eBay tracking number scam?

[SquatBetty]

Ordered a piece of kitchen equipment via eBay . Paid approx £100 for it. Got tracking number (Royal Mail) and it was apparently delivered to me yesterday although there was no sign of it.

I've checked on the Royal Mail website and can see on the map /GPS coordinates it was delivered to my town but to a different postcode. I've also spoken to RM who confirm it's gone to a different postcode but as that's the address on the parcel they received, they are unable to do anything.

I've opened a case with eBay and am hoping they'll actually take note of what's actually happened rather than closing the case because the parcel is marked as 'delivered' in their system.

Oh and obviously the seller is ignoring my messages about this!

Has anyone else experienced this?

Meant to add parcel has gone to a different address and postcode but RM can't give me the exact address due to data protection.

I had something similar last year, although in my case Royal Mail said that it was delivered to me, despite me having CCTV that proved it wasn't. Royal Mail were bloody useless, and kept insisting they had delivered it despite my absolute proof that they hadn't (I wasn't even in and I live alone, so it must have been the pixies who signed for it because they also claimed I'd signed for it!). Regrettably both the seller and eBay were also rubbish. Both insisted that the only evidence they needed was Royal Mail saying it was delivered, even though I sent them copies of the CCTV proving it wasn't. It was PayPal who stepped in. The seller ignored them so they simply took the money from them!

To be fair, I am a stubborn person when crossed and I fought and appealed and fought Royal Mail over and over for five months on this, and just as I was about to go the regulators they decided to not admit that they were wrong, but to give me a goodwill payment equal to the amount of money I'd paid for the item. So I ended up doubling my money, buying a similar item elsewhere, and the only loser was the company, who I had bought from previously but would never buy from again.

My advice is that if they won't sort it, don't write it off. Fight Royal Mail, and if you used PayPal, then get them involved.

Thanks, I definitely won't be writing it off! Ill go to PayPal next if eBay are shit and won't take it further.

It's a mistake - and the seller not replying immediately isn't a cause for concern - some sellers get a lot of messages. You cannot possibly be defrauded in this way - ebay buyer protection will require proof of shipping to your address, ergo it MUST be a mistake else all the seller is doing is inviting negative feedback.

They may have put the wrong tracking number against your item.
Sent your item to the wrong address (I did that once).
Or something else. Just wait and see what they say when they respond to the case.

Mistake, my arse!

Seller has just responded to my claim to tell me that I was given the RM tracking number in error and actually my parcel was delivered by DPD! Seller has also thoughtfully provided me with an invalid DPD tracking number. What a load of shite.

eBay can get involved from tomorrow so hopefully I'll get a refund soon especially now it must be clear that Seller is trying it on.

I was given a fake tracking number for a very cheap item and Ebay suspended the sellers accounts so she's being pretty stupid taking that kind of risk.

@victorhodg No, OP didn't make a mistake, what an odd comment. OP is the buyer, not the seller.
Royal Mail won't sell you a tracked label to an address that doesn't exist, or one that used the wrong post code. That's standard for all courier services in the UK.

Ive had the experience of sending an international tracked and signed to the USA and it got delivered in an entirely different state from where the buyer lived - presumably to someone who kept it! No explanation except a mistake by the US postal service. Fortunately I had more than one of the items so I was able to send the original buyer a replacement. The one that got "lost" I just wrote off as a tax loss rather than fill out all those royal mail claim forms.