eBay

Anonymous · ‎03-22-2023

Hi,

I’m a bit confused by an item someone bought, it cost enough that eBay required a signature, the buyer paid right away, even swooping in at the last minute to outbid everyone else, but going on over a week hasn’t singed for delivery at the address nor has picked it up at the post office.

The one odd thing is that the items the buyer is also selling look like they’re at a more humble home than the one it was shipped to. Not a word from the buyer either and they’ve done 100s of transactions all with good feedback.

Talking to support they kind of shrugged, and said the funds would be released next month and they’d send a reminder.

It looks like the USPS is just going to send me back the item in another week.

Anyone know what could be happening? I’m not sure how it could be a scam, but it’s concerning when there’s anomalies.

goldrushfinds · ‎03-22-2023

Buyer may be dead...

duffy4444 · ‎03-22-2023

@Anonymous wrote:
...Yeah, it's the binoculars, and yeah I get a lot of scam messages and don't know what all the angles are, so am just assuming anything that deviates from what I'd expect could be a scam. The buyer has a ton of positive feedback and hundreds of transactions. So I guess that should help weight it towards it's just they're on a trip?

@Anonymous:
Even if the people at the delivery address are on a trip, I still believe you should CYA by getting the item returned to you ASAP, while you still have the chance. After that, refund the buyer less your original shipping expenses and send the original buyer a message that you thought it is not a good idea for the package to be left unclaimed, and that it may be purchased again (remember to ONLY ship it to the address of record on eBay's payment notice to you). But getting a $2800 item returned to me would be my immediate course of action.

Then you should get educated about the wisdom of selling such an expensive item so soon, and especially shipping it out of your control. When this is all resolved and you have the Swarovski binoculars back, come back to this forum for some serious advice from seasoned sellers. With your limited eBay selling experience and low feedback, you are a HUGE magnet for scammers. It would be very unwise for you to take this type of chance again, IMHO and based on a lot of experience from a lot of seasoned sellers here.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

Cheers, Duffy

Anonymous · ‎03-22-2023

Thanks Duffy! That's unfortunate there's loopholes in eBay's processes where their escrow system doesn't work right, I didn't know that. I'm going to give the postmaster in the town a call tomorrow and see what they say.

I did also notice they removed their phone number from their profile after I txted them. But they're pretty public, and the there doesn't seem to be any discrepancy in the details between their eBay profile and online. Other than if someone is impersonating them.

slippinjimmy · ‎03-22-2023

@glgenterprise wrote:
Because there are multiple posters who come on these boards and show why this can be a problem. Buyer opens an INR. Gets a refund. And 10 minutes later is at the post office collecting the item for which they have just received a refund. Seller now has no money and no item.

For a $50 or $100 item, it's worth the risk to let it get returned by USPS. For a $2800 pair of binoculars? It's worth being out the $15 intercept fee.

If the buyer waited long enough to pick up their item that it was going to fall under a INR refund and then showed up to p;ick it up, I'd apologize and send it back out. But again, for me it would depend on the value of the item and the buyer. I have a higher risk tolerance than many sellers, but my account has been around long enough and my items are not usual scammer items.

If the tracking is showing On Hold For Pick-Up/Signature you wouldn't lose an INR even IF one was filed as long as you add the tracking info.

Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep

dbfolks166mt · ‎03-22-2023

BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT BUYERS NOT PICKING UP FROM USPS!!! This happened to me and it's a nightmare! My buyer refused to pick it up, intentionally waited long enough and went on telling eBay it's never shipped and he didn't get it. Since he didn't pick it up, the tracking shows "in-transit" so eBay fell for his trick and gave him refund because it's "over the delivery estimate period." After securing the refund he signed for the package! He got both money and my merchandise! And eBay charged me for the refund, even after I showed that he's got the package. I have been appealing for a long time but eBay appeals team never looked into my documents carefully and rejected my appeals with reasons that are not legit. I'm still fighting for it. If you know your item has been sitting in USPS, act fast and call to the office to request a record, in case the buyer pulls this kind of scam.

If eBay took the funds from your bank account or charged them to your CC you could always try opening a chargeback with your bank or CC. It is probably covered by law under the Electronic Funds Transfer Act.

