Here is a new scam I have not seen before.

[dkeagostdavid]

Buyer purchases item. We require tracked postage.

Then buyer contacts Australia Post and has it redirected to a Post office for collection.

Reports that they have not received the item, and so want a refund. Claim they did not redirect it.

As it has not arrived at their designated address eBay gives a refund.

Buyer then collects item from the Post Office.

How did we know the buyer redirected it?  Easy. They must be doing this so many times that they lost track. They contacted us to ask if they could exchange the item as it was the wrong size. YES, SERIOUSLY!! 

They did it through eBay messages! There is an evidence trail. But, still no recourse once the refund has been made.

Another example of eBay enabling scammers, even stupid ones.

[jellybirddesigns]

As I say, contact CS and tell them that they did not follow their own guidelines. You are not responsible for actual delivery - you can only be held accountable for posting within your handling time and tracked, both of which you have done.

Also, if the customer picked it up, the final scan will say that it has been collected by the buyer so what does the tracking say? 

[south.coffee]

Similar.  Buyer opens INR case and receives refund for low value untracked item.  Week later I receive negative feedback "Seller sent wrong size".  Took 3 x CS attempts to get sorted.  They knew how to play the game and obviously got their (free) items all mixed up...

[jellybirddesigns]

I just had a thought - tell the buyer to send the item back so you can "exchange" it.

If they actually do send it, just keep it, as the buyer has already been refunded and at least you will have your item back!

[zanadoo_56]

Parcels can be redirected to a parcel locker, a secure PO box or to another post office by the buyer.  I get this reminder whenever I sign in to MyPost to save a tracking number for a new purchase.

There's two kinds of signature on delivery options.  A seller might have signed up for one where the buyer can request - and get - a safe drop (provided the safe drop is actually safe). 

The other kind is where the seller had paid for signature on delivery which CAN'T be changed to safe drop.  If I had a dollar for every seller who has NO idea which one they have paid for and actually suggest the buyer can have Authority to Leave when in fact they can't because the seller has opted for the version that can't be changed, I'd be rich!

However.....because of Covid Aust Post delivery drivers are only required to ascertain that the person the parcel is for are there at the time of delivery.....the driver signs off on delivery , not the buyer.  These are AP's details on the matter: "To avoid unnecessary contact, there's currently no requirement for you to sign for deliveries. If the sender has requested a signature, we'll confirm delivery by recording the name of the person receiving the item."  They may also take a photo of the delivery. 

For me this is a Godsend as I have mobility issues and can't get to the door in time to sign for anything!  My local AP delivery guys know my circumstances and don't bother to wait to leave a parcel they have signed for instead of me.  They know I'm home as I am housebound.  I definitely want to see the end of Covid but I am not looking forward to going to back to the regular sign on delivery procedures.

I don't see how eBay can stop all parcel scammers with all the options for delivery that exist, but I'd have expected they would at least look at the tracking for the item.

[digital*ghost · Accepted solution]

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@zanadoo_56 wrote:

There's two kinds of signature on delivery options.  A seller might have signed up for one where the buyer can request - and get - a safe drop (provided the safe drop is actually safe). 

The other kind is where the seller had paid for signature on delivery which CAN'T be changed to safe drop.  If I had a dollar for every seller who has NO idea which one they have paid for and actually suggest the buyer can have Authority to Leave when in fact they can't because the seller has opted for the version that can't be changed, I'd be rich!

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It is not a purchase selection.

In eParcel, it is an account setting (being able to override SOD is  the default setting AFAIK, so an eParcel account user needs to change it intentionally to disallow request safedrop on SOD items), in My Post (for sellers) it is just a matter of whether contact info is included on the label, and if that contact info matches the contact info of the recipient's My Post account.

If I include a phone number, email address or AP customer number on the label when I create it through My Post, the recipient will likely have options to redirect or allow safedrop through their own account if that is the same as their account info, hence why I keep saying I will not put this info on ebay orders (I will include them on orders elsewhere, since it does not compromise my seller protection to do so and I would prefer my customers to have some additional options when it does not put me at any risk).

There has to be data matching in this manner, otherwise anyone who gets hold of a tracking number could redirect a package to themselves.  

If you want to know whether you'll have the options and the seller doesn't understand how to tell, just ask if they included your email address or phone number on the label, as they are not actually given the option to say "yes" or "no" to allowing buyers to do this, and are not informed directly that including contact info is what allows it. (If they use eParcel, they should know if you can request safedrop, though).