Dodgy eBay seller?! advice please!

[joanneandthegiantpeach]

I won an item last week (designer item, bit of a bargain) & seller uploaded tracking details the next day, marking item as despatched.

On the Royal Mail website, it says they cannot provide further tracking details until "delivery is attempted" with no mention as they usually do of when it was posted/the location of post office etc. After waiting a week, phoned Royal Mail who say that the seller has generated tracking details but hasn't actually handed over the parcel according to their system. According to RM, sellers can generate postage labels which creates a tracking number without actually handing over a package. Seller is ignoring my messages. eBay have advised I wait to see if it turns up (it won't if it hasn't even been posted!)

Am I likely to lose my money given that the seller has provided a tracking number making it look like they've sent the item? It was £250 so not a small amount of money! I've never heard of anyone doing this before, is it a known scam? Can't find anything searching online either! Someone please reassure me that I haven't lost my money!

If you paid via paypal, I'd open up a dispute.

I've never heard of this before, very strange. How can you have a tracking number unless it's been posted?
But if it's been sent tracked then without a signature it can;t be classed as delivered.
I would open a case on Ebay/Paypal.

Screenshot what you've got off the Royal Mail website and open up a dispute on eBay. I reckon you'll be okay if the tracking details show the parcel hasn't actually been posted!

Thanks! I'm feeling a bit more reassured. I was panicking that I'd lose my money but also annoyed that I won't be getting my bargain purchase having built it up in my head for a week! (It's something I've wanted for a long time but can't justify the price although this was minimally damaged hence why I thought it was cheaper). eBay have told me I can't open a dispute for a few more days in case the post is just taking longer (despite me saying it hasn't actually been posted!)

I wondered this too- apparently you can prepay for postage (online I assume?) or use a self checkout machine at the post office and then not actually deposit the parcel. The lady I spoke to said that the tracking number I have shows that someone has generated it and then not actually posted the parcel. I wonder if it didn't sell for as much as the seller hoped so to avoid negative feedback, they were going to pretend it had got lost in the post if the tracking never updated to having been signed for. I wouldn't have known it was possible to get tracking details without it actually being sent had I not phoned RM! However, looking at their website, it does say that tracking details not fully working may be because they've been prebought and then the parcel not sent so people must do it!

When I enter the tracking online, it just says "further details not available until delivery attempted" but it's missing the usual section saying where and when the item was sent. It's Royal Mail's internal system which told them it hasn't actually been sent so I can't prove this unless eBay phone RM to ask- no idea why it doesn't show on the website tracking!

I would open a dispute as soon as ebay will allow.

Then either call or get through to their online chat option. It's a bit tricky to find but it's possible.

Ask them to look into the tracking number. They will usually look further and confirm the item hadn't been posted/ delivered.

You should get a full refund.

The seller has obviously used EBAY postage label. They have purchased an EBAY label, which has tracking automatically, but they haven't actually taken the item to the post office.
But because they have purchased an EBAY EBAY think the item has been sent.
Fatal EBAY error. Anyone can print off an EBAY postage label. Doesn't mean it's actually been posted.

An eBay label is just a label using Royal Mail so a teaching number will be provided but unless there is online confirmation of delivery eBay will find in your favour.
Even if it was sent but not delivered eBay would expect you to refund the buyer and claim from Royal Mail.
However in some instances if it's confirmed that the item was actually posted but not delivered eBay will refund the buyer themselves.

But there's no proof of posting let alone delivery, so you can open an item not received case stating that the item has not been posted and the tracking number is not valid.

Tracking 2nd class is free... you will only be informed when the package is delivered...
Basic really.

How can you have no proof of posting when you have a tracking number????

@jessicawessica oh that makes sense! Why would they do that and then not post it if it costs money to get the label?! Maybe they were planning to pretend it had got lost in transit like I suspected I'm still hoping there's a small chance they decide to post it- I desperately want the item!

@Vikki69 Usually (like a package I sent on Monday) will say "posted from x post office in x area on Monday 8th July" on the online tracker and will then update when signed for. This tracking number has none of that & Royal Mail have confirmed it hasn't actually been received.

They probably thought it was more cost effective to buy the Ebay postage label than actually post the item, as you said yourself the price you paid was a bargain. Maybe they expected to get a lot more so losing £3-£4 on a postage label was nothing.

@jessicawessica that's annoying but I'm glad I can see what they've done so I know to leave negative feedback down the line if that does turn out to be the case. They probably thought this way they'd avoid negative feedback if it looked like the parcel went missing. Thanks for your help!

I post a lot of parcels using Royal Mail (several thousand a year) and this is sadly something that does happen on rare occasions and is genuine when it happens.

They definitely have been collected by Royal Mail from me but if something goes wrong with Royal Mail it just doesn't update to say delivery was attempted. So it looks like it hasn't been sent but actually Royal Mail definitely have had it.

Royal Mail also say things to my customers about a label being generated but not used and other things to avoid responsibility and it's not true, I know for a fact they've had it but presumably lost it. And now and again I get confirmation from the buyer that it has arrived but the signed for status never even updated.

It's Royal Mail signed for I use mostly which technically is not a tracked service, it's signed for so doesn't show tracking updates like Royal Mail tracked 24 or 48 etc.

Sorry for the essay! Just wanted to let you know the seller might well be being genuine as it has happened to me several times. You won't lose your money - if they can't prove delivery ebay will refund you for definite.

Also if you change one number on the tracking it will say tracking number not recognised usually. So it is a valid tracking number. I think it will be Royal Mail signed for as tracked does say when it was posted but signed for doesn't.

@darkparadise1 thanks for that insight! That's terrible although in saying that, I sold something a week ago & posted it second class signed for. I was checking online & website kept saying it was still in the system so thought it had got lost. Buyer says she received it several days ago- what's the point in paying for signed for delivery?! Lucky the buyer was honest otherwise I'd have had to refund for it not being received. Hopefully something similar has happened to this parcel & it'll turn up soon!