Buyer opening claim on item that is still in transit, what do I do stop him from stealing from it?
I sold a violin bow on eBay, and mailed the bow using fedEx ground economy. The shipping tracking shows the bow is in transit, but has not updated in about 1 week. That's typicall for fedEx or any carrier for a package to be late. Right now it shows the package near it's destination in California.
The buyer opened a claim saying he didn't get the item he ordered. I now have short time to give him the money, and which time I know he is going to take the money, and then the bow will arrive. He will then take the money and the bow.
Is there anything I am able to do for this problem? I want to stop him from stealing that money and bow.
We all know that the mail man is sometimes late, but even if it's been 1 whole month later, it will eventually arrive. Everyone knows that because we all had late mail.
61299998825430351050 The tracking number. It says I cannot recall the package because it was the cheap service.
musicinttree
OP7 months ago61299998825430351050
Fedex Just today, gave me a charge back of $6.xx. They claimed I did not pay them enough for the shipping weight. Further search with the tracking number on FedEX, FedEx shows me a duplicate tracking number, two packages with the same number. The one label which I paid for, was still in transit. The second label, someone in Washigton State purchased a label for a box that was 6x6x6 and weight .6 pounds, in transit. They got the label in 12-3-2025. FedEx charged me the money because the .6 pounds did not match my violin bow from the other label.
There is nothing I can do to get my money back. My bank account is empty and there is no money coming anytime soon. eBay is demanding their money and have already attempted to charge me automatically. Because it's the weekend my bank is not showing the bounce charge yet.
musicinttree
OP1 year agoThe bermuda triangle thing. Yeah, lots of times the fedEx radar malfunctions and the fedEx truck... vanishes. Unsolved Mysteries.
There is some good news for me 🙂 One of the two packages showed up. Not the one that had the claim, but the other one.
Now I am having problem with the fedEx drop box closing up store, and fedEx not able to get the packages I have out.
gone.c-33
·1 year agoA package can fall off the conveyor belt and not be found for a while, the shipping label can become damaged or fall off (that’s why I always include my info inside the package), packages get stuck and annihilated in a conveyor belt, trucks do get in accidents… Overall, statistically, the vast majority of packages make it to their destination but some do become lost.
musicinttree
OP1 year agoso, it's not the only package missing. This one is missing from the same shipping time. 61299998825430764614
It is hard for me to believe that fedEx can, lose a pacakge. I mean really, how do you loose a package. What happens, does the truck hit a bump in the road and it falls out? Did if fall to the ground and go behind the sofa? Just like, I don't understand how the carrier can , like, lose a package. And what about those boxes, like, There is millions of them that get lost per month. What happens to these boxes and packages that, disappear? Just like that, it disappeared, nobody has seen it, or even heard of it before. "What are you talking about?!?" Seems like the road side should be littered with all those boxes that fell of the truck. Or there should be a heap of a pile of boxes in the sort facility. But no, nothing like that, just gone. All 1 million of them per month.
Also, how many of those boxes show up just only 1 or 2 days after the claim ends?
refreshcomputer
·1 year agoI've been in this game on and off for 25+ years and I agree with many of the posts about adding as much information specifically the tracking immediately. Sometimes this will help reduce the concern(s) of the buyer because this way they know you are addressing and monitoring the situation.
What I've also come to experience when dealing with FedEx Smart Post is sometimes a product will not show any movement for days, it just seems to sit. At one point I was so p...o... at the amount of time it was taking to get my package to it's destination I called FedEx and asked them if they were walking my package to it's destination because that method would have been quicker.
Given the idea that it is a holiday week and people may be taking time off or are in holiday mode while working may be contributing factor to the delays.
To the point that was mentioned in a prior post about a late package can be a lost package I agree with that as well. I would humbly suggest a follow up with FedEx to prod them and this way it's in their radar and I would suggest a follow-up with the buyer to let them know you have contacted FedEx. I realize some of this might be a pain but it might help in the long run because nobody (buyer and seller) likes to feel they are being cheated.
Good Luck!
bandrarmoire
·1 year agoI personally avoid Fedex, they are the worst compared to USPS/UPS.
As already stated just add the tracking.
albertabrightalberta
·1 year ago@musicinttree
i'm just curious about another listing. What is a "Stradivarius copy?"
albertabrightalberta
·1 year agoRespond to the claim with the tracking number 61299998825430351050.
Ebay will see that there's movement and will extend the amount of time allowing it to show delivery.
Once delivered, the case will close and you'll keep the money.
