Selling help with delivery issue
I have messaged the buyer letting them know that I am keeping an eye on their items and have called USPS, but I am not sure what is the best way to proceed. There has been no response. California to New York..sitting in New Jersey
Here is the time-line. Any suggestions/help would be appreciated.
 
 
 
 
51 comments
mommaknows
OP8 months agoWanted to give an update. An unbelievably patient buyer.
Shipped November 29th!!
Hopefully, delivery tomorrow 🎉
 
mommaknows
OP9 months ago@mamacassidy @itsjustasprain @krazzykats
Thank you all for your help.
Much appreciated.
Here is to a Happy and Healthy 2026.
krazzykats
·9 months agoI’d wait until Tuesday unless that goes past the refund period.
The one I sent on the 8th from Oregon didn’t reach New York until the 24th, so if a couple more days won’t cause any issues, I’d just wait and see if the USPS catches up.
á“šá˜á—¢
mommaknows
OP9 months agoNo movement. Opened a lost package on the 19th and still nothing.
No comments/communication from the buyer.
Do I refund, at this point, or keep waiting for INR?
Thank you for any help.
mamacassidy
·9 months agoYou now need to go ahead and file a claim for a refund with USPS. You can do that online in just a couple of minutes. You'll usually get a response within a couple of days.
As far as the buyer goes, I'd wait until they file an INR or wait until I receive a refund from the post office before I send them a refund.
itsjustasprain
·9 months agoI second that. (Did you also set up notifications to yourself so that you will get an alert when it reappears?)
le-5262
·9 months agoI had to fight the urge to message buyers about shipping...
sometimes it took 3 days to make it to the distribution center in the city
45 minutes away.
I had one troublesome package
I went into the local post office
where I have a pretty decent relationship with the ladies there
and asked what I should do.
She looked up my tracking number
and said the PostMaster would email the location's PostMaster
Within a couple of hours the package was at the destination post office.
I think that was extreme niceness on their part...
and I would only use it as a, sort of, last resort.
...but it kinda restored my faith in the postal service a lil
mommaknows
OP9 months ago@le-5262 I am a bit confused as to why so many think it is not a good idea to let the buyer know that you are keeping an eye on their items. Can you explain the reasoning.
Thank you.
le-5262
·9 months agoFor me...
I am a teeny tiny seller
and quite obsessive-excitable
so, I am CONSTANTLY watching my orders
I feel like my customers are paying me to not bother them with trivial things...
I better know what's going on if I contact them.
Where it's drawn out to the point I have to "bother" a customer...
have been pretty rare.
I kinda feel like it lowers buyer confidence, if that makes sense.
gurlcat
·9 months agoThere are two opposite schools on this. Those who advise against reaching out to the buyer seem to believe in the "poking the bear" theory, where contacting them just draws attention to how late the package is, and risks prompting them to file an INR.
I think it's kind of funny how they're imploring you to stop doing that, when if anything your case is a good example of why it's actually a good idea. As late as this package of your is, it's interesting how the buyer still hasn't filed, huh? I've had only a tiny fraction of my late packages get INR's, and I believe it's because I always reach out as soon as I notice a package getting stuck for more than a few days, then filing a missing package search if it remains stuck.
There well may be a kind of 'bear' person who would be 'poked' by a seller contacting them, but I think the vast majority of buyers really appreciate seeing that their seller hasn't forgotten them after they got their money. In fact from what I've seen it can not only bring you a narrow escape, but GUSHING gratitude and repeat business:
mommaknows
OP9 months ago@gurlcat I agree. Everyone has to follow their own path. I just started a missing package claim. We shall see. 🤞
Ty.
reallynicestamps
·9 months agowhy so many think it is not a good idea to let the buyer know that you are keeping an eye on their items. Can you explain the reasoning.
Don't poke a sleeping bear.
If the customer is not worried, nor should the seller be.
It is even possible that due to a series of totally messups , the parcel never got noticed at all, but went through hundreds of hands without comment and is safely in the hands of the happy customer.
Not likely but possible.
