Buyer ‘forgot’ to change address when they moved
Hello All, This is my first issue. I’ve been a seller for over two years now. I have a buyer who messaged me after her items had been shipped saying that she forgot to change her address when she moved, but hoped her package would be forwarded. Sold 8/24/23, received msg 9/2/23.
I sent her all the tracking information & told her to let me know if I could help.
Fast forward to 9/14/23, I received the package back & messaged her for her new address. See pics for details, She either doesn’t see or ignores my messages and creates a case with USPS. After I told her I had her package. 9/21/23, she asks for help again, I respond asking for new address, no response! Today, she asks AGAIN, for help. I responded again, and sent her screenshots of the previous messages.
I’m at a loss. I don’t have the money to return her items, but I am willing to reship them.
I need suggestions. Am I responsible for the cost or is she? What do I do with this.. it’s driving me nuts lol
please help 😅
roflsto31
·3 years agoYeah true good point here oh no
dhbookds
·3 years agohad a similar situation......item returned because of address........conflicting emails from buyer/ship/ship to another address/refund NOW/no I still want the item, etc. Called concierge who said not to refund and tell buyer to contact ebay. She entered info into the report buyer form for me......
enter the info into the report buyer form.......
inhawaii
·3 years agoI had the exact same thing happen to me a few months ago.
A customer realized he had not changed his address with ebay and wanted to change the shipping address from his old address to his new address.
I explained to him that the item was already shipped and there was nothing I can do.
(Knowing that I would win a INR case.)
I never heard back from him.
albertabrightalberta
·3 years ago@janet9988
This is a case in which the buyer provided an invalid (obsolete) address. The buyer no longer lives at the address so the seller is protected in this case.
Tracking even refers to the expired forwarding order. Forwarding orders are valid for 1 year so it's been a while since the buyer moved and should have updated her address.
If I were @meeshespieces , I'd refund the amount of the purchase price. If it was free shipping, deduct the shipping cost from the refund as well as FVF.
meeshespieces
OP3 years agoThank you. I think I will be refunding the item amount- (purchase price minus fees & shipping).
She had the chance during checkout to update her address and didn’t.
Plus if forwarding lasts a year, that’s MORE than enough time to update your shipping address.
I don’t like that I have to refund her anything, but I’d rather not have a case open with eBay and have to pay back shipping or whatever else..
If it were my fault, I would’ve already processed a refund, but she has ignored my attempts to help her receive her items!
it all seems a bit odd to be honest.
she can’t even provide an accurate email address!
meme6253
·3 years agoI just had a similar issue,she moved & never changed her info., the order was returned to me because they were unable to forward, I refunded her original cost except for shipping, It was not my fault,so i did not refund the shipping, She purchased the item again & all is good!
meeshespieces
OP3 years agoSo happy it worked out for you!
She says she can’t read any of my messages and gave me an email that doesn’t work either, so I think I will just refund my earnings on the order and block her. It’s ridiculous at this point.
sextons-sweet-deals
·3 years agoI smell a scam! Anyone who 'supposedly moves' would follow the common since to fill out a moving / mail forwarding claim with the USPS.
Block the buyer. Relist the item.
Do not ship to any address that the buyer provides you in an e-mail.
They need to update their eBay account information!
meeshespieces
OP3 years agoI was thinking she may be up to something, so I checked her feedback & it was all positive, surprisingly!
However, at this point, she’s not getting anything from me.
She also gave me an email that doesn’t work, so I’m done!
Blocking is my best bet I guess.
soh.maryl
·3 years agoJust so you know, any/every buyer will have all positive feedback.
It is the ONLY kind of feedback a seller is allowed to give a buyer.
Therefore, it is impossible to evaluate any buyer on the basis of the feedback they've received.
soh.maryl
·3 years agoYes, you would think that anyone who moves would do that simple thing, wouldn't you?
But they don't always.
femmefan1946
·3 years agoYou don't owe her a penny by eBay's rules.
https://www.ebay.ca/help/policies/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy?...
But do keep in mind that she can still appeal to Paypal and to her credit card, depending on how she paid.
I would cancel the transaction and refund the purchase price (only), since you paid out for fees and for postage and packaging.
Then Block her.
Keep any messages but replying to them means she can continue communicating for 30 days after each of your replies.
robbie31415
·3 years agoYou should never cancel a shipped transaction.
If it gets delivered, it doesn't matter if they open a paypal or CC dispute. They are protected by seller protection.
femmefan1946
·3 years agoYou are right.
The cancellation would be AFTER getting the returned parcel, and checking for any damage in transit.
Might even be worth photographing the returned parcel before opening it. (Photograph the contents if you like, but those could have been switched between arrival and photography, and so meaningless.)
And if it does get delivered, the tracking should show that ,which protects the seller from INR claims.
robbie31415
·3 years agoNo you never cancel period.
You partial refund minus original shipping and return shipping if applicable.
There is no reason to cancel the transaction after costs were paid to ship it.
