Unauthorized Transaction

[sunflowers652016]

Hi all, just looking for some advice, or even opinions on this. I sold an item, and shipped the same day. The next day I get a notice from ebay that the transaction was unauthorized and it has been cancelled.  I was told not to complete the transaction and if I shipped the item already to try to stop shipment. I attempted to and was charged $14 to do that. I still do not have my item and not only did my buyer send me an angry message telling me she wants her item, but she also opened a case against me.

I just refunded her.

I am now out of the item (not sure where it is, tracking shows nothing), I'm out the money For the item, I'm out $14 for the intercept (usps charged my card), I spent an hour of my time on the phone with ebay to get No answers, and I'm told that the angry buyer will be able to leave me bad feedback.

What just happened here and what did I do wrong? 

[mulligan_outfitters]

This sounds like **bleep**!  

I just got the message today, after a buyer messaged me with a different shipping address, same name, just a different address.  I dropped it off at my post office around 11am.  Got the ebay email at 5:12pm, conveniently right after the post office closes.  I get a follow up email which reads as follows:

Our records show that you recently contacted or received messages from through eBay's messaging system. This account was recently found to have been accessed by an unauthorized third party, who may have used the account in an attempt to defraud other members.

We've taken action to restore this account to the original owner, but wanted to let you know to be suspicious of any communication you may have received from them. Nothing is wrong with your account at this time – this message is just being sent as a precaution. If you have received any message that appears suspicious, please feel free to forward them to us at spoof@ebay.com for review.

-- Safety Tips --
-- Don't respond to the sender, through either eBay or your email provider, if the message is an offer to buy or sell an item. This type of offer may be fraudulent, and the transaction won't be covered by eBay protection programs.

- - If you received what appears to be a Second Chance Offer for an item you recently bid on, and it appears in My Messages with the subject of "Message from eBay Member," it isn't a legitimate Second Chance Offer.

Real Second Chance Offers appear in My Messages with a blue background and subject that says, "eBay Second Chance Offer for Item...". Always check for both the blue background in My Messages and the subject line of "eBay Second Chance Offer for Item…" when responding to a Second Chance Offer.

-- Never pay for your eBay items using instant cash wire transfer services such as Western Union or MoneyGram. It is against eBay's Safe Payments Policy for a seller to request payment with these methods, as these types of payments are unsafe if you're paying someone you don't know.

-- If You've Already Sent Payment or Shipped an Item --
- - If you already sent payment for an off-eBay transaction, or if you're a seller who already shipped an item to a fraudulent buyer, we suggest you take the following steps:

-- Contact the payment service you used to make the purchase. If you paid by credit card, most card issuers provide consumer protections in instances of online fraud.

- - If you sold and shipped an item to a fraudulent buyer, contact the carrier you used to ship the item. You might be able to receive additional assistance from the shipping service. If it was sent through the United States Postal Service, you may want to file mail fraud charges. Please go to:
http://www.usps.gov/websites/depart/inspect/

- - Report the fraudulent buyer or seller both to law enforcement officials in your area, and in the area where the buyer or seller lives. To find law enforcement agencies by area, please visit:
http://www.usacops.com

When you contact a law enforcement officer, please explain the following:

- eBay will be happy to help with the officer's investigation.
- For more information on how the officer can contact eBay, go to:
http://pages.ebay.com/securitycenter/law_enforcement.html

-- You may also want to file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). The IC3 is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National White Collar Crime Center. The IC3 will review complaints and refer information to the appropriate local, state, or federal agency. To file a complaint with the IC3, please go to:
http://www.ic3.gov/

We also need you to take a few minutes to provide more information related to the transaction. The information you provide will allow us to work more effectively with law enforcement should an investigation occur. Please go to:
http://pages.ebay.com/help/buy/transactions-outside-eBay.html

Click the "Item Bought Outside of eBay" or "Item Sold Outside of eBay" link.

Thanks for your cooperation.

Thanks,

eBay

H19881

What am I exactly to do? Why can't I contact the account holder? Ask them if their account was hacked, etc.  I have a $280 item that I just shipped with signature tracking.  What I want to know is what happens if the shipment isn't cancelled? Am I out $280 plus product? What happens if the cancelled shipment doesn't get returned to me like the OP? This is ridiculous and terrible advice from ebay. Why shouldn't I contact the buyer first??????????????

[mulligan_outfitters]

Did the buyer make an unauthorized transaction claim, or did Ebay determine that????????

[inhawaii]

The same thing happened to me AFTER the item was shipped.

I already got paid for the item.

If the transaction was cancelled, the buyer can't leave me (any) feedback.

I assume the buyer received the item. 

The payment was never taken from my account. 

[myangelandmyprincess]

---

@mulligan_outfitters wrote:

This sounds like **bleep**!  

I just got the message today, after a buyer messaged me with a different shipping address, same name, just a different address.  I dropped it off at my post office around 11am.  Got the ebay email at 5:12pm, conveniently right after the post office closes.  I get a follow up email which reads as follows:

Our records show that you recently contacted or received messages from through eBay's messaging system. This account was recently found to have been accessed by an unauthorized third party, who may have used the account in an attempt to defraud other members.

