Concerned that this may be a scam.... Incorrect item (with a higher value) charged to a 3rd party.

[wickfam]

I purchased Item A with a price including shipping of approx $44. Instead of Item A, I received Item B direct shipped from a well known retailer which included a packing slip from said retailer indicating that a 3rd party located in Maryland (when the seller was from California) was charged approx $90 for Item B plus shipping. The seller isn't listed anywhere on the packing slip at all.  Who is this 3rd party in Maryland with a name that's not even similar to the seller's??? And why would a seller sell an item for only half their cost??  (The seller has approx 50 reviews over the past 6 months and all have been positive and for items similar to the one I ordered so I didn't feel like this was a risky transaction. However....)

Anyway, I then contacted the seller asking that the item be replaced since the incorrect item had been shipped & received another notice that my item had been shipped but which contains no tracking information. Some time later, I then received a notice that the seller was accepting my return along with a notice for printing a shipping label. I have since asked what is being done, whether I'll receive Item A that I'd ordered in the first place (which the seller relisted today) or whether I'll be refunded after I ship Item B back to them. To date, I have received no response. 

I'm hesitant to ship Item B at this point without knowing what is supposed to transpire. The seller has relisted Item A. Plus I'm worried that the party who was billed for the incorrect item (Item B) might come hunting me and want to know why someone stole their identity and had stuff shipped to my house!!

I've tried to figure out how to contact ebay about this situation and see what is recommended or to flag the transaction but have been unable to do so. Any suggestions on how to proceed would be appreciated!!

[missjen831]

Just return the item. eBay will only force a refund. This sounds just like a triangulation scam so if the return was officially accepted, return the item and get your money back. 

[littleguineapiggy]

What happens in this scam:

You receive an item that costs more.

You see the invoice and think, "oh no!  I have to pay more!"

You pay the amount on the fake invoice to whatever account

The seller gets two payments because the buyer is naive and thinks something really bad will happen if they don't.

So yeah, ebay will have your back on this one.

[hafoster]

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@littleguineapiggy wrote:

What happens in this scam:

You pay the amount on the fake invoice to whatever account

The seller gets two payments

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Please stop.