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Is this a scam attempt?

J

Just Wrong

Mar 30, 2023
1,449
2,317
#1
I've recently sold a pedal through Reverb, and something seems a bit fishy... Four days after it was supposed to be delivered, the buyer messaged me saying they never received the package. I'm in Canada, and they are in the US.

The Canada Post website says:

"Delivered on DATE at 1:19 PM."​
​
Then there's an update at 1:33 PM saying

"Item redirected to recipient's new address ZIP CODE."​

ZIP CODE is the same ZIP code they originally gave me.

On the USPS website, it says:

"Your item was forwarded to a different address at 1:34 pm on DATE in CITY. This was because of forwarding instructions or because the address or ZIP Code on the label was incorrect."​
​
CITY is the same city they originally gave me.

Thing is, I'm fairly certain the ZIP code and address match. The label was printed at the post office. I double checked it after it was printed, and I know that their computers don't allow them to print a label if the address and the ZIP code don't match. The USPS website also says the address and ZIP code match.

I called Canada Post on my end, and they've opened an investigation. The buyer said they would contact USPS on Monday.

Seems odd to me. Why would USPS forward a package if the recipient didn't request it? Could they be trying to scam me?

I guess we'll see what Canada Post ends up saying...

Thanks
 
#2
What's the buyer's feedback?

Hopefully, it's just a USPS tracking glitch.
Look up the address on google maps and make sure it's a legit / residential address.

The "redirected" is highly unusual. double check that your address matches the one provided by Reverb.
If they/Reverb provided an incorrect address - it shouldn't be your problem - but you're at the mercy of Reverb's policy.

I've often had luck googling the buyer's name and address - if they've been there any amount of time, you should get "hits"
Google the buyers "name / city / musician". The above might give you some "assurance" that their legit.

Be proactive - reach out to Reverb with your concern and details of the situation; especially if you shipped to the address provided.
if t he shipment was truly was re-directed / manipulated by the buyer, USPS should be able to provide details.
 
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#4
I've had USPS mistakenly mark packages as delivered (even scanned in the wrong zip code), or I suspect occasionally mark them as delivered to fill a delivery deadline quota even as they haven't yet been delivered- only to show up without any notice a few days later. Four days seems pretty long though if the package was just being held in the car of the regular route driver. I will say that when an official case is opened on the USPS end I've had pretty good luck with communication and resolution (despite their sometimes careless reputation, they don't like losing mail IMO/IME)- and I've done that both as a sender and recipient.
 
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#6
J-Bass RMR said:
What's the buyer's feedback?

Hopefully, it's just a USPS tracking glitch.
Look up the address on google maps and make sure it's a legit / residential address.

The "redirected" is highly unusual. double check that your address matches the one provided by Reverb.
If they/Reverb provided an incorrect address - it shouldn't be your problem - but you're at the mercy of Reverb's policy.

I've often had luck googling the buyer's name and address - if they've been there any amount of time, you should get "hits"
Google the buyers "name / city / musician". The above might give you some "assurance" that their legit.

Be proactive - reach out to Reverb with your concern and details of the situation; especially if you shipped to the address provided.
if t he shipment was truly was re-directed / manipulated by the buyer, USPS should be able to provide details.
Click to expand...
Thanks - everything checks out. Google search, Reverb reviews.

I called Canada Post again to confirm the shipping address, and it is correct, so I don't know what's going on... I guess I'll wait and see.

Thanks everyone!
 
#7
If it were FedEx and it said label was re-printed or changed, you’re pretty much done. That is how FedEx employees steal packages. I work for a company that ships product via FedEx, and they are terrible. But I have no idea how that works with USPS. But as has been said, be proactive, because it does sound fishy.
 
