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Am I being scammed?

Hi all - long story so bear with me.

 

At the start of November I sold a $200 dollar item.  I shipped that item the next day.  The item:

- Was shipped with USPS priority mail...
- Using an eBay generated shipping label...
- For which I required signature confirmation...

- And the item was insured for full value.

The post office in the area attempted to deliver the package, and here's where it gets interesting:

- First, the item was out for delivery
- Then it was listed as "forwarded"
- Then it was listed as available for pickup at the local facility
- And later that day the item was listed as delivered, and there was a signature online, but not from the person to whom the item was shipped.
- The buyer left me positive feedback about fast shipping and great communication, even though they never responded to a single message I sent them.

SO, here's the thing - eBay will not release my money.  Even though the item was delivered, eBay continued to hold my funds with a release date of November 20t (today).  But today, that release date changed again to November 25th.  And weirder still, on the mobile app it says I should "ship the item soon" even though it is listed as having already been delivered.

So what to do?  I feel like this seller engaged in some monkey business to begin with by forwarding the package.  Perhaps they thought they could claim it wasn't delivered - I don't know.  But I did everything right.  I used eBay's shipping labels, I double-checked the paypal ship to address, I shipped to that address, and I required signature for delivery, and the package was signed for at a USPS facility.  Yet, I still have not been paid.

What can I do here?  I can't even find a number to call at eBay, and given that the buyer has had my merch since November 7, it's about time I actually received my payment.

All suggestions as to what I should do are highly welcome.

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Am I being scammed?

On the bottom of this page, click on help & contact. You can call ebay or have them call you. 

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Am I being scammed?

Have you called customer service? 

Message 2 of 10
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Am I being scammed?

I would call PayPal with the tracking number and have them look to see the item was delivered.  Also mention feedback was left already just for the sake of them seeing it.  Then ask them to release the funds.

This quest stands on the edge of a blade...stray but a little and you shall fail to the ruin of us all.
"The Lady Galadriel"
Message 3 of 10
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Am I being scammed?

You are not responsible for items that were forewarded by the customer somewhere else. You may need to call Ebay and sort this out.

Message 4 of 10
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Am I being scammed?

On the bottom of this page, click on help & contact. You can call ebay or have them call you. 

Message 5 of 10
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Am I being scammed?

Be careful as the customer might have been doing this to try to win an item not received case. Not possible if they forewarded the package somewhere else.

Message 6 of 10
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Am I being scammed?

Be careful as the customer might have been doing this to try to win an item not received case. Not possible if they forewarded the package somewhere else.

 

I think that information is not correct.  A parcel "forwarded" to a different address voids any seller protection for INR, since the parcel is NOT delivered to the address provided. 

Message 7 of 10
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Am I being scammed?

Honestly, it makes no sense that a forwarded item would void seller protection.  This has been addressed fairly authoritatively in other threads.  As a seller, I have no control over whether or not a buyer forwards a parcel, I only have control over how the item is shipped.  If it were true that seller protection is automatically voided for buyer forwarded parcels, that would be an egregious loophole that would allow scammers to defraud eBay sellers with impunity.

Seller protection, from everything I have read, is voided if the seller uses a forwarding service, not if the buyer forwards their own parcels.

Message 8 of 10
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Am I being scammed?

No, you are not being scammed. To get your funds released, call eBay and have then review the feedback left and the tracking showing delivered. That is supposed to be enough for your funds to be released. 

 

The buyer hasn't done anything fishy here. The "forwarded" mention in the tracking is not forwarded mail, but it means the package is being transported back to the local post office. If no one was home to sign for the package, the carrier must return it to the post office for pick up. This is standard operating procedure. The package can be signed for by the recipient's agent, it doesn't have to be the name of record on the sale. The agent presents the carrier's receipt left at the recipient's mailbox. Your buyer has left you positive feedback and is content with the transaction, so i do not understand the suspicion surrounding them.

 

Your beef here is with eBay. The buyer has nothing to do with eBay holds. Below is a link that explains how to get your funds released faster.

 

https://pages.ebay.com/seller-center/service-and-payments/funds-availability.html

 

Message 9 of 10
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Am I being scammed?

You are correct in that I did call eBay and they did say they would release the funds, but they stated it is a PayPal hold and said it might take 24 to 48 hours.  So, I don't actually have the money yet.

 

Regarding the forward not being a forward, that's incorrect - it was forwarded to a different post office in a different zip code.

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