes don't look at the notification address. Luckily, the notification shows where it got delivered.

When I worked for the government and had to write numbers...we could not put a 7 with a line in it like in Europe. Also a 4 could not be an open top. And a 2 should not have a bottom loop. Sellers who print their address should be careful with numbers when writing them on packages and envelopes. Just something I learned working for the government.

mmrooz18 · ‎02-28-2023

I was going to open a case last night, but wanted to give the seller until this morning to respond and as expected still no response. So I am going to open a refund request and pick missing parts. Just on the fence between INR and INAD/refund cases to be honest.

I think I'll keep the CC dispute as a last resort because USPS let me know, unlike Ebay reps, the people who investigate CC disputes will contact USPS to see if this seller did in fact send it to a different address and that seems like it will take a while to complete. I got a confirmation email from USPS that they are following up with the tracking # I was provided.

nenu-5410 · ‎02-28-2023

@12345jamesstamps wrote:
@ittybitnot wrote:
Saw the address on my notification where it was delivered.

@12345jamesstamps

The USPS notification actually showed the (not your) address?
Seller wrote incorrect address and we sometimes don't look at the notification address. Luckily, the notification shows where it got delivered.

If it was still your name but badly written, and the carrier recognized it, they would have delivered to you despite the wrong address.

It's unlikely that "the notification shows where it got delivered" as that's a privacy issue -- the carrier can't tell you another person's address.

@12345jamesstamps wrote:
When I worked for the government and had to write numbers...we could not put a 7 with a line in it like in Europe. Also a 4 could not be an open top. And a 2 should not have a bottom loop. Sellers who print their address should be careful with numbers when writing them on packages and envelopes. Just something I learned working for the government.

This sounds like some kind of deflection?

mmrooz18 · ‎02-28-2023

Ok so I went to make a INAD return case and kinda stuck. Im a not sure if I need to upload a pic to confirm return because I don't have anything to upload. Still waiting on USPS to follow up with this tracking #, but as for that I not sure where to go from here...