Scam?

[llinto2]

I ordered something from a seller that was priced reasonably but not so cheap that it seemed fake. It was shipped out quickly, on Friday, and said it arrived on Saturday, but the photo in the delivery image isn't my property and oddly, the seller removed their account right after my purchase. I'm currently working with ebay to get a refund and filed a claim with UPS just in case. For it to be shipped within a day is odd too because it was coming from out of state too.

Did I get scammed? And is there a way to report a seller who removes their account? 

Also, does anyone have any experience with this happening and did they get a refund in the end?

[bonjourami]

A seller cannot remove his account after a recent sale, Ebay removed him.Ebay will not refund you since the item shows delivered. Get a statement from UPS that the item wasnt delivered to your home, and submit that with an appeal.

[ittybitnot · Accepted solution]

Also, does anyone have any experience with this happening and did they get a refund in the end?

@llinto2 
Certainly.  It happens, and is reported on the boards just about every day. 

If you file an "item not received" claim with eBay you most likely lose.  UPS is going to be uncooperative in providing you with the "written document" that eBay requires for an appeal.  You may wish to read some of these.  Please note that the eBay social media contact URLs have changed since many of those threads have been posted.  

If you paid with PayPal, you can chose "item shipped to wrong address", if you paid by a credit card you can claim FRAUD/Fake tracking scam.  Do not insist on an "item not received" claim, because you will lose any of these you file. Do not file with another option until eBay has totally thrown you under the bus. 

First step I suggest, since your "seller" has already been given the proverbial axe, it to contact eBay through one of the social media portals.  This will put you in contact with US based customer service reps that have the authority to help you, and override the bot program in place. 

Though some of the "older" threads may have some information that no longer applies, at least you know you are not alone.  The problem can be traced back here to at least 2013.  This is just for this one board since January 2024.  

Buyer victims: Jan. 2024

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Ebay-still-allows-this-basic-scam/m-p/34200329#M471797
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/FedEx-tracking-scam-resolution-help/m-p/34200076#M471780
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Scam-in-progress-How-to-report/m-p/34202408#M471983
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/My-item-hasn-t-arrived-and-got-delivered-to-the-wrong-address/...
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Seller-used-wrong-address-how-to-get-help/m-p/34214801#M472679
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Two-orders-from-two-carriers-in-two-days-shipped-to-someone-els...
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Seller-shipped-to-wrong-address/m-p/34219071#M472993
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/A-typical-buying-scam/m-p/34219558#M473030
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Problem-with-a-purchase/m-p/34224961#M473358
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/seller-close-case-with-fake-tracking-number-ebay-refuse-to/m-p/...
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/ebay-ai-helped-in-fraud/m-p/34237061#M474150
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/ebay-enable-scammers-by-closing-case-then-lying-facts/m-p/34237...
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Fake-Seller-shipments/m-p/34237759#M474196
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/eBay-s-money-back-guarantee-is-a-fraud/m-p/34239213#M474296
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Scammer/m-p/34239068#M474287
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Seller/m-p/34241530#M474404
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/how-to-contact-ebay-for-an-item-that-did-not-get-put-in-my/td-p...
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Another-quot-fake-tracking-quot-scam-this-time-with-the-package...
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Did-not-receive-items/m-p/34245181#M474623
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/eBay-Won-t-Step-In/m-p/34256703#M475318
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Fraud/m-p/34261461#M475547
--------------------------------------------------------------
Feb. 2024

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Fake-Tracking-information/m-p/34266951#M475809
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/scam-ship-to-address-my-item-sent-to-a-bogus-address/m-p/342693...
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/incorrect-usps-tracking-number-9400108205499733679358/m-p/34269...
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/How-can-Ebay-say-to-me-we-know-you-did-not-receive-item-and-not...
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/That-Dreaded-Aquilline-AGAIN-Delivered-to-WRONG-ADDRESS/m-p/342...
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Ebay-marked-delivery-as-delivered-but-USPS-said-that-it-was/m-p...
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Your-item-was-returned-to-the-sender-because-of-an-incorrect/m-...
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/EBAY-LYING-IN-THEIR-DEFENSE-SUMMARY/m-p/34276296#M476361
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Seller-sent-item-to-wrong-address/m-p/34282633#M476650
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Scammed/m-p/34286691#M476949
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Dollar-xhop/m-p/34287357#M476988
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/another-count-of-Ebay-forcing-buyers-to-pay-for-items-that-neve...
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Possible-mess-up-with-label-generating-system/m-p/34290499#M477...
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/I-hate-everyhting-about-e-bay-and-paypal-right-now/m-p/34294747...
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/eBay-Enables-Mail-Fraud-and-ID-Fraud/td-p/34296978
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Shipment-delivered-to-wrong-address/m-p/34304049#M478122
___________________________________________________________________________________