But this is important: You MUST respond to the claim and you MUST paste the tracking number into the dispute even if it shows in the order.
pennpicker
·1 year agoChecked on your tracking and saw there was no update today. Just curious, you should have two tracking numbers on that FedEx ground economy label, one for FedEx and one from USPS. What does the USPS tracking number tell you?
johnrj1226
·1 year agoOrdered two items last week shipped by USPS via Ground Advantage both items less that a pound with tracking- received them in 3 business days - 1 shipped from NYC area the other from Missouri we live east of Atlanta, GA in Dog Patch USA (county of 120K and 56 sg miles in size - have cows and deer real close by.- the deer eat some of our flowers - they don't eat the plastic ones we score at Goodwill or a yard sale.
It never is a good idea to go cheap.
When I sold on eBay shipped over 1665 packages only two got lost, had less than one handfull delayed during the Holiday seasons and one that ping ponged back and forth from Michgan to Missouri for 6 days but arrived before Dec 24. I kept the buyer informed of status and did my best to prod USPS. Think that is a pretty good batting average. Of course the buyer is upset you have the their money and he ain't got no violin bow. That is reasonable on the buyers part - I would be - how about you?
mam98031
·1 year ago@musicinttree
You DO NOT refund until you have received the item back.
It appears you do not understand the Return process. You need to know this so you don't lose money that is unnecessary.
https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/managing-returns-refunds/handle-return-request-seller?id=4115
untod
·1 year agoThat's not what eBay told me on the phone a few days ago when I asked how to handle this:
I was told that, if it hasn't moved by 9A Central (my time; 11A eBay time) on the 9th, I was obliged to refund immediately or suffer a defect when eBay refunded for me an hour later. But as you see, eBay isn't consistent about the date, so I'm doing it tomorrow (the 8th).
mam98031
·1 year agoIt could be you misunderstood or you got bad advice. I have no way of knowing which. But if you refund a buyer before they have returned the item, they have no reason to return the item.
untod
·1 year agoThe buyer didn't/doesn't HAVE the item, to be able to return it. Did you look at the image that shows the detailed tracking history? FedEx is taking it on a slow tour of GA, instead of flying it to PR. Or maybe they're rowing it from GA to PR - but they haven't scanned it in weeks. So if I hadn't refunded by noon tomorrow, eBay would have done it anyway, but kept their fees, costing me even more.
mam98031
·1 year agoIf it is stuck in transit, still refunding isn't the FIRST Step.
If a buyer contacts you with a delivery issue or if the buyer opens an INR, IMHO these are the steps to take.
If an INR was opened, make sure you upload the tracking number to the INR right away.
Go to USPS website and review the detail tracking info.
On this tracking screen there is a place to file for email updates as there is movement on the tracking. Sign up for that so you get informed right away when something gets entered to the tracking.
Go and file for a TRACE, I don't recommend filing for Missing Mail just yet. The two are completely different actions. The Trace usually gets the job done quicker.
https://usps.my.site.com/emailus/s/package-inquiry
Contact your buyer. Keep all contact inside the INR filed so everything is recorded on the claim. Let your buyer know you are working with USPS to get their package delivered. Apologize for the delay. And let them know you filed a trace which takes between 48-72 hours for USPS to respond. As you get any information you will update the buyer right away. Assure your buyer that you are working this problem and will continue to do so until a proper resolution.
If there is movement on the tracking within the last 7 days, Ebay will keep the INR open. Do not voluntarily issue the refund yet. It is highly likely the package is going to get delivered, it is just late. Annoying for the buyer for sure. Just stay in touch with them and assure them you are working on a resolution.
untod
·1 year agoThanks for the response (sincerely), but...
It wasn't my first step, as I said.
It's an eBay label, so when I go to the INR, the tracking field is already populated, and the button is greyed out unless I change something. Since all the populated info is correct, I'm not going to make it INcorrect just so I can re-submit. The tracking number is already in the system and in the INR case, so there's nothing I can add.
Why would USPS have tracking info for a FedEx shipment in FedEx possession? It's like you're not looking at what I'm writing or showing you in the pic. Here it is again:
I even tried to manually enter the USPS tracking number from the eBay label for FedEx GroundEconomy, and eBay thinks it's a DHL number, but won't accept it for either carrier. 9274 8999 9882 5429 3808 14
I used the FedEx website, which told me the tracking number was not eligible for any action. So then I called FedEx; the agent said the tracking number was not in his system, so he couldn't do anything. He recommended contacting eBay, which I did, and they told me to refund before noon today. But I refunded yesterday because the 2 eBay pages in my pic above didn't agree on the deadline, and I didn't want to risk missing it.
I did all those things.
That time had passed BEFORE the buyer opened the INR. eBay advised me to wait an additional ~5 days, but I only waited ~4.
I did that yesterday, to avoid eBay doing it for me today AND adding a defect AND not refunding their fees.
, because it has happened to me before, with USPS, which recently took ~90 days to deliver a package ~300 miles away (I could have crawled on my back & gotten it there faster) and now won't let me file a refund claim OR an insurance claim because it's >30 days from mailing.
