Buyer opened a return and received a DVD instead of the coat I sent

[tmsclo81]

This is a crazy one. Buyer opened a item not received claim and sent me a photo of a DVD she received in a polymailer with my 3 pound ground advantage label attached. I sent out the coat she purchased in a ebay labeled box with the label attached. I thought for sure this has to be a scam. Well color me shocked when I went to the post office and received a copy of the full tracking information with weights recorded and box dimensions at different stops to use in my appeal to ebay. Guess what? The label was actually swapped in the post office network in California! The weight went from a 2 pound 11 ounce weight to a 4 ounce weight with different dimensions! I immediately emailed the buyer to let her know what I found out and the actions I will take. I'm guessing that I will have to file a claim with USPS for this mess? Will ebay do anything for me since the information shows I sent the correct package and it was swapped in the mail? This is crazy

[mybigsale]

Good luck with this one. I do not know how the USPS tracking process works. I have never received tracking with weight and measurements included. Is it possible the package displayed weights and measurements according to shipping information and was actually first measured and weighed by the PO at the California processing center?

Unless you get written documentation from the USPS stating, "It appears the USPS took your coat, removed your original postage and placed it on another package with a CD (basically stole your item).", eBay and the USPS will not back you.  You have tracking that shows you shipped a package and the package was delivered. 

This will most likely be determined to be a delivered item not as described case without any reimbursement from the post office or backing by eBay.

If you can get the USPS to accept fault (in writing) then they should cover a claim. Let me know how it turns out and if the USPS admits fault (in writing)?

[simba6]

No eBay won't help with that as it's the shipper that seems to have caused it.   Have to speak with USPS about that.

Is there any chance the label could have come off and they reattached it to the first unlabeled package they saw?  How well was it attached?