Item lost in mail?

Question

What should I do for an item that seems to have not updated its tracking for the last five days? I have created an inquiry ticket, but they have not gotten back to me for over four days. My buyer is freaking out as if it's my fault. I feel bad, but it would be my luck that I refund my buyer, and then the item shows up, and they get a free purchase, and I'm screwed. At what point do I have to refund my buyer? Do I wait until USPS tells me it's officially lost? Can eBay do anything for me?

shipscript · Answer

@renderman_21

With so many scams, buyers are easily freaked out. Assure the buyer that they have 30 days from the expected delivery date to open a claim on eBay, so they are protected and will be reimbursed if the item doesn't show. Let them know when that eBay deadline will be, so they can keep track.

Then let them know that you are working with the carrier. Obviously, tracking shows the item is stuck somewhere. There are several USPS hubs that have enormous backlogs, where items can sit for a few weeks. One is near Houston and the other is near Atlanta, and both have been in the news recently. If your item is stuck in either of those locations, point the buyer to news articles that you can find online.

Also give the buyer your PayPal email address so that if they want to open a case for a refund, and then the item does show up, they will be able to repay through PayPal. (You are allowed share your email address when in a transaction.) You are basically telling your buyer that you trust them to do the right thing. But I would urge them to wait until the 30 days are nearly expired.

As a buyer, I trusted my overseas seller and did exactly this. When we were at 29 days, I opened a claim and was refunded. The item arrived just a few days later, so I sent a PayPal reimbursement. The seller had told me to knock off 5% for the hassle. PayPal's international conversion consumed that 5%, so it worked out all around.