Another ebay scam?

[Huss]

I bought an item off ebay. I have opened an incident with eBay as it seems the seller has tried to scam me. These are the shipping details:

Sunday, Mar 22, 2020 12:00 AM N/A In Transit to Next Facility
Wednesday, Mar 18, 2020 12:00 AM LAWRENCEVILLE , GA USPS expects item for mailing (SSK)

So on Mar 18 the seller created a shipping label. On Mar 22 it was apparently scanned somewhere but with no location showing. If It actually was scanned, it would show a location. Then that's it. No record of anything else and of course it has not been delivered.
The seller has not responded to my attempts to contact him/her.

Ebay said they will step in April 1 if nothing has been resolved - I am not worried about not losing money - but it seems that perhaps PayPal would lose money on this unless they put a significant hold period before they pay the seller.

Anyway, maybe I am wrong but it seems that the scam is to create a shipping label but not ship anything. Perhaps the seller is able to make it look like it was scanned so it was accepted.
I hope I am wrong but the fact that there has been no response to my attempts to contact suggests otherwise.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Huss,


I think its just the crappy tracking system of the US Postal Service. Recently, I have had things mailed to me that showed up in tracking like yours, then after several days suddenly it says it arrived in Fort Wayne or Indianapolis (packages coming to Indiana always pass through Indianapolis before they come to Ft. Wayne).

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Then item is sold on Ebay seller could enter tracking number manually. This is what china scammers do on eBay. Fake tracking number, not recognized by eBay.

If PayPal shipping was in use for eBay sold item, then label creation is added to eBay automatically once seller pays for shipping. Then item is shown as scanned it is not entered by the seller, it comes from shipping carrier, automatically.

 

[punkzter]

That does sound like a tracking issue. I'm curious if this was mailed Priority Mail or First-Class...or some other method of USPS shipping. I've noticed that Priority Mail typically has fairly accurate tracking. But other methods can be more scattershot. Especially media mail and parcel post.

 

[kxl]

Sunday, Mar 22, 2020 12:00 AM N/A In Transit to Next Facility

If the carrier tracking page showed this, then they have it. Remember that all shipping services are affected by what's going on. Even shipments from B&H are taking longer than normal.

 

[AlexBG]

I'd keep on going with the claim but with what is happening in the world at the moment they may not have the staff or it was scanned by someone that didn't know exactly what they were doing. Postal services are under huge pressure at the moment as people stop buying from shops.

 

[flyingpalm]

Scammers can create fake UPS/USPS tracking number these days, last time I have one item shipped by UPS and it showed drop off at front door but my shipping address is a shipping centre in the US so there's no way that will happen, got the money back anyway but eBay became a more dangerous place.

 

[helen.HH]

Not having a response from the seller is looking dodgy
Let’s hope not...

 

[benlees]

Whatever level of postal service you buy determines how much tracking you get (most of the time). Some services offer a couple points, others will show every time it's scanned.


It's clearly in the system. It's only been a week, especially with the current situation: patience!

 

[farlymac]

I think some of the eBay virtual warehouse sellers are extremely hard to get in contact with. I bought a filter once, the seller sent a message that they were so glad to be doing business (but no mention of the item getting shipped), and no notice of shipment tracking ever came through. I got my money back after the required waiting period, then the next day it showed up at my door. I contacted the seller as to what I was supposed to do with it, and never heard back.

Later on, I accidentally ordered a sensor cleaning kit from the same seller (got it confused with another sale I had on the watch list), and the same thing happened, only I never got the kit.

So I've sworn off sellers that have that type of set-up, as they either are trying to scam the system, or just don't care about customer service.

PF


Note: The type of system I'm referring to is where the seller does not have a physical inventory, but sells through a clearinghouse which manages accounts for several sellers out of a master warehouse. You can tell if this is the type of seller because they sell nothing but brand new items in 50 or more unrelated categories.

