Received a piece of paper instead of my order - how to get in touch with eBay urgently?

[filiplezny]

Hi, I have ordered a large coffee pack (1kg)  and today a parcel (big box!) arrived containing only a piece of paper (attached). I do not want to get in touch with the seller, eBay needs to know first so they can investigate properly, BUT it's impossible to find the proper process on the website, getting in touch with them is so deeply hidden that it took me 30 mins to go through the portal with no success. Is the only way of beginning the official process and getting my money back really to get in touch with the scammy seller via eBay????

[**peaseblossom**]

You'll need to start a return on here:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/buying/returns-refunds/return-item-refund?id=4041
select "Doesn't match description" and escalate it to eBay after 3 complete working days.

You don't have to communicate with the seller before you escalate, if escalation is required.

[filiplezny]

Thank you for letting me know! FYI, I'm not interested in returning a piece of paper, but I guess as there are no other "refund" options, this is the only "correct" route to follow? Am I wrong?

[**peaseblossom**]

The tracking will show delivery so you can't open a "not received" case.    The seller will have the option to refund without return or send the missing items but don't close your case until they do.

[filiplezny]

To me it sounds like we're simply giving the scammer more time to scam more people whilst they pretend to deal with my (or somebody elses) case. Sorry, I know it's not you; the system is VERY poorly built.

[filiplezny]

Just realised that there is no tracking from scammer to me, so I can open a "not received" case. Let's see how this goes. Hopefully straight to eBay and not to the scammer.

[jckl1957]

If as you say the letter came in a large box, it is likely that the sender used a tracked service.

Who delivered your parcel?

You should not open an 'item not received' case. That is the wrong type of case to open and, if the buyer does have tracking/proof of delivery, they will only have to add that to the case for the case to be closed by Ebay.

So, rather than speeding up the process, you would slow it down.

[john1297576]

Of course you should return it, you say a box, that means seller has option to refund in full or SUPPLY A RETURN TRACKED LABEL FOR THE BOX, and on return then refund in full. 
Make it as expensive as possible for a seller who thinks he can keep money for nothing.

Of course also leave negative feedback when you have refund.

[filiplezny]

jckl1957, john1297576 thank you for chipping in.

Sadly, I have already opened "item not received" case - because I have not received the item, this was logical to me when choosing the options. eBay descriptions aren't very clear, sadly, so it's easy to make an error without being a power user, like you.

One thing that you may have missed was the attachment in my initial message from the UK business that's being scammed at the same time. Feel free to open the image and read the details.

The parcel came over labelled as "Amazon delivery" - not Royal Mail or any other carrier (whilst I purchased it via eBay)! So it looks like the scammer ordered my coffee from the said business and the business sent it over with Amazon address sticker (as part of the "drop ship"), so the scammer from eBay will not have deliery tracking. Besides it's clearly not tracked on my eBay account when I check the details ("dispatched (untracked) 24h courier")

[rainbowtrax]

@filiplezny the piece of paper you received and have attached explains exactly what's happened. The seller you bought from on ebay is dropshipping from Amazon. They're selling things on ebay but hold no stock and, only when they make a sale do they go to Amazon, make a gift purchase and have it sent straight to their ebay buyer. They never handle the item.

This is against both Amazon's and ebay's T&Cs and the seller on Amazon isn't happy. So they are identifying these dropshipping gift purchases and sending out the letter you received instead of the item in order to scupper the dropshippers.

At this point, your seller on ebay is completely unaware that you've been sent a letter instead of the item as they don't ever own, handle or even see the items that they're selling. But they're the ones you have transacted with so it's they who have to handle your return.

So, as advised, you just open a return, having received a missing item. Then your seller has to provide a return label at their own cost and you return the letter in a box to them. If they contact you and try to get you to return the item directly to Amazon or the Amazon seller, don't do it. Just proceed with the ebay case and use the label provided in the case. If they fail to provide a label then escalate as soon as the option appears. As long as you do this, your money is safe and you'll get  your refund.

It's then on the dropshipping ebay seller to sort out their issue with the real seller so no concern of yours. Such are the risks of dropshipping.

[red_magpie]

so I can open a "not received" case.

Don't risk it!! 

The seller may not have marked it as dispatched, but that doesn't mean they won't be able to provide tracking proof of delivery if you claim it didn't arrive. That's probably exactly what they're hoping you will do.

PLEASE follow the sound advice you have received here about the type of case to open.

[red_magpie]

Sadly, I have already opened "item not received" case

If the item was drop-shipped by Amazon you may be lucky, because the seller may not be able to provide - or eBay may not even accept - an Amazon tracking number. Without any acceptable proof of delivery you should still win the "item not received" case.

Failing this, how did you pay? If by PayPal you may still be in time to file a dispute under their buyer protection policy. But DO NOT do this while an eBay case is still open, or both cases are liable to be closed.

Otherwse, you may have to see whether your payment provider e.g. credit or debit card is able to help.

Another ray of hope is that as the seller was drop shipping it's possible that they were not trying to scam you, and may cooperate in sorting it out. Good luck, anyway!

[jckl1957]

I did read the attachment - that is why I called the contents of your box a letter, and not a piece of paper.

I asked who delivered because, if it was delivered by Amazon, the seller won't have a tracking number acceptable to Ebay and an 'item not received' case may succeed.

[papso22]

If you are still within 30 days of delivery you can close your item not received case and instead open one for item not as described.