Buyer Has Not Received Item Yet And Is Requesting Refund

[dmresells]

A buyer purchased an item from me March 25. The item was shipped the next day. It is now April 4 and the item has still not been delivered to the buyer. I've checked tracking and the last updates are March 31 - In transit arriving late and April 1, in transit arriving late. The buyer has reported that their item hasn't arrived with a message of "It's now 4 days late, I'd like my money back. It's probably lost". I very much understand the buyers frustration because in the same situation I would be frustrated as well. Ebay is saying that I have until April 7 to either update tracking details for the buyer, refund the buyer, or send the buyer a message. What do you guys recommend? Of course my goal is to keep every customer happy and in this particular situation I do agree with the buyer. I guess my main concern is that since the item is still showing to be delivered, just extremely late... What happens if I refund the buyer and then they receive the item afterwards? They would basically have gotten the item for free and I would have no way of really knowing. Side note: this has happened to me before with an item I shipped about 2 years ago. The person never received the item then I waited to respond to the refund request until the last day and they still did not receive the item. So I refunded the buyer almost $200 and the item was never to be found. I'm not sure how this happens but any advice you guys have would be greatly appreciated, thank you.

[2011jleach31]

4 days late is nothing in shipping with USPS. Have you had a tracer performed on the package? If not you can do that directly on the website and almost always locates the package and gets it moving. the customer asking for a refund after 4 days seems like they are trying to get something for free. Which class of mail did you use? If media mail it always takes forever and expected delivery dates mean almost nothing. Have a tracer performed and it will be found and delivered. 

[aeparts1]

Before you refund, do an intercept & get the item sent back to you.

After the intercept is in place & the item is on its way back to you, then you are safe to refund.

[creativecrisis]

I wouldn't refund the buyer right now. Just stay in touch; apologize for the delay, be sympathetic, etc. Ask the buyer to give the package a few more days to arrive. Assure them you'll provide a refund if the package is actually lost. Depending on where in the country it's traveling, this could be a weather-related delay.

You could take the tracking number to your local post office and ask them to check their system, which may have more detailed information.

The problem with refunding right now is that the package probably will arrive at some point, and not every buyer feels compelled to pay a seller once they've been refunded. 

[cstpos]

@dmresells  I'm not sure why the buyer is claiming it's 4 days late? Depending on what you have for handling time, and the fact that you shipped next day, it may not be late at all. I have been having a lot of issues with USPS and Fedex showing as Delayed on ebay, but when I track it on the carrier's website, you can click the Tracking History of the item. Several times, the item shows as delivered. Other times, it's a limbo situation. I would start a Find my mail/shipment with your carrier. Many times, that jogs it so the tracking is updated. Other times, I won't see that it was even scanned in until it's reached its destination.

You could let your buyer know if the  expected delivery date is actually 4-7-23. I would also let them know that you know how they feel and what action you are taking (mail search, file a claim, package intercept...). At least they know you're not ditching them and will make sure they will get a refund.

[dbfolks166mt]

     Not sure what you shipped, how you shipped it, where it went or what the original eBay projected delivery date was. But a couple of things based on the above. 

1. Keep in touch with the buyer let them know what action you are taking.

2. Open a lost package request with the carrier. If you shipped it USPS, depending on the

     class that is an easy process. Use the following link. 

https://www.usps.com/help/missing-mail.htm 

2. Depending on where the buyer went and the route it took there could be potential weather issues.

     Ebay does make allowances for those but sometimes they don't always stand behind them initially. 

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Announcements/Seller-Protections-are-in-place-for-the-Southeast-and-ot... 

3. If you do need to refund the buyer make sure you do it through the official eBay process and not

     just through a direct refund. Have the buyer open a INR case and respond and work the case through

    that process. You have, I believe, 3 days to respond to a INR case by uploading the tracking information

    and any other information that may be impacting the delivery such as weather issues. 

4. Depending on the response you get regarding the lost package you can file a claim with USPS or other

     carrier depending on what class of shipping you used. Packages are covered, again depending on the 

     class of postage and whether you added insurance, for up to $100. Following is the timeline for filing

     a claim with USPS. For other carriers you will have to check on those. 

[the_fancy_fox]

What’s the value of the item? What method did it ship? Priority? Parcel?

Right now I would stall. 

send the buyer a message saying your putting a trace on the package to see if you can shake it loose and you will be in touch as soon as you hear something. 

Go talk to your local po and see if they have more info on the package. 

Depending on the value, if the buyer files a case and the item is valuable, put in a recall and wait till the last day to refund. (Give the package a chance to get Routed back to you).  If it’s a cheap item might be easier just to call it a wash and refund. 

[albertabrightalberta]

Start a "find missing mail" search. 

https://www.usps.com/help/missing-mail.htm

I've found that this type of search usually shakes the package loose from wherever it's stuck (which USPS can see from their internal GPS tracking) and you'll see movement within a day or so. 

[dolcetreasures]

Do not refund it absolutely will arrive. 

[coolections]

I recommend doing two things. Do as Ebay says and insert the tracking number. Add a message you would like the arrival time extended. After that, message the buyer and tell them to be patient as the USPS has already told them it is on the way but a little late. Ebay should extend the arrival time, and all will be OK.

[coolections]

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@aeparts1 wrote:

Before you refund, do an intercept & get the item sent back to you.

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Do not do that.

[buyselljack2016]

I've checked tracking and the last updates are March 31 - In transit arriving late and April 1, in transit arriving late.

[dmresells]

Thank you guys for your responses. I’m relatively new to the selling side of eBay so I’m trying to learn as much as possible and these forums have taught me alot. Some of you informed me to track the package directly through the usps website, which I did and it’s showing that the item will arrive today by 9PM. I had already messaged the buyer letting them know I’d look into it and do everything to make it right including s refund if the item was lost and I’ve since updated them that it is showing to deliver today. My only hope now is that with this delay that they don’t go and leave negative feedback.

[albertabrightalberta]

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@dmresells wrote:

Thank you guys for your responses. I’m relatively new to the selling side of eBay so I’m trying to learn as much as possible and these forums have taught me alot. Some of you informed me to track the package directly through the usps website, which I did and it’s showing that the item will arrive today by 9PM. I had already messaged the buyer letting them know I’d look into it and do everything to make it right including s refund if the item was lost and I’ve since updated them that it is showing to deliver today. My only hope now is that with this delay that they don’t go and leave negative feedback.

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If they neg you for the shipping delay that was out of your control, you can request that ebay remove it. 

It sounds like you kept the buyer in the loop and he/she shouldn't hold it against you. And if there's a late shipment defect, that too can be removed. 

[klhmdg]

@dmresells  Make sure you put the tracking number in the claim. It seems redundant but it will let eBays bots see that the package is moving and not lost.