eBay’s money back guarantee is a fraud

[jilldogfine]

eBay promotes a “money back guarantee” to make you feel confident in purchasing items so they can get a transaction fee. However when fraud actually happens to a buyer. eBay’s support and “money back guarantee” is useless and non-existent. In fact, it actually helps fraud continue. Let me explain, I purchased an item, the seller changed the shipping address to a local bank. The item was supposed to be 10lbs, the item sent was an empty envelope, the item showed delivered as it was delivered to the wrong address, however the item sent was not what was described. I know this because  I tracked all of this through the post office, got receipts and visited the bank it was delivered to and spoke to them about the package. However, because the tracking showed delivered, eBay could not be bothered to help. I tried many times to show them proof that what was shipped weighed 1oz as it was an empty envelope (it had packing peanuts but empty in regards to product) when the item I ordered weighed 10lbs and would have to be shipped in a box. They didn’t care. They only cared that the tracking showed “delivered” and mentioned I contact the post office. The post office isn’t the problem, they did their job. The problem is fraud happening on eBay and the poor practices of eBay welcoming fraud on their website. Anyway, so I thought, they keep fighting me with their “money back guarantee” because they see a tracking number that says “delivered” so maybe I go about it a different way. In the past I had filed a claim where I did not receive an item. But since they don’t care about that, I’ll try to file a claim where the wrong item was sent. Because while I never received the item, I can tell from tracking that it is not the item I paid for. I also confirmed this by talking to the bank attendant where the item was deliberately and incorrectly sent and then learned that the manger opened the package and upon seeing that it was only packing peanuts threw it away. But guess what, for a wrong item sent claim eBay wants you to have the item in possession. So for “money back guarantee” you either have to not receive an item (unless someone is aware that eBay only cares about a delivered status on a tracking number and deliberately sends the package to a different address) or you have to be able to return a wrong item (unless someone is aware of this and basically sends trash to an establishment that if they received trash in the mail would throw it away like any normal human being). When all is said and done I have proof that I have been a victim of fraud using eBay’s website and eBay could not care the slightest bit. Their “money back guarantee” is a lie and only a marketing tool to make you “bid with confidence” so they can get their cut. They will not make the situation right if you are wronged even if you can prove it. DO NOT BID WITH CONFIDENCE, EBAY DOES NOT CARE ABOUT YOU AND WILL NOT HELP YOU!

[lady_madonna]

@jilldogfine 

You made a mistake when you filed the Return Request due to "wrong item sent" . Of course Ebay would expect you to have the item since you stated "wrong item sent".

Since you filed the wrong dispute, Ebay can't help you now.

Since the tracking showed it was not delivered to your shipping address (it was sent to the bank), you needed to go to the post office and get a statement on their letterhead that the item was NOT delivered to your shipping address, and then you could have submitted that proof to Ebay and gotten a refund.

[campanaelia]

Actually you were on the right track when you opened the item not as described claim. You should have waited for the seller to provide the prepaid return shipping label, which they may not have done and you would of received a refund when you escalated the case. Or if they sent you a label, just use it and send back any peanuts, when it showed delivered you would have been refunded. You should have learned from the scammer the delivery scan is all that matters to ebay.

You should of kept it simple, After opening the claim I don't know why you got into telling ebay the banker threw away the peanuts, who really cares what happened to them. Less information is more.

[cwkerr]

Regardless when it is ssid and done you are out of your money and no product and Ebay does nothing! Is there actually anyone that handles this at ebay? I dought it and you never see a buyer praising ebay for handling a problem like this but you sure hear them report it !!?

[cwkerr]

Sorry i ment for you to receive my response about ebay or the lack there of.

[mudshark61369]

@jilldogfine,

"eBay’s support and “money back guarantee” is useless and non-existent. In fact, it actually helps fraud continue... I know this because I tracked all of this through the post office, got receipts".

eBay and their  Money Back Guarantee is not who is to blame.  None of the 3rd party listing site's protections work against the fake tracking scams, because the shipping services only allow them access to what the semi-public tracking information shows.  They cannot access shipping label information such as address or package type/size/weight because of their privacy policies.  If your receipts were in the form of emails ebay will not accept those, because emails can be faked. 

You have not said that you filed an appeal, when the original dispute was closed, but I am going to assume you did that, and it too was denied. However, there is still one more way you can go to get a refund.  However, in order to make that happen you need to do some leg work. If you follow the instructions below you can win an appeal.

You will have to go to your P.O. or  a local UPS or FedEx 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.

  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 appeal the dispute ruling, or if an appeal has been turned down, 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 an Appeal or message.  If you go the social media route which is recommended, but not always necessary, because social media the reps know about the fake tracking scams. 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   Use the blue send message button on the opening page

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. 

[cwkerr]

Ok so hlw many people are going to do thatIF you get a postal employee to do that but even then you have spent a whole day off work and why are the scam (aware) people on facebook and not in the website customer support ?? And even then you can be assured if ebay doesn't pay the seller will not be removed cause ebay will still get there cut!

[cwkerr]

Rest assured there is no department that handles removing ebay sellers and won't be UNTIL ebay loses money !!! I have informed ebay of several sites of using there logo and they did nothing and there is not an option on the site to report that!

[ittybitnot]

@jilldogfine 

Basically you are correct that the Money Back Guarantee is a FAIL for issues involving the "fake tracking scam".  Though there are ways for you to get redress, eBay has no published policies or information on what you need to do.    People suggest contacting ebay via their social media platforms because the regular outsourced foreign call center reps you get in a call back or chat, have been reported to be unhelpful.  

Some things for you to consider so you can help yourself was posted to a thread yesterday. Instead of typing it all over again, I will paste it here for you to consider:  

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. 

[ittybitnot]

You made a mistake when you filed the Return Request due to "wrong item sent" . Of course Ebay would expect you to have the item since you stated "wrong item sent".

@lady_madonna 

Actually, in the case of the "fake tracking scam" it is an alternative that usually works.   Some may feel if you use this option it puts you on the same low moral/ethical ground as the seller who sent a box of rubber bands to your local gas station instead of the computer you purchased to you. 

According to eBay, they insist the parcel was delivered to you anyway i.e.  "The seller has provided tracking that shows you received the item."  Cased closed.  Some feel using the SNAD routine also puts you on the same low moral/ethical ground as EBAY itself. 

I am not making a value judgement either way.  This problem has been going on for years, and reported almost every day here now, sometimes even more than once. eBay needs to step  up and provide direction to the victims instead of them having to hear what to do in the discussion forums. 

[janet9988]

@jilldogfine 

"I tried many times to show them proof that what was shipped weighed 1oz as it was an empty envelope (it had packing peanuts but empty in regards to product)"

Ship back an envelope with packing peanuts since that is what you received at the bank.