ebay is NOT a trusted platform ! ( retailers please read )

[commonraildiesels]

A "so called" customer  recently ordered £730 of goods from us and we posted them to the address given on ebay. The items were delivered on time to the correct address and pictures were taken of the delivery along with GPS info showing the courier at the premises on that day. 

Ebay have just emailed us to say the customer has created a dispute with their bank stating that they have never ordered the goods and the £730 has been removed from our bank account. So the credit card they have paid on is obviously stolen. This means Ebay has allowed a fraudster onto the ebay platform to buy goods using a stolen credit card without carrying out security checks. Is ebay not a trusted website anymore for retailers ? Im noticing more and more scam adverts with people selling cars / motorhomes and ridiculously cheap prices and the adverts are on there for days on end. 

So sellers beware - ebay ARE NOT carrying out security checks and scammers are buying your goods with stolen credit cards. Ebay are then avoiding the chargeback fees from their bank and passing it onto the retailer. 

[btr.style]

When someone opens a chargeback case, am I not mistaken that once tracking showing delivery is confirmed in the case, eBay have you covered?

It happened once to me. Someone purchased 2 items to a click and collect point. I sent both items together and messaged them saying they will only need 1 ECP code to get the package. A few weeks later a case was opened saying they didn't recognise the transaction of one of the items. Utter rubbish of course because both items were in the same package, so either they've collected it and have both items, or they didn't and they've not got either. There's no way they can recognise one transaction but not the other. I confirmed the tracking number in the case, a few weeks later the update was the bank still found in the customers favour but it's covered under seller protection. No money was taken and it seems eBay covered it. 

Is there an option to confirm tracking to show it's been delivered?

[papso22]

Have you read how to get seller protection from payment disputes?

[*vyolla*]

Providing your tracking shows delivery (with signature, I believe, for an item of that amount) to the address on the eBay order details then eBay have you covered against an unauthorised use of card chargeback.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/selling-policies/payment-dispute-seller-protections?id=5293&st=...

[ian_w42]

It is unfortunate that this happens but this is in no way something eBay can do much more to mitigate, credit/debit card details do get stolen and eBay does use as secure payment system as is possible.

As far as I am aware it is not possible to make a purchase without providing matching cardholder adddresses etc so unfortunately if this fraud has happened it means some victim has had their card and their personal information compromised in some way.

Items can be delivered to an address that is not the cardholders address in many cases however, I believe this is a significant vulnerability and cause of fraud for any platform but unfortunately customers frequently demand this.

I assume you have properly reported this to the police since the address the items were delivered to is being used as a drop, with these details you can also make your claim to eBay to be reimbursed for your loss.

[rjwilmsi]

£700 item - did you use a courier that collects signatures / did you pay for that option?

eBay have a signature confirmation policy - https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/member-behavior-policies/signature-confirmation-policy?id=5154 - for an item of that value your proof of delivery MUST include a signature to be covered by eBay policies.

If you have tracking showing delivery to correct location AND tracking has a singature then you should be covered under eBay seller protection for a "don't recognize transaction" payment dispute/chargeback.

Your most expensive sold item just lists £8 delivery for "other courier". So I can't tell from that whether you are using a service appropriate to the value of the item. I'd be using Special Delivery. You have highlands and islands excluded, so it makes me think you are sending those out with DPD, Evri etc. as a standard parcel. NOT appropriate for items of that value.

[simplyessential_uk]

In addition to all the replies so far Ebay is no different to this happening on any other site including your own, good thing is that you are covered by seller protection as long as you used a signature courier service. 

[millcottage]

Wow that's news to me.

I have been using Royal Mail 24 hour or 48 hour tracked service for goods upto valie of £150.

This tracks item through postage system and provides a photograph at door of item being delivered.

Seems I'm not covered and need to use the tcked with signature service that costs a bit more so I'm covered.

For expensive items I use special delivery.

Just a thought - Is simply signed for without tracking (insured up to £50) ok also?

[ian_w42]

Tracked 24/48 is fine for goods up to £450.

