Have you heard about the false tracking scam?

Bear with me if you can take another scam story. I just experienced a scam I’d not heard about, despite the many warnings seniors get from AARP. 

An email informed me that the US Postal Service had delivered the under-sink mat I had ordered on eBay. But our building’s efficient delivery room had not seen the package.

Three emails to the seller went unanswered. Appealing to eBay and PayPal, which I use for online purchases, did not look promising after I read that they usually don’t issue refunds if tracking shows delivery. Even though the cost was only $12.26, I wanted to fight what looked like a scam.

The post office said that the tracking address was for a different building in my 60605 zip code. Our helpful postal carrier went to that building but could not locate the package. Supplied with a USPS letter confirming that I had not received delivery, I opened a case on eBay. It took 16 days, but eBay finally refunded my money because “We didn’t receive valid proof of delivery from the seller.” 

Curious about whether other buyers have had similar experiences, I learned about a “false tracking scam” designed to get around eBay’s money-back guarantee. A scammer sends a worthless package to a random address in the buyer’s zip code to deceive eBay's automated system, which checks only for delivery and a matching zip code. To win an appeal with eBay, the customer needs documentation from the carrier that the package was not delivered to the correct address.

Getting the refund was just one goal. I also hoped that eBay would shut down the store. Whether that happened isn’t clear; the store still has a presence but no active listings.

It surprised me that a scammer bothered with a $12 purchase. A friend thinks it’s because buyers are less likely to fight over a modest amount. She herself was a victim of a false tracking scam involving an order from a third-party vendor on Walmart’s website. Her credit card company cancelled the charges.

How can a person avoid such scams? I didn’t think I was taking a risk. The seller somehow had a 100% rating, and I’ve bought from honest sellers on eBay for many years. Thoughts, anyone?

The balance billing ripoff

“False tracking scam” isn’t the only monetary term I learned recently. Another is “balance billing.”

I had a cavity filled. My insurance documents say that fillings are 100% covered. The dentist’s receptionist said, “Your insurance pays 100%, but you still owe $87.”

That made no sense to me, so I chose to investigate before paying. Here’s what I learned: The contract between an insurance company and a healthcare office specifies how much the insurer will pay for each service. When the office charges patients the difference between its higher “retail” cost and the price the insurance company agreed to pay, that’s balance billing. It’s illegal if you see a provider in your network — as I had — or in a network facility, or if you’re having emergency services. 

I like my dentist and am chalking up the mistake to an uninformed employee. But I wonder whether I would have received a refund had I unwittingly paid the $87. Who would catch the overcharge if not me? Maybe the dentist’s bookkeeper, assuming it was a mistake. My insurance company would know only what it was expected to pay. 

Just thinking about the awareness that’s needed to avoid scams and overcharges is exhausting. It’s impossible to keep track of every possibility, and shysters are constantly coming up with new ones. The defense seems to be skepticism and fight. Have a notion of what you should pay. If you’re charged more than you expect, question it. If you are in a dispute with a seller, stick to your guns, even over a pittance. It might not seem worth it, but do it for other consumers as well as for yourself.