Shipping and selling fee charged on lost package
Hello eBay Community,
I recently sold a vintage bike on eBay, clearly indicating that the buyer would cover the shipping costs. eBay provided me with a USPS shipping label, which I used to send the bike. Unfortunately, USPS has lost the package, and I’ve learned that eBay only insured it for $100.
To make matters worse, eBay has charged me $186.06, which includes both shipping and selling fees. I initially sent an email with documentation regarding the shipment and my claim for the missing package, but my objection was denied. I followed up with two additional emails, arguing that since eBay controlled the shipping carrier and the insurance, it shouldn’t be my responsibility to bear the entire cost of this loss. However, I keep receiving the same response stating that they "stand by their prior decision."
I'm seeking advice on how to escalate my appeal effectively. Is there any additional action I can take to challenge eBay’s decision? Any insights or suggestions from those who have faced similar situations would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for your help!
tobaccocardyahoo
·1 year agoJust so you understand.
You are responsible for the safe delivery of every order you get.
This is not because Ebay has decided that. This is because U.S. Consumer Protection Laws make the seller of every mail order item responsible.
Ebay shoulders very few responsibilities which are legally those of the seller.
You have no grounds for appeal. You made a poor decision by choosing to sell this item without adequate knowledge of what you needed to do and what the risks were. You probably did not even think about the risks and when the sale went sour made assumptions which were not correct because you did not want to refund.
chapeau-noir
·1 year agoOMG - that fluffy AI nonsense is an object lesson on NOT using it. I see a Campy Neuvo Record rear derailleur, what looks like a Campy crank set, classic Mafac brakes (even if they didn't stop as fast at speed as one would like, the center pulls are tasty), there's no telling what other goodies that bike has beyond the sweet sweet Gitane steel.... But the yap in the description says nothing and means nothing.
😖
ETA: And next time, use Bikeflights. I've sold bikes here and it's the way to go for shipping.
l5vw
·1 year agoIt also appears that the bicycle was sold once before and not shipped and negative feedback left ??
itsjustasprain
·1 year agoI think that IS the sale we are talking about here - from last November 30th.
ittybitnot
·1 year ago@marstruh
To what city/state did you ship this bike?
Did you try to file the USPS claim?
fashunu4eeuh
·1 year agoBelow is a link from the USPS website with info on how to manage suspected mail theft.
BTW what details are disclosed on the USPS.com tracking page? What does it say re: the missing ackage?
https://faq.usps.com/s/article/Mail-Theft
Some final thoughts:
1)eBay holds the seller fully accountable when there is loss or damage in transit.
2) Sellers cannot rely on eBay for account protections. Some do exist, but one must know what they are and how to use them.
Overall, eBay largely protects buyer interests, sometimes at the seller’s expense. The platform is designed to be buyer-centric —with sellers bearing all the risk. Not eBay, or the buyer, will suffer the consequences of a failed transaction.
mantle1951
·1 year agoSorry I can't see a bike being lost in the mail somebody must have it.
luckythewinner
·1 year agoeBay did not control the shipping carrier or the insurance.
You are the one chose to offer the USPS as a shipping service, and you are the who turned down the option to buy additional USPS additional insurance.
When you buy a label through eBay, you get the benefit of eBay's discounted rates and the convenience of having the tracking number automatically attached to the transaction.
But the label itself is still just a USPS label - issued by the USPS under the terms of the USPS.
ryry-jj
·1 year agoI would spend more energy finding out where the bike is, I don't believe it is 100% lost, I just think, like many bulky USPS items it just takes a while finding its way, especially during the month of December.
As far as eBay goes, as mentioned, not much you can do. Sellers have far more responsibilities and control than you want to acknowledge.
itsjustasprain
·1 year agoThat listing was a trainwreck to begin with unfortunately. There are not even any photos of the left side of the bike. There is what looks like a dangling speed sensor on the left front fork that goes unexplained. There are no Item Specifics for even basic data such as the frame size (although its color is described as 'Multicolor' when it is obviously solid white) and no description to indicate whether the bike is roadworthy right now or will need service or repairs first. (Both tires appear to be flat too and the frame pump seems to be missing.) There is no description beyond a vapid AI paragraph that tells us absolutely nothing useful.
The problem here is that even if the bike does reappear and make its way to the buyer there is still a risk that buyer will file a Not As Described claim and want to return it. Your choices at that point will be to either pay for return shipping before refunding or to simply refund and let the buyer keep it.
This is an item that would have benefitted from a more detailed description and more complete photos. I would have listed it for Local Pickup Only. Hopefully the bike will resurface after all this time but I would not be too optimistic.
PS - Sorry - I missed that the buyer has already been refunded by Ebay and now Ebay wants to get reimbursed by the OP. This may end up as a very painful learning experience.
bashort
·1 year agoI bet that big bulky awkward package went "missing" in the nearest trash dumpster
adamcartwright
·1 year ago@marstruh
Sorry this happened.
Below is what the insurance options look like when I purchase a shipping label on my desktop.
You would have chosen the left option to insure the value of the bike.
If you're purchasing shipping on the App, the user interface is somewhat different -- you'll have to click the "Add additional options" caret to get to the screen to add insurance coverage.
