Seller gave me a fake tracking number with a thank you card
Online sellers use dummy items like thank-you cards to mark orders as delivered and manipulate their shipping metrics. Once the carrier marks the letter as delivered, platforms automatically close the refund window, preventing buyers from getting their money back.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Contacting customer support for advice
- 2Waiting for the letter to arrive and opening an item not as described case for a refund
- 3Disputing the transaction directly through the platform
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“This is a custom bobblehead from a seller with 100+ sales and they are behind on their work which is fine but it seems like they are either trying to game the system so their delivery rate/speed on their products still looks good.”source ↗
“My understanding is this is a common Etsy scam. There was a similar post recently I read where OP bought custom furniture and the received a thank you card instead of the ordered item”source ↗
“if that letter shows up Etsy assumes that the product was "delivered" and you have no recourse to get your item refunded if they don't ship it.”source ↗
“And since its mark deliverd weeks ago etsy wont help”source ↗
“they tell you it's a thank you note - but your order gets set as 'delivered' when you accept it. after a few days - your window of complaint closes and they make off with your money.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 2Why do online sellers send useless automated replies?
- 12Why is every online artisan marketplace full of fake and AI items?
- 6Getting weird scam letters or emails from banks I don't use
- 11Why does what I ordered online look nothing like the pictures?
- 4Why does IT send fake phishing emails that stress us out?
- 2Family opened credit cards in my name when I was a minor