Ebay has protected me on this.
meeshespieces
OP3 years agoThe tracking still shows ‘in transit’
It does state that the mail forward was expired and ‘return to sender processed’ on Sept. 9th! It’s October 1st! That was the last tracking update.
9/3 Arrival at Unit
9/5 Out for delivery 6:10 am
9/5 Forward Expired
9/9 Return to sender processed
that’s it..
I received it back on.. the 14th I think.
meeshespieces
OP3 years agoMaybe I will record a video!
soh.maryl
·3 years agoRecord all you like -- but eBay doesn't take into consideration any video when there is a case.
meeshespieces
OP3 years agoUnfortunately I can’t get your link to work, but I’ll check into the policy again.
Thank you : )
4pawsup*
·3 years agoI had put a change of address in with the post office a week before we moved. I forgot to change my address with ebay. The post office delivered to my old address. Certain packages cannot be forwarded. I kept checking the tracking and when it showed delivered i drove 20 minutes at took it out of the mailbox. I am not sure if i could have gotten in trouble for not notifying the post office but i figured it all ended well.
soh.maryl
·3 years agoWhat kind of things can't be forwarded, even if you have a forwarding notice at the post office?
toomuchstuffagain35
·3 years agoAFAIK they won't forward junk mail or magazines, and then there are those certain items from govt agencies that can't be forwarded either (Unemployment, Medicare, SS etc)
soh.maryl
·3 years agoThank you. I thought you meant "certain items" as in things that could be sold on eBay.
4pawsup*
·3 years ago@soh.maryl Hello
I do not want to give you bad information but i know there are certain things that the USPS will not forward.
I will check to see what that is and get back to you. Unless someone out there knows already.
itsjustasprain
·3 years agoI think this question has already been handled anyway - but I can add from recent experience in my selling account that an Ebay package I shipped to a buyer address (not a freight forwarder) did get forwarded to another address for delivery. Apparently the buyer did have a forwarding order in effect.
If you have a free Informed Delivery account with the USPS I believe you can set up a forwarding order on-line. Not sure of the details for that but its definitely quicker than filling out a paper form at the post office.
janet9988
·3 years agoYou will lose an item not received claim if the package is NOT delivered to the address shown on the order details page. Always write Do Not Forward on packages.
meeshespieces
OP3 years agoWell shoot. I guess I’ll have to refund her. I’m definitely going to record the opening of the package to make sure there aren’t any hi jinx
I appreciate your time and effort, helping me with this issue!
a_c_green
·3 years agoA package that has been forwarded from the original delivery address is not eligible for an INR refund.
janet9988
·3 years agoIt will not show delivered to thew order details page if forwarded.
A buyer using 3rd party shipping DOES show delivered to the 3rd party site on the order details page.
Then THAT party ships with a different tracking number.
It is 2 different things.
AND if I am wrong then EBAY needs to update their page.
soh.maryl
·3 years agoPretty sure that writing "Do Not Forward" on packages means nothing.
If you were a buyer and had diligently given a forwarding address form at your local PO, how happy would you be if the PO had taken that seriously and not forwarded your purchase?
4pawsup*
·3 years ago@soh.maryl Hello again,
The post office will forward letters & packages. There were changes posted below.
The U.S. Postal Service is enhancing security protocols surrounding its change of address (COA) service by implementing additional identity verification methods. These enhancements are designed to address global identity theft concerns, and to protect our customers’ information. The change of address service remains simple and convenient to use. It can be completed in a few steps, online at USPS.com, or by visiting one of more than 33,000 local Post Officeâ„¢ï¸ locations.
femmefan1946
·3 years ago@soh.maryl It may be different in the USA, but Canada Post will not forward parcels even when the customer has paid for a Change of Address service, which costs $30 for three months.
stephenmorgan
·3 years ago$30, wow! It is like $1.10 in the US if you do it online. In person at the USPS I do not think they charge anything.
meme6253
·3 years agoSo exactly what do they pay for??
femmefan1946
·3 years agoCanada Post is a Crown Corporation and is expected to make a profit.
Most years it does, and the money goes into federal General Revenues.
CPO has been struggling the past couple of years as letters (and bills) become less used and parcel rates are not keeping up with costs.
spark-chaser1
·3 years agoI agree…. The buyer goofed, not you. It is their responsibility to provide the correct address.
Your responsibility is to ship to that address, as you have done.
This one is on them.
titipeo
·3 years agoNot your problem. Buyer had plenty of time to update the address upon purchase. They had to verify and confirm the address upon checkout, that's on them. They also had to do a mail forwarding with the post office when they moved, again, that's on then. You as seller are responsible to ship to address that prints on label, NO CHANGE ALLOWED. Otherwise, you lose sellers protection. At this point, since you have the package back, refund total cost, deduct the original shipping, eBay fees, selling cost, etc. basically item cost
meeshespieces
OP3 years agoTHANK YOU!!! I have been searching for an answer on this. I really appreciate your input & taking the time to help!!
meeshespieces
OP3 years agoNow she sends me a message with her email address, not her shipping address!
I try to email and it comes back undeliverable! Ugh!