eBay advice please (again). :o(

[windywillow]

A buyer bought a total of 18 items from me and I very foolishly posted them off without getting a signature on delivery. (Long story).

I asked that the buyer confirm safe receipt and after not hearing anything for three weeks, emailed to ask if the package had arrived. An email came back from the daughter, saying mum (the eBayer) was in intensive care in hospital but she (the daughter) would check for the package.

A second email has now arrived (a further two weeks later) saying "I've had a quick look and your package doesn't appear to be there. What happens when things don't arrive?"

The thing is, I've looked at the buyer's feedback and she's bought a few things over the last few weeks. I know it's possible someone else in the house could be using the buyer's account, but I don't think this is the case. I don't know how to reply to the daughter. I know I've been very stupid, sending so much stuff without a signature on delivery and I've definitely learned my lesson.

Any advice from eBayers please? (Apart from the obvious). TIA. x

[dinki]

Prehaps one to ask Ebay direct, they may be able to help especially if fraud might be involved.

[grasscarp]

Do you have a proof of posting? I would wait and see what happens next. Presumably you have been paid. If they later get in touch with you and say they did not receive, then it can be taken up with the post office.

[tinkerbell23]

Can you trace what you sent at all?? Do you have any proof of postage whatsoever!??

Were the items all in one package? Xx

[windywillow]

Thanks for replies. It all went in one big jiffy bag (crafting stuff) and I will have got a certificate of posting. I'm just wondering what to say to the daughter.

[grasscarp]

If it were me I wouldnt say anything at the moment. She left it 2 weeks before getting back to you. Wait until the mother/buyer gets in touch. If they chase you then start an enquiry with the post office.

[marden40]

If the buyer has not sent anything saying that the package has not arrived then I wouldn't worry about it......I think buyers have 45 days to start a case against the seller for items not received, so there's not much time left for them to do anything about it anyway.....did you communicate through e-bay mail...if so then all the conversations you've had are logged with e-bay.

[EDDIE51]

I send things by standard post as often the cost of recorded is more than the buyer is willing to pay or even more than the item is worth.
I do not think this particular case is one of fraud , the buyer is in hospital and may have had the items and put them away. In anycase it is up to the buyer to start a claim for non delivery if they want to.
I recently had an item get lost in the post , it was just standard post non recorded. I had a proof of posting so I put in a claim with Royal mail, within 2 weeks the royal mail refunded me the sale price of the item and the cost of postage. It is not generally realised that you can claim for items lost in the post even with standard non recorded post . You must have the proof of posting and print off copys of the ebay / paypal invoice and you send these off with the claim. If the buyer says that the item has not been delivered then tell them (as I did) that you are asking Royal mail to trace the item and are putting in a claim for non delivery.
Best of luck and let us know what happens.
As I said emails count for nothing if the buyer wants to take action it HAS TO be via ebay not email messages. I only communicate with buyers via ebay messages as then there is a record of it and ebay can see the messages and know what has happened. You are actually advised not to communicate with buyers/ sellers outside of ebay anyway, it is part of ebay terms and conditions.

[ocelotjanie]

I am not an expert, so please don't rely on this, but this is what I might do. If you addressed to the Mother, wait until she gets back and tell the daugher that's what you are doing. The package may be at the post office/depot, unless the recipient was there when it arrived, and would have to be collected. Did it have your address on it, if so might be returned after 3 weeks. How old do you think is this daugher? Sounds to me like a ruse, I'm afraid. Good luck!

[tinkerbell23]

Just say sorry to hear about her mum, you have proof of postage so hopefully the package will appear. Royal mail dont take anything as "missing" till over 15days ...and the seller has to complete a form to get compensation and if he would like you to go ahead with that then you will. Xx

[windywillow]

Thanks all.

The buyer is cutting it very fine but is (just, I think) within the time-scale to claim non-delivery of this.

I've had another email from daughter, asking if I can check with the courier to confirm delivery, and what date it was delivered. (I didn't use a courier, it was Royal Mail). It's very hard to guess age of daughter, her spelling and grammar are fine so I imagine she's not a real young 'un. She's also put in the email, she will try to sort it out for her mum.

