Tracking info keeps showing "In Transit to Destination", buyer demands money back. What do I do?

[love.sell.cutestuff]

Really need help here.  Sold a relatively expensive and rare scarf.  Sent it by first class mail.  It left NH on January 4th, was on the way to FL, and suddently the tracking info stopped being updated after January 6th, all it shows is - "On its way to JACKSONVILLE, FL 32246."

This is the tracking number: 9400109699937238820490

The buyer has extremely low feedback.  Seems like she was checking the tracking info, because she started writing me messages pretty much every day starting Jan. 8th, asking where the item was. 

Today I just got a message where the buyer demands to cancel the order, asks to refund back all the money, and "if the scarf will arrive - she will send it back", that she would not order it if she knew that would be a delay, that she understands that it is not my fault, but wants all her money and wants them now.

I do not know why but I have that sinking feeling that the item may have been delivered but not scanned on delivery, but of course who knows...  I understand she has the right to demand her money.  Yet, somehow I feel that I am being taken advantage of.  Is there anything I can do?  Really - anything at all? 

[nowthatsjustducky]

And smarter buyers know that if they abuse the chargeback privilege, their CC company will eventually shut them off from that pig trough.

[gopetersen]

Tell the buyer nicely that you are concerned, as well, and that you will contact USPS to put a trace on it.

Then go to the USPS site, find the Trace option for packages that have gone astray and immediately put in a request. This is NOT the same page where you put in your email to get tracking notifications. That is for packages that are showing progress. Find the page for packages that are missing.

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

I have had to do this twice in the last seven years and both times USPS came through and found them and got them back in the delivery queue.

..

By the way, any time there is a delay, you must act on it as soon as possible, hopefully while the delivery is still in the memory of whoever might have delivered it to the mailbox and possibly forgot to scan it as delivered (if it was delivered) or before it disappears into some USPS black hole.

[creoleorchid]

OP said the package was delivered on the 16th but the buyer claims she didn’t get it. 

[jodieblue57]

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@love.sell.cutestuff wrote:

I hope that it will arrive soon, but i have a bad feeling that somehow usps screwed up the scans.

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I have found that the USPS does that more often than you would think. Mail clerk gets in hurry and forgets to scan item upon deilvery. I sold a $700.00 pair of diamond earrings and the buyer stated that she never received them. The tracking never updated to show delivery, so she figured why not try to get my money back and keep the earrings. I no longer sell high dollar items because of that. 

[allstar-comics]

No your on the hook till it shows item delivered  I have this happen frequently going overseas.  Item will show arriving in the country its going then nothing  I've never won one of those  Any non deliver ebay will side with the buyer  Sorry!

[thallidguy]

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@allstar-comics wrote:

No your on the hook till it shows item delivered  I have this happen frequently going overseas.  Item will show arriving in the country its going then nothing  I've never won one of those  Any non deliver ebay will side with the buyer  Sorry!

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OP says she has a Delivered scan. That will cover her against an INR.

I have a feeling that the buyer is not eligible for a courtesy refund, either.

[love.sell.cutestuff]

I posted above that the delivere tracking status shows now as delivered, it took longer but it got delivered. The buyer still demands the money back saying it was not delivered.  

At the same time she demands the return shipping label, it is a mess, "in case if she locates it".

I have not heard from her after my reply with the exact steps on how to open return request if she wants to return it.

[nowthatsjustducky]

Time to stop all communications with this buyer until and unless she opens a case.  No additional good can come from even acknowledging her emails.

[a_c_green]

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@love.sell.cutestuff wrote:

I posted above that the delivere tracking status shows now as delivered, it took longer but it got delivered. The buyer still demands the money back saying it was not delivered.  

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Right, and if she demands a pony, you'd better get out and start looking at horses. 

No, really, you have proof of delivery, and she can grumble all she wants; that's not going to change. Just stop responding to her. If she files an INR anyway, you can respond by uploading the tracking number that shows it as Delivered to the City and ZIP that you received with the payment. If she files a Not As Described, you can respond with a Return for Refund. Otherwise just leave the ball in her court.

[rainbowcolorz]

Oops, another one.  

But anyway,  I had a buyer pay very late for an item on 1/17 (I had no problem with that and told her so after she messaged me and then paid) and I printed the label and shipped the following morning 1/18 - to a city that's about 17 miles from where I live.

As of 1/21 the tracking info on eBay shows that as of 1/21 there is NO UPDATED STATUS.  

I would post the tracking # but .....  I'd better not.  😞

[a_c_green]

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@rainbowcolorz wrote:

As of 1/21 the tracking info on eBay shows that as of 1/21 there is NO UPDATED STATUS.  

I would post the tracking # but .....  I'd better not.  😞

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You can post the tracking number; there's nothing wrong with that, but realistically you've already told us everything there is to know about it. With a distance of only 18 miles between source and destination, it may go through only one sort facility and land at its destination either today or tomorrow. However, it may also go to an origin sort, then from there to a destination sort, before eventually reaching the destination PO. Hard to say.

Here in Chicago we have some facilities apparently devoted to consolidating local input streams for shipment elsewhere (by either truck or air) (e.g. Elk Grove Village), and others devoted to accepting long-distance shipments and splitting them out to local delivery streams (e.g. Palatine). You'd think they could do that in one big building, but apparently not.

[jna1jerry]

Hi
I had same thing happen with Florida I refunded the person because he was really nasty on messages. Low & behold 2 weeks later cufflinks showed up delivered! Ebay said I should of called customer service & let them handle it. Never give refund !!!I let Ebay deal with him for refund

[thallidguy]

In a delayed/potential non-delivery situation, you as the seller need to buy as much time as you can for the package to show up. Be aware that nobody is going to force you to refund until the dispute process plays out.

If the buyer is nasty, stand your ground and point out that there are various reasons why a package might be delayed in transit, if necessary reassure them that you're not going to leave them hanging one way or the other. But if you let the buyer pressure you into giving a premature refund, you're just rewarding them for being a bully.

The best possible outcome for everyone is that the package shows up and the buyer gets the item, better late than never.