We've taken action to restore this account to the original owner, but wanted to let you know to be suspicious of any communication you may have received from them. Nothing is wrong with your account at this time – this message is just being sent as a precaution. If you have received any messages  that appears suspicious, please feel free to forward them to us at spoof@ebay.com for review.

-- Safety Tips --
-- Don't respond to the sender, through either eBay or your email provider, if the message is an offer to buy or sell an item. This type of offer may be fraudulent, and the transaction won't be covered by eBay protection programs.

- - If you received what appears to be a Second Chance Offer for an item you recently bid on, and it appears in My Messages with the subject of "Message from eBay Member," it isn't a legitimate Second Chance Offer.

Real Second Chance Offers appear in My Messages with a blue background and subject that says, "eBay Second Chance Offer for Item...". Always check for both the blue background in My Messages and the subject line of "eBay Second Chance Offer for Item…" when responding to a Second Chance Offer.

-- Never pay for your eBay items using instant cash wire transfer services such as Western Union or MoneyGram. It is against eBay's Safe Payments Policy for a seller to request payment with these methods, as these types of payments are unsafe if you're paying someone you don't know.

-- If You've Already Sent Payment or Shipped an Item --
- - If you already sent payment for an off-eBay transaction, or if you're a seller who already shipped an item to a fraudulent buyer, we suggest you take the following steps:

-- Contact the payment service you used to make the purchase. If you paid by credit card, most card issuers provide consumer protections in instances of online fraud.

- - If you sold and shipped an item to a fraudulent buyer, contact the carrier you used to ship the item. You might be able to receive additional assistance from the shipping service. If it was sent through the United States Postal Service, you may want to file mail fraud charges. Please go to:
http://www.usps.gov/websites/depart/inspect/

- - Report the fraudulent buyer or seller both to law enforcement officials in your area, and in the area where the buyer or seller lives. To find law enforcement agencies by area, please visit:
http://www.usacops.com

When you contact a law enforcement officer, please explain the following:

- eBay will be happy to help with the officer's investigation.
- For more information on how the officer can contact eBay, go to:
http://pages.ebay.com/securitycenter/law_enforcement.html

-- You may also want to file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). The IC3 is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National White Collar Crime Center. The IC3 will review complaints and refer information to the appropriate local, state, or federal agency. To file a complaint with the IC3, please go to:
http://www.ic3.gov/

We also need you to take a few minutes to provide more information related to the transaction. The information you provide will allow us to work more effectively with law enforcement should an investigation occur. Please go to:
http://pages.ebay.com/help/buy/transactions-outside-eBay.html

Click the "Item Bought Outside of eBay" or "Item Sold Outside of eBay" link.

Thanks for your cooperation.

Thanks,

eBay

H19881

What am I exactly to do? Why can't I contact the account holder? Ask them if their account was hacked, etc.  I have a $280 item that I just shipped with signature tracking.  What I want to know is what happens if the shipment isn't cancelled? Am I out $280 plus product? What happens if the cancelled shipment doesn't get returned to me like the OP? This is ridiculous and terrible advice from ebay. Why shouldn't I contact the buyer first??????????????

---

Did you ship to the alternate address?  If so I would try to intercept on the package

[mulligan_outfitters]

I will intercept the package as soon as USPS fixes their checkout function.

[myangelandmyprincess]

---

@mulligan_outfitters wrote:
I will intercept the package as soon as USPS fixes their checkout function.

---

The sooner you can do it the better your chances are of of getting the package back.   If you sent it to the alternate address and the buyer files with PayPal or cc they will get their money back you'll be left with Notning.  

[Anonymous]

---

@mulligan_outfitters wrote:

This sounds like **bleep**!  

I just got the message today, after a buyer messaged me with a different shipping address, same name, just a different address.  I dropped it off at my post office around 11am.  Got the ebay email at 5:12pm, conveniently right after the post office closes.  I get a follow up email which reads as follows:

Our records show that you recently contacted or received messages through eBay's messaging system. This account was recently found to have been accessed by an unauthorized third party, who may have used the account in an attempt to defraud other members.

We've taken action to restore this account to the original owner, but wanted to let you know to be suspicious of any communication you may have received from them. Nothing is wrong with your account at this time – this message is just being sent as a precaution. If you have received any messages from mrxrvger that appears suspicious, please feel free to forward them to us at spoof@ebay.com for review.

-- Safety Tips --
-- Don't respond to the sender, through either eBay or your email provider, if the message is an offer to buy or sell an item. This type of offer may be fraudulent, and the transaction won't be covered by eBay protection programs.

- - If you received what appears to be a Second Chance Offer for an item you recently bid on, and it appears in My Messages with the subject of "Message from eBay Member," it isn't a legitimate Second Chance Offer.

Real Second Chance Offers appear in My Messages with a blue background and subject that says, "eBay Second Chance Offer for Item...". Always check for both the blue background in My Messages and the subject line of "eBay Second Chance Offer for Item…" when responding to a Second Chance Offer.

-- Never pay for your eBay items using instant cash wire transfer services such as Western Union or MoneyGram. It is against eBay's Safe Payments Policy for a seller to request payment with these methods, as these types of payments are unsafe if you're paying someone you don't know.