Since the customer has neither Messaged nor Claimed on the slow delivery, it would have been better not to upset them or add unnecessary stress at a fraught time of year.
I've been selling by mail order since the mid-eighties, everything from postage stamps to cast iron wood stoves, and frankly, the post office is very good at their job even without tracking.
Remember the only value of tracking for the seller is to show that a Claim of non-delivery is invalid by showing Proof of Delivery.
mommaknows
OP9 months agoThank you all for your guidance, I now understand why some close down their listings during this time.
Merry Christmas to all.
kandf_vintage_finds
·9 months agoThis is what I Do when faced with this:
NEVER contact the buyer.
If still hung up after 10 days I put in a missing mail search request.
Wait patiently and hope.
I've done this twice this year already.
One was delivered yesterday and the other is out for delivery today. (I understand that this more than likely would have happened without the search requests)
krazzykats
·9 months agoMy package was shipped on the 12th and is now expected to arrive on the 22nd. Has been updated and sent to PDX (Portland) twice but is now in the state of Wisconsin.
Oregon to Wisconsin via Ground Advantage.
So slow...
á“šá˜á—¢
mommaknows
OP9 months ago@krazzykats I can hear the hissing all the way in California. I'll keep good thoughts.
reallynicestamps
·9 months agoThose long lists from tracking show that the shipment was
accepted on Saturday November 29, in California,
arrived in New Jersey on Thursday December 4.
And does not appear to have left the building since, but has been noted four times.
What is the last estimated date for delivery eBay gave the customer?
Has that date passed?
Has the customer Messaged you?
Until the customer contacts you do nothing-- well, it's too late for that now but in future, only react to "late" delivery if the customer complains.
Has the customer opened a Claim?
Have you responded in the Claim with the tracking number?
EBay likely already has the number, but don't assume that.
And eBay wants assurance that the seller is actively involved, giving the tracking number does that.
Putting the tracking number in the Claim often wins you a little more time for delivery.
mommaknows
OP9 months ago@reallynicestamps The estimated delivery given to the buyer was Dec 3 - Dec 8.
No, the customer has not messaged me.
No claim, to my knowledge has been opened.
wastingtime101
·9 months agoDisclaimer: I did not read any of the replies, so forgive if this is repeat info.
At this stage with no movement for 2 weeks, I would file a lost package insurance claim. USPS will either pay out, or they will locate the package and get it moving to avoid paying out.
FWIW, that area (NY/NJ) started seeing delays about the time your package got stuck. It's probably caught in the backlog.
mommaknows
OP9 months agoThe New York post office called me yesterday to say that my package is not lost just delayed. It is now the 18th with absolutely no movement scanned.
Come on USPS do better.
I feel terrible for the buyer.
tobaccocardyahoo
·9 months agoMy experience is that packages fall into a black hole in Jersey City much of the year.
hotwheelsbum
·9 months agoWith tracking showing the package is just "sitting" in NJ from the 5th through the 8th, out of curiosity, I did a Google Search with one simple question.
"Are there mail carrier trailers sitting in New Jersey?"
Results:
Yes, there is evidence that mail carrier trailers sit in New Jersey, primarily at large sorting and delivery centers or distribution facilities, sometimes leading to package delays.
So it looks like right now that package is just sitting in a 53ft Trailer out in the Parking Lot of that Distribution center along with dozens, possibly hundreds of others waiting in line to get hooked up to and moved to the next center, mail hub.
Is is that time of the year.
mommaknows
OP9 months ago@hotwheelsbum Well there you have it. Thank you for your information. Much appreciated.
twk
·9 months agoI also opened a missing mail request after my package disappeared for 10 days, that was when it showed up in Puerto Rico. Took another 4 days to get to FL and now is in Indianapolis, another place things get lost, so I will see if it gets delivered or what happens. It has now been in the USPO system for 30 days.
mommaknows
OP9 months ago@twk I will keep good thoughts for your delivery.
inhawaii
·9 months agoI would let nature take it's course and see what happens.
I would NOT contact or continue to discuss this with the buyer unless they ask.