 
l5vw
·1 year agoIt's possible to ship a bike that big USPS ?
a_c_green
·1 year agoI was wondering the same thing...
I can just see a massive bike carton getting shoved to one side in a sorting facility and then overlooked after that.
kensgiftshop
·1 year agoNo, you had control over the carrier and any additional insurance.
lacemaker3
·1 year ago@marstruh, I'm sorry, but I don't think anyone is going to be able to help you, and you're not going to like the answers. I will explain why, even though I can't help you reach the conclusion you want.
"I recently sold a vintage bike on eBay, clearly indicating that the buyer would cover the shipping costs. eBay provided me with a USPS shipping label, which I used to send the bike."
When the buyer pays for the shipping costs, that money is included with the payment that eBay sends to the seller (less all eBay fees) so that the seller can use it to pay for the shipping label. So that's what you used to pay for the shipping label.
"Unfortunately, USPS has lost the package, and I’ve learned that eBay only insured it for $100."
When you purchased the shipping label through eBay, you had the option to purchase more insurance, so I'm afraid that was your decision. $100 insurance is included with the cost of the postage.
" ... arguing that since eBay controlled the shipping carrier and the insurance, it shouldn’t be my responsibility to bear the entire cost of this loss."
Sorry, but no, that's not how it works. As the seller, you are completely responsible for your listing, and for the shipping. You set up the listing with USPS Ground Advantage shipping (even if it was the default, you accepted it) and you chose not to purchase additional insurance. Even if you weren't aware that it was available, you could have researched this.
If USPS lost the package, then you need to file a Lost Mail claim with USPS, and they should at least cover it to the limit of the $100 insurance. That's the best your likely to get, I'm afraid.
Nobody is going to be able to advise you how to appeal this, or how to get eBay to change their mind, because this is how it always works. Sorry, but we could have advised you this, had you asked before you set up the listing.
wastingtime101
·1 year agoHi @marstruh . I see you're new and unfamiliar with how things work.
First part: you as the seller are responsible for shipping. That includes everything from selecting the correct service to offer on your listing, using the appropriate service and entering correct weight/dimensions when you buy the shipping label, and if you want something like insurance or signature confirmation that is also your responsibility.
The buyer pays for the service you choose. eBay generates the label you choose. If you mess up and use an ineligible service, that falls to you. If you mess up and forget to add insurance, that falls to you.
eBay isn't the one providing the labels; they are offering a service where you can buy labels through them, usually at a discount, but they are not the ones dictating the type of label you purchase.
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Next part: when an item is lost in transit, the responsibility falls to the seller. The buyer typically files a non-receipt claim and it's the seller's responsibility to see if the carrier actually lost the package before delivery and if so the seller has to refund the buyer.
Once the buyer is made whole, the seller can go to the carrier and file an insurance claim if they used an insured service.
Most (not all) services include up to $100 of coverage. If you want coverage beyond that you need to either buy it when you buy the label, or you end up self-insuring (in other words, pay for it yourself).
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Final part: When the buyer does file that non-receipt claim, if you don't handle it in accordance with eBay policy and you instead ask eBay to step in or force the buyer to ask eBay to step in, eBay will make a determination based on whether you have delivery confirmation to the buyer's address.
You didn't, therefore eBay finds against you. And because you got to the point where someone asked eBay to step in, you forfeit your fees.
If you had refunded the buyer voluntarily your fees would have been credited.
I hate being the bearer of bad news here, but this isn't something you can successfully appeal - it falls to you - and I suggest familiarizing yourself with eBay policies before listing anything else for sale.
Here's the help page about handling non-receipt claims. Start here.
https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/managing-returns-refunds/help-buyer-item-didnt-receive?id=4116
And file the claim with USPS. If the package was lost then at least you can recover $100.
nigelbrn
·1 year agoI just got charge $276 for a fee on a package that got lost. However I appreciate the advice, but I DID try and select the refund customer only to find out, that a message popped up stating that I cannot refund this customer due to the package being in transit. The package has been in transit for two months, lost package was initiated a month ago.
I also have another great problem. When I purchased the label I selected to add insurance, the amount pre-filled, I added adult signature, the total including the insurance of $48, plus 5.xx plus label was totaled, minus fees. Its accept, then ok to print the label.
To find out the insurance never was added to the label. That it never existed after my package in their system was lost and their case was closed. Even after the case was closed on Ebay's tracking, I still couldn't refund the customer. It's as if we sellers have ZERO rights or protection.
Final part: When the buyer does file that non-receipt claim, if you don't handle it in accordance with eBay policy and you instead ask eBay to step in or force the buyer to ask eBay to step in, eBay will make a determination based on whether you have delivery confirmation to the buyer's address.
You didn't, therefore eBay finds against you. And because you got to the point where someone asked eBay to step in, you forfeit your fees.
If you had refunded the buyer voluntarily your fees would have been credited.
nobody*s_perfect
·1 year agoeBay did not control the carrier nor the insurance. You could have chosen between USPS, FedEx, or UPS, and you could have purchased insurance to cover the entire purchase price.
For a lost package, a USPS postage purchase will reimburse you for the $100 of included insurance, plus the postage cost. If you refund the buyer you will get a credit for the final value fee.
Here's some more help regarding insurance.
https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/shipping-items/shipping-insurance?id=4643