eBay

iamalwaysright · ‎06-29-2025

If I get an “addressee unknown” tracking status on an international delivery (Dubai), will I win an INR if it’s filed?

richard1rst · ‎06-29-2025

As long as you mailed it to exactly the address on your eBay screen (with no changes) the simple answer is yes.

I have had occasion to converse with various buyers in middle eastern countries. Many of them do not have door to door deliveries as we do. Mail is held at the post office and the buyer is responsible for picking it up. Of course that only works if the buyer knows it is there.

Maybe a note to the buyer relating what is happening might be in order.

Obviously every country has their own rules, but "addressee unknown" should eventually become "return to sender."

"Laissez-faire capitalism (AKA The Great Material Continuum) is the only social system based on the recognition of individual rights and, therefore, the only system that bans force from social relationships." ~ Ayn Rand

iamalwaysright · ‎06-29-2025

Yea definitely I told the buyer about this.

In regards to your simple answer, do you think I’ll still be protected since I used a 3rd party to create the postage label (Pirateship)? Therefore there isn’t really any real proof that I mailed it exactly to the address on the payment page since I didn’t use eBay to create the postage.

gurlcat · ‎06-29-2025

Depends on what you mean by "international delivery." EIS or DIY? If the former then you're covered, if not then probably not.

richard1rst · ‎06-29-2025

@iamalwaysright wrote:
Yea definitely I told the buyer about this.

In regards to your simple answer, do you think I’ll still be protected since I used a 3rd party to create the postage label (Pirateship)? Therefore there isn’t really any real proof that I mailed it exactly to the address on the payment page since I didn’t use eBay to create the postage.

You are still safe. I use Pirateship 99.99% exclusively. I can state for certain that Pirateship abides by eBay's rules - you CAN NOT change the address, and you can not send any "add on messages"to the buyer. Assuming your PS account is tied to your eBay account they automatically upload the tracking number and shipping information directly to eBay.

I have responded to various INR complaints over the years. In each case I uploaded the PS info and that was the end of it.

"Laissez-faire capitalism (AKA The Great Material Continuum) is the only social system based on the recognition of individual rights and, therefore, the only system that bans force from social relationships." ~ Ayn Rand

richard1rst · ‎06-29-2025

@gurlcat wrote:
Depends on what you mean by "international delivery." EIS or DIY? If the former then you're covered, if not then probably not.

Disagree

As mentioned above, I use Pirateship and have never had a problem using them to prove delivery. In fact PS has a major advantage versus eBay. eBay deletes tracking information after 90 days or so. PS keeps it FOREVER. I can bring up proof of delivery of every package I have ever sent back to the very first one more years ago than I can remember.

"Laissez-faire capitalism (AKA The Great Material Continuum) is the only social system based on the recognition of individual rights and, therefore, the only system that bans force from social relationships." ~ Ayn Rand

mam98031 · ‎06-29-2025

Did you ship using EIS?

mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999

"I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you." Quote from Edward I Koch

gurlcat · ‎06-29-2025

@richard1rst wrote:
@gurlcat wrote:
Depends on what you mean by "international delivery." EIS or DIY? If the former then you're covered, if not then probably not.
Disagree

As mentioned above, I use Pirateship and have never had a problem using them to prove delivery. In fact PS has a major advantage versus eBay. eBay deletes tracking information after 90 days or so. PS keeps it FOREVER. I can bring up proof of delivery of every package I have ever sent back to the very first one more years ago than I can remember.

But that's only IF the item actually gets a 'Delivered' scan. If it can't be delivered for some reason, I doubt that country's postal service is going to pay to ship it back to the American sender, so it would simply be a failed delivery.

I'm saying what matters is NOT which entity sold the label; it's which shipping service the OP went with. If it was EIS, then eBay will handle it, no charge to the seller. But if the OP just did their own international shipping, then the INR will be on them, as far as eBay is concerend.

iamalwaysright · ‎06-30-2025

@mam98031 wrote:
Did you ship using EIS?

