I think I was scammed

[movie_galaxy]

Last week, I bought Canada Post stamps from a seller who was supposedly located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. On the listing, the item location actually showed - Ottawa, Canada.

But this Monday - 2 days ago - when my order was marked as SHIPPED, the supposed tracking showed the package originated out of China. I instantly sensed something was wrong and I started to worry.

Also, the supposed tracking showed a super fast movement of my order - this was another red flag that worried me.  I know packages can move quickly sometimes, but Canadian stamps being sent from China that move more than 10,000 km in just 2 days is very suspicious.

Today, Wednesday Sept 3rd, the order showed as DELIVERED. I opened my front door to check if I had received a package, but nothing was there. I checked my mailbox, asked my neighbours and nothing.  I tried to reach the seller, but all his listings have vanished and I am not able to contact him about the listing I purchased from him/her.

This is a bad feeling for me. I didn't know that sellers could list in one region of the world and send from a different region of the world. I thought an item shown as being located in Canada had to be sent from Canada. I didn't know a seller could show their location as Canada, but send the item from China or somewhere else. And as it turned out, the seller didn't even send me anything. They uploaded some type of tracking number, but the movement of the package seems way too suspicious to be accurate and since i didn't receive the package, I am guessing the tracking was never genuine in the first place. 

Just now, I filed a report with Ebay about my suspicions regarding the listing and the seller. I tried to file an INR but it says I have to wait until tomorrow to do that - so I will.  I don't know how Ebay will decide things because DHL tracking supposedly shows a DELIVERED status for my order. 

I have never experienced such an occurance, so I posted this to ask other sellers the question - is it possible to list in one region of the world and send from a different region AND I posted this as a warning to sellers because we are also buyers on the platform.

[movie_galaxy]

I messaged the seller and asked them to stop sending me fake tracking information.

[reallynicestamps]

You should also contact eBay and report the problem you are having.

Do NOT phone.

Use the social media Chat and get a case number.

The phone reps have a terrible reputation for getting you off the phone as soon as possible even if that means giving you the advice you want to hear instead of the advice you need to have.

Here are your options for contacting Ebay Customer Service. Please be aware that for social media CS, you send them a Private Message and briefly explain what your problem or issue is. Feel free to leave your Name, address, phone number and/or your email address in this message. It is private and secure and it may help to speed up the response for you.


https://www.facebook.com/ebay -Message button in upper right on landing page.
#204760888466
https://www.instagram.com/ebayforsellers/


https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/How-do-I-contact-Customer-Support/m-p/32016431#M1783851 -> Automated Assistant, type AGENT -> enter. You will then get more options.
Your options will be on the left. If you use the link below you can only get to the Automated Assistant or Chat box type AGENT in the box and hit enter. You will then get more options. Not all options are available 24/7. It will depend on staffing available. So sometimes you can request a call back and sometimes you can't. Sometimes you have the Chat option available and other times it won't me. If it is important to you to use one of those options, just try back later.

The social media Chat accounts are covered by trained eBay employees with some authority.
And you get a transcript so you can compare what you heard with what you were told.
 

[marnotom!]

I think at this stage, it would be best to let the INR case play out as my understanding is Wednesday is when the outcome will be decided. If it doesn’t work out in @movie_galaxy’s favour, they can get in touch with customer service via chat at that point, armed with any additional information they feel is relevant. Who knows what else the seller might do between now and Wednesday?

[movie_galaxy]

Important Update:

To my huge surprise, I received the seller's package this afternoon. It showed up on my doorstep.

Only problem is I think the stamps are fake. They came wrapped in plastic - which you folks informed me they never should - and the CANADA and 271 price on the bottom of the stamps look smaller and lighter in colour than what I think legitimate stamps from Canada Post should look like. It doesn't show up properly on the scan, but when you see it in person you can tell the printing is smaller and lighter than normal.

[movie_galaxy]

Is it possible to close the INR case and then open an INAD case?

[john_koenig99]

---

@movie_galaxy wrote:

Is it possible to close the INR case and then open an INAD case?

