buyer request refund, item still on its way to buyer

[likan-50]

Buyer requested refund for item that has not arrived by anticipated date. Post office says still in transit. How do I satisfy buyer request and still get my item returned? I am thinking of offering partial refund, full refund once item is returned to me OR declared lost by Post Office. Please advise!

[rfmtm]

Did buyer open a Item Not Receive case on ebay?  If so don't miss the final date to refund.

If an expensive item you may want to pay to try and have it intercepted and returned to you.  Otherwise, open a claim for a lost package.  That claim will sometimes shake the package lose, or will pay out after 21 days whether the package is delivered after that or not.

[teltuooutlet · Accepted solution]

When we have received this request, we let the buyer know to kindly refuse the delivery of the package so it will be returned by the post office to us. This has worked in the past. In a few instances they have not and we have had to pay for a return label. In this case, we deduct the shipping cost from the refund.

[likan-50]

Yes, buyer made Item Not Received case. I had already made inquiry at Post Office. I guess I will go to Post Office today and ask to intercept. *sigh*

[goodbrakes]

All you need to do is tell the Buyer that the date that eBay shows is an "Estimated" due date.

They can look at thier purchase history and that is what it will show, it does not show an exact due date. We point this out and say we do not have control of the speed of delivery once the item is scanned as picked up.

Just make sure you follow up with the request you got from eBay with the tracking number and a message so eBay does not think you are ignoring the request.

[a_c_green]

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@likan-50 wrote:

Yes, buyer made Item Not Received case. I had already made inquiry at Post Office. I guess I will go to Post Office today and ask to intercept. *sigh*

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If you look up your package tracking on USPS.com, what does the latest scan say, and on what date did that occur?

[pennysdream]

Hi,  

When you go to the Post Office, make sure you have the tracking number. They can't do much, but they can figure out where it is, and send an inquiry. 

[likan-50]

Hello- I had been checking tracking daily. I mailed on July 2.  Tracking had scans on July 2 & 3, then was stalled, no scans, in Tennessee. On July 9, I went to local post office. They went into back room to check, then came back and said it was still in transit, would not be "late" until July 16! Coincidentally (or not!) the item was scanned the next day, July 10, as leaving that PO in Tennessee.  There have been no additional scans since then. It's extremely frustrating for me and for my buyer!

[likan-50]

Hello- I had been checking tracking daily. I mailed on July 2. Tracking had scans on July 2 & 3, then was stalled, no scans, in Tennessee. On July 9, I went to local post office with tracking number. They went into back room to check, then came back and said it was still in transit, would not be "late" until July 16! Coincidentally (or not!) the item was scanned the next day, July 10, as leaving that PO in Tennessee. There have been no additional scans since then. It's extremely frustrating for me and for my buyer!

[a_c_green]

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@likan-50 wrote:

Hello- I had been checking tracking daily. I mailed on July 2.  Tracking had scans on July 2 & 3, then was stalled, no scans, in Tennessee. On July 9, I went to local post office. They went into back room to check, then came back and said it was still in transit, would not be "late" until July 16! Coincidentally (or not!) the item was scanned the next day, July 10, as leaving that PO in Tennessee.  There have been no additional scans since then. It's extremely frustrating for me and for my buyer!

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Sounds like they messed up and missed shipping it out after its initial acceptance. Nevertheless, if there was a new scan on July 10, just two days ago, then it's not missing, just delayed. Ask your buyer to be a little more patient, and it should show up on the radar again any day now (I'm guessing today). I've been sending First Class Packages a lot recently, and none have taken more than a few days to reach their destination once they leave our local PO.

If you're getting close to the date by which that the INR case is telling you to refund, you may want to contact Customer Service to ask if they can extend the deadline by 5 days. 

[grasscarp]

Welcome to USPS 2022!!

Your case is not unusual. I just had a package take 21 days to arrive at my customer's address.

Zig-zag across USA for days is possible.

No scans for days is possible.

Back and forth between 2 mail centers multiple times is possible.

Delivery to wrong address is possible.

Lost/stolen package is possible. 

Mail out one day and next day scan shows it is delivered back to you is possible.

The list goes on, and on......... I have experienced all the above.

Good luck!!

[soh.maryl]

What WAS the actual estimated delivery date?

Have you contacted the buyer and explained that the USPS is moving just a little low these days for many reasons? You (and the buyer) now have evidence that it's at least moving in his direction and ask if he would please give it a little more time.  Assure him that you're on top of this situation and will be monitoring the travels of his package.  

[soh.maryl]

Somehow I was under the impression (illusion?) that, when a buyer refuses a delivery, he has voided his MBG? 

[rfmtm]

Knowledgeable buyers won't refuse a package as they know it voids their ebay protection for non-delivery.   Although that won't matter if they have already been refunded.  However, once refunded, the buyer also has no incentive to send it back as ebay will not force them to or to repay.

[likan-50]

Just an update: Scanned in Tennessee on July 3, then scanned again at same ZIP Tennessee USPS on July 10.

And nothing since.

So frustrating.