eBay

sidecarvtg · ‎05-10-2017

Buyer cannot or will not pick up from PO. Usps tracking says business closed. I contacted buyer to notify them that their item is at the PO and will be returned in 15 days. They then state that they cannot pick up item from PO. Now they are stating that they would like for me to resend it "regular mail" once it has been returned to me. Of course I have not agreed to this, but what are my options from here without further cost to me?

postingid2017 · ‎05-10-2017

I would tell the buyer that if it is returned, they would have to pay to have it reshipped AND add the "new" address to both eBay & PayPal. I would also add that if there is a fee to have it returned, that amount will be deducted from their refund and/or added on to the shipping for the address for "regular mail." This is what I would do.

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maremare1 · ‎05-10-2017

How I have handled this in the past is that I wrote to the buyer stating the package was at the post office waiting for them to pick it up (I always check to see if packages were delivered). Then I state to them that if it's returned to me I will have to charge them return postage costs. Even if it was originally shipped prepaid I state the amount I paid for shipping and let them know it will cost them that to return the package to them. The buyer has always picked up the shipment then.

tdebuys · ‎05-10-2017

I"m glad this worked for you, but how are you going to enforce it if they say "No". You can bill them till the cows come home but I don't see how you make them pay and I can't see eBay making them pay. As far as I can tell the seller would have to wait for the item to be returned, check the condition, and then refund the buyer the full amount they paid less any additional charges or fees imposed by the terms of the sale or the post office. If the buyer didn't like that response they would have to then file with eBay to argue whatever complaint they might have with the refund.

itsjustasprain · ‎05-10-2017

@sidecarvtg wrote:
Now they are stating that they would like for me to resend it "regular mail" once it has been returned to me.

How is that any more likely to be delivered than whats waiting for them now? What do they mean by 'regular mail' here? Do you have Signature Confirmation on the package? I'm not seeing any sold items in your recent history that seem like high value targets.

postingid2017 · ‎05-10-2017

I would tell the buyer that if it is returned, they would have to pay to have it reshipped AND add the "new" address to both eBay & PayPal. I would also add that if there is a fee to have it returned, that amount will be deducted from their refund and/or added on to the shipping for the address for "regular mail." This is what I would do.

sidecarvtg · ‎05-10-2017

Exactly! It was sent first class, yellow envelope and no signature, as "regular"as it gets.

sidecarvtg · ‎05-10-2017

Thank you!

sidecarvtg · ‎05-10-2017

Thank you, to all who have responded. I have told the buyer these things. New address, shipping charges, etc. It looks like a wait and see.

a_c_green · ‎05-10-2017

@sidecarvtg wrote:
Exactly! It was sent first class, yellow envelope and no signature, as "regular"as it gets.

Just to be clear, it was a padded envelope, thick enough to qualify for First Class Package (since you obviously have tracking on it), and not more than 15.999 ounces in weight, right? That is, there's no possibility that the post office is telling the buyer that there are Postage Due charges on it for some reason...?

sidecarvtg · ‎05-17-2017

It was a large plain yellow business envelope no padding. Item was either 5 or 7 0z. I taped the edges to ensure privacy. All Usps is saying is that the business is closed. No postage due. Buyer will not pick up and has demanded I resend it for free or else. Needless to say this has gotten messy for no good reason. I've contacted Ebay and they advised me to cancel the sale once I get the item back. Still waiting for the item to be returned...Sigh.

partial*eclipse · ‎05-17-2017

The carrier's scanner has no option that shows as "Postage Due." So when postage is due they have to choose something else; popular options include "Blocked receptacle" and the more logical "Notice left" though "Business closed" could also be chosen.

It's quite possible that your piece was not eligible to be mailed as a First Class package, and was upgraded to Priority Mail (due to the tracking) and thus has several dollars' Postage Due. You'll find out when it comes back. If your piece was flexible, under 3/4 inch thick, and not lumpy (i.e., variation in thickness was not over 1/4 inch) then USPS would categorize it as a "Flat" (AKA Large envelope), not as a package.