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#9
Ellery said:
If it were FedEx and it said label was re-printed or changed, you’re pretty much done. That is how FedEx employees steal packages. I work for a company that ships product via FedEx, and they are terrible. But I have no idea how that works with USPS. But as has been said, be proactive, because it does sound fishy.
Click to expand...
That's sort of what I'm worried about. If the address is correct, and the buyer says they didn't forward the package, then it must've been someone at USPS...

tranceFusion said:
USPS tracking says this when they sent the package to the wrong destination facility. It went to the wrong place and then they forwarded it back to the correct place. That’s why it got forwarded to the original zip code you sent it to. Basically it should show up soon and the buyer just needs to wait more.
Click to expand...
Hopefully you're right 🤞
 
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#10
Just Wrong said:
That's sort of what I'm worried about. If the address is correct, and the buyer says they didn't forward the package, then it must've been someone at USPS...


Hopefully you're right 🤞
Click to expand...
It happens to me all the time. USPS is really sloppy and the package gets sent to some other random city and I see that message and get the package a couple days later

Imagine that the package gets sorted based on the zip code and the zip code is wrong. (“Forwarded due to an incorrect zip code”) The receiving post office doesn’t have the street listed on the package in their service area determines based on the street and city the correct zipcode and then you see that message, which makes sense in that context.

Except the zip code likely was correct and the post office just sorted it incorrectly, due to human error or computer scanner mistake. But at any rate, it ended up at the wrong zip code.
 
Last edited:
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#11
I sold a set of DB strings to a TB member in Texas. USPS delivered it to different town in a different county. I guess the recipient brought it to the post office and they succeeded on the second attempt. I was just about to mail him a check for his payment when he texted me that he received them. I hope they clear it up for you
 
#12
I’d give it a couple days, some towns have smaller local post offices that get their mail through larger ones that also do local deliveries, it’s happened to me before where a pedal I bought somehow got redirected and then mistakenly held at the bigger post office, marked not to be sent back out for “redelivery”. I had to follow the bread crumbs and went to the large non local post office and signed for it to be released and they gave it to me. Sometimes a box gets off at the wrong stop along the way and then eventually gets sent through in the right direction.
 
#17
i've had this happen before...usually somebody at the house put it someplace else...or the mail person left it out and it got snagged...or they were trying to pull a fast one (this only happened ONE time, and I had USPS pull of a screenshot of the actual delivery scan on a map)...eitherway, if it says delivered...it's delivered, you should be fine
 
#19
So you got three problems here… I actually am at a point unless I know you or you want to meet me I’m not selling used. It’s not my favorite but I just have had too many problems at this point but I’m not a business so when I have to pay for someone else’s ignorance or greed. What is lame is I have some really really nice and rare equipment I’m not using but can’t afford to replace if something happens. I’m also bitter so here we go…

USPS is complete trash. I wish I could say FedEx was better but it’s probably worse. UPS is awful but have shown more concern in past problems even though they weren’t a ton of help. I have had way less problems when living in smaller rural areas but every major city I have been in I would say one of three of my packages have had issues… My last order was glow in the dark side dots for my bass. I saw them come to my city for delivery 6 times and than get sent to surrounding cities before ending up where I live… my last package was delivered to the wrong address(wrong zip code) and all the carrier would do is keep sending me a picture of it delivered to a house that looks nothing like mine. After about a month of coming to terms with never getting the package the person delivered it to my place that got it. He also had contacted the carrier and they had didn’t seem to care.

Next problem. Because the carriers are complete trash and standards of moral has dropped so much (or has become more noticeable) it seems like there’s wayyyy more scammers than ever before.

I wouldn’t panic, contact the carriers and reverb. And then stay on them. I have reopened claims multiple times. Check the status because they will resolve the claims and not even tell you… I could go on for hours about this…
Last issue is reverb is also trash and most of the time side with the buyer. Stay on them.

Hopefully it just shows up on the buyers door step tomorrow and it’s just another sloppy error by the carrier.
 
#20
The only time I have heard of the US mail forwarding a package or letter, is when the resident fills out a change of address form. This sounds like a good way to divert a package to an undisclosed destination, and a good way for a buyer to claim they never received it.
 

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