 

[helen.HH]

I stopped buying from EBay
My first choice is here in our classifieds
then reputable dealers after I look at Their website , I do via phone , No Tax if not in same state (unlike Ebay now that always charges tax)

But I get it if you need an unusual item, or just plain hard to find... than there’s ebay

Yes I am an oddity.., I don’t do Prime, why make Bezos any richer, can wait for my toys normal Shipping time... Left Facebook 8 years ago, enough of Zuckerberg & his ways

 

[Huss]

Not having a response from the seller is looking dodgy
Let’s hope not...

See that's the thing. No response to my inquiries.
It was shipped Priority Mail.

I'm hoping that it is on the up and up, but I've received other packages and mail via USPS with no issues, and they have emphasized that it is business as usual.

Things are really sh-tty right now, which may explain why the seller has not responded.

 

[blumoon]

Try copying and pasting the tracking # on the USPS site.
Sometimes you get a different result that tracking on Ebay.

 

[zuiko85]

About the only thing I trust ebay for now is filter step rings, lens and body caps, the odd lens adapter and that is about it. All items usually less than $20 tops. I have received items that only showed a origin scan and then, after they have arrived the whole sequence of tracking scans will finally post.

 

[Huss]

Try copying and pasting the tracking # on the USPS site.
Sometimes you get a different result that tracking on Ebay.

Tried that, same result as looking at it in ebay.
Still haven't heard back. Ebay will step in April 1 if nothing is delivered by then.

 

[Beemermark]

If it's showing up on the USPS web site then it's a real package in the system. USPS tracking is pretty accurate but it doesn't mean that packages don't get lost. I always wonder why people immediately jump to the conclusion that the other person is dishonest.


So call the USPS 1-800 number and give them the package number and ask what's going on. Over the years I've had this happen to a couple of packages (once due to my fault in making the label). The 1-800 operator will get hold of the postmaster at the last scanned location who will then go out and find the package, usually same day.

 

[newst]

Last year I had a similar issue with an eBay sale. The seller posted a Priority mail tracking number, USPS tracked it from shipment to delivery. Point being that when USPS delivered it, the delivery wasn't to me.

I had USPS track the package back. It was delivered to a restaurant in my ZIP code that it was addressed to. The restaurant owner was surprised to receive a Priority mail envelope with nothing inside it.

Of course, by this time, the seller was nowhere to be found. EBay locked out the seller account but refused to refund me as the package had been "delivered" by USPS.

Luckily it was nothing expensive.

 

[frank-grumman]

Had an item shipped to me from Baltimore via USPS Priority....BAL is about 100 miles. 8 days in transit. No tracking data other than to say that it was last at a facility about 70 bird miles from Philly. I contacted the local PO rep, filed a complaint, opened a formal case with USPS. Within 24 hours I got a telephone call from local agent advising as to its exact location and with a date/time certain for delivery and it came as he had indicated in the call. The other thing he said that's useful: PRIORITY DOESN'T MEAN SQUAT as to speed of delivery. It means only that when it gets to the shipping stack for distribution, it gets sorted first, mostly. Give USPS a call; file a formal complaint and open a case.

 

[james.liam]

I'm with Helen.
Wrote off flea8ay when they started charging me tax on items bought outside the US. This would be on top of any custom's duty. Same for Amazon; just safer for the buyer. There are enough first rate resellers like Bergen County Camera, Tamarkin and Igor Camera to name but a few.

Any advantage that was had from flea8ay is long ago lost. Taxes, nameless scammers, hassle with items not as described. All risk, no gain.

 

[Huss]

If it's showing up on the USPS web site then it's a real package in the system. USPS tracking is pretty accurate but it doesn't mean that packages don't get lost. I always wonder why people immediately jump to the conclusion that the other person is dishonest.


So call the USPS 1-800 number and give them the package number and ask what's going on. Over the years I've had this happen to a couple of packages (once due to my fault in making the label). The 1-800 operator will get hold of the postmaster at the last scanned location who will then go out and find the package, usually same day.

I tried calling that 1-800 # on the USPS site. Nothing, just dead air.

Most prob it’s not a scam but who’s to know? The seller has not responded to any attempts to contact.