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eBay fraud

So sold an item on eBay - Royal Mail 2nd class postage

Sent 2 items last wk at the same time, first one was received (had tracking for) but the 2nd small parcel has been claimed to not been received and I had no tracking

The reference no says: “No info for this item - it may not have reached us yet; Sorry we haven’t tried to deliver we haven’t any info yet please try later”

Buyers opened a case to claim not received.

What can I do?

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Reply 1
Original post by Anonymous
So sold an item on eBay - Royal Mail 2nd class postage

Sent 2 items last wk at the same time, first one was received (had tracking for) but the 2nd small parcel has been claimed to not been received and I had no tracking

The reference no says: “No info for this item - it may not have reached us yet; Sorry we haven’t tried to deliver we haven’t any info yet please try later”

Buyers opened a case to claim not received.

What can I do?


Has the buyer just been fraudulent and is lying about not receiving; if so how can I prove without tracking - I have the ref no for the 2nd class small parcel but can that ref be used if it’s come up with the msg listed in my post?

How does compensation work- item was £18 value with £3 postage, so whatever Royal Mail refunds I’ll have to refund to buyer, leaving me essentially out of pocket as anything I receive will go to the buyer to cover them! Can I get more ie £36 + postage so that I’m not out of pocket??
Original post by Anonymous
So sold an item on eBay - Royal Mail 2nd class postage

Sent 2 items last wk at the same time, first one was received (had tracking for) but the 2nd small parcel has been claimed to not been received and I had no tracking

The reference no says: “No info for this item - it may not have reached us yet; Sorry we haven’t tried to deliver we haven’t any info yet please try later”

Buyers opened a case to claim not received.

What can I do?

Nothing. If you didn't send it by a trackable method, then it's your word against the buyers. And eBay always sides with the buyer in cases.

The takehome message is never send an item by a non-tracked method ('signed for' isn't an expensive extra) unless you're willing to lose the value of it by an unscrupulous buyer opening a 'not received case'
Reply 3
Original post by Reality Check
Nothing. If you didn't send it by a trackable method, then it's your word against the buyers. And eBay always sides with the buyer in cases.

The takehome message is never send an item by a non-tracked method ('signed for' isn't an expensive extra) unless you're willing to lose the value of it by an unscrupulous buyer opening a 'not received case'


What about my question regarding compensation- will Royal Mail reimburse 2x value item +p&p
So I’m not out of pocket?!
Original post by Anonymous
What about my question regarding compensation- will Royal Mail reimburse 2x value item +p&p
So I’m not out of pocket?!

I v much doubt it, item value and postage if anything.
Original post by Anonymous
What about my question regarding compensation- will Royal Mail reimburse 2x value item +p&p
So I’m not out of pocket?!

Nah, not remotely. The most you'll get is a simple postage refund, so long as you've got some sort of basic evidence about the item and its posting.

Have a look at their compensation rules here
Reply 6
Original post by Reality Check
Nah, not remotely. The most you'll get is a simple postage refund, so long as you've got some sort of basic evidence about the item and its posting.

Have a look at their compensation rules here


Shocking!! Thought they’d at least refund what I’d have to refund the buyer since it’s apparently lost...
Reply 7
What do u guys think: considering that I posted another item same day and it arrived nxt day even tho it was Signed For but still 2nd class; is the guy bs’ing and rlly a fraudster in which case do u think I could get eBay to call his bluff and claim they’ve evidence that I sent it tracked even tho I didn’t just to get him to crack if he’s lying??
Original post by Anonymous
What do u guys think: considering that I posted another item same day and it arrived nxt day even tho it was Signed For but still 2nd class; is the guy bs’ing and rlly a fraudster in which case do u think I could get eBay to call his bluff and claim they’ve evidence that I sent it tracked even tho I didn’t just to get him to crack if he’s lying??

You can try, but as I said in my earlier post - if you've got no evidence of posting the parcel or it being received, then eBay always sides with the buyer. Even when they're clearly taking the pîss and being fraudulent.

eBay is not friendly to sellers.
Original post by Anonymous
What about my question regarding compensation- will Royal Mail reimburse 2x value item +p&p
So I’m not out of pocket?!

Royal Mail will only reimburse the value of the item.
In a case of "not received", you will have to refund the buyer - if you have no tracking, you will need to refund the buyer as if the buyer asks eBay to step in, eBay will side with the buyer, give the buyer a refund (from your funding source), and give you a defect on your account.

Was it a "large letter" or a "small parcel"?
If it was a large letter than you will have no reference number so will have to refund. You will be able to claim from Royal Mail if you have proof of postage.
If it was a small parcel then input the reference number (on your receipt) - though bear in mind that Royal Mail reference numbers (except for signed for services) only update when delivery is attempted. If the parcel is lost in transit/not delivered, you'll still need to refund the buyer, and them claim from Royal Mail.