Anonymous · ‎03-22-2023

> Since he didn't pick it up, the tracking shows "in-transit" so eBay fell for his trick and gave him refund because it's "over the delivery estimate period."

It's not that I don't believe you, but is eBay really that stupid they can't see it's waiting for a signature?

dbfolks166mt · ‎03-22-2023

> Since he didn't pick it up, the tracking shows "in-transit" so eBay fell for his trick and gave him refund because it's "over the delivery estimate period."

It's not that I don't believe you, but is eBay really that stupid they can't see it's waiting for a signature?

Yes eBay is really that stupid or at least their automated software is. Their customer support is also suffering from the one D ten T syndrome these days.

slippinjimmy · ‎03-23-2023

@dbfolks166mt wrote:
> Since he didn't pick it up, the tracking shows "in-transit" so eBay fell for his trick and gave him refund because it's "over the delivery estimate period."

It's not that I don't believe you, but is eBay really that stupid they can't see it's waiting for a signature?

Yes eBay is really that stupid or at least their automated software is. Their customer support is also suffering from the one D ten T syndrome these days.

For the OP the package required a signature, a delivery attempt was made, the recipient was not available to sign so it's at their local PO and definitely not showing "In Transit", it will show a Delivery Attempt and that it is available for pick-up. So even if eBay is "that stupid" they won't be seeing In-Transit and will have to save their stupidity for a different situation.

Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep

glgenterprise · ‎03-23-2023

That's making quite a few assumptions regarding stupidity:

1. That the PO has correctly scanned the package. They often don't. All you'd have to do is read through the multiple threads here to see the crazy scans that caused claims being opened. I've personally had stuff scanned wrong when the PO worker forgets to change the scanner from received to delivered.

2. That whoever at eBay handles the INR is paying attention. I've input the tracking with delivery on INRs before and it does not always automatically close an INR.

Never underestimate the stupidity of eBay, the PO, or the lengths a scammer will go to get a freebie.

While it may be NBD in this instance, people read these threads to get educated and to not point out the pitfalls is doing a disservice.

duffy4444 · ‎03-23-2023

@glgenterprise wrote:
That's making quite a few assumptions regarding stupidity:

1. That the PO has correctly scanned the package. They often don't. All you'd have to do is read through the multiple threads here to see the crazy scans that caused claims being opened. I've personally had stuff scanned wrong when the PO worker forgets to change the scanner from received to delivered.

2. That whoever at eBay handles the INR is paying attention. I've input the tracking with delivery on INRs before and it does not always automatically close an INR.

Never underestimate the stupidity of eBay, the PO, or the lengths a scammer will go to get a freebie.

While it may be NBD in this instance, people read these threads to get educated and to not point out the pitfalls is doing a disservice.

@glgenterprise:

DITTO and AMEN!

Automatically giving the buyer, eBay, and the PO the benefit of the doubt in a borderline case such as this on a $2800 item is running a big risk of giving the item away AND refunding the buyer's payment for it.

Cheers, Duffy

dbfolks166mt · ‎03-23-2023

For the OP the package required a signature, a delivery attempt was made, the recipient was not available to sign so it's at their local PO and definitely not showing "In Transit", it will show a Delivery Attempt and that it is available for pick-up. So even if eBay is "that stupid" they won't be seeing In-Transit and will have to save their stupidity for a different situation.

Ah, they must have saved the stupidity for when they granted the buyer their refund.

whiteyswrecking · ‎03-23-2023

They will, as soon as they can open an INR case !!!

Then they will pick it up, and eBay will refund them and keep your stuff,

Anonymous · ‎04-02-2023

Well after the USPS issued a return notice and I guess was about to ship it back to me, someone picked it up. Probably just busy doing more interesting things than making trips to the post office to sign for a package it seems. eBay still hasn't sent me the funds when they said they would however, so that's still tbd.

the_fancy_fox · ‎04-02-2023

@whiteyswrecking wrote:
They will, as soon as they can open an INR case !!!
Then they will pick it up, and eBay will refund them and keep your stuff,

And the day they file a INR case is the day you file to have an intercept done on the package. Wait till you see the package is on the way back to you and then refund on the last day.

The Race is over
The Rats won.