eBay Simple Delivery Scam & Fraud

[back-yard-sale]

An eBay user purchased an empty toolbox that I listed for sale. I shipped the item on 5 January 2026. As a private seller, I had no choice of courier and was required to use the eBay Simple Delivery label.

On 14 January, the buyer contacted me to say that the item had not yet arrived. eBay stated: “Your buyer has reached out about their order. Since you used Simple Delivery, we’ll work with your buyer directly on any delivery-related questions.”

I checked the courier’s (Evri’s) website for the shipment status. The tracking information indicated that the parcel had not been delivered due to bad weather and the size of the item (45 × 40 × 12.5 cm), and that a specialist Evri courier would therefore be required to deliver it. As you can see, this explanation does not make sense and is simply ridiculous.

The following day, the buyer opened an “item not received” request. eBay did not investigate the matter for long and, later that same day, issued a decision to refund the buyer and charge me the costs, on the basis that I had not provided valid proof of delivery. The money was debited from my bank account.

I appealed this decision in writing, but my appeal has not been answered. As of 19 January, I have neither the money nor the goods, as the shipment has not been delivered to the buyer or returned to me.

Is this outcome consistent with the purpose and spirit of eBay Simple Delivery protections? What should I do next?

[department28]

As the parcel appears to be lost in transit, you should not have been responsible for refunding the buyer.  Not sure what the issue was with the size of the parcel - if you used the Simple Delivery size/weight recommended when you listed the item, it should have been ok. I would suggest you contact Customer Services & speak to an agent about this. 

12. Liability for Loss or Damage.

You remain responsible for any loss or damage to your item until it has been scanned into the carrier’s network. Once your item has been scanned into the carrier’s network and providing you used the Simple Delivery label and are compliant with these Terms and eBay’s Policies, as well as the relevant Carrier Terms, your item will be covered for loss or damage during transit up to the sold item value on the eBay.co.uk site. This means you will retain your sales proceeds in relation to the item sent using the Simple Delivery label. The item will be in transit from the point it has been scanned into the carrier’s network until it has been marked as delivered by the carrier.

[marco@ebay]

Hi stanzarz-24, thanks for your post.

Could you please confirm the item number, so I can take a look for you? Please note that if you shipped the item with Simple Delivery, and the item was indeed lost in transit, we would've refunded the buyer ourselves. However, if you voluntarily refunded the buyer yourself, we might not be able to take further actions, but I would be happy to take a look for you to see what can be done once you confirm the item number.

Thank you,

Marco

[Anonymous]

thats crazy! most be AI at work. makes zero sense.  one guy posted a shoe box weighed about 3kg.  got a message from evri saying it will  require specialist Evri courier.   

 funny how quick ebay is to take your money, but not quick to give it you.

[back-yard-sale]

Hi Marco,

Many thanks for getting back.

The Item Number: 205969073382

Case ID: 5372095603

Best regards

Stan

[marco@ebay · Accepted solution]

Hi stanzarz-24, thanks for your reply.

I've sent this for review, and then they will review and action your case accordingly. Once they take a decision you will receive an email informing you of the final decision for the case in question.

Thank you,

Marco

[back-yard-sale]

Hi Marco,

Thank you very much for your assistance in reviewing my case.

I appreciate you forwarding it for review and following up on my behalf. I have now received confirmation that the decision has been reversed and the refund has been issued to me. I’m grateful for your help in achieving a fair resolution.

Thank you again for your time and support.

Kind regards,
Stan

[dgtbids]

Could i ask what was the outcome, hoping to sell PC motherboard, but increasingly nervous about increasing scams...

[back-yard-sale]

Hi, yes — eBay finally reimbursed my money in the end. It took a bit of back and forth, but they did sort it out.

If I could give one bit of advice from my experience, I’d avoid using Evri and go with Royal Mail instead. I’ve had far fewer issues with Royal Mail, and it just feels a lot safer when selling higher-value items like PC parts.

Hope your sale goes smoothly and you don’t run into any problems!