How Ebay sellers are cheating buyers – valid tracking code scam

As I wrote in my previous article, I want to share few fraud schemes of Ebay sellers that I have encountered. This one uses valid tracking code and is more intricate.

Since indicated parcel delivery date has passed and I still didn‘t receive the item, I‘ve notified seller about missing item. Seller has promptly replied providing with a valid tracking code (YYXXXXXXXXXZZ, where YY and ZZ are letters, X are the numbers and the total number of characters is equal to the 12 or 13.)

I have checked the code at once in my post’s website and it showed that parcel has arrived 2 weeks ago and was delivered to the recipient. I was shocked! Had I forgotten receiving Android TV Box two weeks ago? I do receive items bought online every few days, but I have never forgotten anything before.

I was about to call my post office if there could be any mistake when I suddenly spotted this: item was delivered to recipient in a post office “Kauno 18-asis paštas, Veiverių g. 35A, Kaunas” – this is not my post office!

Our city has quite a few post offices and each of them serves certain range of addresses. If item was delivered to this post office, it means that delivery address of a registered parcel was not my address. Moreover, I could not easily check delivery address from a valid tracking code. This is when I thought of a way that seller is trying to commit a fraud:

1. Instead of sending expensive item to me, he sends fake empty registered parcel to random address in my city and has a valid tracking code as a proof of sending out the purchase.
2. I should think that my mail carrier has lost or stolen the item.
3. In case I will contact Ebay support, seller will defend by providing them with a valid tracking code and Ebay will close the case in favor of the seller.

And that is exactly how it went but with a surprising twist in the end. After several rounds of in vane emails with seller, I have referred to Ebay support. They replied that seller has provided a proof of delivery to my address that is registered on Ebay and pasted address of a wrong post office – they surely did not even check my address and copied seller’s explanation. I had to reiterate several times, that this is not my post office, that I have proof in a form of post office codes, which are used in my address registered on Ebay. Ebay support finally decided to close case in my favor, but they refunded as a courtesy because I had troubles receiving item, but did not charge seller because they did not see his fault!

Well I am happy this time. However, what will happen when seller will repeat this fraud, or when fake parcel will be sent to random address that is in range of my post office? I asked Ebay about it and at first they only repeated that they have closed the case in my favor, but since I insisted again that they answered about next occurrences of such fraud, they unwillingly said case might be closed in my favor again.

Therefore, everybody watch out for this type of frauds and maybe share your experiences with me in comments below.