Buyer Claiming item not recieved when USPS tracking shows otherwise.

[rudolphg76]

I was honestly suspicious of him when he messaged me before the purchase insisting I include a charger with the phone when I clearly stated in listing "Charger not included".  Then proceeded to purchase the item anyway and messaged me after I already sent it. So I'm suspicious of a scam.  I mailed the phone to him. He received it within a few days.  USPS website shows status "DELIVERED" on 02/15.  If you click on the site, details show Delivered to Agent for final delivery 02/15.   However, eBay status shows same thing "Delivered to Agent" but status as "on the way."  Either way it was delivered to agent.  After that, what he did or did not do with it is not my problem.  As a courtesy, I even messaged him 4 days after delivery 02/19 letting him know that it his package was delivered 02/15 and showing as "delivered to agent."  Not a peep.  Now on 03/07 I get a refund request and a fund hold on eBay with him claiming "It took too long! And package not delivered!"  I have 3 days to reply so I did stating that it was delivered per USPS and also referenced to him that I previously notified him weeks ago about the delivery on 02/15."  He has not responded. Nor has he dropped the refund request. Not sure what other action I should take? Could eBay possibly force an automatic refund and allow buy to keep a phone that was delivered and is showing as delivered on USPS?

Is there a known "delivered to agent" scam going on I'm not aware of?

[frodobagginskennedy]

usually IME delivered to agent is a freight forwarder.  You phone was  probably sent to Delaware, California etc.  Then the forwarder gathers other packages going to the same country and forwards them all at once.  It can take weeks to get the product in the hands of the buyer.

The good news is that "usually" the E bay money back guarantee is void IF you can prove the item was forwarded.

[12345jamesstamps]

Check the address where it was shipped. Could be a freight forwarding address. As Frodobagginskennedy suggested the place will hold packages until there is enough to send together to the other country to the buyer. I had such a buyer with a New Jersey address. I emailed my buyer addressing the fact that he is having just a letter forwarded to another country and will take awhile until they have enough of packages to send with it to him. Can you believe this buyer stopped emailing me after I mentioned that his address is a commercial address and no one lives there. I guess he got scared with the fact he is listed as USA in eBay. The seller opened I think 7 cases and closed them after I just mentioned to him what might be happening to the delay. I am still waiting for a response from this buyer by the way. I was very polite and business like when contacting the buyer also.

[soh.maryl]

When a purchase is being delivered to a freight forwarder, as far as I know, if a buyer opens an item not received case, all the seller needs to do is to enter the tracking # in the case.  

[donsdetour]

It is a scam some use: Item delivered to agent: does not show on ebay as item delivered.

Yet item delivered to agent does show an intermediary in the situation which also voids the buyers guarantee.

Enter tracking in the case if one was opened. You may or may not win just doing this. You may need to contact ebay: good luck with the last part.....

[caldreamer]

If you provide tracking# proving delivery (you win case with EBAY).   However, you should be aware that any customer can "reverse credit card payment" AFTER they receive your item (keep phone and your money).   EBAY has no control over credit card company.

[ittybitnot]

Is there a known "delivered to agent" scam going on I'm not aware of?

@rudolphg76 

Check the zipcode in the delivery confirmation notice as opposed to the shipping address.  As suggested by @frodobagginskennedy this is a common statement when a freight forwarder is involved.  Some of these "forwarders" are now using a consolidated warehouse for "delivery" (most common in Delaware).  That means that more than one 'freight forwarder's' products will be delivered to a central location where the merchandise will be picked up by the individual companies.   It is not uncommon for the "central location" to be in a different zipcode even if the actual building is just 'down the block' so to speak.  

So check on your order. 

In the meantime, know that buyers that use freight forwarders may not be able to make eBay Money Back Guarantee claims.  Not to say they don't try, or eBay does anything to prevent a claim being made, or eBay will willfully  recognize a transaction involving the re-shippers address.  It is up to the seller to "point that out" I suppose or the autobot system continues. 

[rudolphg76]

Zip code is 19808  which is  WILMINGTON, DE.

You are correct!

Thank you for letting me know. 

I just hope eBay doesn't just auto refund.

[rudolphg76]

I looked into it further. The address is actually quite strange.

MP155817 KHATUNA CHKHAIDZE

3609 Old Capitol Trail, Suite D-6

Georgian Post MP155817

Wilmington, DE 19808

And when I googled it, I got search results about some Ukranian thiefs scamming people online using this forwading address to get packages delivered to former Soviet countries and then claiming "Not Received" via ebay.  

[thorne2150]

Curious what ever happened to this situation for you??  I just had someone with this exact delivery address buy something from me. They have paid, but I haven't shipped the item yet. 

[dbfolks166mt]

Curious what ever happened to this situation for you??  I just had someone with this exact delivery address buy something from me. They have paid, but I haven't shipped the item yet. 

     You should really start your own post rather than piggybacking on another one. There is always the chance that the OP may no longer be selling. However to answer your question the address is that of a freight forwarder which is pretty safe to ship to. Once the package arrives at the FF the buyer no longer has coverage under the MBG. However, the same does not apply if the buyer files a chargeback with their CC company. 

     The buyer  may still file some type of claim through eBay, but any buyer can do that on any item, and because the bot's handle a lot of those they may initially refund the buyer under a INR or NAD claim but you should be able to appeal the decision and provide the proof that the item went through a FF and was successfully delivered. I have shipped a number of things through FF's and not had any problems. I have had more issues with domestic buyers. 

[kh-stanley1]

Hi everyone,

Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread HERE if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.

Thank you for understanding.