March 2024

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Done-with-Ebay/m-p/34324403#M479273
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Loophole-that-enables-theft-via-ebay/m-p/34332383#M479633
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Seller-left-bogus-tracking-number-and-then-lied-to-e-bay/m-p/34...
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Not-delivered-parcel/m-p/34340273#M480147
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/contacting-ebay-on-possible-fraud/m-p/34349795#M480633
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/contacting-ebay-on-possible-fraud/m-p/34350054#M480666
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/PayPal-to-the-rescue/m-p/34352326#M480771
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Victim-of-same-ZIP-code-fraud-eBay-denied-my-appeal/m-p/3435884...
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Worst-customer-relations-ever/m-p/34366967#M481558
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/package-that-says-delivered/m-p/34370026#M4817

_________________________________________________________________________________________

April 2024

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Seller-sent-package-to-random-address-in-my-zip-code-and-my/td-...
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Negative-Feedback/m-p/34404925#M483677
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/I-got-scammed-How-to-fix-this/m-p/34407565#M483824
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Getting-UPS-to-cooperate-in-case-of-a-tracking-scam/m-p/3441279...
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Victory/m-p/34417103#M484423
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Ebay-Denied-Claim-on-925-package-that-was-marked-as-deliverd-by...
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Ebay-allowed-a-scammer-to-scam-me-and-even-removed-my-negative/...
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Issue-with-purchase-receiving-of-an-item/m-p/34418356#M484487
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Ebay-screwed-me-out-of-931-because-they-could-not-see-the/m-p/3...
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Customer-Service-Just-Repeats-quot-Policies-quot-and-Does-Not/m...
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/eBay-is-becoming-the-best-place-for-scam-sellers/m-p/34432245#M...
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/New-type-of-scam-to-me-at-least/m-p/31227146#M325369
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/New-Scam-Very-Odd-For-a-yard-Seed-Spreader/td-p/34430372
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/I-was-scammed-on-eBay-and-now-I-don-t-know-how-to-proceed-or-if...

May2024

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/FedEx-tracking-Issue/m-p/34447966#M486245
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Item-did-not-arrive-eBay-says-it-did-What-can-I-do/m-p/34451418...
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Seller-never-sent-out-package-EBAY-does-not-do-any-research-on/...
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Tracking-shows-item-delivered-but-wasn-t/m-p/34461150#M487060
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/I-think-I-was-scammed-on-eBay/m-p/34467595#M487369
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/How-do-you-fix-a-fraud-case-dealt-by-a-seller/m-p/34470732#M487...
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Scammed/m-p/34477363#M487945
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Item-sent-to-the-wrong-house-but-denied-refund/m-p/34490404#M48...
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Urgent-Discrepancy-in-Delivery-Status-and-Request-for-Refund/m-...
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June 2024

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/USPS-Shipping-Label-Scam-Appeal-Submitted-Without-My-Consent/m-...
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Victim-of-a-Scam-and-eBay-Won-t-Help/m-p/34513873#M490255
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Money-back-guarantee-is-a-scam/m-p/34512777#M490157
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Item-not-received-help-please-a-seller-is-trying-to-scam-me/m-p...
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/EBAY-Guarantee-is-completely-useless-and-USPS-is-incompetent-Ca...
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Package-delivered-at-wrong-address/m-p/34517762#M490532
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Scammed-with-fake-tracking-number-label/m-p/34517206#M490512
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/Fraudulent-account/m-p/34518749#M490610

[llinto2]

Thank you! I messaged them on Facebook and they refunded me within minutes. It turns out they noticed suspicious activity and removed the seller/product from ebay so that's why the seller's account was closed right after it shipped. They didn't question it and said they didn't care where the package ended up. That's good to know you can message them directly on social! Appreciate the advice.

[llinto2]

You're right - it was ebay who removed the seller. They did refund me without the need to file an appeal/claim. It was a pretty easy process, just messaged them on Facebook.

[bonjourami]

Thats great, that FB link is awesome for help!