As a buyer myself many times who has been in a similar situation a few times, I can tell you that I wouldn't wait any longer than eBay says I should. So when I'm a seller in the same scenario, I'm not going to ask my buyer to do any different than I do.
So back to the topic that started all this...
It's NOT always possible to wait for the item to be returned before a seller MUST refund; either willingly, or by eBay stepping in. And I'd much rather do it myself than let eBay do it for me.
Here's that USPS situation I mentioned above.
kalyoth
·1 year agoPut the tracking number immediately into the claim. If you never provide it to ebay - you automatically lose.
relicpeddler
·1 year agoI had this happen on an international package that took forever to get through customs. eBay refunded the buyer even though tracking showed it was still in transit. I filed a claim providing the tracking info and won and got my money back.
musicinttree
OP1 year agoThank you all for the advice. I will put the tracking number into the claim after a couple days, hopefully fedEx will finish the delivery. I understand that it can really get lost.
soh.maryl
·1 year agoColor me stupid (and I know someone will), but why wait a couple of days to put the tracking # into the case, to allow the package to possibly travel a little further? There IS a tracking #, why not post it to the case now?
jonathanbrightlight
·1 year agoDo not wait a couple days. Do it right away. You do not want to risk that case closing before you get it entered.
chapeau-noir
·1 year ago@musicinttree Put the tracking number in NOW - there is absolutely no reason to wait 'a couple of days'.
Yes, I'm repeating what the others have said.
johnrj1226
·1 year agoWell I was counting on having a lot of company in Hell when I take that dirt nap - Had a lot of rowdy friends in my journeys -kinda did a H. William Jr. thing . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ct8V4nF9oOI
chapeau-noir
·1 year agoI think you'll be jamming with the angels - these devils mean us no good as they walk this land.
12345jamesstamps
·1 year agoPackage in Tracy...one hour drive to Sunnyvale...LOL
Package will probably be delivered Saturday.
christworks
·1 year agoFirst, late packages do sometimes become lost packages. Late packages do not always show up.
While I agree that customers should be understanding when packages are late, especially when we are talking about a week or less, sellers also need to understand the buyer's point-of-view. A lot of buyers shop on the "Big River" website and are used to items arriving a day or two after they ordered. They get used to this, then expect it from sellers here and they don't expect to have to pay extra for it. Of course their expectations are misplaced, but it is important we recognize they are there so we can show compassion to the buyer. This helps to turn their emotions down a few notches, which is what is needed so you don't end up having to return their money and they keep the item. Please don't say the things you said in your post to your buyer.
You do need to respond as others have noted, but I would wait until closer to the deadline to do so. This gives some time to pass to see if an updated scan comes in. In the meantime, message your buyer and acknowledge you received their request. Apologize for the delay, kindly remind them that FedEx Ground Economy is a slower service, and let them know you are working with the carrier to get their package moving. (Edit to add kindly note to them you did ship on-time so they don't think the delay is due to you heehawing around on their order.) If you do not accept returns, let them know if they package is too late for their needs, you will be happy to accept a return from them free of charge as long as the package has not been opened.
Before the deadline, enter the tracking number if it isn't already there. In the text box note the date you shipped it and that it was shipped on-time, and that the tracking shows it has been scanned along its travels. Be sure to note the last scan, which by now will hopefully be more recent. I would be concerned if there are no new scans by Monday. If you end up having to refund and the item is delivered within 3 days after the refund, contact eBay. I am aware of sellers who have been refunded by eBay in these situations, as long as the seller complied with everything they were supposed to do as far as handling and responding properly to any item not received cases.
tobaccocardyahoo
·1 year agoUnfortunately, FEDEX economy is not a reliable shipping method. Its tracking is unreliable, as well. It is the successor to FEDEX Smartpost and the transition was not smooth.
Your rolled the dice by choosing this service. You still might be a winner.
12345jamesstamps
·1 year agoPackage is in Tracy, California near Sunnyvale, California...near where I live in San Francisco.
Just enter tracking on claim....When is refund due?
Package should be delivered Saturday or Monday...
inhawaii
·1 year agoAll you can do is respond to the claim.
If there is no tracking number you are SOL.
You will most likely lose the case.
Q: Why did you use a service with no tracking?
jonathanbrightlight
·1 year agoThey did use tracking, the tracking number is in their post.
@musicinttree Do as @inhawaii said and just enter the tracking number into the case (or if it's already there, confirm it). The timeframe to respond to the case will usually be extended for a bit when you do that.
reallynicestamps
·1 year agoDon't trust eBay to know that the item is in transit.
Personally put the tracking number into the Claim, manually, yourself.
And suggest that the buyer can return it for a refund.