Item I Shipped Missing; Weird Tracking Notation:

[mstcwrld7]

      Shipped item 11/24 and tracking says it was picked up. 

Today, 11/29 I see a tracking notation "Waiting for Item at XXXX (Origin Post Office."   what???

        I called my origin PO and they confirmed the item went through there and went out.

Since then, no tracking info except this **bleep** notation "waiting...etc." as above.

        Buyer is mad. Because package was supposed to arrive today.  Says wants refund if package does not arrive "in a few days".  Well I can't exactly blame her,  but I don't know how long a seller is allowed to wait before refunding.

       Suppose the item arrives after I refund her?  Will ebay get my money back from her PP account?  Or managed payments, or whatever she used to pay?

        Suppose the item arrives and the screwed-up tracking system does not record that it arrived?

        What is correct procedure here?  I never had this happen before, never had an item not arrive.

Though occasionally items did arrive late, and the PO is so erratic now.

Pleas help,  advise, thanks.

[buyselljack2016]

Are you checking the tracking at USPS dot com, or referring to what eBay is showing?

@mstcwrld7 

eBay has gone bonkers with tracking.

AS to getting the money back if refunded..................    only if you have an honest buyer. eBay has no means to get you repaid.

Some shipping is delayed, but that is a different issue.    I have a 2-day Priority that will be lucky to make it in 7 days.   A 1st Class out for a week with nothing after the regional facility.

Check USPS dot com, then message the buyer to reassure them that it is an eBay induced "glitch" caused by possibly some well intended coding that has gone wrong.

[mstcwrld7]

     Thanks for the advice. 

    I did check www.usps.com which says the package is in transit, arriving late.

That is what I thought.

      I had also called ebay; they said if the package arrives after I have refunded the buyer -- and tracking shows this -- the buyer is supposed to return my item, or I can have ebay step in.

This all depends, of course, on the tracking record showing the item was delivered.

  I recently had a Priority item take a week to arrive...

[buyselljack2016]

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@mstcwrld7 wrote:

     Thanks for the advice. 

    I did check www.usps.com which says the package is in transit, arriving late.

That is what I thought.

      I had also called ebay; they said if the package arrives after I have refunded the buyer -- and tracking shows this -- the buyer is supposed to return my item, or I can have ebay step in.

This all depends, of course, on the tracking record showing the item was delivered.

  I recently had a Priority item take a week to arrive...

---

Yes, if it arrives after a refund.............................  ethically the buyer should return, or pay for the item, but other than small claims court you may be out of luck if the buyer chooses to keep the item for free.

As to have ebay step in ...........................  they will do nothing. Documented fact.

Let's hope that the buyer has a bit of patience.  Did you message them with apologies for the carrier "poor performance", "eBay's glitched status", and refer them to USPS dot com for the latest/correct status of their item?