Return scam. Please Help

[smartcellbuyback]

I'm having a problem with expansive items not being returned to me. let me explain what's going on

item was never returned to the address that eBay has on file. 

Buyer: bought this iPhone 12 Pro Max  on Sep 4th This item was shipped out Sep 7th by USPS  and DELIVERED Sep 10th at 1:54 PM in PORTLAND, OR 97XXX

Then the buyer open a return Return started on Sep 8th and Shipped back to me on Sep 11.

Now, this is where the Scam comes into play. This item was returned from COLUMBUS, OH 432XX at 3:23pm But the original package that was delivered  PORTLAND, OR 972XX (a completely different state)

Now it gets worse. The buyer will not use the original pre-paid USPS label eBay offers because this package will get delivered directly to me ( the correct address) SO they look up another address in Brooklyn NY 112XX and ship something to the address in Brooklyn, NY 112XX. Then they call eBay and say my package was delivered and ask for a refund. and then I get an email saying your funds are on hold. The next thing I see eBay gave a full refund to the buyer. 

In one case the item was sent back to me even before the original item was delivered 

This has happened to me now 3 times in the last 30 days
non used the pre-paid label eBay provided

And from what I can see this will keep happing again and again. Please help me

[vintagecraze50]

You have the return tracking showing this item was not returned to your ship back address on the Ebay account? If no, can you let ebay know this and can they see that, on USPS website, if no, You need proof to send to Ebay that the package was not delivered to you. You  can go to a website called ship 24, I think that’s what it is called and can probably get the info about the delivery there.

[coco9619]

Your buyers are not in this country, @smartcellbuyback. When you get the order, first ask the buyer via eBay Messages: Are you in Portland, or are you having this reshipped?

If the buyer is on the level, they will tell you. Otherwise, if they cause concern, you have to decide. If you get it in writing that eBay can read that the item was reshipped, you can get the case closed without a refund.

[vintagecraze50]

You have a great store with a lot of really nice items and a good variety of things. Beautiful design on the store too. I hope you can get this resolved. Best to you.

[abacab19]

So many of these types of scams with Macbooks, Iphones, and other expensive Apple products we hear about on the forums.

USPS has the GPS coordinates of where the packages are delivered, so if you contact them they can give you proof it was not delivered to you. Their machines also photograph many of parcels / shipping labels sent through their system, and they can confirm the address was incorrect all along in writing.

The scam happens thousands of times a year for eBay so it's not the first time they're reversing a case for this reasons or dealing with these situations.

[smartcellbuyback]

Yes, I'm aware of this now. I was blaming UPS/USPS/FedEx for losing my packages. I now realize whos going on 

[titipeo]

This is known scam, typically done on high value item. They buy it, file a claim, and then send another item, or like in your case, it is sent to another location. You could try to get the USPS to confirm if the delivery address was yours or not, and verify the weight. But, regardless, eBay wont do anything about it.

Other threads with this similar thing say to file a report with the local police and PO office for mail fraud. Will this do anything, let's just say that I have not heard any news report about the authorities busting up a ring of eBay scammer, fraudulent buyers. I guess the more reports against someone, the higher the odds that something will be done. Your guess is as good as mine.  

You are a seasoned seller, and had this issue occur 3X in the last month, that's bad. Only suggestions I can offer is do not sell high value item through this platform, things like cellphones are best sold locally, cash only. This can go a long way in minimizing the scammers. Also, you will get more $$ as you do not need to pay commission fees, shipping, etc. 

eBay will always side with the buyer, and the seller has no recourse or protection. Hence be careful what you are selling. 

[smartcellbuyback]

I tried to Call UPS and wanted to confirm the address the package was delivered to. I gave them then the UPS tracking # and my city, state and zip code. they said that's not the address on the package and we can't give you that info for security reasons and even eBay said. We can only see City State and zipcode 

[vintagecraze50]

One of our regular posters here suggested this ship 24 website, and I have never used this myself but they said they can somehow show the delivery address there, not sure though because this was the first time I ever even heard about this site, and I am only suggesting it. That may not work either becuase of confidential info with the actual disclosure of the address. Can UPS give you the GPS coordinates of the delivery, or is that confidential as well? 

[vintagecraze50]

You must not have heard about one of the scammers who did get caught with this sending stuff either to the buyers as a seller, or return scam. The sellers got caught when the people who got these mysterious packages reported it, and yes these folks did a lot of these scams and a lot of folks reporting to the postal service. Yep, they CAN get caught.

[smartcellbuyback]

everything I tried gets me the same answer. this is confidential 

[titipeo]

Hi, do you have any details on it, I will like to read up on it. 

[vintagecraze50]

Well. I guess there are really good reasons for that. I still hope you can get this resolved somehow, and be careful selling those phones. They a a real problem here at times.

[vintagecraze50]

I cannot remember the actual place I found the article, but if you search maybe mail fraud scam ebay it might come up in the search. I will try to find it again as well. I just occasionally look on the web for stuff involving internet scams to be aware of what people are doing and this came up in one of my investigations.

[coco9619]

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@smartcellbuyback wrote:

everything I tried gets me the same answer. this is confidential 

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It's ship24.com look at the last panel @smartcellbuyback below the tracking. Can it help to get the address, since the buyer probably just ordered a trinket from Amazon for a random business in your zip code?