There is some kind of "tracer" service that the usps offers for situations like this where a package seems to be stuck in transit. You might want to look in to that.
twk
·9 months agoI have the same issue with a package that was sent to me back on Nov. 13 and is still floating around the system. It disappeared and then showed up after Thanksgiving in Puerto Rico and has been slowly making its way to me since then. It was originally sent from Conn. and I am in Indiana so how it ended up in Puerto Rico is beyond me.
ryry-jj
·9 months agoAhhh, the New Jersey to New York connection...experienced that many times, lol. However they have all made it
mommaknows
OP9 months ago@ryry-jj So good to hear! Thank you.
krazzykats
·9 months agoWeather delay?
á“šá˜á—¢
caldreamer
·9 months agoUSPS on Sun, Dec 7 shows that package delivery will be "delayed". Only thing you can do is go to USPS.com and file a missing package claim (probably won't do anything but will make you and the customer feel better).
If customer demands a refund, go ahead and refund their money. EBAY has new policy if package gets delivered after you gave the customer a refund "EBAY will reimburse the Seller".
mommaknows
OP9 months ago@caldreamer Thank you.
gurlcat
·9 months ago@caldreamer Are you sure that policy is in effect yet? It was in one of the seller news things a couple months ago, but I don't remember when it was supposed to start.
So far nobody has been able to find it outlined as a current policy in the Help pages. And as far as I know, nobody has posted any experiences with it, here in the Community.
44012
·9 months agoI refunded a would be late or lost item a couple weeks ago stemming from inr.
It looked like it got scanned but never left my p.o.
I issued a refund and tried to trace. It was inexpensive.
Buyer bought another one as I had more than 1.
It ended up getting delivered a few days later.
Last week eBay sent a message thanking me for issuing the refund and since it was delivered eBay was refunding me.
So I guess it is in effect?
fern*wood
·9 months ago@gurlcat
Here is another mention of the new policy working. I thought the buyer would need to open an INR for this to work, but the prior post doesn't mention that, so that's good.
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/got-refunded-by-ebay-without-even-asking/td-p/35393347/jump-to/first-unread-message
gurlcat
·9 months agoThanks SO MUCH for sharing! @fern*wood in that thread you linked, the OP was asked if it was an INR, and they confirmed that it was, in message#8. @44012 Did you also voluntarily refund sometime before your INR deadline, or wait for eBay to step in?
I wonder why it's still not described in the policy pages. Anyway it's a pleasant surprise that the seller doesn't have to perform any kind of request for this fantastic seller protection, nor be TRS or any other special requirements.
This brings so much peace of mind. I think I do a good job of reassuring my buyers that I'm "on it" as far as pursuing the USPS and getting their packages to them as fast as possible, but privately it causes me some real stress as each day passes with no result. I've actually had only a few INR's ever, despite many more late deliveries where the buyers might have filed if I hadn't essentially 'begged' them not to. Now I think I'll be able to relax and maybe even encourage them to file if they seem antsy.
Really it's only right for eBay to cover these. They're the ones putting estimated delivery dates on our listings, not us.
44012
·9 months agoI gave the refund when the INR was filed.
I did it on my own, it was a cheap item and I guess I didn't stress as I had more on hand I could offer.
I did not have eBay step in but buyer did file an actual INR, they did not just message me.
I put a trace on the item as it was weird as it had the scan at my local PO but it looked like it never left there and had no regional scan. The item ended up getting delivered a few days later.
Just about immediately after the delivery I got this a message that said I was protected and eBay was refunding since it was delivered.
gurlcat
·9 months agoJust the idea of eBay ADDING a seller protection we never had before, let alone successfully programming it to function as simply and automatically as it should in the Information Age ... just feels miraculous somehow.
Between this^ and the auto-postive feedbacks, 2025 feels like the Year Of The Seller on eBay. What is this feeling ... why is water leaking from my eyeballs?? 🤣
44012
·9 months agoMy particular item was mailed on 11/28.
Buyer filed an INR on 12/9.
I gave a refund on 12/9.
