Scammed by seller, tracking loophole

[AAk6]

First time posting, been using PayPal for over a decade but first time been a victim of this scam. I found an item on depop, seller seemed fine, gave me their number and wanted me to pay over PayPal goods and services so we’re covered, we agreed on a price and they showed me images of the item and I paid to the PayPal email they requested. They said they could make it to the post office in time if I paid before 4pm, which I did, but after I paid they said they attempted to get to the post office but it had closed. However an hour or so later PayPal was updated with a tracking number. I queried this with the seller who made up an excuse saying it’s the wrong tracking and they’ve gotten mixed up between transactions, they told me to ignore it, I thought that it may have been a genuine error so I overlooked it. This was yesterday (19/1/21), they said they’ll post the item the next day and provide the correct tracking. So today (20/1/21) they said that the item will be posted later today and they will provide the tracking, I’ve now tried contacting the seller through depop but they have deactivated their profile and they’ve blocked me on messaging/WhatsApp (none of my messages are going through to them). Now the tracking that was uploaded on 19/1/21 shortly after I paid shows that it was sent to a different borough and was delivered 20/1/21 and signed by a random person. I did call Royal Mail who could not give me any information as the address and name wasn’t mine on that tracking, the local depot who delivered the parcel was roughly 6 miles away from me, this depot never handles my post and the confirmation I got from Royal Mail over the phone proves this parcel wasn’t coming to my address, I have used PayPal for a very long period of time and all the tracking numbers that sellers give show the same local depot, this parcel obviously doesn’t show that because it was delivered elsewhere. I did also call PayPal in the morning to tell them that incorrect tracking had been uploaded onto PayPal and I am very suspicious about the whole situation, my gut feeling was correct as the seller blocked all communication with me. I have now opened a dispute because there is no way I can communicate with the seller anymore as they have blocked me on all platforms but now my question is what will happen now? Have I actually been scammed with no hope of retrieving my funds back? It’s £500 so not a small amount or will PayPal really investigate and check with Royal Mail or try obtain the post office receipt from the seller (which shows the address they posted it to)? Just want to make people aware that PayPal is being used by scammers to try con innocent people, but if this scammer gets away with it he will be able to con multiple people using the same simple method. Has this happened to anyone else before? How did you deal with it? Would like to get this out there so PayPal can look into this. Thanks

[sharpiemarker]

@AAk6 

Hi,

The seller wouldn’t have to respond because they think the tracking number will protect them.

Talk to the post office again and ask for an official letter or email confirming that the package for said tracking number was not delivered to your said address, and nor was your said address on the parcel plus an explanation why it couldn’t be delivered to your address without revealing the actual address. Speak to a supervisor if you have to. There has to be a way for them to investigate or deal with mail fraud.

Then file a report with actionfraud.police.uk

Pdf everything, ready to upload...I see you have opened a dispute...upload the documents to the case if you have not escalated just yet and/or it lets you make replies. If it doesn’t let you make replies, escalate the case for PayPal to step in. PayPal will review the case, they may ask for more info from both parties. They may also automatically close the case on you because of the tracking number being there but don’t be discouraged. Appeal the case and provide the evidence you have. To contact PayPal, click Help at the top menu, click Message Center under the search bar.

[AAk6]

Thanks for your response. I’ve reported it to action fraud and have called PayPal this morning with more information as the seller has escalated to PayPal in an attempt to get the case closed in his favour. I’ve never been in this situation before but PayPal told me they have requested more information from the seller so I have to wait. I’ve explained to PayPal the tracking clearly shows that it was delivered in a different area and not by my local depot. In regards to a letter from Royal Mail, will they be able to provide this over the phone or will I have to physically go into a branch? I’m currently waiting in the queue on the phone to them and wait times are an hour today! Will see what they say.

[AAk6]

Just got off the phone to Royal Mail and they confirmed again that the package was not delivered or directed to my address. It was for someone else under a different name and a different address. However they could not provide me with a letter and just said the ‘tracking shows the delivery office isn’t anywhere near you and doesn’t handle your post which is enough for PayPal. We do not give out letters.’. This was the response from the customer services handler for Royal Mail, he said as long as you’ve reporting it to action fraud and tracking doesn’t show anywhere near you I should be fine but reading the horror stories on this forum doesn’t put my mind at ease.

[AAk6 · Accepted solution]

You were right. The claim was denied. I had even provided email evidence from Royal Mail confirming the parcel did not go to my address and was delivered elsewhere. Looks as though none of the evidence I provided was looked into. I even provided the screenshots of messages where the seller stated his PayPal email and told me he uploaded the wrong tracking info. I even uploaded the actionfraud report. The email alone from Royal Mail should be sufficient evidence that the parcel sent by the scammer was to a different address. PayPal could have even called Royal Mail themselves as the case was open for 8 days, they could have used only 30 minutes to confirm with Royal Mail via phone that the package was not delivered to me, but they didn’t, instead denied my claim! Very bad. Scammers probably reading all this and taking notes. PayPal need to do something.

[Haribagus]

The same problem, almost to the smallest detail:  bought an item - 2 burner propane gas grill - online. Waited for about a week - no notification from the seller about shipping. Called seller's number - phone disconnected, e-mailed 2 times - no response. Opened claim with PayPal. They "investigated" for almost a month and came back with the decision - claim denied, case closed. Because seller provided them with the tracking# of a package that was delivered "in or at mailbox". Don't know what to do, opened claim with Post Office but they, most likely, actually delivered something with this tracking number to an address in my area. 

Sellers online site has disappeared, cannot access it. No info available and PayPal just not paying attention to my claim any longer. 

[AAk6]

What you need to do is try get someone from PayPal to ring the delivery company, keep ringing PayPal and at least one advisor will escalate the issue to their supervisor. I had to call in roughly 15 times before they did this. I appealed the decision and PayPal rang ‘royal mail’ here in the UK who finally confirmed that the parcel was in fact not delivered to me but an address some miles away. Keep at it they will refund you eventually. I was finally refunded.

[kernowlass]

@Haribagus 

Firstly ring customer services and tell them that the number is fake or that the item was shown as shipped before you purchased it. With that information they may well just issue you a refund.

Secondly if they don't then... APPEAL
To submit an appeal on the dispute that was closed, PayPal asks that you obtain a detailed report from the shipper/courier (on their letterhead or some other form of official stationary) that includes the address the seller gave them for the shipment. Or one that includes a statement mentioning your address and saying the item was delivered to a different address. THEY DON'T HAVE TO SAY WHICH ADDRESS IT WAS SENT TO, JUST THAT IT WAS NOT DELIVERED TO YOUR ADDRESS.

Check tracking in below link to see where it went.
https://www.17track.net/en

When you have that, contact PayPal via phone (log on to your account and click contact at the bottom of the page, or via Facebook (send a Private Message to PayPal) or via Twitter (send a Direct Message to @AskPayPal) and say you want to appeal the denial of the dispute based on the shipper saying the item was delivered to a different address. Once it's submitted (you will be provided with directions on how to do that), the dispute will be reviewed further and a determination will be made.

You also have the option to contact your card issuer if you funded your paypal payment that way and see if they will do a chargeback for you.