Given an already used tracking number

[mtpalmer50]

I recently returned to selling after a hiatus of about 6 months. I purchased two labels from ebay using Royal Mail Tracked 48 but the tracking numbers aren't doing anything on ebay and are showing as delivered in October last year on the Royal Mail site!

The tracking history does start again this year at Royal Mail and what little is there in "round 2" looks correct but I need ebay to recognise it as delivered at some point so that they will release the funds.

I'll leave the question of why they are holding funds until delivery for another time but it doesn't seem a very convenient arrangement for the seller! Things were much easier last year!

I've already contacted Royal Mail and I won't print what I think of ebay's "AI". Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[kat@ebay]

Hi @mtpalmer50 ,

Thank you for your post.

If you have recently returned to selling there has been a change on how the funds are released. In order for the funds to be released the system will need to see the tracking showing as delivered. The funds are then released 2 days after delivery.

The Royal Mail do recycle some tracking numbers so that is likely why you are seeing older order delivery details on your tracking. However as your order moves through their system the information displayed will update to match the correct, newer order.

Thank you,

Kat

[buyconsoles-co-uk]

Hey,

I have the exact same problem as you! I bought the label approx 6th/7th April, my buyer messaged to say that the tracking number looked incorrect as it was showing as already delivered in November 2024! Thankfully, once the item has moved through the system it’s showing as out for delivery but hasn’t flagged as delivered yet (this was the 9th of April, my concern is Royal Mail are unable to mark it as delivered due to it being a re-used tracking number!) I also bought a tracked 48 service like you. Please let me know if your ones managed to update as delivered as mine looks stuck!

[mtpalmer50]

Hey,

I'm glad I'm not the only one but it sucks to hear you are in the same boat!

Like you, I bought the labels on the 6th and posted on the 7th. One of the items has a report from the 9th of April but nothing like being out for delivery. Crazily, it was somewhere perpendicular to the route it should be taking and at least twice the distance it started from the destination! It doesn't seem to have anything to do with it's greatest hits of 2024 delivery either. The other agrees that I posted it on the 7th and that is the last I have heard from it. The last thing they have done is move through the system.

One of the customers has already started an INR case so I am going to be out of pocket whatever happens. I guess it is only a matter of time before the other does as well. Out of 5 items I've posted since my return, 2 were delivered, 2 are missing and one is in a "no answer" delivery loop.

My problem though, is I have more labels to print. Is this going to happen again? Am I better off writing out the labels myself and accepting that I won't be paid for my property for 14 days? We call that lending where I come from, not selling.

The tracking is meant to help matters and get me my money faster but it really has screwed the whole process here.

[buyconsoles-co-uk]

My advise is to avoid buying labels from eBay now, you can buy them through the Royal Mail website and upload the tracking details to eBay. There’s clearly something wrong with eBay’s labels (selling us duplicates!) 

I spoke to eBay support, who blamed Royal Mail for the issues so I phoned Royal Mail today: they told me that eBay sold the labels and are responsible for selling duplicate labels!

anyway Royal Mail were super helpful,

I would recommend phoning them as the lady on the phone is currently chasing up my parcel to make sure it’s delivered from the last scanned depot. She’s contacted a manager there to sort it for me so that’s a big relief!

03457 740 740 is the Royal Mail number I phoned if you needed assistance

[sandi7600]

I also bought a label on the 6th April 2025 and posted on the 7th  ….. the item doesn’t show as delivered on eBay but when checking on Royal Mail it shows as delivered LAST AUGUST! 

However the other item I bought label for and posted at same time was delivered 2 days later.

How does this get sorted?! Like you I will probably have a buyer with no item?

[sandi7600]

Hi I’m in the same boat here …. The label purchased from eBay last week (6th) has tracking which doesn’t show as delivered but in Royal Mail shows as delivered LAST AUGUST. As RM won’t show any change to this tracking how do I know if my buyer got their item and how will I get paid? Thanks

[tommystrezures]

It is very rare of Royal Mail to recycle tracking numbers, I know here a couple of you stated where you purchased the label via ebay is that the same in all cases?

In which case it is eBay that are recycling numbers.

The only time I can see it ever happening is if a label for example became damaged in transit, or another became unstuck and a recipient ended up with two part labels etc.

Royal Mail do in general keep tracking data on items "live" if you will for around 12 months, as all your examples show.

A barcode when generated the last digit is always the check digit. 

Whilst I accept RM deal with a lot of parcels the permutations for barcodes may not be infinite, but I wonder if this is actually an ebay tech issue?

[mtpalmer50]

Just as an update,  one item arrived in spite of the tracking. Thankfully, the gentleman in question was honest about the situation as I obviously had no means whatsoever of proving anything. The other item I was forced to refund due to a PREMATURE INR case. So I will now be making a claim against Royal Mail. There is no proof it was delivered anywhere (except back in time) and I am both out of pocket and annoyed.

I have the original ebay label in pdf format, proof of postage and a screenshot of the item order details, showing the "order earnings" at minus 3.39. Is that enough?

[tommystrezures]

If you bought the original label through eBay it is them you need to claim through.

[sandi7600]

Hi as I’m in same situation I raised a case via eBay and they’ve gone away to investigate and promised a reply by email within a week.  I’ve no idea if my buyer got the item but I haven’t been paid. 

this is an eBay problem as we bought the label from them, not RM. 

Definitely make contact with customer services, if nothing else they already know they have a problem so your issue will not be news to them. 

[mtpalmer50]

Hi Sandi7600. How do you go about raising a case? I have already closed an INR case with the item so as far as ebay are concerned, everything is hunky dory. Everything I'm trying sends me into fascinating selections of useless pigeon holes that don't apply. Everything seems about protecting and aggrandising the benighted buyer. Can somebody help ME?!!!

[mtpalmer50]

Never mind, I eventually found the email option. The rant felt GOOD though!

[sandi7600]

So it took some looking to get to where I could deal with a person. Go to your profile and click on Help then scroll down to contact us … you’ll then have to navigate around to eventually get to their virtual bot but type agent and eventually you get an option to have eBay call you or start a chat with a person not a bot.