Subject: [System error & injustice] eBay closes case despite ongoing investigation in its own fulfillment warehouse (Orange Connex) and ignores official confirmation
Summary: auto-parts-home describes an unfair incident involving eBay and the fulfillment warehouse, in which after a return, a buyer received a refund even though the warehouse did not confirm the return. Despite official documentation and complaints, eBay rejected his appeal, which auto-parts-home sees as a systemic problem. Other participants expressed understanding and offered advice to stay persistent and consider possible legal steps. eBay employee Melina explains eBay's policies but stands by the decision; a new appeal is not possible. The topic sparks significant discussion and support from other sellers in the forum.
Hello everyone,
I have to share an extremely unfair case here that shows how broken the system currently is between eBay customer service and the official eBay fulfillment warehouse (Orange Connex). As an honest seller, you’re left out in the cold here.
My situation:
I’m a dealer in auto parts. A customer bought a replacement part from me without specifying their vehicle model when placing the order. After receiving the item, the customer claimed the part didn’t fit. I then asked them for their vehicle model and asked them to describe the exact problem — but the customer did not respond to either question and provided no information at all.
About the buyer:
This buyer is demonstrably a reseller. In one of his emails, he told me himself that his own end customer had also not provided him with any vehicle details. That means he should have obtained the required information on his side before ordering the part from me.
About the return case:
The customer opened a return and refund case with the reason “not compatible.” eBay decided that the buyer had to bear the return shipping costs. Nevertheless, the buyer threatened to report me to eBay if I didn’t provide him with a free return label. To avoid further trouble, I provided him with a return label – the return address was the official eBay fulfillment warehouse (Orange Connex), since all of my stock is stored there as well.
The key points:
Immediate refund forced
Since, according to eBay policy, I have to issue a refund within two business days after the return is delivered, I opened a ticket with the official eBay fulfillment warehouse (Orange Connex) on the very day it was delivered. I asked the warehouse to locate the package as quickly as possible and check the condition of the item. The warehouse replied that the package had not yet been found and that they needed to keep searching.Case closed despite ongoing warehouse investigation
About four to five days after delivery, the buyer contacted eBay. Even though the warehouse investigation was still ongoing, eBay forcibly closed the case in the buyer’s favor, issued the refund, and placed a defect on my seller account (rate of unresolved issues).Official warehouse confirmation ignored by eBay
After two weeks, the eBay warehouse (Orange Connex) finally informed me that the relevant return item had never been received there — and even issued me an official certificate confirming non-receipt of the goods, including the official company stamp.Appeal to eBay – completely pointless
I then appealed to eBay. However, eBay’s response was simply that the package had been marked as delivered according to tracking, and that I should “ask the neighbors”.That is completely unacceptable to me:
eBay forces sellers to issue quick refunds, but refuses to wait for the result of an investigation by its own official warehouse.
eBay does not even recognize the certificate of non-receipt issued by its own official fulfillment warehouse.
I also provided eBay with a screenshot of the buyer’s threats — but eBay ignored that evidence too.
And this is not the first time.
The system practically invites scammers to send empty parcels or stones to the large warehouse, because normal eBay customer service just blindly looks at the tracking status “Delivered” without checking the feedback from its own warehouse.
My question to the community:
Has anyone here ever experienced something similar?
Is there a way to get the moderators here in the forum involved so the case can be escalated to a higher department?Thanks a lot for your support and advice!
lolly030
·2 weeks agoHello @auto-parts-home ,
Orange Connex only has a cooperation with Ebay. So there is no Ebay warehouse either. The problem is probably somewhere between DHL - delivered and Connex - we can't find it. However, I think DHL is getting off the hook here, since there is no longer any signature for delivery. What about Connex's liability?
I also had to find out quite often that the written word (guidelines) takes precedence over the customer service statements. If customer service says something different here, then unfortunately bad luck.
I wish you lots of strength and hope you can achieve a positive result.
Best regards
melina@ebay
·3 weeks agoHello @auto-parts-home
Thanks for reaching out to us. Please send us the order number so we can look into the return.
@perfect-sally Thanks for the mention.