When you claim from Royal Mail, you keep whatever RM pay out, if your claim is successful. You will have to refund the buyer the full amount of the item (plus postage) unless you have tracking that shows the item was delivered to the buyer's address.

This is why I always use a tracked courier such as MyHermes/Collect+/UPS/InPost (UK Mail) etc - they all have tracking so you can see exactly what's happening to your parcel.
Even Royal Mail Signed For does not have full tracking - just when you dropped it off at the Post Office, and when the recipient signed for it.
Original post by spotify95
Royal Mail will only reimburse the value of the item.
In a case of "not received", you will have to refund the buyer - if you have no tracking, you will need to refund the buyer as if the buyer asks eBay to step in, eBay will side with the buyer, give the buyer a refund (from your funding source), and give you a defect on your account.

Was it a "large letter" or a "small parcel"?
If it was a large letter than you will have no reference number so will have to refund. You will be able to claim from Royal Mail if you have proof of postage.
If it was a small parcel then input the reference number (on your receipt) - though bear in mind that Royal Mail reference numbers (except for signed for services) only update when delivery is attempted. If the parcel is lost in transit/not delivered, you'll still need to refund the buyer, and them claim from Royal Mail.

When you claim from Royal Mail, you keep whatever RM pay out, if your claim is successful. You will have to refund the buyer the full amount of the item (plus postage) unless you have tracking that shows the item was delivered to the buyer's address.

This is why I always use a tracked courier such as MyHermes/Collect+/UPS/InPost (UK Mail) etc - they all have tracking so you can see exactly what's happening to your parcel.
Even Royal Mail Signed For does not have full tracking - just when you dropped it off at the Post Office, and when the recipient signed for it.

That's a great post - I think everyone thinking of selling something on eBay should be made to read it first :smile:
There's nothing you can do. EBay will side with the buyer if there's no actual evidence. And honestly stuff does get lost! It's not common, I sell online and had 1 item lost out of 400 but it happens. Things can also get delayed weird amounts of time. So it's possible they're telling the truth.
I ordered a few packages from UK to Israel, all with tracking numbers. Usually it take no longer than two weeks. One of the packages was 3 weeks on "sender prepared the item" status. I was sure it was lost. Spoke to the seller (luckily it was a big website with large stock of the item) so they sent me another one and I received both almost at the same time... 4 weeks for the first, 1 week for the second. I guess there was something wrong with the Royal mail the last two weeks.
Original post by Kathy89
I ordered a few packages from UK to Israel, all with tracking numbers. Usually it take no longer than two weeks. One of the packages was 3 weeks on "sender prepared the item" status. I was sure it was lost. Spoke to the seller (luckily it was a big website with large stock of the item) so they sent me another one and I received both almost at the same time... 4 weeks for the first, 1 week for the second. I guess there was something wrong with the Royal mail the last two weeks.


Do you return any of them, or 2 for the price of 1? 🤫
waiting for their reply. I'd be happy to pay for the second one too if they ask.
Where your word only counts for 0.49 of a regular word :P
True. I'm going from anecdotal memory a bit here, but did/does Ebay also have a big issue for sellers in that if they got in a dispute with the buyer, a complaint from the buyer had a v good chance of getting the seller suspended? I have a few pals that were big power sellers and that seemed to be what got them in the end, constant suspensions/bans for really trivial stuff.

As said, just anecdotal, for all i know my pals actually had terrible cust service :P I'm personally banned for life after a cheque bounced 18 odd years ago and they've taken it really personally :biggrin:
Original post by spotify95
Even Royal Mail Signed For does not have full tracking - just when you dropped it off at the Post Office, and when the recipient signed for it.


do things really go missing without reimbursement? I thought RM knows you dropped it off so they will reimburse (within 60 days) unless they can show that the recipient signed it...
Original post by Anonymous
do things really go missing without reimbursement? I thought RM knows you dropped it off so they will reimburse (within 60 days) unless they can show that the recipient signed it...


That wasn’t me btw - idk who just posted anon 🤦*♂️
They really have it in for me though :tongue: My cheque was for like £23 and even the seller basically said 'acht we don't care, leave it' but ebay went super pouty, refused to even discuss it if I remember right. Any time i've tried to open another account since, no matter what details, they close it in a day or two and refuse to discuss the matter at all unless i send a copy of a passport. Like i'd happily PAY the £23 ffs :rolleyes:

I should clarify everything i'm talking about is from about 10+ years ago, that's why I was curious if they still had a problem like that.

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