I'm being charged by USPS for voided shipping label dating from December 2023?!?!?

[cobra_viper]

This is something I haven't encountered before in the 23 years that I have been selling on Ebay.

This week USPS charged me for 2 separate shipping labels that had been voided back in December of 2023.  Their reason was because the labels were used after they had already given me a refund...which is not true.  The labels were never used at all...but  for some reason the tracking numbers attached to the labels are showing that they were used for shipping in March of 2024.  I don't understand how that is even possible.  The labels were thrown away in December and never used...but the tracking is updating as if I mailed the packages out last week...which I did not do.

Is anyone else having this same issue?  I'm not even sure how to fight it with USPS and the only things that I can think of is that the tracking numbers are being recycled and someone else has shipped a package using the exact same tracking number...OR...it is a glitch with the USPS tracking system that is somehow providing false updates when nothing has actually been shipped.

[k_dogg14]

Same thing just happened to me. I am surprised this thread is so recent. Hopefully this can get fixed.

[albertabrightalberta]

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@crazyscientist wrote:

Same thing happened to me with a label printed with Paypal ShipStation - so it's not just an Ebay problem.  I think indeed someone is perpetrating fraud here by searching for USPS tracking, finding unused tracking numbers, then using that barcode with a different address on the package where it will ultimately get delivered at the originally purchaser's expense. 

Here's mine:

https://tools.usps.com/go/TrackConfirmAction?qtc_tLabels1=9400111206217842654535

The weird thing is that it was still delivered to my original customer in GA.  I just messaged him to find out what he got!

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This is another that was processed through Metro NY. 

kyle@ebay 

Has there been any resolution, investigation or refunds issued to sellers? 

[cobra_viper]

Has anyone had a USPS claim for this issue not get rejected?  

Mine are still showing as 1 rejected and 1 pending.

[thebargainprincess]

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@cobra_viper wrote:

Has anyone had a USPS claim for this issue not get rejected?  

Mine are still showing as 1 rejected and 1 pending.

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I haven't received anything other than the automated "Service Request has been opened" message. That was 4 days ago and the message says a "response within 2-5 days, usually no more than 15 days" will come. 

ETA: I should add that Ebay hasn't credited my account either and since they're the ones with the contract with USPS, they should make us whole then go after USPS. 

[jetschickens]

Office of Inspector General USPS website --->  https://www.uspsoig.gov/

If it is an internal postal fraud issue then definitely they would be the ones to contact.  If it is scammers/fraudsters finding voided/unused, but paid or previously paid for tracking numbers than they also are still the ones to contact. 

I am not sure of what other options it could be other than a system recycle-reissue?

The postal investigators tend to take their job very serious.  If you are an effected seller and haven't gotten a response from USPS itself, I would create a case with the postal inspectors.

[sdneped]

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@jetschickens wrote:

scammers/fraudsters finding voided/unused, but paid or previously paid for tracking numbers 

I am not sure of what other options it could be other than a system recycle-reissue? 

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Fortunately according to many posts on this thread, those resurrected tracking numbers

-- are still delivered to the original address on the original paid/voided label.

So it looks like the tide is turning and it no longer scams any good to alter the address on the label

-- as USPS reverts that altered address back to the original purchased/voided address.

[thebargainprincess]

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@sdneped wrote:

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So it looks like the tide is turning and it no longer scams any good to alter the address on the label

-- as USPS reverts that altered address back to the original purchased/voided address.

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I don't believe there's anything being delivered to the address that was on the voided label. My guess is that someone is raking in the cash for all these back charges and no service has been performed. 

[kyle@ebay]

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@albertabrightalberta wrote:

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@crazyscientist wrote:

Same thing happened to me with a label printed with Paypal ShipStation - so it's not just an Ebay problem.  I think indeed someone is perpetrating fraud here by searching for USPS tracking, finding unused tracking numbers, then using that barcode with a different address on the package where it will ultimately get delivered at the originally purchaser's expense. 

Here's mine:

https://tools.usps.com/go/TrackConfirmAction?qtc_tLabels1=9400111206217842654535

The weird thing is that it was still delivered to my original customer in GA.  I just messaged him to find out what he got!

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This is another that was processed through Metro NY. 

kyle@ebay 

Has there been any resolution, investigation or refunds issued to sellers? 

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Hey @albertabrightalberta I did get a bit of an update in a response over the weekend..  Here is where we're at so far:

"We are investigating the issue, and any erroneous charges will be credited."

We'll be sure to provide any further updates we receive! 

[wastingtime101]

Thank you kyle@ebay - that's great to see eBay will be taking care of these erroneous charges.

[crazyscientist]

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@tweedysshop wrote:

There are a number of people being charged for the duplicate shipping for voided labels.

USPS is rejecting the request for refunds for many. I haven't gotten my reject letter yet but sure I will since the ladies on the phone wouldn't even take my tracking number, saying they had thousands of reports from ebay sellers. They were sure it was an ebay glitch because it had not happened on any other platforms. 

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They would be wrong - it happened to me on ShipStation. 

[2pac......]

I've had this happen twice this month. 2 different labels created, one Dec 12, one Dec 13. Buyers requested cancellations and I granted and voided the labels. Nothing was sent. 80 days later on one and 90 days one the other, these labels were used in another part of the country and I was charged.

[clp1967]

Just got off phone with USPS. They admit that they recycle voided tracking numbers but said this is and eBay issue not a postal issue. How can that be when there is uploaded fake, new tracking at USPS for these non existent packages.?

[wastingtime101]

It's a USPS issue not an eBay issue @clp1967 . Of course USPS is going to say it isn't their problem. It's fraud committed on their system. All you need to do is looking at examples of the same thing happening on other shipping label providers to see it's not exclusive to eBay.

[mr_mystified]

Same for me. I had 2 labels used in METRO NY over the last week that I voided on Jan 2nd and I live in MN.

[juleslovesvb]

Same for me.  One label voided and refunded last December, now being charged for.  Shows same city and state delivered to 3 months later.  Just got off phone with eBay customer service and cs says eBay will issue me a refund for this, clearly incorrect, charge.  Still don't know who had the issue; eBay says USPS and USPS says eBay.  Either way I believe eBay owed it to its sellers to look into and resolve this problem once they had a certain number of calls.  It had to have been in the thousands of sellers affected.  Just think of the time and expense to all of us and to eBay when they could have put an IT Subject Matter Expert on this when they hit a threshold of sellers with this same problem.