EBay seller, selling items I never received; coincidence!?
EBay seller, selling items I never received; coincidence!?
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Discussion

celica88

Original Poster:

1,412 posts

221 months

Friday 15th April 2022
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Firstly this eBay seller looks to appear Local, as they are selling one random item for collection which shows the same City I am in.

They are selling 6 new items which I think are quite specific items, but are all the same items I never received; can this be coincidence!?

I think this is fraudulent activity and I believe are the missing items I never received from two retailers directly.

It was marked as delivered by Royal Mail as two orders had tracking numbers (but I know it never arrived due to Ring door bell non activity). I don’t know if it’s Royal Mail employee pocketing, someone stole items, or delivered elsewhere and the recipient not honest and took my post!

Being suspicious of this activity, what would you advise to do? Go to local police with the backup information?


JQ

6,785 posts

208 months

Friday 15th April 2022
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Unless the items you were due to receive have totally unique serial numbers, and you have those numbers, I doubt you’ll be able to do anything.

anonymous-user

83 months

Friday 15th April 2022
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At most I'd report it to the Royal Mail, if they have some kind of theft hotline. i guess you could offer to buy the item for collection to try to get a name and address, and supply that to the RM, if it matches one of their employees they might look into it further. I think they take theft from the postal system very seriously, but equally they may not act on it.

celica88

Original Poster:

1,412 posts

221 months

Friday 15th April 2022
quotequote all
I’m not sure if it would be Royal Mail. I’m leaning towards maybe it’s gone to wrong address, as a gut feel.

The items are specific to size, colour and relatively random too

They won’t have specific serial number to trace though


Olivergt

2,245 posts

110 months

Friday 15th April 2022
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celica88 said:
Firstly this eBay seller looks to appear Local, as they are selling one random item for collection which shows the same City I am in.

They are selling 6 new items which I think are quite specific items, but are all the same items I never received; can this be coincidence!?

I think this is fraudulent activity and I believe are the missing items I never received from two retailers directly.

It was marked as delivered by Royal Mail as two orders had tracking numbers (but I know it never arrived due to Ring door bell non activity). I don’t know if it’s Royal Mail employee pocketing, someone stole items, or delivered elsewhere and the recipient not honest and took my post!

Being suspicious of this activity, what would you advise to do? Go to local police with the backup information?

I would be following up with Royal Mail if there were tracking numbers, asking to confirm the address they were delivered to and who signed for them.

I would also be contacting the person you bought them off to let them know they were not received and you are following up with Royal Mail.

If a parcel has a tracking number then there are usually some terms and conditions around how it is tracked to the end customer.

bolide

582 posts

283 months

Friday 15th April 2022
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You can report this but neither RM nor eBay will show the slightest interest, They both know that crime is taking place, and the nature of it, but they don't act

You might be better off contacting Action Fraud but unless a fraud has been committed I would imagine there is nothing they will do

celica88

Original Poster:

1,412 posts

221 months

Friday 15th April 2022
quotequote all
Olivergt said:
I would be following up with Royal Mail if there were tracking numbers, asking to confirm the address they were delivered to and who signed for them.

I would also be contacting the person you bought them off to let them know they were not received and you are following up with Royal Mail.

If a parcel has a tracking number then there are usually some terms and conditions around how it is tracked to the end customer.
Seller has followed up with Royal Mail
I’m not sure of their outcome

celica88

Original Poster:

1,412 posts

221 months

Friday 15th April 2022
quotequote all
bolide said:
You can report this but neither RM nor eBay will show the slightest interest, They both know that crime is taking place, and the nature of it, but they don't act

You might be better off contacting Action Fraud but unless a fraud has been committed I would imagine there is nothing they will do
Having spoken to my other half , I think you’re right
I’ve found out by asking on another item they are selling for collection they are in a neighbouring village. Same starting post code and my bet it’s gone to the same number and street name but different post code

mgtony

4,211 posts

219 months

Friday 15th April 2022
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On the Royal Mail tracking website for some reason sometimes it will show a red balloon on the map of where the item was delivered to and sometimes will just say delivered with town name. Presume you've tried that already.
If any of the items were delivered by couriers who take a photo of the street door once delivered and you were sent that pic , you could streetview or go and take a look at the other address.