Best regards
Melina
auto-parts-home
OP3 weeks agoHello @melina,
Thank you very much for your reply and your willingness to take on my case.
Here is the order number: 24-14663-06060
I would like to add that as part of my appeal I have already uploaded all evidence – including the official certificate from the eBay fulfillment warehouse (Orange Connex) confirming non-receipt of the return shipment.
If you should need any further documents or information, I am of course always happy to help and will provide them immediately.
I would be very grateful if you could review the case once again. Thank you very much for your efforts!
Kind regards
melina@ebay
·3 weeks agoHello @auto-parts-home
Thanks for the order number. I was happy to review the case for you and understand that the situation is frustrating. However, according to our guidelines, the refund must be issued within two business days after delivery of the return shipment. If that doesn’t happen, the buyer can file a buyer protection claim, which, as in this case, we cannot reject. Since there was valid proof of delivery for the return shipment, and the refund deadline had been exceeded, the buyer contacted us and the case was decided correctly in accordance with the eBay Buyer Protection policies.
For shipments that were demonstrably delivered and then go missing, we cannot assume any liability.
However, you can arrange an investigation request with the shipping provider together with the buyer. In this case, the shipping provider is responsible and can investigate the whereabouts of the item. Unfortunately, it is no longer possible to appeal this case again. Thank you for your post, and I hope this gets resolved quickly.
Kind regards
Melina
auto-parts-home
OP3 weeks agoHello @melina,
thank you very much for your feedback. I have understood your explanation, but at this point I need to clarify a few important points that, in my opinion, were not sufficiently taken into account in the previous handling.
Why I did not refund immediately:
For one thing, the item in question is not exactly a low-value item. For another, to be honest, I didn’t know at the beginning how to handle this kind of case correctly. Experience shows that the official eBay fulfillment warehouse (Orange Connex) in about 90% of cases needs more than 3 to 5 business days after the return has been delivered to check and record the incoming return — even though eBay requires us sellers to refund within 2 business days.
My inquiry with eBay customer service:
For this reason, I actively contacted eBay customer service back then and asked how I should proceed in this situation. The eBay support response was, word for word, that I could initiate the refund even if the warehouse inspection had not yet been completed. I was explicitly told that eBay would cover the costs if it later turned out that the customer had sent back an empty package or committed fraud.
As a result, I followed this explicit recommendation:
Soon after, for order number 20-14484-42392, I acted exactly according to this recommendation and initiated the refund on the second business day after delivery as a precaution.
The result of the warehouse inspection:
The eBay fulfillment warehouse later found during the inspection that the return was an empty package. I then immediately filed an appeal and reported the buyer for fraud.
eBay’s response — and this is where my biggest problem lies:
The eBay customer service agents then told me that I had initiated the refund voluntarily — and that this would mean I had automatically confirmed that the return was fine. Therefore, eBay could not provide reimbursement.
My question to eBay — and to you, @melina:
What exactly does eBay now expect from us sellers?
If I actively refund, as explicitly recommended by eBay, and it later turns out to have been fraud — then it says: “You refunded voluntarily, so you acknowledged the return. No reimbursement for you.”
If I do not actively refund and let the deadline pass, the buyer involves eBay — and eBay forces the refund anyway, additionally marks my seller account with a defect (defect rate), and rules against me.
And even if I then file an appeal and the eBay-owned warehouse even issues me an official certificate of non-receipt of the goods — eBay still rejects my appeal, on the grounds that the package was delivered according to tracking.
My final question to eBay:
So as a seller, am I really expected to bear every fraud case entirely on my own and absorb the losses completely myself? Is that really the system eBay wants to create?
Because this exact approach — whether I refund actively or not, I lose in any case — practically invites fraudsters to keep trying again and again. Honest sellers are systematically disadvantaged here.
I therefore ask you once again to review my case. I have followed eBay’s requirements and explicit recommendations at every stage — and yet I am still being punished.
I hope for your understanding and a fair solution.
Kind regards
melina@ebay
·3 weeks agoHello @auto-parts-home
Thanks for the feedback. We can understand your confusion, but there is no case of fraud here.