Feel awful saying this, but I am getting the impression that it might well have arrived but daughter would like a refund "just in case it hasn't". I know it's my own fault for being so stupid, but I'm really fed up with it all. :o(

[EDDIE51]

As I said any claim for nondelivery has to be made by the buyer and has to be via ebay , unless they do this you have no responcibility for the item once it is posted. As long as you have the proofs of posting you can claim back the cost and postage from Royal Mail but there is a minimum time before you can start a claim for non delivery. I think it is 15 working days,( 3 weeks.)

[windywillow]

I've just emailed daughter saying I need to know for definite that it hasn't been delivered, before I can ask RM to investigate. As things are at the moment, she is saying she thinks (but doesn't know for sure) it hasn't arrived.

I've listed some of the 18 items I put into the package, in the hope that this'll jog mum's memory into remembering it did arrive (if it did).

I've asked her to get back to me once she's spoken to her mum. I'll let you know how I get on. Thanks all. x

[grasscarp]

Eddie has given the full story of how to get your money back if something is genuinely lost in the post. I did all that the only time I had to and got the money back so dont worry too much.

[Smowball]

Unless Im reading this wrong it seems that it was you who chased her for confirmation of delivery, and not her chasing you.Which means that if you hadnt emailed then you would have probably not heard anything - therefore parcel almost certainly has arrived and daughter is trying it on.

[windywillow]

Yes Smowball, you are reading it right, I did email her asking for confirmation of delivery, I was a bit concerned as there were 18 items in the package. Wish I hadn't bothered now. :o(

Lesson learned there - I'll continue to include a note, asking if the buyer will kindly let me know the item has arrived, but if they don't, I'll not email to ask.

[grasscarp]

There are some quite canny people out there. Once sold a ring and stupidly posted it after post office had closed into the box - so no proof of posting. A day or so later they asked me if I had a tracking number which seemed an odd thing to ask for. When I said I didnt have one they claimed they didnt get it. Ended up refunding them. Strange that - one of maybe only 3 things that ever was "not received".

[windywillow]

I emailed her to ask if she received the package, not only because I wanted to know it had definitely arrived, but also to (hopefully) spur her on to leave me some feedback for the 18 items. I've sold quite a few things to this particular eBayer and not once has she left me any feedback.

It annoys me a bit, as I am always very quick to post stuff out, and I always email to let the buyer know the item's on its way, as well as putting a note in with the purchase, thanking them for bidding and asking if they would let me know it has arrived safely, etc.

I guess I'm gonna have to toughen up.

[EDDIE51]

As I said unless the buyer has put in an ebay claim you do not have to do anything . You are being too generous for your own good. just leave it and don't send any more emails . If the buyer wants they can put in a claim via ebays dispute procedure if they do not do that you have no need to do anything. The seller has 90days I think to lodge an ebay claim,
I am fed up as well with people who don't leave feedback I have 19 sales at the last count where they have not bothereed to leave feedback, but they have not put in a claim either so I just leave it.
Look at it this way do you think if they really had not recieved 18 items they would just leave it without claiming on ebay? You have put the idea of getting the cash back into the daughters head so now just leave it and see if they claim through ebay, I bet they don't !

[boxtops]

I endorse all of what Eddie says. In any case, if it had been lost in the post, RM need you to wait 28 days from posting before you can raise any sort of claim with them. I'd just leave it.

Personally, if someone hasn't left feedback after a couple of weeks, I just leave feedback then saying something like "smooth transaction, I hope that the item arrived" and leave it at that.

By the way, if you sell several things to one person in one transaction, you only get one feedback counted.... eBay doesn't allow double-counting feedback.

[windywillow]

Eddie, sorry, I don't know what you mean by the buyer putting a claim through eBay - do they not just tell me, as the seller, that they haven't received the item, and then I have to refund them (they paid by Paypal) and claim the cost back from the Royal Mail, after filling in a missing package form?

Boxtops, thanks for that, I didn't realise it would only count as 1 feedback, thought it would count as 18! Mind you, although it only adds 1 point on my score, am I right in thinking that 18 comments would show up (providing she leaves the comments) if someone is looking through my feedback profile?

Perhaps I've just been unlucky but I'm really fed up with people who don't bother to leave feedback or even let me know the stuff has arrived. It seems awfully rude to me.