Matt_E_Mulsion

1,746 posts

94 months

Friday 15th April 2022
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Send the seller a message saying that you are interested in purchasing the items as they are exactly the same as ones you ordered but went missing in the post.

I bet you the listing disappears off eBay very quickly and if it does, there is your answer.

mgtony

4,211 posts

219 months

Friday 15th April 2022
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celica88 said:
Having spoken to my other half , I think you’re right
I’ve found out by asking on another item they are selling for collection they are in a neighbouring village. Same starting post code and my bet it’s gone to the same number and street name but different post code
In that case, buy the item so you get their address and if it is as you expect the same number and street name, go knocking on the door and ask if they received a delivery of the actual items as you live in the next village.

celica88

Original Poster:

1,412 posts

221 months

Friday 15th April 2022
quotequote all
mgtony said:
On the Royal Mail tracking website for some reason sometimes it will show a red balloon on the map of where the item was delivered to and sometimes will just say delivered with town name. Presume you've tried that already.
If any of the items were delivered by couriers who take a photo of the street door once delivered and you were sent that pic , you could streetview or go and take a look at the other address.
I’ve done further digging.
There is a picture of an item on eBay this person is selling which is hung up on a wardrobe with distinctive handles. My guess was it’s the same number and Road name as mine in neighbouring village. Quick Google for a post code and Rightmove Sold, I think I’ve found and confirmed the house, being the same number and Road name as mine.

Royal Mail don’t take photos!


celica88

Original Poster:

1,412 posts

221 months

Friday 15th April 2022
quotequote all
Matt_E_Mulsion said:
Send the seller a message saying that you are interested in purchasing the items as they are exactly the same as ones you ordered but went missing in the post.

I bet you the listing disappears off eBay very quickly and if it does, there is your answer.
That’s what my other half said.
But to be honest I don’t want to get on the wrong side of what can be dodgy people
I’m not out of pocket but inconvenience at the time and feel sorry for the vendor as they are a smaller business who may have lost out


celica88

Original Poster:

1,412 posts

221 months

Friday 15th April 2022
quotequote all
mgtony said:
In that case, buy the item so you get their address and if it is as you expect the same number and street name, go knocking on the door and ask if they received a delivery of the actual items as you live in the next village.
One item was back on Black Friday and the other 5 items were at new year, so it’s been months!

Hopefully Karma will come to play.

Is it not illegal to open post of any sort which doesn’t belong to yourself?

mgtony

4,211 posts

219 months

Friday 15th April 2022
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So they've had them for ages, nobody has been round asking about them so they think the heat is off and it's safe to resell them. wobble

celica88

Original Poster:

1,412 posts

221 months

Friday 15th April 2022
quotequote all
mgtony said:
So they've had them for ages, nobody has been round asking about them so they think the heat is off and it's safe to resell them. wobble
I went to my local Royal Mail depot to ask and they said it was delivered in the area. I asked my neighbours

Never did I think I would need to drive around neighbouring villages to ask!

Actually reading Postal Services Act 2000, which is interesting.

Are you saying if you received a letter or parcel not for yourself you would just hold back and wait a few months, then sell the items.

Inside the package would have been delivery notes, if they had to open surely the right thing is contact the vendor or not open in the first place and return it in the post and state incorrect delivery etc.


bristolbaron

5,374 posts

241 months

Friday 15th April 2022
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celica88 said:
Hopefully Karma will come to play.
What did you do to deserve missing parcels? scratchchin

celica88

Original Poster:

1,412 posts

221 months

Friday 15th April 2022
quotequote all
bristolbaron said:
What did you do to deserve missing parcels? scratchchin
Lol

Matt_E_Mulsion

1,746 posts

94 months

Friday 15th April 2022
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Nip round to the address and say that Royal Mail has informed you that the tracking data for your missing parcels shows that they have been received at his house. See what he says lol.

mgtony

4,211 posts

219 months

Friday 15th April 2022
quotequote all
It depends if it's been wrongly delivered with a different address or postcode on it. If it has, I'll take it round. If its the correct address but the wrong name, ill have a search online for the name and see if it is a neighbour. If you open it a contact the retailer, depending on its value, they most likely won't be bothered as it will be too much hassle to trace where it was supposed to have gone and to arrange collecting it.