The buyer has valid proof of delivery. The applicable eBay buyer protection policies are decisive for the case decision. A further review will therefore not lead to any different result.
Thank you for your understanding.
Kind regards
Melina
auto-parts-home
OP3 weeks agoSubject: Statement on the case – objection to the decision
Hello @auto-parts-home,
thank you very much for your response. I have read your arguments carefully and would like to clarify the following:
I never claimed that this case must involve fraud. My point is a different one:
The official eBay warehouse has confirmed in writing that the return package was not received – with an official stamp and corresponding documentation. If even the official eBay warehouse itself denies receipt, how can eBay alone decide on the basis of proof of delivery (tracking) that the buyer did not commit fraud?
Regarding the case I mentioned afterward:
At the time, I acted exactly on the recommendation of an eBay customer service representative – I voluntarily refunded the buyer before the official eBay warehouse checked it in order to speed up the process. You also recommended exactly this approach to me today.
The problem: After the official eBay warehouse officially classified this package as a fraud case (fraud package) (clearly marked in the official eBay warehouse's storage system), I filed an objection. An eBay employee then told me that my voluntary refund was equivalent to confirming that the return was fine – which I find completely illogical and contradictory.
To clarify:
I had already had another case where the buyer returned a completely different product. I contacted the buyer politely and asked for clarification – but there was no response. There was also valid proof of delivery here, but it was clearly fraud.
My key question:
If proof of delivery exists in both cases, but the official eBay warehouse denies receipt or identifies the package as an empty shipment or a fake – how can eBay still conclude that the buyer had no fraudulent intent whatsoever?
I have all evidence for all the cases mentioned, including:
Written confirmations from the official eBay warehouse (with stamp)
System markings as fraud package in the official eBay warehouse system
Communication records with eBay Support
Screenshots of the return tracking data
If you think it makes sense and agree, I can insert all previous responses from eBay customer service regarding this case here in the thread again to fully support my argument.
I ask for a renewed, fact-based and evidence-based review of the case – not solely on the basis of the proof of delivery, but taking into account the actual findings of the official eBay warehouse.
Thank you for your understanding and your efforts.
Kind regards
lidor3073
·3 weeks ago@auto-parts-home
Stay persistent and uncompromising on the matter. 💪
lidor3073
·3 weeks ago@auto-parts-home
Do you have legal expenses insurance?
melina@ebay
·3 weeks agoHello @auto-parts-home
I understand that you want to clarify the situation after the fact. The decision was made because you did not involve us in time. According to the tracking information, the return was delivered on 15/06/2026. You issued the return label to the buyer yourself. From that point on, you had two working days to inform us and involve us. This deadline is binding and applies to every seller. Since we want to remain fair to other sellers, we cannot make an exception in your case. Here you can find the information on the deadlines for a return.
On 19/06/2026, the buyer contacted us regarding the refund. On 10/07/2026, you only informed us that the item had not arrived. We ask for your understanding that the specified deadline had long since expired. As I already informed you, you have the option here to open an investigation request with DHL in order to clarify the whereabouts of the item. We thank you for your efforts.
Kind regards
Melina
auto-parts-home
OP2 weeks agoDear melina@ebay,
I would like to refer to my previous contact with your eBay customer service.
1. Facts:
I contacted your customer service several months ago, because the inspection period at the eBay warehouse exceeded the deadline set by eBay of 2 business days.
Despite opening support tickets several times, there was no acceleration.
At the explicit recommendation of your customer service representative, I initiated the refund to the buyer before the warehouse inspection was completed – with the assurance that eBay would compensate me in the event of fraud.
2. Result of the warehouse inspection:
The return was confirmed by the official eBay warehouse as an empty package.
This is clearly buyer fraud.
3. Contradictory behavior of your customer service:
After the inspection results were submitted, I was suddenly informed that the voluntary refund counted as an “acknowledgment of the return” – and compensation was denied.
This statement contradicts the original advice from your own employee.
4. My question to you:
Did I not contact your service in time before the incident?
