I’m dealing with a frustrating eBay situation and could use advice on next steps.
I purchased a musical item through eBay and paid via Paypal on 4/12. The item was listed to be shipping from NYC. I did not see any movement for a few days and upon looking at the seller, saw that their account was based in France. After sending a message asking where the item would be shipping from, the seller responded to confirm that ‘they are living in the US and that they would send the item today.’ - this was at 11:59 EST on 4/14. Tracking (USPS) was not provided until 4/18, which showed that the package was marked as delivered in my ZIP code on 4/15. Based on the timeline and communication, this was impossible to get to my state that quickly. My “missing package” eBay claim was closed twice (originally and the appeal) due to the fact that tracking showed delivered. PayPal claim also sided with eBay’s decision for the same reason.
After further research, I noticed that the package (originating from DHL) had a weight of .8875 lbs listed on DHL’s tracking site. The item purchased is 14+ pounds. With this info, I went to my local post office and they verbally confirmed the weight discrepancy AND that this tracking number was not addressed to me.
These two details should be reason enough to complete and prove my claim however eBay is requiring written confirmation from the carrier. USPS (both on the phone and in person) said that they can’t formally document anything because the tracking isn’t tied to my address in their system.
I find it hard to believe that eBay cannot confirm directly with the carrier the listed destination of the package. I spoke with an eBay rep on the phone and they stated that I needed documented proof from the carrier. I’m currently trying to escalate through PayPal Credit and attempting to get anything in writing from USPS, but I’m hitting roadblocks.
At this point, what would you do next? Is there any path left to recover the money besides small claims?