Was Ebay hacked 3/26-3/27/23? Refunded with no questions

[Average Guy]

Here is an oddity: I have an Ebay sale of a $600 Lego item on 3/26/23 . 

3/27/23 I use UPS label to send the parcel to Glendale Heights, Illinois, without being specific it's an industrial park with a real name and "care of" business address. 

3/28/23 customer messages saying he got a refund and the parcel couldn't be sent internationally.  I also get a refund message from Ebay saying there was a problem and both buyer and seller were refunded.  I check the UPS tracking number. It was delivered, only problem is, that's not the buyer's address.  During messaging buyer tells me he is Canadian with a Canadian address. Ebay gave for the shipping label an address domestically in Glendale Height, Illinois, to what appears to be a warehouse beauty products distributor.

So buyer is real, but the address Ebay gave for the UPS label is not buyer's address and Ebay refunded both buyer and seller before either of us knew what happened. Do you think Ebay was hacked?  I think Ebay knows what happened but there are no live reps anymore to ask and none at the  UPS  phone number either.

There are a few weird things about the label created. It had an "EVTN: QSQ9V68" under the "c/o buyer's name". It also had a phone for the buyer as 1-866-540-3229, so I looked it up and it's an Ebay ph number (which offers no support only online referral but nonetheless is an Ebay ph number). Anyone else have a similar issue on this date or previously?  It doesn't look like an account hack because the buyer is real and really ordered the item, but I think it's an Ebay hack. Could it be a computer error from Ebay? Does anyone know if there is a legit Ebay presence in Glendale Heights, Illinois? It is just weird. 

Another detail I just noticed. The "Ship your order" page doesn't mention anywhere that this is an Ebay International Shipping Program order, it only gives the Glendale Heights, Il address which to my knowledge is not the address for the Ebay Intl Shipping Program, that's in Kentucky I thought. However, when I go to the "Order Details" page it does say it's in the Ebay Intl Shipping Program and it does show the buyer's town and Canada but not name or street address but still gives the Glendale Heights address as ship to addy. Looks like an Ebay error or a hack, idk.

Edited March 28, 2023 by Average Guy

[Darth_Raichu]

1 hour ago, Average Guy said:

Glendale Heights, Illinois

That is the address for the hub for new Ebay International Shipping, formerly known as Global Shipping.  I got a couple of international orders recently and all had that address.  

1 hour ago, Average Guy said:

So buyer is real, but the address Ebay gave for the UPS label is not buyer's address and Ebay refunded both buyer and seller before either of us knew what happened.

Technically your responsibility as seller ends when the package arrives at eBay's hub.  Ebay take care of the rest. 

It seemed like they could not send the package to Canada for whatever reason. So you and buyer got refunded as eBay International Shipping could not deliver

[Average Guy]

29 minutes ago, Darth_Raichu said:

That is the address for the hub for new Ebay International Shipping, formerly known as Global Shipping.  I got a couple of international orders recently and all had that address.  

Technically your responsibility as seller ends when the package arrives at eBay's hub.  Ebay take care of the rest. 

It seemed like they could not send the package to Canada for whatever reason. So you and buyer got refunded as eBay International Shipping could not deliver

Right you are Sir! After researching further I did not actually confirm that address but came across a webpage article that said Ebay is opening more hubs. Also the first line in the address was "eis" Ebay International Shipping program.  I need to opt out of that program. I opted out per listing of the old Ebay Global Shipping Program but apparently Ebay auto enrolled everyone when they switched. I don't like the percentage points sellers get hit with for  VAT payments, Ebay's repackaging of the item for smaller parcel sizes. Yes I understand I am not liable once it reaches Ebay's hub but I want my buyer to get what he paid for.  I bubble wrapped it, bagged it, boxed it, and then double boxed it, put signature required on it, put a huge sign on it expressing it was insured, signature required, and not to leave it at the doorstep. It was practically bulletproof, all except the Ebay factor 😕It must be a new acquisition for Ebay. 

Anytime something goes wrong I'm not satisfied with a happy ending, I want to know why there was trouble. No one at ebay could tell me why it was refunded because there are no more live reps to answer phone calls. Coincidentally no live operators at the UPS ph number either. (idk why this turned red, I think my right-click auto spelling correct changed it)

[Average Guy]

After your confirmation of the legit Ebay location Darth R, I think I just figured it out why it was "rejected". After the sale I decided to double box it because of it's value and rarity. The dimensions for the outer box where 27 x 19 x 10 but the listing page I had the box as 24 x 17 x 7.  I'll bet the EIS program automatically rejected the larger box and the "evnt" on the shipping label was an internal Ebay rejection code for my larger box not matching the listing shipping box size, and the name on the box which was not my buyer's name, was the Ebay go-to guy to handle the error.

