Paid Seller For An Item (including estimated shipping costs), Claims he is broke and can't ship it

[edin116]

Hello and thanks to anyone who took the time to read this. I spent about an hour searching for an answer but only got results of sellers who flat out refused to ship at all.
I recently bought an item lot from a seller. A few days later he messages me that the item will be delayed, followed a few days later that he is "flat broke" and won't be able to ship it for "2 to 3 weeks" but it has been marked as shipped in ebay (no tracking). On the surface it seemed logical as some people get paid twice or once a month until...

Just today I noticed the seller recently (a day after he sent the can't ship message) the seller has listed another item lot, similarly priced (cost and shipping), which made me instantly suspicious that I fell for a scam. I unfortunately did not ask for a tracking number when I placed my order (which is by Canada Post USA Letter-post) as in the item lot description it stated to ask for one if needed when placing the order.

At best: It seems like the seller used my payment (including for shipping) on non-Ebay bills (and not for actually shipping my item) and is using other listings to pay for ones that have already been purchased to pay for their shipping.

If this is a scam, how to I report it or other listings when he admitted he couldn't ship (yet listed more items anyways)?
Are there any options available to me to cancel the order and get my money back before the estimated delivery window closes?

[kensgiftshop · Accepted solution]

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@edin116 

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Was it a new seller?

If it was, there payments are held until tracking shows the item was delivered or for 21 days with no tracking.

They could be waiting until the funds are released so they can ship.

Don't wait that long for the item.

Check your order for the last estimated delivery date and once it passes, file an INR in the resolution center below.

[edin116]

I would say that he is indeed a new seller but with some buying feedback going back more than a year.

[kensgiftshop]

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@edin116 wrote:
I would say that he is indeed a new seller but with some buying feedback going back more than a year.

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Some new sellers don't realize their payments will be held, then after they make a sale, they have no money to ship the items and they don't know what to do.

[edin116]

I'll wait an extra week then just in-case, but I'm not going to let it get past the time limit on the INR.