I do wonder if you have an order for > £450 if eBay makes this policy very clear in some way? I was unaware of it until today but I've never sold anything of that value.

I think most people would naturally be considering Special Delivery etc for higher value orders but maybe not.

[millcottage]

Personally I use Special Delivery for over £150 and 24 or 48 hour tracked for under £150 to £20.

For £20 or less I use normal post with proof of postage.

I now avoid post office and use collect from home service that's free until end of April.

[kath3735_wxmjn]

How do you know the card was stolen?  Surely it could just be a scammer that appear from other peoples comments to do this kind of thing regularly.  What can e bay actually do about it?  

[litp*records]

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@millcottage wrote:

Wow that's news to me.

I have been using Royal Mail 24 hour or 48 hour tracked service for goods upto valie of £150.

This tracks item through postage system and provides a photograph at door of item being delivered.

Seems I'm not covered and need to use the tcked with signature service that costs a bit more so I'm covered.

For expensive items I use special delivery.

Just a thought - Is simply signed for without tracking (insured up to £50) ok also?

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1. Adding signature required to RM 24/48 tracked is a very small amount extra (around a quid from what I recall). Worth it for expensive items.

2.  Regular "signed for" does NOT count, no, as there is no tracking.  If you go to buy postage through Ebay for example they clearly show that "signed for" services have no tracking and therefore are not covered by seller protection.   "Signed for" is considered a legacy service by RM, everyone should be using Tracked 24/48 now, with added signature service if required.

[rjwilmsi]

"Signed For" does count for eBay as a "tracked" service. But for eBay, "tracking" means tracking showing a scan on delivery, and in my previous experience of using Royal Mail Signed For (over 2000 items), the delivery scan rate is about 95%, definitely not 100%. In those 5% cases you have no "tracking" per eBay terms.

Whereas with Royal Mail Tracked the delivery scan rate is much higher (about 99.8% in my experience on around 2500 sent), the service is more reliable, prioritized and cheaper. Plus Tracked large letters can be delivered without requiring buyer to be at home to sign for the item, another thing made easier. So I agree with your conclusion that  eBay sellers should use Tracked not Signed For and there isn't now any scenario where Signed For is the better option.

I hope at some point the Post Office, government and Royal Mail are able to get together and replace Signed For with Tracked.

[litp*records]

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@rjwilmsi wrote:

"Signed For" does count for eBay as a "tracked" service. But for eBay, "tracking" means tracking showing a scan on delivery, and in my previous experience of using Royal Mail Signed For (over 2000 items), the delivery scan rate is about 95%, definitely not 100%. In those 5% cases you have no "tracking" per eBay terms.

Whereas with Royal Mail Tracked the delivery scan rate is much higher (about 99.8% in my experience on around 2500 sent), the service is more reliable, prioritized and cheaper. Plus Tracked large letters can be delivered without requiring buyer to be at home to sign for the item, another thing made easier. So I agree with your conclusion that  eBay sellers should use Tracked not Signed For and there isn't now any scenario where Signed For is the better option.

I hope at some point the Post Office, government and Royal Mail are able to get together and replace Signed For with Tracked.

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Signed for is not a tracked service according to ebay.  Go to buy a postage label through Ebay and you'll see clearly it says "no" under the column "tracked service"

[4_bathrooms]

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@litp*records wrote:

Signed for is not a tracked service according to ebay.  Go to buy a postage label through Ebay and you'll see clearly it says "no" under the column "tracked service"

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I think the confusion arises because both eBay and Royal Mail refer to reference numbers as "tracking" numbers even when the service isn't actually tracked.

Personally, I don't see the point of sending anything via a "Signed For" service. Tracked services are cheaper, offer better basic compensation (£150 vs £50) that covers "market value" not just "actual loss" and if a signature is required it can be added for about £1.00. However, eBay only requires a signature for orders with a total value of £450 or more which means using Special Delivery where Royal Mail are concerned for compensation cover.

I suspect Signed For are legacy services dating from when Tracked services were only available to RM account holders. Signed For seems pointless now there are non-account Tracked services available.