High-value item, Royal Mail locker drop-off, no acceptance scan ,possible loophole or just delay?

good24be — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 13:14:44 GMT

Hi all,

I’m currently dealing with a situation and wanted to get input from experienced buyers/sellers.

Bought a high-value item on eBay

Seller marked as dispatched quickly

Tracking shows:

Dropped at Royal Mail locker (Friday)

Status stuck at: “Sender advised item dropped off”

Now several days later (past delivery date) → no “item received at mail centre” scan

Seller response has been:

“Royal Mail sometimes takes time to scan parcels from lockers… I’ll keep an eye on it.”

No confirmation that:

It was actually collected

Or accepted into Royal Mail’s network

What raised my concern

A Royal Mail employee mentioned that:

It’s technically possible to scan at a locker, open it, and close it without depositing anything.

That got me thinking—because in my case:

No acceptance scan at all

High-value item

Generic seller replies

No evidence of actual dispatch beyond initial drop-off status

Current status

eBay has now stepped in and given the seller 3 days to resolve

Questions to the community

Has anyone seen cases where locker drop-offs never get scanned at all?

Is this usually just a delay, or does it often indicate the parcel never entered the system?

For high-value items, is locker drop-off considered risky?

How often do sellers rely on the “dropped off” status without actual network entry?

Not making accusations, but the lack of a first scan is concerning—especially for a high-value item.

Would appreciate insights from both buyers and sellers.

Thanks.

Re: High-value item, Royal Mail locker drop-off, no acceptance scan ,possible loophole or just delay

tobiasd4 — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 14:03:47 GMT

None of what you say about drop off is relevant.

If seller can't prove delivery, they or ebay will refund.

make sure you escalate case 3 - 30 days after opening.

Don't let seller fob you off.