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Who should file a claim with USPS...the buyer or the seller?
If contents of a package are damaged, who should file a claim with the USPS...the buyer or the seller?
6 comments
grannypjjl
OP2 years agoThanks for your reply. Just to let you know why I asked this question. Scenario. I am the buyer. I received a package and the contents are damaged. When I sent a message to the seller, he told me to file a claim with the USPS. I responded and told him that I had tried and found it very difficult to navigate the USPS "File a Claim" webpage. I told him that I would be happy to return the package to him (not at my expense) and asked him to credit my account. I told him that I had researched the issue of who was suppose to file a claim. He didn't respond. I then sent him another message saying that since I had nothing to do with the packing or shipping, I felt that he should file the claim. I also sent him pictures. I received a message back saying he was not responsible that I was not literate enough to file the claim and that if I contacted him again that he would report me for harassment. I have just filed a claim with USPS and hopefully I will be refunded the purchase price of the contents.
wooden_flower
Mentor2 years ago@grannypjjl
As @mr_lincoln described, the seller is responsible for the package until delivered to you in the condition advertised. You have 30 days from when you received the package to file a not as described return, so if the claim does not reimburse you, let the seller deal with it.
If needed, Go to your purchase history - select return this item. Under reasons select does not match the description - damaged, and follow the prompts.
The seller has 3 business days to send you a return label or a refund. If he doesn't, or says he can not send a label, go to your case and click 'ask us to step in'.
The seller should have asked you for photos, refunded your payment and then asked you to hold the item for inspection. Unless the box has obvious and very serious damage, they may want you to bring it to your PO for inspection.
I hope the PO reimburses you and you can be done with this purchase, but if you receive another damaged item, let your seller deal with it.
mr_lincoln
Mentor2 years ago@grannypjjl
eBay has the Arrived damage return claim you can process which will have eBay send you a pre-paid shipping label (the money taken from the Seller's account). You then return the damaged item and follow the instructions in the claim. Once the Seller has the item back they have 2 days to refund you, if they don't you go back to the claim and ask eBay to step in in to force the refund. You have 30 days from the date you received the item (check the tracking history) for file the return claim.
Personally, and as you may have surmised, I see it as the Seller's responsibility to process the claim, not the Customer.
grannypjjl
OP2 years agoThanks again for all the information. I have never had this happen, so I really didn't know what to do. Rather than contact the seller again, I (the buyer) submitted the claim with the USPS, and will possibly be getting the purchase price of the items refunded. If I don't, I will try and follow up with the eBay "Arrived damage" return claim. I appreciate your steering me in the right direction of what I should have done.
mr_lincoln
Mentor2 years ago@grannypjjl
You are more than welcome. What really disappoints me is the attitude of the Seller and per your comment, you do not have to be in contact with them. Correct me if I am wrong but they used the No returns accepted setting on the item you purchased? eBay has two return claims that bypass that setting and force the Seller to pay the return shipping so Buyers can take advantage of their MBG. The claims are the Arrived damaged I mentioned and the Not as described claim that @wooden_flower mentioned.
PayPal allows returns up to 180 days if you purchased that way but YOU would have to pay the return shipping. Then of course there is the credit card charge back.
mr_lincoln
Mentor2 years agoHi @grannypjjl
It has been a very long time since I processed a Buyer reporting a damaged shipment. I had them file a return using eBay's Arrived damaged claim. They provided pictures of the damaged item, the original package and the return label that eBay provided.
When I got the item back I filed a claim with USPS and received a check within a week. I am sure the process has changed over the years but to me that was doing the right thing from a Customer service standpoint. The Seller paid the insurance on the original shipment.
Some will post here that you can file the claim but the Buyer needs to have the items available if the post office wants to see them.
On a certain level, ask yourself this, if you received a damaged item what would you want to do? Send it back and let the Seller deal with it? Deal with holding something broken just to see if the Post Office wants to see it and then have to take it there?