You’re sitting on your porch, and there it is. A padded envelope from an online giant you haven't shopped with in months. You open it, expecting a gift from an aunt or maybe a late-night "treat yourself" purchase you forgot about. Instead? It’s a pair of cheap plastic sunglasses or a single, generic charging cable. It's weird. It feels like a mistake, but then it happens again three days later.
This isn't just a logistics glitch.
Honestly, it’s usually a scam called "brushing." Shady third-party sellers get your address from data leaks and send you cheap junk so they can write "verified" five-star reviews in your name. It boosts their rankings and tricks real customers into buying their products. While getting free stuff sounds like a win, it means your personal data is out there, floating around in databases used by people who don't have your best interests at heart. To fix it, you have to use a report unwanted package form provided by the specific retailer, or you're going to keep tripping over boxes of junk you never asked for.
Why the Report Unwanted Package Form is Your Only Real Fix
Retailers like Amazon, eBay, and Walmart have a massive problem with fraudulent reviews. They know these "gifts" are actually breadcrumbs for scams. If you just throw the package away, the seller wins. They got their verified review, and their fake business grows. By filling out the official report unwanted package form, you’re flagging the seller's account for investigation.
It's about data security.
When you submit that form, you aren't just complaining about clutter. You are telling the platform's security team that your account identity is being spoofed. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is pretty clear on this: if you receive merchandise you didn't order, you have a legal right to keep it as a free gift. You don't have to pay for it. You don't even have to send it back. But if you want the deliveries to stop, the paperwork is the only way to trigger an internal audit of the seller's shipping logs.
Most people think calling customer service is enough. It isn't. The front-line reps often don't have the tools to link a random tracking number to a sophisticated brushing ring. The dedicated report unwanted package form goes to a specialized fraud department. They look for patterns—like a thousand packages of the same $2 item going to different people who didn't order them—and then they nuked the seller's storefront.
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The Anatomy of a Brushing Scam
Brushing is a numbers game. A seller in a massive e-commerce marketplace needs a high rating to survive. Since they can't wait for organic sales, they buy a list of names and addresses from the dark web. They ship the cheapest possible item—sometimes just a piece of cardboard or a single hair tie—to a real address. Because the shipping carrier marks it as "delivered," the marketplace's system allows the seller to post a glowing review.
It’s annoying. It’s also a red flag that your phone number or email might be attached to a compromised database.
Finding the Right Form for the Right Store
Every platform hides these forms in different places. It’s never on the homepage. Why? Because they don't want to admit how big the fraud problem actually is.
Amazon's Path
Amazon has a specific landing page for "Report Unwanted Packages." You’ll need the tracking number from the shipping label. Don't throw the bag away until you've copied those digits down. They will ask for the "LBA" or the carrier name. If the package was delivered by Amazon's own fleet (the blue vans), it’s even easier for them to trace. You don't even need an account to report this, which is helpful if the scammer set up a shadow account in your name.
The Walmart Marketplace Mess
Walmart’s third-party seller ecosystem has grown fast, and so has the fraud. You generally have to go through their "Help" center and search for "Report a Seller." They don't have a single-click report unwanted package form that’s as streamlined as Amazon's, but you can initiate a chat and specifically request to report "Unsolicited Merchandise."
What About eBay?
On eBay, it’s usually a "spoof" or "phishing" report. If a package arrives with an eBay logo but no invoice, someone is likely using your address to inflate their seller metrics. You'll want to use their "Report a Seller" tool and select "The seller is engaging in fraudulent activity."
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What You Should Never Do
Do not return to sender.
Seriously. If you take that package back to the post office and mark it "Refused," it might just end up in a dead-letter office or go back to a warehouse that doesn't care. It doesn't stop the scammer from sending the next one. Also, never—and I mean never—pay for a return shipping label. Some scammers will even send a follow-up email (if they have your address) pretending to be customer service, asking you to pay to return the "mistake." That's just a second layer of the scam.
Keep the item. Give it to Goodwill. Toss it. Just make sure the report unwanted package form is submitted first so the digital paper trail is broken.
Steps to Take Right Now
If you've got a mystery box on your counter, here is how you handle it like an expert. This isn't just about the box; it's about your digital footprint.
- Take a Photo: Snap a clear picture of the shipping label. You need the tracking number and the return address, even if the return address looks like a random warehouse in New Jersey or California.
- Check Your Accounts: Log into your actual shopping accounts. Look at your "Order History." If the item isn't there, you're being "brushed." If it is there, your account has been hacked. That’s a much bigger problem that requires changing passwords and enabling Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) immediately.
- Change Your Passwords: Even if the order isn't in your history, the scammers have your address. It’s a good time to refresh your security credentials across the board. Use a password manager.
- Notify Your Bank: If you see any small, weird charges—even for $1.00—call your bank. Brushing is sometimes a "test" to see if a stolen credit card works before the scammers go for a big-ticket item.
- Submit the Report: Fill out the report unwanted package form on the platform the package came from. Be concise. Tell them you did not order the item and have no relationship with the seller.
Beyond the Package: Protecting Your Data
We live in an era of constant leaks. Whether it’s a massive breach at a credit bureau or a small boutique shop you bought a shirt from five years ago, your info is out there. Brushing is just a physical manifestation of that data theft.
Some people recommend signing up for services like "Have I Been Pwned" to see which of your accounts were part of a breach. It’s eye-opening. If your address is linked to a password that you use everywhere, you're a sitting duck for more than just unwanted sunglasses.
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Is it Dangerous?
Not usually. The items themselves are usually harmless junk. The danger is the "verified" review the scammer writes. They might use your name to praise a product that is actually dangerous—like a faulty phone charger that catches fire or a supplement with undisclosed ingredients. By not reporting the unwanted package, you are indirectly letting your name be used to vouch for garbage products that might hurt someone else.
By filling out the report unwanted package form, you are basically being a good digital citizen. You're cleaning up the marketplace.
The "Free Gift" Law
Let’s talk about the legal side because it's actually pretty cool. According to the FTC, you have the legal right to keep unsolicited mail. In the old days, companies would send people books or CDs and then send a bill, hoping the person would feel guilty and pay. The government shut that down. Today, that same law applies to these e-commerce scams.
You aren't a thief for keeping the "gift." You're just a victim of a weird marketing tactic.
But don't let the "free stuff" lure you into a false sense of security. The goal of the report unwanted package form isn't to get you in trouble; it’s to protect the integrity of the shopping platforms we all use. If the systems are flooded with fake reviews, nobody knows what’s safe to buy anymore.
Moving Forward
Once you’ve submitted your report, you might not hear back. These companies rarely send a "case closed" email. However, you should notice the deliveries stop within a few weeks. If they don't, it means the scammer has switched to a different "storefront" name, and you'll have to report the new tracking number.
It’s a game of whack-a-mole. It’s annoying, but it’s the price of a global, instant-delivery economy.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Locate the Tracking Number: Find the 12 to 20-digit code on the package you received.
- Go to the Official Help Page: Search for the "Unsolicited Package" or "Report Unwanted Package" page on the retailer's site.
- Document the Seller: If there is a "Sold by" name on the packing slip, write it down in the form.
- Secure Your Identity: Update your primary shopping passwords and check your credit report for any new accounts you didn't open.
- Dispose or Donate: Once the report is filed, feel free to donate the item to a local charity or discard it if it’s poor quality.