Amazon third party shipping scam?

[JHZR2]

And possibly eBay too…

I ordered some Honda DW-1, shipped from a seller on Amazon. It was supposedly shipped in late December, and was supposed to arrive on the 17th (!).

USPS claims they received the package. Nothing since.

The feedback for the seller has lots of claims of items not sent. Amazon seems to dismiss them all as not the sellers fault.

The seller is saying to cancel it.

I’m saying I want the item, if they shipped it usps and it truly was lost, they can bring it up with their insurance.

Multiple buyers having the same claim and bad feedback can’t seem to be all wrong.

Is there some sort of a scam going on where somehow a seller gets a tracking number, but nothing happens after?

I know maybe a year ago, I bought something on eBay. The seller sent a postcard, tracked, saying they donated $1 to a charity. eBay claimed the item shipped. It didn’t. It came later under separate shipping. While not fraud per se since the item came, it was still questionable because eBay claimed I got the item but what came was just a postcard.

Anyway, has anyone experienced something like this from third party shippers on Amazon? What’s going on?

Feedback example:

Not sure this is a fulfillment issue, usps claims they got something:

 

[eljefino]

Amazon's reply is both rude and opaque. Seems like they're on the downslide at a rapid pace.

 

[BMW Dom]

Probably an automated message of some sort. Amazon isn't going anywhere anytime soon

 

[Touring5]

Amazon has been slowly eroding from a customer service standpoint, especially since the pandemic struck.

A couple of weeks ago I ordered some probiotic capsules. Received them in less than two days but they were 5 months beyond expiration (Amazon sold & shipped). I found the phone number for customer service and got refunded, but it was a trying experience attempting to understand the rep because of her heavy accent and need to talk fast - I had to ask her to repeat things a few times and she laughed dismissively before doing so.

 

[PimTac]

Amazon has been slowly eroding from a customer service standpoint, especially since the pandemic struck.

A couple of weeks ago I ordered some probiotic capsules. Received them in less than two days but they were 5 months beyond expiration (Amazon sold & shipped). I found the phone number for customer service and got refunded, but it was a trying experience attempting to understand the rep because of her heavy accent and need to talk fast - I had to ask her to repeat things a few times and she laughed dismissively before doing so.

I use iHerb. Prices are comparable

 

[tmorris1]

A good reason to buy as much stuff locally as you can

 

[2strokeNorthstar]

It has been going on for a while. I suspect it is some kind of short term loan scam or just paying the numbers and see if someone never reports it and requests a refund. It's always easy to get a refund once you know how. Amazon chat is the best way. We do $10k a week or more with Amazon at my company so we come across this scam often. Even at home I have quite a few times.Its annoying and time consuming. I always report the seller and leave feedback

 

[alarmguy]

I’ve been ordering online since 1995 and I’ve never seen anything like that, truly strange.
I would think your only solution is take the refund.

If USPS says they received the package how would that be the sellers fault?
At least that’s what I’m reading in your post that the post office acknowledges receiving the package at a specific location.

 

[Hermann]

Amazon has been slowly eroding from a customer service standpoint, especially since the pandemic struck.

A couple of weeks ago I ordered some probiotic capsules. Received them in less than two days but they were 5 months beyond expiration (Amazon sold & shipped). I found the phone number for customer service and got refunded, but it was a trying experience attempting to understand the rep because of her heavy accent and need to talk fast - I had to ask her to repeat things a few times and she laughed dismissively before doing so.

The supplements I order from Amazon are alway dated well. I currently order 6 supplements from Amazon. The last 5 bottles have expiration dates in later 2024 or 2025.

 

[tmorris1]

I’ve been ordering online since 1995 and I’ve never seen anything like that, truly strange.
I would think your only solution is take the refund.

If USPS says they received the package how would that be the sellers fault?
At least that’s what I’m reading in your post that the post office acknowledges receiving the package at a specific location.

Who knows. USPS tracking system is a joke.

 

[alarmguy]

Who knows. USPS tracking system is a joke.

