Ronald Lawrence paid $486 for a high-end handheld gaming console advertised on eBay for nearly half its usual price.
The low price and the seller’s empty feedback history made him suspicious. Lawrence said the account had sold only about nine items and had no reviews, but eBay’s Money Back Guarantee convinced him to complete the purchase.
The console never reached his Elgin, Illinois, home. Instead, a changing series of tracking numbers ended with a delivery photograph showing a package at someone else’s front door.
Lawrence spent nearly six weeks trying to recover his money before his credit card finally refunded the $486, according to CBS Chicago.
The Tracking Number Changed From UPS to FedEx
After Lawrence placed the order, a UPS tracking number appeared in his eBay account. He contacted the carrier, but UPS could not locate the number in its system. The tracking information changed the following day. This time, the order was connected to a FedEx shipment supposedly traveling from China.
Only two days after the purchase, the system marked the package as delivered in Elgin. Lawrence immediately recognized that the door shown in the delivery photograph did not belong to his home. He did not know who lived at the photographed property or how the seller had obtained tracking information for a package going to the same city.
eBay’s published policy says buyers who do not receive their items are entitled to refunds unless the seller provides tracking showing delivery. Lawrence’s initial complaint nevertheless failed to produce a refund, even though the delivery photograph showed that the package had been left somewhere else.
An Automated Review Found No Listing Violation
Lawrence received a message stating that “automation or artificial intelligence” had reviewed his report and found no violation involving the listing. He appealed the decision, but that request was also denied. Lawrence remained without the console and the $486 he had paid while the seller’s tracking information continued to show a completed delivery.
CBS Chicago contacted eBay with detailed questions about Lawrence’s case, its review process and the safeguards intended to prevent fake-tracking schemes. The company had not responded by the time the station published its report.
FedEx said it does not tolerate the use of its network for illegal purposes and cooperates with law enforcement, but it did not comment on the specific case. UPS said it was aware of scams involving tracking information and continued to strengthen its security measures. Lawrence’s credit card refunded the $486 after CBS Chicago began contacting eBay, nearly six weeks after the purchase.
Another Buyer Encountered a Similar Tracking Scheme
CBS Chicago also interviewed Todd Vorenkamp, who said he bought a $1,500 camera offered on eBay at a price that appeared too good to be true.
His tracking information showed that the camera had been delivered, but no package arrived at his home. When Vorenkamp later searched for the original listing and seller profile, both had disappeared from eBay. He recovered his $1,500 after five days and several additional steps.
Preserve Proof Before Challenging a False Delivery
Buyers should take screenshots of the listing, seller profile, order confirmation, tracking history and delivery photograph as soon as a problem appears. Tracking information and seller accounts can change or disappear after a dispute begins.
When a package is marked delivered to the wrong property, the buyer should contact the carrier and request written confirmation that the shipment was not addressed or delivered to the address on the order. That documentation can be submitted with an item-not-received claim and any appeal.
eBay instructs buyers to report a missing order through their purchase history. Sellers generally have three business days to respond before the buyer can ask eBay to step in.
Buyers should also monitor the deadline for challenging the payment with their card issuer. The Federal Trade Commission says merchandise that was not delivered as agreed can qualify as a credit card billing error. To preserve their full federal protections, consumers generally must send a written dispute within 60 days after the first statement containing the charge was issued.