Buyer message saying didn't receive package shows same time stamp as delivery scan
Yep. Got a message this morning claiming buyer didn't get the package despite the delivery scan. Says they got a handful of pkgs but not mine.
I immediately looked at tracking and the delivery scan timestamp shows up as within 1-2 minutes of buyer's message timestamp. 🚩🚩🚩
Buyers message started with "Here USPS goes again..." 🚩🚩🚩
Buyers feedback shows they are a serial complainer 🚩🚩🚩
I haven't slept. I couldn't sleep so I stayed up working all night. I already had very little sympathy for this person as they messaged me THE MOMENT it shows delivered saying they didnt get it? I mean... maybe the mail carrier will turn back because they forgot to put it in the mailbox? Maybe it's on your neighbor's porch by accident? I mean, there was not enough time to even think of these things let alone wait for them or check them out, the buyer messaged me so fast.
My response wanted to be "hey, shows delivered like 60 seconds ago, I bet if you run you can catch your mail carrier and ask them yourself".
Instead I was a bit more professional and asked them to verify the address to be correct. Then I said its likely at your neighbors or the carrier forgot to put it in mailbox, maybe its still in mail truck and will be found and dropped off later today or tomorrow. (My carrier has totally done that before and turns back before she leaves our neighborhood).
Even sent buyer pics of (a different) pkg that looks just like theirs (same padded envelope).
I did my part. Just have patience with USPS and don't bug me before I've had my coffee 🤪. You're not permitted to start worrying about your package if your mail carrier is still within your line of sight.
$24.95 item by the way. Why is it always the buyers of the most inexpensive items who create the biggest problems?
albertabrightalberta
·2 years ago@ajs_coins_and_alchemy
I would have just told the buyer to open a case for INR. You respond with tracking and eventually, the case will close in your favor.
Oh, and before responding to the fibber, I would have added the buyer to my "favorites" list.
ajs_coins_and_alchemy
OP2 years ago@albertabrightalberta
I understand your sentiment, but you realize that the INR negatively impacts your metrics regardless of the outcome... right? I mean, it takes a good handful or more before anything actually happens but they can add up and eventually bite you down the road...
In situations of buyer complaints, I agree, file for return because buyer often backs down and does not follow through with return. You don't open the door to partial refund. But INR in this case is an exercise of futility and results in nothing but also harms the seller metrics.
Oh for sure they got added to my favorites. Especially after reviewing their feedback left for other sellers.
robbie31415
·2 years agoI just say I'm really sorry, I will be glad to check on that for you. Based on review it shows delivered on this day at this time blah blah blah
I encourage you to reach out to your local carrier station. I will send a formal request on your behalf of missing package.
I will update you once they send me information.
That's a quick rough of what I'd do.
huemobe0
·2 years agoYour Getting scammed!
Good luck.
krazzykats
·2 years agoI would politely ask the buyer to open a case as IINR.
I think the package was simply misscanned as delivered. USPS error.
I've had that happen at the post office intake and is corrected at the next scan.
Tell the buyer you are researching as they wait a couple more days. Do not ask eBay to step in. As soon as it's rescanned/corrected, respond to the case as delivered with date, time details.
ajs_coins_and_alchemy
OP2 years agoSeriously do not understand why on earth you would ever suggest or encourage the filing of the INR.... unless you are suggesting this is a scam and a serial offender and encouraging the repeat filing of INRs will lead to eBay flagging the buyer?... Doubt you're suggesting that.
Tracking shows delivered, and buyer shows this isn't their first rodeo by saying "Here USPS goes again..." and the general nature of their message.
Looking back at the message that was sent by buyer, just the wording and general pithy attitude of it actually is leading me to believe this truly is not the buyers first rodeo and this may be a phishing scam.
roadking5555
·2 years agoYou did everything you can do, just wait a day or two and see if they open a request INR. It really is starting to be a headache from a very small % of buyers.
Hope your coffee was good!
ajs_coins_and_alchemy
OP2 years agoYou just hit the nail on the head. I have been absolutely blessed (spoiled, rather) with AMAZING buyers for the first 18 months of my selling. I had very little in the way of complains & problems, and only 1 non-payer in all that time. Fast forward to the past 2 months, I've had a gaggle of goof-balls, a harem of headaches and enough non-payers to fill a nunnery! I am either finally facing my fair share, or something else entirely is going on.
I also just had a buyer comment on "late shipping". The item was literally delivered to them within 2 business days... I guess they don't understand the concept of Labor Day weekend... 🙄 Everything is so petty, it's just the unusual uptick in overall frequency and intensity of pettyness that has my attention
Lastly, the coffee was great, thank you. I decided to take it out onto the balcony to relax and enjoy the rest of the AM. Although the coffee was good, the nap that followed was better 🤣
12345jamesstamps
·2 years agoI don't recall getting items lost by the USPS. And my inexpensive items have no tracking.
I look at a buyer's feedback. As you sell coins and I sell stamps...most buyers usually will be repeat buyers buying more than one item over a period of months. When I see a buyer has feedbacks where all the sellers sold only item to this buyer and nothing ever again I am careful as to whether this will be a good buyer. Such a buyer will go from seller to seller to buy something because they are blocked from previous sellers.
A lot of us sellers, including me, post a positive feedback first.
I stopped that. If it's a strange buyer I will wait until they post a feedback first. I also take a photo of envelope and email buyer with photo item is on the way.
ajs_coins_and_alchemy
OP2 years agoHmm.. very interesting 🤔 I never stopped and thought about or looked into that. I scope buyers feedback and do look at seller usernames but I guess I never checked frequency with respect to specific sellers, I just usually look for the larger coin dealer names I know, and look to discover any sizable coin dealers I'm not familiar with. Some people are just bouncing around picking the best/cheapest deals, especially on modern sets and modern graded where the items are a dime a dozen and you're just looking for "The Deal".