Sorry Ebay go-to guy but at least you got a cool rare Lego set.

 

[Darth_Raichu]

1 minute ago, Average Guy said:

After your confirmation of the legit Ebay location Darth R, I think I just figured it out why it was "rejected". After the sale I decided to double box it because of it's value and rarity. The dimensions for the outer box where 27 x 19 x 10 but the listing page I had the box as 24 x 17 x 7.  I'll bet the EIS program automatically rejected the larger box and the "evnt" on the shipping label was an internal Ebay rejection code for my larger box not matching the listing shipping box size, and the name on the box which was not my buyer's name, was the Ebay go-to guy to handle the error.

Sorry Ebay go-to guy but at least you got a cool rare Lego set.

 

Package size would have been my guess. 

Lucky you. The old Global shipping program would have penalized you for sending a package much bigger than the promised size

[Average Guy]

2 minutes ago, Darth_Raichu said:

Package size would have been my guess. 

Lucky you. The old Global shipping program would have penalized you for sending a package much bigger than the promised size

Yep it was, I just looked. 79 inches in the EIS limit. If I remember correctly Canada is one of those 108 inch countries with USPS but my knowledge is old and I used UPS. 

[ebayuser]

I had exactly the same experience last week but with Fedex. I live in Canada and bought an antqiue radio on ebay from a seller in Oregon. It came Fedex Ground so I followed it as it travelled through the country for a week. But suddenly when it got to a Fedex sorting facility in Chicago I got a notice saying it could not be exported to Canada and both I and the seller were instantly given refunds.

I checked with customs in both countries and there is no restriction on old radios. I tried contacting ebay but they said the item was closed since I got a refund. The seller had the same thing so we could not speak with anyone at ebay.

When I checked  the detailed tracking I found it had been received by a "Mr Gruen" in Glendale Heights IL. 

Also all my own personal data associated with the tracking number had been changed to this Mr Gruen. When I called Fedex they said I must have been given the wrong tracking number by the seller as there was no record of me. They had no further interest in me.

Luckily I screen-captured all the tracking and original order and could prove that the tracking number was correct.

I filed a fraud complaint with Fedex giving them all my records and suggested that people are working within the courier sorting facilities in Chicago to identify ebay packages marked for export. They then divert them to the warehouse in Glendale Hts saying they "could not be exported" and somehow hack into ebay's system to give everyone refunds and keep them happy. Who knows what happens to the merchandise?

Everyone who has had this problem should send all their documentation to their couriers and alert them to what is happening. I don't think ebay understands or really cares that they are being defrauded. Good luck!

 

 

 

 

[Darth_Raichu]

1 hour ago, ebayuser said:

I had exactly the same experience last week but with Fedex. I live in Canada and bought an antqiue radio on ebay from a seller in Oregon. It came Fedex Ground so I followed it as it travelled through the country for a week. But suddenly when it got to a Fedex sorting facility in Chicago I got a notice saying it could not be exported to Canada and both I and the seller were instantly given refunds.

I checked with customs in both countries and there is no restriction on old radios. I tried contacting ebay but they said the item was closed since I got a refund. The seller had the same thing so we could not speak with anyone at ebay.

When I checked  the detailed tracking I found it had been received by a "Mr Gruen" in Glendale Heights IL. 

Also all my own personal data associated with the tracking number had been changed to this Mr Gruen. When I called Fedex they said I must have been given the wrong tracking number by the seller as there was no record of me. They had no further interest in me.

Luckily I screen-captured all the tracking and original order and could prove that the tracking number was correct.

I filed a fraud complaint with Fedex giving them all my records and suggested that people are working within the courier sorting facilities in Chicago to identify ebay packages marked for export. They then divert them to the warehouse in Glendale Hts saying they "could not be exported" and somehow hack into ebay's system to give everyone refunds and keep them happy. Who knows what happens to the merchandise?

Everyone who has had this problem should send all their documentation to their couriers and alert them to what is happening. I don't think ebay understands or really cares that they are being defrauded. Good luck!

 

 

 

 

What was the value of the antique radio?  And how big was it?

I have sent relatively small and cheap items there and never had any problem.

[ebayuser]

My radio was $99.00 and only 9 inches by 6 inches by 3 inches.

[Darth_Raichu]

3 minutes ago, ebayuser said:

My radio was $99.00 and only 9 inches by 6 inches by 3 inches.

That was low value item to grab with all the elaborate setups.  On the other hand, that was also relatively small item if the problem was shipping size.  Unless your seller shipped it in a box a lot bigger than 15x15x15.