---

Yes, you can. 

In fact, you need to close the INR case before you can even file for a INAD one. 

[movie_galaxy]

Here is another picture of the stamps I received from the seller. The graphics are already started to fade away as I took off the sticker that held one of the rolls together.

[marnotom!]

Just out of curiosity, did any of the tracking information sent by the seller correspond with the package that you received?

And was there a return address on the package?

[movie_galaxy]

Here is a closer look at the stamps

[movie_galaxy]

Look at the C in Canada on the bottom stamp - it's imperfect and faded. And the graphics are fading once again.

[movie_galaxy]

At first, the tracking showed a package coming out of China that was supposedly delivered, but it wasn't as i never received it initially. Then, the seller provided a 2nd tracking number form China that wasn't delivered to me either. But the package that came today was sent from Mississuaga and it had a sender address on it.

[marnotom!]

Sounds to me as though it was sent from China to a forwarding agent in Mississauga. After all, Mississauga isn't Ottawa.

When you look up the tracking information on Parcelsapp, is there a reference to another carrier and/or tracking number?

[ypdc_dennis]

Another thing to check is the back side of the stamp, some of the fakes do not have the Canada Post watermark on the under side (which I believe Canada Post did have for this value of stamp roll).

[femmefan1946]

https://www.linns.com/news/us-stamps-postal-history/counterfeit-canada-from-far-and-wide-coil-stamps...

https://canadianstampnews.com/issue/93317/

Only problem is I think the stamps are fake.

*Biting tongue. *

[dinomitesales]

---

@movie_galaxy wrote:

Look at the C in Canada on the bottom stamp - it's imperfect and faded. And the graphics are fading once again.

---

Yes, we all told you the stamps were fake. This is not a surprise at all lol.

The print quality on those is horrid.

[movie_galaxy]

I closed my INR case and opened an INAD case. The seller accepted my return, but he provided me with the following return address:

nantongdunmikejiyouxiangongsi

tongzhouquxingrenzhensanmiaocunshiqizu28-3hao

nantongshi, Jiangsu, 226371

I don't think that is a full address.  The first two lines are simply a series of letters.  The last line is a location with a zip code, but there is no street address.  I don't even know how to send them back to that address as provided.  It seems as thought the seller wants me to pay return shipping.  But the item came from Mississauga because I can see the Canadian address on the UNI UNI delivery.

[movie_galaxy]

I tried to contact the seller again about the return, but Ebay requires me to put in the item number. And when I do, it gives me an error message. The listing has ended, but I do have the correct item number. I tried contacting the seller using 'this is not about an item' but when I type in my message, Ebay returns an error message to me. Looks like I can't reach the seller. I am stuck.

People are thinking............'Why did he buy Canadian Stamps from China?'

But please remember, I didn't know they were from China. The listing showed the item location as Ottawa, Canada.

[movie_galaxy]

Just now, I sent the seller a message using the regular way and I also contacted UNI UNI to see if I can do a return to China through them or through a drop off sport in Canada. Waiting to hear back from them. Which number is best to contact Ebay about getting a refund because as it stands now, Ebay is expecting me to upload tracking information for my return?  As I suggested, sending it back looks like it will be very difficult and time consuming.

[movie_galaxy]

I don't have access to FB.

Is there another way to contact Ebay online?

[movie_galaxy]

The first tracking number provided by the seller showed the package being delivered on the 3rd, but it wasn't actually delivered as i didn't receive it. 

The second tracking kind of did, but kind of didn't. It showed the package coming from China to Canada, but with no city identifying particulars. And it was eventually delivered by UNI UNI with a return address based in Mississuaga. But the return address the seller provided when I filed an INAD claim is based in China, not Mississuaga and the seller hasn't provided a return label - which they are supposed to do in such a case.

The initial Ebay listing showed the item location as Ottawa, Canada.

I attempted to ask Ebay to step in this morning to resolve the case, but I can't figure out how to do that since the system thinks I am in the process of returning the order to the seller.