On 12/11 ebay refunded the shipment as it had arrived on 12/11. The same day.
mamacassidy
·9 months agoDon't call. Go online to USPS.com
Open a missing mail search. That usually gets it moving within 1-2 days.
If that doesn't get it moving within 2 days, then go ahead and file a claim.
I personally open a missing mail search if an item has gotten stuck somewhere and hasn't had a new in 4 days. Not only do I stay on top of the package/ tracking, but once you open a mail search, this will show up in the tracking to show the buyer that you are looking into it. However, I don't contact the buyer unless they contact me or open an INR.
mommaknows
OP9 months ago@mamacassidy Thank you, but I already called and received a service request number.
mamacassidy
·9 months agoI'd still open a Missing Mail search online. This is different than what you received.
And since you've gotten no response from the email you received, I'd try every avenue available to me.
mommaknows
OP9 months ago@mamacassidy So it is not the same!? Thanks for the information.
casprrr
·9 months agoSince it's been over a week since it shows movement, file a missing mail claim from the USPS website. Because it's Saturday, you may not see any changes until Monday, but the missing mail claim is usually enough to get the package moving. You may also want to ask at your local PO; they can see more details than what show on the site. For instance, I had a package stuck in Des Moines, IA, and my PO could tell me that the package had been put onto a pallet but that the pallet never received a departure scan.
mommaknows
OP9 months ago@casprrr I had called and received this via email. Thank you.
johnrj1226
·9 months agoUSPS does not consider an item lost until after at least 2 weeks after the original ESTIMATED delivery date after receipt of the package. Some sellers say when the contact the USP on slow moving package it "might" shake it loose - truth or fairy tell IDK. This time of year USPS moves packages into temporary warehousing and temporary not well trained employees. Personally have had package that showed scanned in and no other movement shown until delivered a shipment Priority Mail from Atlanta, GA to Mineral Wells (past Ft. Worth out in the country and prairie), Texas (950 miles via interstate). It was delivered 2 days before Christmas Day.
GL
PS: Trust the USPS don't do a Poor Ole Charlie MTA on your package - https://www.youtube.com/watch?
rrforstot
·9 months agoI sold a Bass Pro Shop gift card on Nov. 26 and shipped with USPS Ground Advantage in a letter size envelope and a mailing label I bought from eBay. It was mailed from Atlanta to MO. Three weeks have passed and tracking shows that is hasn't moved from KS since Dec. 2. Surprisingly the buyer hasn't cancelled the order (I would have). I filed a claim for the value of the gift card but don't have high hopes of a response. I'll NEVER use them again and will only use UPS in the future. Three weeks to travel 500 miles is ridiculous.
mommaknows
OP9 months agoThis being my first year selling on eBay, I have had good experiences with USPS.
This is the first issue that is of concern.
Tis the season, it seems.
Ho Ho Ho
kibble-net
·9 months agoSh*t happens.
You are seriously going to use UPS to mail all of your regular envelopes because of one delayed incident? You know they cost more than 72 cents to deliver, right? Let us all know how that works out.
itsjustasprain
·9 months agoFirst, stop contacting the buyer, as that simply reinforces the notion that you don't know where it is. I realize that you have let him know already, but now just leave it alone.
You can set up email or text notifications to yourself on USPS.com (look up the tracking history there, then scroll to the bottom of its tracking history page to find the option). That does not have any effect on getting the package "un-stuck," but will get you an immediate notification as soon as it pops up on the radar someplace. I would take the current tracking at face value to say that it's gotten corked up at the New Jersey facility, but delayed is not the same as lost, and I would be optimistic that it will eventually show up.
If the buyer does contact you to ask for an update, assure them that you're watching the progress (which you are), and will let them know if or when there's further news. Do not offer a full or partial refund; this is the Christmas season and this stuff happens.
PS - Was this Media Mail? That travels on a space-available basis with no promised delivery date, so MM shipments will be the slowest of all, especially this season.
mommaknows
OP9 months ago@itsjustasprain It was shipped via Ground Advantage.
Thank you.