Well, I won’t disagree with that but for tracking to show the location and they received a package it had to be scanned so that would mean the seller did ship out the package

 

[SC Maintenance]

I will never order from a amazon 3rd party. Years ago my wife ordered a heavy and expensive textbook from a 3rd party. A USPS flat rate box showed up, completely flattened but empty. The box was still sealed. I put in that the box was empty and the seller claimed he shipped it and I got it and I was lying. Luckily I had saved the box which had a USPS pre-paid postage stamp showing 0.1 lbs, or I would never have gotten my money back - took Amazon a month.

The worst part of the whole thing was that it was not a new seller - he had a small number but reasonable feedback score - like 20 sales or something.

I do buy a lot directly from Amazon. There has been some weird stuff with that lately - like my wife ordered a curtain rod and they shipped here a assemble yourself TV stand. She tried to send it back and they refunded her money and said don't bother returning. Weighs like 50 lbs - I still need to haul it to goodwill or something.

 

[xspeedy]

No reputable business should be using USPS to begin with. USPS as a shipment method throws red flags.

 

[tmorris1]

No reputable business should be using USPS to begin with. USPS as a shipment method throws red flags.

Most of our Amazon packages come USPS. Some even originate with UPS or FedEx and then they get handed off to USPS for delivery.

 

[GON]

I’ve been ordering online since 1995 and I’ve never seen anything like that, truly strange.
I would think your only solution is take the refund.

If USPS says they received the package how would that be the sellers fault?
At least that’s what I’m reading in your post that the post office acknowledges receiving the package at a specific location.

AG,

One has to define received.
I get tracking numbers for shipments all the time, that have never been scanned by the transporter. It always amazes me that I will get notice of an item shipped, yet I know the transporter did not yet receive the package.

 

[2strokeNorthstar]

I’ve been ordering online since 1995 and I’ve never seen anything like that, truly strange.
I would think your only solution is take the refund.

If USPS says they received the package how would that be the sellers fault?
At least that’s what I’m reading in your post that the post office acknowledges receiving the package at a specific

From what I have seen they either never physically receive the package, just the label info or they give you a random tracking number that isn't even your address. The Amazon tracking doesn't 100% mesh with the tracking done on the shipping Co. Website. That maybe how they are exploiting it.

 

[alarmguy]

From what I have seen they either never physically receive the package, just the label info or they give you a random tracking number that isn't even your address. The Amazon tracking doesn't 100% mesh with the tracking done on the shipping Co. Website. That maybe how they are exploiting it.

Yeah that is what I am questioning. Did the post office actually scan the package, that would show location that the package was received.
I know exactly what you are saying, we print our shipping labels at home, we also have an account to print USPS labels. The second we print them it says label created once we drop it at the post office it shows acceptance time and location, actually sometimes if we dont wait for them to scan it and leave it on the counter, it doesnt show until it arrives at the main post office.

I see what you are saying with Amazon tracking. I wonder if the OP took the tracking number and entered it in the USPS site.
Amazon reports it as picked up, but good point, I think you are saying he should enter the number in the USPS site. If so I agree and didnt think about that.

 

[alarmguy]

AG,

One has to define received.
I get tracking numbers for shipments all the time, that have never been scanned by the transporter. It always amazes me that I will get notice of an item shipped, yet I know the transporter did not yet receive the package.

Yes, I know exactly what you are saying as I posted above if you re-read my post and the words "receiving the package at a specific location"
Tracking number "created" means nothing to me until I see it is in the hands of the shipper. UPS, FedEx or USPS.

 

[xspeedy]

Most of our Amazon packages come USPS. Some even originate with UPS or FedEx and then they get handed off to USPS for delivery.

Ah, yeah. I remember them doing that last mile stuff with us some time back. It was horrid. Thankfully Amazon is direct to us now.

 

[JHZR2]

If USPS says they received the package how would that be the sellers fault?
At least that’s what I’m reading in your post that the post office acknowledges receiving the package at a specific location.

That’s why I gave the example of my eBay purchase. They mailed a tracked postcard to make it look like they shipped an item in a timely manner. That was weird in and of itself… but they actually did ship.

It just makes me wonder… did they ship it? Can you scan an item at an unmanned location so the PO thinks they got the item, but then it never shows?

What I’d like to do frankly, is report this seller in a meaningful way.

What I’ve requested of the seller is to resend the item and they can take it up with their insurer. They won’t respond.