Seller is a "professional working in China!"
Summary: huatao1975 initiated a discussion regarding a seller who claims to be a professional working in China. *casey* engaged in the conversation, followed by multiple interactions between them. springyzone and sandypebbles also participated briefly. The discussion continued over the next few days, with more contributions from huatao1975, indicating a sustained interest in the topic. However, the posts contain limited explicit content, making it challenging to identify specific details or conclusions.
Hello,
Maybe it's nothing, but seller uploaded a wrong tracking number today, so I'm a bit concerned.
Item number: 306485895438, supposed to be located in "Como, WA, Australia".
Purchased on the 7th of September. "Expected delivery date" was supposed to be on the 17th. On the 8th seller said "I am an Australian professional working in China!" and had to post by China Post. On the 11th seller posted it in China and gave me China Post's tracking number via eBay messages. Staff as the post office told seller delivery period is 18 - 20 days. Tracking number is China Post：LZ304150556CN.
That item had cleared China's exporting system and the plane supposed to be carrying the item landed yesterday (at China's airport for departure I believe). At least that tracking shows "AusPost" as the next carrier.
However today seller added a fake tracking in eBay for that order, and admitted it was a mistake that he / she accidentally added an "Australian house daily necessities" tracking number using "DHL Germany". This tracking showed departure from China's Suzhou region on the 8th of September and delivered in Melbourne on the 10th. Seller said my actual item is making good progress and asked me to "be patient and wait! "
Naturally eBay marked the item as "delivered" soon after. I asked seller to modify tracking to be the correct one. No response.
It seems to me seller was trying to avoid a late delivery / Automatic refund so he / she uploaded a fake tracking showing item is already delivered.
But now I have an order shown as delivered and it's not. Should I wait for the actual item? It's cleared custom and maybe not many more days to wait.
Sorry this is the first time I have encountered something this bizarre. Thank you guys.
huatao1975
OP10 months agoSome update with the other tracking number. The slower, supposed to be real one.
Of course, this one is also fake. It got "delivered" in Australia alright, but to another state. In fact on AusPost's tracking page, someone already lodged a customer enquiry against it. Scammer must have used this fake tracking number to scam other people too.
So this time it was a double / dual fake tracking scam. A fast one to deal with eBay's automated system, plus a very slow one to string buyers along until it's outside the 30 days window.
Thanks to casey again. I'd definitely fall for it if I hadn't posted on this forum.
huatao1975
OP10 months agoItem and seller are both gone.
Seller is now "No longer a registered user."
What effect will it have on my case? Will eBay side with a no longer existent seller?
twyngwyn
·10 months agoYou should be ok……the straw that broke the camel’s back, presumably
*casey*
·10 months agohuatao1975
OP10 months agoThank you. I did exactly as you suggested just now.
It's easier to reach to an agent now as the chat now has a button to chat with agent instead of previously we had to type it into the chat window.
Agent asked a lot of questions, luckily I did enough homework especially the DHL part. Apparently the seller was "suspended". Agent in the end created a "not received" claim and told me the system would contact the seller. I ask going to ask how can seller respond while being suspended? Then next second I was transferred to a "refund team".
2nd agent asked a few more questions and closed the case for me. Told me refund will land in a couple of days. Actually I just got a message from PayPal, refund is already sent to my PayPal account.
Thank you again for the direction and thank you eBay again for all the help.
*casey*
·10 months agoThat is great news and thanks for letting us know.
You were very lucky as we've seen a lot of fake tracking threads where buyers haven't been refunded.
I'm sure your DHL enquiries would have helped and hopefully the information in this thread will help others.
huatao1975
OP10 months agoI have contacted DHL, although they can not disclose the exact suburb this fake tracking was delivered to due to "privacy and security" reasons. They can confirm it wasn't delivered to my suburb.
I took all the screenshots as evidence.
Apparently it's a standard practice for many sellers in China especially aliexpress, supplying an insanely fast DHL fake tracking (only 2 days from picking up in China to delivery in Melbourne) then actually use a very slow cheap shipping to deliver the item.
Looking forward to the 18th. I have great trust in eBay though for doing the right thing. Over all these years eBay has not disappointed me. I also hope the seller find honesty / or sanity one day.
springyzone
·10 months agoI'd be livid.
You have been lied to all the way down the line.
The item was supposedly in Como, WA.
The seller has admitted that was false.
You've been given a false tracking number.
You've had constant communication from the seller, trying to soothe you into a false sense of security and the famous last words, wait and be patient.
Don't wait a minute longer than 18 Sept and good luck.
sandypebbles
·10 months agoI wonder if it is a 'mate' of one of the dodgy sellers who has posted on here recently, wanting to know how things work and their ads showed the item locations as 'Western Australia China'
Which, when called out on, was changed
huatao1975
OP10 months agoApparently DHL has a "custom service" chat during business hours. They have a phone number too.
I'll contact them during the day and ask them to supply some wordings with Authority in regarding to this fake tracking number. So I can use it as proof when I lodge my eBay claim. In case seller admitting it being fake is not enough.
*casey*
·10 months agoAll the red flags of a SCAM / fake tracking scam AND the item's been sold twice.
If the last estimated delivery date is on the 17th, the earliest you'd be able to open an 'item not received' case through eBay's Money Back Guarantee is the 18th.
eBay will be able to read the messages you've been sent but please let us know how you go as while not impossible, it can be a difficult, drawn out process to challenge and prove a fake tracking scam.
huatao1975
OP10 months agoThanks for the reply.
Seller admitted in eBay's messenger that the tracking number he / she submitted was a mistake.
Do I still need to supply any proof?
I created an account with DHL and downloaded "proof of delivery" in a PDF document for the fake tracking. It says: Shipment Status : Please contact DHL Customer Service, Destination Service Area: MELBOURNE Australia. The "proof of delivery" didn't even show my suburb? Am I still at risk losing on this claim?