May I fully include all emails and chat logs with your customer service here in order to clearly prove that your employees gave contradictory information?
5. Affected order:
Order number / case number: 20-14484-42392
6. Further cases:
There are numerous other cases that clearly show that prior contact with your customer service has no effect whatsoever.
Should I really list every single order number from my history here?
Publishing email exchanges requires your consent. So, do you agree?
If so, I will open a separate topic for each case in order to document without gaps that eBay repeatedly looks for excuses not to solve problems – and does not protect sellers who act lawfully.
7. My request:
I ask for a renewed review of this case based on the complete communication history. The evidence is available to me and clearly shows that I acted on the basis of your own service recommendation.
I expect a clear statement and ask for a solution in line with the original promise made.
Kind regards
sunrise1605
·3 weeks agoThat alone is just so typically eBay.
Always making sure they come out fine, twisting everything to the seller’s major disadvantage.
I’d be persistent there too; that just can’t be right.
Otherwise, get a lawyer involved, because eBay’s behavior cannot be legally correct if the contractual partner is being pushed into a loss-loss situation.
auto-parts-home
OP2 weeks ago · EditedNo matter what you do, it doesn’t seem to change anything.
perfect-sally
·3 weeks agoBest if an eBay employee takes a look at this and replies here. Sorry, but I myself don't read such huge novels. Here too, the motto is: keep it brief and tell as much as possible with all relevant details.
Hello @melina@ebay could you please take a look at this? Many thanks
auto-parts-home
OP3 weeks agoThank you very much for your valuable advice and your support.
Before writing my post, I actually based it on other posts by sellers here in the forum, and therefore thought that a more detailed presentation would be more helpful and easier to follow.
However, I am happy to take your advice and will try to be shorter and more concise next time – of course while retaining all relevant details.
Once again, thank you very much for your feedback!
lidor3073
·3 weeks ago@auto-parts-home
Write as much as you want - everyone reads whatever they want. I think posts like these are important and interesting.
I hope something good still comes out of it for you. Best regards
auto-parts-home
OP3 weeks agoThank you very much for your kind words and your support!
I’m very glad that my post caught your interest. I deliberately chose to give a detailed account because I believe that cases like this are important not only to me personally, but also to other sellers — because they show where the system still has weak points at the moment.
I also think your opinion, "Everyone reads what they want," is very apt. That’s exactly why I decided to describe the case in as much detail as possible, so that each reader can form their own opinion.
I also hope that a positive solution will still be found for me. If anything new comes up, I’ll be happy to give an update here.
Once again, thank you for your concern and your good wishes!
Kind regards
lidor3073
·3 weeks ago@auto-parts-home
You describe your negative sales experience in detail and coherently, exactly so that other sellers (whether commercial or private - sellers should pull together), and share where the system has flaws. Information that is essential for sellers who are interested in it and don’t want to fall into unexpected traps.
I also really like writing “pointed” posts that might help improve things.
I ask for updates in your case and truly wish you all the best.
auto-parts-home
OP3 weeks agoSubject: Thank you for your support – and my thoughts on this case
Hello ,
many thanks for your encouraging words and your support. It feels good to know that we sellers stand together and support each other.
I fully share your opinion – unfortunately, however, I must note that eBay customer service in my case is not willing to defend sellers’ rights, even though I have clear evidence at hand – namely issued by the official eBay warehouse itself.
Even when the evidence is so clear, eBay shows no willingness whatsoever to put a stop to buyers’ attempts at fraud or at least close the obvious loopholes in the system.
What particularly makes me think about this:
If even sellers who, like me, use the official eBay warehouse fail with solid evidence from the warehouse itself – how much harder must it then be for sellers who do not use the eBay warehouse? For them, it will presumably be even more difficult to defend themselves against such cases.
I think it is very unfortunate that eBay is not taking more responsibility here and instead protects buyers – even at the expense of the sellers who actually keep the system running.
Nevertheless, I would like to thank you once again sincerely – for your understanding, your sympathy, and your honest words. I will be happy to keep you updated if there is any further development in this case.
I wish you all the best as well and continued smooth sales!
Kind regards