Fake Tracking Scams Target Buyers and Sellers

by: etectra

A tracking number does not prove the buyers got the item. It only proves they got a package. The buyer can simply take the item out of the package and take a picture of the package and any random item they have on hand. If you sold them a mass produced item they could already own a broken copy of the item they bought and substitute that in place of what was shipped to them.

I think my favorite off Youtube was the $400 backpack sent out by a seller. The buyer took a screenshot of another item the seller had in their shop, printed that out, and put it in a cheap plastic frame and claimed that is what they got. Of course eBay sided with the buyer as the seller's previously long history does not mean anything to them, just the commission on the sale.

On the other hand the same buyer can claim the item is not described and ask for a return and instead of returning the item they use the return label to ship you an empty package. eBay's double standard policy will of course consider that the item has been returned by the buyer because the tracking number says so.

It does matter how many years you've sold on eBay. I had 27 years and then one day they demanded receipts for all items listed and sold during the last 60 days as if I am a thief.

All the buyer has to do to get their money back is file a claim with their payment processor and / or bank and/or credit card. This will override anything eBay decides. In 99.9% of cases there will be no investigation at all aside from a stolen credit card being used.

In 27 years I had one person use a stolen credit card. The postal inspectors sent the item back to me for free and I got to keep the money. I'v had one damaged by a UPs forklift stabbing through the outer box, product and partially through the molded foam insert, but the customer kept the item, which was undamaged and I knocked some off the price.

I've had one uninsured cheap item's tracking disappear between sorting centers. Either a USPS employee or contractor stole it or the customer actually got it and stole it by the fact USPS did not update the tracking information.

A couple customers tried to steal their item by cancelling their PayPal payment right after getting their tracking number. I had the carrier remove the packages from their system and send them back to me, which they did for free at the time.

I've had one return from an elderly customer who simply did not read the description. As he was a repeat customer I allowed it.

Several other attempted scams, but I never give into these and no chargebacks as a result. These people usually hang themselves with their own words like a person stating a model of a metal warship did not contain parts which are only found on a wood ship - in any case the photos contained a complete copy of the assembly instructions which matched all the parts in the photos.

To protect myself from customer scams and from eBay's notorious habit of charging customers for services not ordered and double billing I take a worse case scenario approach. Upon verifying my bank account with two micro deposits I immediately call my bank and tell them to block eBay from withdrawing any money. My backup method payment is a virtual credit card on which I block eBay. So the only way eBay can get any money from scams or their own wrong doing is from deducting it from sales, which gives me the option of cancelling these sales. eBay is thus blocked from taking money from my bank or charging it to my card. Once they get your money you will have a hard time getting it back.

What are the details of your case as there are various scams you could mean by a fake tracking number.

by: Snapped

The details are certainly important on a case by case basis.  But it would seem that there is a macro lesson here, and with consideration for the untold number of other similarly detailed examples found far back on eBay, elsewhere other than eBay, and to a lesser extent before eBay, needs consideration.

There is only one way to successfully mitigate attempts at fraud.  Be personally prepared to act, collect information, report to authority (other than to that venue who cares not for you), and prosecute on your own behalf.  Reporting is free and may seem futile, but nobody can do anything without that prompt.  Prompts, actually, there are many channels to use.  Just sayin’.

Granted, there is a reality to what can be expected as a result, and that’s also a factor of resources applied in this world.  Especially challenging for the one off, limited resource seller.  But correcting the reasons for that is bigger than eBay too, and will also take some personal ‘effort’ (start with your vote), even as eBay continues to aid and abet.

by: Vigilant Eye On eBay

In order to qualify for eBay or PayPal ''Seller Protection'' in ''Item Not Received'' disputes eBay and PayPal require signature confirmation for all orders totaling $750.00 or more.

Buyers returning items have the same signature confirmation requirement for all returns totaling $750.00 or more.

by: ScottLBrown

@igilant Eye On eBay
Most packages are returned on the SELLER account. Once the seller is the shipper of record, that is no longer true, unless the seller wants to insure it for $750 etc.

The sellers always win.  At scale for volume sellers, it is just a CODB cost of doing business that we need to build into the business model.  We had $85k in losses in 2022 on $35M in sales.  If we were to opt into the Insurance we would have spent even more money.  Out of the $85K we recouped a mere $12k.

Clearly it hurts much more for smaller sellers. Just know that the credit card companies will always side with their card holders.

When customers claim they didn't get what they received and we were losing every one of them, we had HD Cameras installed at every Packing Station (back in 2012). Every order is digitally recorded with Time Stamps. We reached out to Ebay and explained our process and they began to accept this as valid proof that we put in the box what we said we did.

We also ask customers to send us images of the Box they received.  We check the images for OUR security packing tape.  If there are rounds of clear or other tape over it, then the box was tampered with by the carrier and we will open a case with the carrier.  If our tape is there, we implement the above paragraph and won 90% of the cases.  

This was important as our AOV was over $500.00 yet again as above, we were not going to pay for the insurances.

Cheers!

by: Priyansh Jain

This discussion reflects something many sellers have experienced: marketplace policies, fees, and visibility can have a big impact on how and where people choose to sell. That's one reason many businesses compare several platforms instead of relying on a single marketplace.

Along with larger marketplaces, some sellers also evaluate TrueGether.com, an eBay alternative with no listing or selling fees, to see if it's a better fit for certain products or business goals. Every marketplace has different strengths and trade-offs, including buyer reach, competition, and seller tools.

No platform is perfect, and success usually comes from testing different channels, keeping listings accurate, and providing good customer service. Having more marketplace options ultimately gives sellers greater flexibility to choose what works best for their business.