Will keep the idea you suggested in mind going forward when I scope buyer feedback, thanks!
retro_entertainment_collectibles
·2 years ago"Greetings and thank you for you're communication,
The Postal Service Carrier scanned this parcel as delivered at "N:NN" (time) at point of delivery. All USPS Parcel deliveries are time stamped with GPS Geo location which is available to the Federal US Postal Inspectors Police. Please make certain that you have not received the parcel and contact you're local Postmaster's offices then contact me back at you're earliest convenience with the phone number and first name of the person you spoke with. If necessary I can file a claim with the Postal Inspectors Offices as you may be experiencing a problem with parcel theft or other issues. Note, once in the Postal Inspectors hands and they review the GPS scan's and other data collected such as speaking with the courier and more, their actions are completely out of my control. The Postal Inspectors officers are Federal Police as things such as mail theft, false insurer claims, tampering with mail, improper usage of the Postal System, false claims are all handled through them and can result in loss of mail delivery, the Postal Service requiring a paid Post Office Box for all future mail or bring actual legal charges. I've no control over those processes once claim is submitted.
On the rare occasion that a carrier delivers a parcel to a wrongful address be that a neighbor or even wrong street address the GPS Scan will show that. If mail theft has been a problem in the area again they may require a paid PO Box or a USPS approved secure lock box be purchased to ensure safety of mail deliveries and of course they will keep the incident on file in case any future issues should occur.
I will work through the problem with you and if warranted of course refund as necessary given the findings from the Postal Inspectors and research they do of any prior filings with their offices. "
az93
·2 years agoDon't put so much effort into petty issues. It will result in burnout. Wait and see if buyer reports as not received and then supply the tracking number, do not correspond.
coolections
·2 years agoMaybe the buyer did not know the mail just arrived ? If the buyer already filed a claim just insert the tracking that shows delivered. No need to lose sleep over it.
ajs_coins_and_alchemy
OP2 years agoYes buyer knew the mail just arrived. They were telling me they had a handful of packages delivered but not mine.
Buyer did not file a claim.
I didn't lose sleep over it, and sure as heck won't. I was already sleep deprived before this happened, hence the grumpy-ness and why I am here venting...
ajs_coins_and_alchemy
OP2 years agoI mean... I could get real cynical and say this is a phishing scam of theirs to see if the seller just sends a refund w/o any thought or investigation... but I don't have that suspicion.
soh.maryl
·2 years agoDon't disagree with anything you've said. But maybe the reason it's the buyers of low cost items that appear to have the most issues, or to complain the most, is because they don't have a lot of money to spend here.
ajs_coins_and_alchemy
OP2 years agoHmm, I suppose. Part of me also thought it may be because of simple odds, there are MANY more inexpensive items than expensive ones, so many more chances for complaints on the cheap ones.
sextons-sweet-deals
·2 years agoThe O.P. posted: Got a message this morning claiming buyer didn't get the package despite the delivery scan. Says they got a handful of pkgs but not mine.
and then:
Buyers message started with "Here USPS goes again..."
Buyers feedback shows they are a serial complainer
Currency is always a target for scam here. Sounds like the buyer is playing with the seller(s) and then complains not receiving in hope the seller will just refund and be done with the issue.
It would be interesting to know if the buyer sent the same type of message to the sellers of the other packages received. We will never know.
if tracking shows delivered, the seller did their part.
If the package was delivered to a neighbor by mistake, hopefully that neighbor will drop off later today.
ajs_coins_and_alchemy
OP2 years agoI've been fortunate, and have been greatly spared with respect to this (knock on wood). I usually face the scams as a buyer, not a seller.
vintagecraze50
·2 years agoYeah, they get more nervous.
ajs_coins_and_alchemy
OP2 years agoDidn't even consider that aspect, good point.
Encouraging an INR:
-Makes buyer more nervous or feel they have something to worry about
-If there is already a Delivery Scan (as there is in this case) it's ultimately an exercise in futility as seller wins the case hands down ultimately (if seller doesn't screw it up).
-If there isn't a Delivery Scan, it puts a timeline on the shipment when seller can at least play it out if carrier is a bit delayed.
-If Buyer is scamming, it does shut buyer down, maybe. Or it forces their hand so they pivot and then file NAD.
I see no real up-side here for a seller to encourage INR case. I also see no up-side for the buyer if there is a Delivery Scan.
1tuna
·2 years agoyou get 2 points for being civil to the buyer
I send out about 2000 packages a year by 1st class/ground and thankfully I rarely have this problem
there is only so much you can do. in the past other sellers have advised the part about the GPS coordinates
I have never used that before
good luck!
@ajs_coins_and_alchemy
ajs_coins_and_alchemy
OP2 years agoI do roughly the same as you in volume now. I've almost never had this issue. I've had a couple delayed packages going in loops around a distribution center, and only twice buyer saying INR. The previous one was delivered the following business day.
Yeah, I thought about the GPS coords. Only thing is the time stamp and buyer message line up so well, my thoughts are the package literally was scanned at their house or their neighbor on either side. Its not like it was scanned across town (unless its on the wrong truck/route).
What irked me most was it seemed the buyer may have been waiting for USPS. So in that case, if it were me, I wouldve just gone chasing after the mail carrier on foot or even in a car. But instead they messaged me like I'm able to do something. I just took that as someone complaining instead of looking for a genuine solution to their problem.
(I'm having my morning coffee now ☕ï¸... I'll be less grumpy shortly 🤪)