USPS Shipping Label Scam / Appeal Submitted Without My Consent.

[spi-ral]

Hello,

I recently purchased an item for $1k from a new seller on eBay through an auction(biggest mistake ever). According to the tracking information, the item was delivered on the scheduled date. However, after speaking with my postal worker, I discovered that while it was supposed to be on her route, it was not. She contacted her manager, who confirmed that the shipping label had been altered, suggesting possible fraud.

I promptly contacted eBay, and they assisted me in opening a case, reassuring me that it would be resolved in my favor due to the seller’s failure to use signature confirmation for an item valued over $1,000. I also received an email confirming this.

Unfortunately, despite this, the seller won the case. When I contacted eBay for further guidance, they suggested obtaining documentation from USPS. I explicitly requested that they not submit an appeal over the weekend since USPS is closed. However, I received an email on Sunday morning stating that my appeal had been submitted and denied again, which I never authorized. The timeframe on these emails suggest it happened while I was sleeping. I have 2-factor authentication on my account as well, so it must have been done internally at eBay.

It appears that the scammer has prevailed. I am seeking advice on how to resolve this issue. After 11 years on eBay, this is my first experience being scammed successfully. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[zgnisaer]

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@spi-ral wrote:

I explicitly requested that they not submit an appeal over the weekend since USPS is closed. However, I received an email on Sunday morning stating that my appeal had been submitted and denied again, which I never authorized. 

It appears that the scammer has prevailed. I am seeking advice on how to resolve this issue. After 11 years on eBay, this is my first experience being scammed successfully. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

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The suggestion you'll get @spi-ral is to contact eBay on Faceboot, Twiller, or Imogram but if you prevail eBay itself will pay your refund since eBay made the wrong decision, and your "seller" still gets away with your $1k.

Instead if you paid with PayPal, file a dispute at this page for "The item was delivered to the wrong address" and after it is reviewed, you'll get your refund. Otherwise, file a chargeback with your card issuer and explain the wrong address, that it's not "item not received" to get your refund.

[campanaelia]

Get the documentation from USPS and contact the ebay reps on facebook, they are most helpful with the fake tracking number scam. Good luck

[spi-ral]

Thank you all for your responses; that's extremely helpful! I had a conversation with the postal worker who services my route, and she assured me that she should have a picture of the delivery coordinates to support my case by Monday. Additionally, I made the payment via PayPal, so I am confident that this will aid in resolving the matter. Did not think of that. Thanks!

[campanaelia]

I would recommend using ebay's protection first, once you go to paypal or your credit card it will void your ebay buyer protection.

[mudshark61369]

@spi-ral,

In order to win an appeal which there should be a button to do in the message you received saying your initial Item Not Received (INR) dispute had been found in favor of the seller. Read the information I posted in the link below, on how to get the info you want. Your carrier's photo will not help.  On the page that opens click on the Go to Best Answer  button to get the info you need to successfully appeal or a social media claim. Fortunately the USPS is more cooperative in these situations. 

FYI.  Had you filed an item not as described dispute, because the seller did not use signature required, you might have won that dispute.

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Fake-Tracking-information/m-p/34266951#M475809

[ittybitnot]

Additionally, I made the payment via PayPal, so I am confident that this will aid in resolving the matter. Did not think of that. Thanks!

@spi-ral 

eBay is going to deny any "item not received" claim when there is associated delivery confirmation. Of course, that would be the logical claim to file since you received nothing, but the eBay process is automated, and designed to protect eBay.  Denial of the victim is their first course of action, and their money back guarantee is a fail in these instances. Altering the label or sending some cheap trinket to another address is a very popular scam here because after many years it still works! 

I agree with @campanaelia  (message #5) to use eBay first.  Get the written documentation needed from your Post Master that the parcel was NOT intended for you, and use the blue message button here:

https://www.facebook.com/eBayForBusiness

The people that monitor that portal are quite aware of the situation, and do have the authority to help. 

If you are still met with repeated denials from eBay, you can go to PayPal.  DO NOT continue with the "item not received" .  When you go to PayPal, who is also well aware of this scam, they have a "new choice" in the dropdown in the claim form "shipped to wrong address".   Understand, that once you go to the Pal, your eBay claim will be dropped/closed. 

Same thing if you go to your credit card.  DO NOT file an "item not received" claim.  It will be submitted to eBay who will respond with the same phony tracking and you will lose.  Make sure it is known that this is a FRAUD/FAKE TRACKING SCAM ISSUE. 

Do let us know how this turns out for you.  

Sort of wondering what is going on with the "Signature Confirmation" requirement. 

[spi-ral]

Thank you all for your valuable responses! After expressing my concerns to eBay via email, they informed me that I can re-appeal the case and submit relevant documents. I will continue to communicate with eBay and will visit my local post office on Monday to request written documentation confirming the item was not delivered to me. I will keep everyone updated on the progress.

[mudshark61369]

@spi-ral,

Good luck at the P.O. but do read what I wrote in the link I provided. 

  Do not try to get them to give you exact addresses, they only need to say in general that the Order details address and label one do not match. Also if appropriate, that the Package type/size/weight was not right for what was ordered.

[spi-ral]

Update!

I went to the USPS office that Monday, and they gave me a hard time about the documentation I needed. I told them I just needed something saying the package wasn’t delivered to my address—didn’t need to know where it ended up (as @mudshark61369  suggested to me). They told me to call USPS for that documentation, so I did. They opened a case for me, which looped me back to the same local office via phone.

The lady on the phone gave me pushback about giving me the info, but eventually, she confirmed that the package didn’t go to my address and agreed to email me a confirmation. I sent a screenshot of that email to eBay, along with the names and phone numbers of everyone I spoke to. eBay’s previous email said that an email from USPS would work as proof.

eBay responded to my email containing the proof, saying they would request a manual refund that would take 5-7 business days. I’ll follow up again to let you know if it’s approved or not. fingers crossed this gets approved and this is behind me!

[msha3839]

Next time, hopefully not, dealing with the incompetence of postal officials or similar organizations, indicate that you’ll bring in media and reporters from local news outlets..works like a charm when news truck appears on the parking lot…suddenly their altitude lower than baseboard..😈

[house*of*paws]

@powell-memorabilia 

I would think it’s safer to stick to the truth … and go through your credit card company … rather than pretend to have received and returned a phantom item.

[sassykzt]

USPS should not have given you a hard time about providing the documents.  When a situation like yours arises, go straight to the Manger of Delivery Services or the postmaster (do not bother with the clerks at the front desk). They will conduct an intra-office search using the GPS of the location where your package was scanned.  They also will have a pic of the label in their system.    If that location does not match your address and is at another address it is a federal law that they must retrieve that package for you ( My cousin is a postmaster in a major metro city). 

Hopefully you will receive your refund soon!

[airsheep]

It's not necessarily incompetence, but policies.  Many government employees have little wiggle room on rules and regs, especially in things that might influence privacy.  That said, polite but persistent is the way to go.

[zgnisaer]

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@sassykzt wrote:

1. USPS ... will conduct an intra-office search using the GPS of the location where your package was scanned. 

2. If that location does not match your address and is at another address it is a federal law that they must retrieve that package for you

3. ( My cousin is a postmaster in a major metro city). 

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1. It is not your package -- USPS was paid to deliver it to that address, which is none of your business, on the label.

2. It is not your package -- as far as USPS knows, you're a random stranger with a tracking number that doesn't belong to you -- so it is not federal law that USPS should steal that person's package back for you.

3. Is your cousin willing to violate federal privacy laws, by divulging the not-your-name-address on the label, and its GPS location?