eBay/USPS reusing tracking numbers after only a few weeks!?!

[ohdeercustomdolls]

I shipped out 20 packages today - June 21st - and had a buyer email me saying they just got a notification that their package was delivered on May 28th to an address is a different state. I checked the tracking, and sure enough, they're right. I double checked the labels I printed today and 6 out of the 20 labels have tracking that shows the packages were delivered to various addresses in May of 2025. It appears that tracking numbers are being recycled extremely quickly which is causing concerned buyers.

I hope that tracking eventually updates with the correct information. I'll post updates.

[p2collectibles]

Had this issue on about 5-6 of my orders out of the total 21 packages I shipped out.

Some stated delivered ultimately on the ebay tracking progress and some are mis-shipped and bouncing around facilities...

Very frustrating from a seller standpoint if we LOSE the package (it being misdelivered) & LOSE on the money if that's the case, but my ebay representative stated that we as seller's should be covered but I hope they cover the buyer as well for whoever mistake this is on whether it's USPS or Ebay...

[thomas_89]

As a follow up, the package finally moved in reverse direction so it was on day 1 of its 5 day travel back to being on the correct route, maybe, or going back to the seller. Not sure because nothing tells me that. So I just checked again and it reversed direction and is back at the final local post office of the wrong destination. So if you read the post pinned that it's being resolved, there are only a few items affected, and they're doing all they can to get the items to where they're supposed to go... well, I don't think so. Clearly it's more items than they can handle tracking down and making arrangements to get the items to their correct destination, and IMO they're not doing much if anything to resolve it. At least my item was small $, sure feel for those sellers and buyers with large ticket items.

[asapadam]

I too got a recycled tracking number, for a package sent to a buyer in Indiana. Label was printed on June 21. Tracking immediately showed the number had been used in May for a package sent to TULLAHOMA, TN 37388. The package I mailed last week has now gone to the same place — TULLAHOMA, TN — instead of Indiana! It seems the shipping info from May overwrote the shipping info for my June order.  Tracking info's latest update is "MIS-SHIPPED" in Tullahoma. That was Friday and there's been no movement since. Will it actually go to IN? This is bad.

[htxanimesales]

Is there any update to your issue? A package i sent out on 6/23 is also bouncing around and keeps being labeled as “Mis-Shipped” for 3 days now. 

[thomas_89]

Mine is driving around in circles in a location 800 miles away from the seller and buyer. It's been labeled "mis-shipped" three times so far. Apparently the local post office is reading the address and the distribution is scanning the tracking so they're playing hot potato with it. 

"we are working with USPS to

ensure delivery is not disrupted"

Either this isn't happening or they're not working with each other.

"We have identified a segment of orders with inaccurate tracking events and are working to update these events with accurate details"

I don't know who wrote that, but the tracking events are accurate. The issue is the old destination assigned to these tracking numbers still existed on USPS's system and that's what they're using to ship it. Until someone destroys the old data and replaces it with new, assigns a new number to it, or removes the tracking number from the package... its apparently not going to go where it should. Marking it "mis-shipped" in the computer isn't working, because it's not showing up in their tracking system.

Ebay could have prevented this, especially since it happened before.

[ag-nation]

Oh thank Goddess, thought it was just me. Yes, one of the 5 labels I created on 6/22 was a recycled one. It has made it to its correct destination city TWICE, only to pop off on another tour around the country. The local PO supervisors are not aware of this problem, one practically accused ME of "doing something fishy". So, now we have to check EVERY SINGLE LABEL before sticking it on a package ?!?!?! Don't we already have enough things to be paranoid about ??? 

[rossgames]

there's a post on ebay reddit that says eBay found in buyer's favor even though tracking was a duplicate mistake by eBay. Says he appealed and eBay still refused to help.

[thomas_89]

4th go round.

Ebay is not honoring their statements or money back guarantee. The guarantee isn't worth the space they used to print it. They're obviously shorting sellers too, as shown above. They added a random extension to the time frame of their agreement, what is to stop them from continuing to do this until the end of time?

It is plainly clear that ebay does not want to pay for their mistake here, and they are going to make the sellers and buyers suffer and pay for their mistakes. What a wonderful business model.