-- If You've Already Sent Payment or Shipped an Item --
- - If you already sent payment for an off-eBay transaction, or if you're a seller who already shipped an item to a fraudulent buyer, we suggest you take the following steps:

-- Contact the payment service you used to make the purchase. If you paid by credit card, most card issuers provide consumer protections in instances of online fraud.

- - If you sold and shipped an item to a fraudulent buyer, contact the carrier you used to ship the item. You might be able to receive additional assistance from the shipping service. If it was sent through the United States Postal Service, you may want to file mail fraud charges. Please go to:
http://www.usps.gov/websites/depart/inspect/

- - Report the fraudulent buyer or seller both to law enforcement officials in your area, and in the area where the buyer or seller lives. To find law enforcement agencies by area, please visit:
http://www.usacops.com

When you contact a law enforcement officer, please explain the following:

- eBay will be happy to help with the officer's investigation.
- For more information on how the officer can contact eBay, go to:
http://pages.ebay.com/securitycenter/law_enforcement.html

-- You may also want to file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). The IC3 is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National White Collar Crime Center. The IC3 will review complaints and refer information to the appropriate local, state, or federal agency. To file a complaint with the IC3, please go to:
http://www.ic3.gov/

We also need you to take a few minutes to provide more information related to the transaction. The information you provide will allow us to work more effectively with law enforcement should an investigation occur. Please go to:
http://pages.ebay.com/help/buy/transactions-outside-eBay.html

Click the "Item Bought Outside of eBay" or "Item Sold Outside of eBay" link.

Thanks for your cooperation.

Thanks,

eBay

H19881

What am I exactly to do? Why can't I contact the account holder? Ask them if their account was hacked, etc.  I have a $280 item that I just shipped with signature tracking.  What I want to know is what happens if the shipment isn't cancelled? Am I out $280 plus product? What happens if the cancelled shipment doesn't get returned to me like the OP? This is ridiculous and terrible advice from ebay. Why shouldn't I contact the buyer first??????????????

---

Hi @mulligan_outfitters, as I mentioned in one of my earlier posts on this thread, if you shipped the item before you received any kind of notice that the transaction was unauthorized and the payment was processed by PayPal, you can contact them to pursue protections. If you are enrolled in managed payments, you can contact our managed payments team here at eBay to discuss your options. The best option is for you to try and retrieve your package, but if that isn't possible, there are additional possibilities that can be explored by the relevant payment processor to help keep you protected.

While I understand that this is certainly a frustrating situation, contacting the account owner would not be necessary and may lead to further confusion. We've identified unauthorized use of their account and we notified you as soon as this was determined. Attempting the account holder is not advised because there is no guarantee that a) they will see your message or b) they will respond. Waiting for a response takes up valuable time, potentially making it harder for you to retrieve your package. Additionally, while we do take steps to secure the buyer's account from further unauthorized use, if their personal email has also been compromised, then there is a chance that any message you receive from the buyer's account telling you to ship the item/hold off on trying to retrieve the package would actually be coming from an unauthorized third party.

The advice provided in the email you received is the best next steps for your situation. I encourage you to contact the courier to explore your options and if necessary, touch base with the payment processor of your transaction (either PayPal or eBay managed payments) to explore additional options.

[pjcdn2005]

@Anonymous 

When ebay uses the term that the account owner did not authorize the transaction why is the seller not protected by ebay as long as they shipped the item to the payment address? If a cc unauthorized use is filed by the credit card owner, PP will cover the seller as long as it can be shown that the item was shipped to the correct address. The seller has no control over which cc to accept or not accept so PP takes responsibility for that.   If this is a case of the wrong user using an ebay account and the seller in good faith ships the item to the correct address, shouldn't ebay then be responsible as the seller has no way of knowing that the account holder did not make the purchase? Why are they told to recall the package at their own expense when imo they should be covered by ebay anyway?

[Anonymous]

---

@pjcdn2005 wrote:

@Anonymous 

When ebay uses the term that the account owner did not authorize the transaction why is the seller not protected by ebay as long as they shipped the item to the payment address? If a cc unauthorized use is filed by the credit card owner, PP will cover the seller as long as it can be shown that the item was shipped to the correct address. The seller has no control over which cc to accept or not accept so PP takes responsibility for that.   If this is a case of the wrong user using an ebay account and the seller in good faith ships the item to the correct address, shouldn't ebay then be responsible as the seller has no way of knowing that the account holder did not make the purchase? Why are they told to recall the package at their own expense when imo they should be covered by ebay anyway?

---

Hi @pjcdn2005, great question! This kind of protection is generally provided by the payment processor, so the seller would need to speak to either PayPal or eBay's managed payments team. Since the majority of transactions on eBay are still processed by PayPal, eBay would not be offering the kind of seller protection you are referencing. Since we don't offer this kind of protection on most transactions as we are not the payment processor, and we can't speak specifically for a third party's protection, we recommend recalling the package. Here on the boards I can recommend contacting PayPal because many sellers report being protected in these situations through PayPal's protection options.