Buyer wants me to resend an ESE Envelope that USPS sent back to me. Should I try or just refund?
I like this particular sale because the buyer bought two different pokémon cards right under $20. Even though the total he paid is over $20 eBay still lets you send ESE but it is only insured for $20 so you take a slight risk if something happens.
I just got both of the cards back and this was on the envelope:
I sent him a message letting him know and offered to resend it to a different address if he moved. (It's only going to cost me $0.74 so it's not a big deal)
This was his response:
I can't decide if I should refund him or if I should do what he says and make a new label for the same address and try again. I don't want to risk completely losing the cards, especially because they won't be 100% insured.
Should I tell him I am happy to resend to the same address, but if neither of us see the cards again, I won't be able to refund because I won't be insured if it is marked as delivered again (and offer him a full refund instead if he wants)?
Should I write something on the envelope on the second attempt to say I have confirmed with the buyer that This is their correct address and to please try to deliver?
Does anybody have any experience with getting a returned package and sending it a second time and it being successfully delivered?
kibble-net
·10 months agoWhen this happens I ask the buyer to provide a different (or more complete) address. For instance I had a package returned recently because the apartment number was missing. It's okay to ask them to pay you through PayPal for the re-shipping cost.
For ESE it's only gonna cost a buck - not something I'd make a big deal out of. Would just ask for a new address and ship it again. You're already covered for MBG, it's just a matter of being a good human at this point.
oregon_bins
OP10 months agoYeah I'm not going to worry about making him pay to reship it because of how cheap it is.
I tried to get an updated address from him but he insisted the address was right and then it is hit or miss if he is getting packages and ESE cards since he moved to his new house a month ago. He wants me to resend it to the exact same address.
Since it's marked as delivered someone had good advice to try to use a stamp this time to send it to him.
bcmike0_1
·10 months agoJust to add, a single card can't be more than $20 but you can actually use ESE for multiple cards but a max value of them can be $50, which also has $50 insurance.
oregon_bins
OP10 months agoThank you this is really good to know!
reallynicestamps
·10 months agohttps://www.ebay.com/help/policies/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy?id=4210#specialcoverage-inr
EBay does not require the seller to refund anything on an Undeliverable shipment.
Most sellers would refund only the purchase price, when the shipment is back in their hands, not fees, shipping costs, sales taxes, duties, etc.
No refund without return.
If the buyer wants it back, they have to pay for reshipping.
This can be done through Paypal, etc. because eBay allows members who have been in a transaction to exchange more contact information.
thelongball
·10 months agoI tried send it twice with a label and both times it came back to me. I took it to the post office, and they looked it up and said it was a real address. So I sent it with a stamp the third time and he got it. He told me this wasn't the first time it had happen to him. When I explained that to the post office that's when they told me that there must be something in the internal computers blocking it. They had no clue on who to contact to get it fixed. Mine didn't show delivered on my end. If yours shows delivered then your covered. Another difference is yours is valued at 20.00 and mine was only a 3.00 card. So I wasn't worried about the loss of funds on mine. As it stood I didn't make anything as I paid the shipping 3 times.
oregon_bins
OP9 months ago@thelongball
Thanks so much for using a stamp idea! He just left positive feedback or both cards, so sending it with a stamp instead worked perfectly. I hadn't considered that until your suggestion. Thanks so much for taking valuable time to help people on this forum!
thelongball
·10 months agoI've had it happen twice and I think there is a disconnect between whats real and the post offices computer system. There are some addresses that the computer reads as not valid but when you use a regular postage stamp it will go to the customer. The snag with this is that eBay then dings you for sending without tracking. Its not often but this does happen. If you want to protect your metrics, cancel it. If you want to make the customer happy send it with a stamp. Up to you. There doesn't seem to be a way to fix this though as its like looking for needles in a hay stack. Might want to tell the customer to go to the post office and see if they will fix it for them because its a problem with their address that is caused by the post office. I received this info from a postal employee who tried to help me. They had no idea how to fix it and had a -it is what it is attitude. If the customer doesn't get it fixed they will have it happen anytime someone uses the envelope shipping.
oregon_bins
OP10 months agoMy metrics will actually be fine because it shows that I shipped it to him and it was delivered.
So do you think I should use a stamp when I send it to him a second time? That will increase the chances of it getting to him without increasing the chances of me not getting it back If his address is rejected again?
oregon_bins
OP10 months agoOkay this is what I settled on doing/saying. This way he knows I will refund him if they come back again, and I am implying We are both taking a risk by me resending them.
robbie31415
·10 months agoI don't use ese often, what does the tracking say?
Do they actually mark it on the tracking?
oregon_bins
OP10 months agoThe tracking does say it is delivered. That is because they mark it as delivered when it is sorted at the buyer's local post office facility.
buyselljack2016
·10 months agoJust to clarify. My understanding is that the "delivered" event code shows when the envelope is process at the regional facility (one that has the scanners that process metered mail) nearest the buyer's PO.
mr.emk
·10 months agoI've had this happen twice. 1st time I resent the card, and it was returned. The buyer started sending me unprofessional messages. It was a mess. The 2nd time, I just issued a refund. I looked at your cards, and I think you'll sell the ones in question if you relist them. Good luck with your sales.
oregon_bins
OP10 months agoI have a feeling I would be wasting $0.74 resending it. However, that would be worth it if it would avoid a negative feedback. I get the feeling he would be reasonable if it got sent back to me a second time and then I just refunded him.
But if these cards somehow get lost by me resending it will definitely irritate me a lot. So I'm very much on the fence between resending or refunding and risking the negative feedback.
It's so weird that his address is Hit or Miss with USPS. 😕