Item never arrived to buyer; USPS hasn't been helpful
I sold an item to a buyer and shipped it via USPS in the required timeframe. USPS tracking shows the item was "out for delivery" more than a week ago but has no updates after that -- just "we now anticipate delivery of your package the next business day," which has been showing for several days without changing.
The buyer notified me of this a few days ago. The buyer says they've gone to their local post office (twice, I believe) and the post office has searched and been unable to find it; they say their latest visit to the post office was a few days ago and the post office said it might be out for delivery that very day, but it was not. I've also gone to my own local post office, but they weren't able to offer much beyond telling me it was "very strange" that the package showed as "out for delivery" for so long. I've also tried calling the buyer's local post office, but I cannot get through to a live person.
I've been trying to research my options online, and getting conflicting information on what I should do next. Can anyone assist?
deltilogical
·11 months ago"I believe that at some point in the future ebay is supposed to reimburse sellers who refund for non delivery and then the item gets delivered."
I don't know why there isn't a button on the listing for this. Probably very complicated.
jdadams1974
OP11 months agoThanks, everyone, for the quick replies!
bashort
·11 months agoThis is no help to you but starting in October
Seller Item Not Received (INR) Protections
A major pain point for our sellers happens when delivery delays lead to INR claims and unexpected refunds, only for the item to arrive days later. Starting in October, eBay will introduce a new improvement to enhance trust and reduce friction from these premature INR claims.
If a seller ships on time with eBay labels and tracked shipping, and tracking shows the item as delivered after a refund is issued, eBay will reimburse the seller for the item cost and remove any negative or neutral feedback left as a result of delayed delivery. This ensures sellers aren’t penalized for delays outside their control, and reinforces our commitment to standing behind sellers who do the right thing.
bashort
·11 months agoall you can do is delay as long as possible before refunding. I believe that at some point in the future ebay is supposed to reimburse sellers who refund for non delivery and then the item gets delivered.
What I have been doing for some time is anytime the shipment is over $150 or so I switch it to UPS
mamacassidy
·11 months agoI've had this happen to me on a couple of occasions.
On at least one of those occasions, the buyer HAD received the item, but the delivery driver had just not scanned it delivered.
But nonetheless, if the buyer says they haven't received it, you should refund. The ebay system requires a "delivered" status, and since you don't have one, you will have to refund.
But the good news is you can file a claim with the USPS, and since it doesn't say "delivered" in their system, you will get a refund of the selling price and the shipping cost.