Seller Making Excuses due to USPS Delays

[orchardrecycling]

Purchased an expensive package on here (I purchase a lot, rarely come across problems)

The package was sent via USPS ( I cringe now seeing USPS as delivery method coming from the west coast due to how terrible the service is)

It was expected last week at the latest on Wednesday Feb 24th. 2021.  It was shipped February 19th, 2021.  Today is March 2nd 2021. And the package is still stuck in the state it was shipped from.  I messaged the seller and they got really rude to us.  We even opened a case and have to wait till March 5th.  The reason we opened the case is we contacted USPS multiple times, opened up package research case 2 times now. On the phone they said it could be heavily delayed and there is no expected time frame for when it will deliver.  

The seller is now telling me in short "They are not responsible for what happens with the package when it is shipped in the hands of USPS" 

So let me get this straight, doesn't eBay have a policy stating SELLERS are responsible for the package being delivered regardless of the outcome?  The seller is upset we opened up a case because they refuse to resolve the issue.  

Does anyone have any thoughts about this? Just curious what we should do in this situation.  Like do we go after a refund, and if the package arrives like 2 months later do we ship it back? What if it never arrives???

Also side note on the phone the USPS rep told us the package could be lost and chances are it will take a lot of time to find it and recover it.  So basically we are getting screwed out of the package.  

The seller also responded and said if we wanted the package faster we should have purchase OVER NIGHT SHIPPING.  

Well from my understanding we didn't need over night.  Because a week is fine to wait and on top of that we were in no desperate hurry until we realized 2 weeks is about to pass for a package.  

[ra_201044]

Does anyone have any thoughts about this? Just curious what we should do in this situation.  Like do we go after a refund, and if the package arrives like 2 months later do we ship it back? What if it never arrives???

I noticed 'Pay the seller for the item if received after being refunded' isn't included in your statement. That's what you SHOULD do. You have 30 days after the expected delivery date to open an INR. You waited less than a week. Sellers ARE responsible for delivery, but during these times and when you see it still stuck in the USPS system, you should cut them some slack. The seller can't do anything about it either.

Yes, there still are delays, as USPS told you. You could always ask sellers if they would ship UPS or Fed Ex, provided you are willing to pay extra for it.

[orchardrecycling]

Of course, we have asked them to avoid shipping it with USPS and to ship with UPS or FedEx.  They didn't even respond about it.  Honestly we are just waiting at this point.  We would rather have the item than a refund because this is something we finally needed for repairs.  Anyways yeah just curious anyones thoughts on this situation.  

[hurryagain]

...well...the seller's initial rude response did himself in didn't it...

Yes, either your package arrives or you get your $$$ back.  If your seller was nicer and a bit helpful - as in him researching/opening a find my pkg claim with USPS, you may have waited a bit longer BUT he wanted to be rude so...

Keep your item not received case open until you get a satisfactory solution from the seller.  If that does not happen, escalate the case and eBay will (almost always) refund you your money.  eBay's MBG is gold.

DO NOT CLOSE THE CASE UNTIL YOU EITHER GET YOUR ITEM OR YOUR MONEY BACK.

@orchardrecycling 

[orchardrecycling]

Let me screen shot the conversations.  This is literally what we are dealing with and they are a top rated seller.  Makes me wonder.

[glasser]

If the item doesn't arrive, you should open a case. There maybe a waiting period until X days after expected delivery date to open an Item Not Received. When you go to open it will let you know if that time has past.

It is true that one and it is out of the sellers control, OTOH they should not be rude and have an interest i making sure the package gets there. If you paid with PayPal you can open a case there instead of eBay. I think their customer service tends to better than eBay's. 

If you end up getting a refund and the package does arrive. It will be on you to alert the seller and make the whole. There have been many cases lately where the buyer ends up with a late package and a refund much to the dismay, frustration, and reasonable anger of sellers. Not the buyers fault in anyway a combo of USPS and eBay rules.

Also, sometimes packages miraculously appear and when they seem to be stuck in one place. This happened a lot during the holiday USPS melt down.

My advice open the claim and make sure you are in on the ticking clock around these claims. 

[hurryagain]

@orchardrecycling 

Do not open a case with PayPal until your case with eBay is done first.  If you open a case with PayPal, your eBay case will automatically close and you will have lost eBay's MBG...it will be out of eBay's hands at that point and you will have no other recourse other than to stay with PayPal's claim which generally takes longer that eBay's MBG.

• Case is already opened w/eBay...stay the course.  If for some strange reason, it does not work out...
• Open case with PayPal.  If that does not work out...
• Open case with CC company

These are the steps in the order that you want to follow.

[orchardrecycling]

I will follow those steps hurryagain .  Thanks.  Just wanted to know if we are in the wrong here for concern about this package.

[1tuna]

it woud appear that you know how to use the MBG.you should stick to that

all of the messaging is just that....................it can be safely ignored

I am sory you are getting slow shipping but my thoughts are that you are getting to many others involved

 when it does not have to be like that.

you should use the MBG to cut thru the drama

[orchardrecycling]

I understand I just wanted to clarify we are doing the right thing.  We rarely file complaints and it just sucks.  But we also need our item.  

[hurryagain]

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@orchardrecycling wrote:

I will follow those steps hurryagain .  Thanks.  Just wanted to know if we are in the wrong here for concern about this package.

---

@orchardrecycling 

You did nothing wrong, technically.  The seller shot themselves in the foot by being rude and now it is going to cost them...whether or not you want to cut the seller some slack will be completely up to you.  Just do NOT let the case expire...you do have a month before it expires so I do not think you would let that slide by but it's a little FYI thing.

@myangelandmyprincess 

The seller did not ship this item VIA express mail.  What the seller told the OP was:

"The seller also responded and said if we wanted the package faster we should have purchase OVER NIGHT SHIPPING."

[orchardrecycling]

Thanks.  The eBay community is pretty legit in handling things.  I have dealt with great sellers on here and actually do business with them daily on eBay.  They are very communicative, and hell some of them reach out to me on here with more deals and give us first dibs on buying the listing before it is exposed! Once they post it we purchase it! So just given the fact our experience with great sellers, we kind of know what to look out for!  Thanks again! This reassures me to always to keep buying on eBay but to really work more effectively on making sure a seller is very aware to not ship with USPS.

[vsbelgians]

Going to be the norm with USPS for quite awhile. All my family works at various USPS facilities and they say they are drastically understaffed especially with everybody ordering online now and USPS isn't hiring the help they need.  Very common to have a box sit for days before it's even touched.  I've had boxes I sent track for days at one facility and then magically appear at the seller's address.  This USPS disaster is not the fault of the buyer and once the item is sent there is nothing the seller can do to speed it along. It's a mess that is going to continue. I dont agree that sellers should refund the buyer until it is proven the package is lost because most buyers wont trouble themselves to get the item back to you if it appears. 

[orchardrecycling]

Well but wouldn't that be the case if you are the seller informed knowing that USPS is having issues and yet FedEx and UPS is not wouldn't that be wise to ship with the alternatives.  That sounds like an excuse to tell your buyers that.  If I am selling items I will most surely be using FedEx or UPS. Peace of mind goes a long way especially with good services.  

I knew USPS is bad so I avoid using them period even if I am purchasing.  I do believe as a seller you are responsible for making those smart decisions.  But thats just me...

[monster-deals]

I honestly am well past tired of having to explain the news and USPS to ebay buyers.

Ebay is the last place to order a time sensitive item during a pandemic and crippling snowstorms from... even more so if the seller is low volume and not doing it for a living.