Nope. I shipped it myself using Pirateship which is linked to my eBay with the orders imported in and tracking number automatically uploaded back.

gurlcat · ‎06-30-2025

@iamalwaysright wrote:
@mam98031 wrote:
Did you ship using EIS?
Nope. I shipped it myself using Pirateship which is linked to my eBay with the orders imported in and tracking number automatically uploaded back.

Pray it gets delivered then. If not, it would be just like a domestic INR.

iamalwaysright · ‎06-30-2025

@gurlcat wrote:
@iamalwaysright wrote:
@mam98031 wrote:
Did you ship using EIS?
Nope. I shipped it myself using Pirateship which is linked to my eBay with the orders imported in and tracking number automatically uploaded back.

Pray it gets delivered then. If not, it would be just like a domestic INR.

If it’s treated just like a domestic INR, then I should be good as an “Addressee Unknown” tracking update counts as a delivery attempt right? I doubt the package will end up getting delivered without any buyer assistance/action based on the update status. We’ll see what the buyer does when I give them this info.

richard1rst · ‎06-30-2025

@iamalwaysright wrote:
If it’s treated just like a domestic INR, then I should be good as an “Addressee Unknown” tracking update counts as a delivery attempt right? I doubt the package will end up getting delivered without any buyer assistance/action based on the update status. We’ll see what the buyer does when I give them this info.

That is correct. Be sue to download and save the tracking information showing "addressee unknown". That is your protection.

"Laissez-faire capitalism (AKA The Great Material Continuum) is the only social system based on the recognition of individual rights and, therefore, the only system that bans force from social relationships." ~ Ayn Rand

gurlcat · ‎06-30-2025

@iamalwaysright wrote:
@gurlcat wrote:
@iamalwaysright wrote:
@mam98031 wrote:
Did you ship using EIS?
Nope. I shipped it myself using Pirateship which is linked to my eBay with the orders imported in and tracking number automatically uploaded back.

Pray it gets delivered then. If not, it would be just like a domestic INR.
If it’s treated just like a domestic INR, then I should be good as an “Addressee Unknown” tracking update counts as a delivery attempt right? I doubt the package will end up getting delivered without any buyer assistance/action based on the update status. We’ll see what the buyer does when I give them this info.

I'll admit I haven't had an order get an 'unknown address' scan, but maybe Richard is correct that it becomes a 'Return to sender' thing (and the seller gets their item back). But like I said, I doubt the Dubai postal carrier is going to pay to send the package back overseas to you -maybe there would be a way for you to pay to get it back, I don't know.

As for if the buyer files an INR ..... then I hope you'll update us on what happens.

gurlcat · ‎06-30-2025

Why don't you use EIS instead of roughing it on your own?

iamalwaysright · ‎06-30-2025

@gurlcat wrote:
@iamalwaysright wrote:
@gurlcat wrote:
@iamalwaysright wrote:
@mam98031 wrote:
Did you ship using EIS?
Nope. I shipped it myself using Pirateship which is linked to my eBay with the orders imported in and tracking number automatically uploaded back.

Pray it gets delivered then. If not, it would be just like a domestic INR.
If it’s treated just like a domestic INR, then I should be good as an “Addressee Unknown” tracking update counts as a delivery attempt right? I doubt the package will end up getting delivered without any buyer assistance/action based on the update status. We’ll see what the buyer does when I give them this info.
I'll admit I haven't had an order get an 'unknown address' scan, but maybe Richard is correct that it becomes a 'Return to sender' thing (and the seller gets their item back). But like I said, I doubt the Dubai postal carrier is going to pay to send the package back overseas to you -maybe there would be a way for you to pay to get it back, I don't know.

As for if the buyer files an INR ..... then I hope you'll update us on what happens.

It’s not an unknown address status, it’s an “addressee unknown” which typically means the address exists, but the recipient name on the postage label is unfamiliar with that specific address. Maybe like a “that person by that name doesn’t live here” issue. Even for domestic shipments, I’ve always found this RTS reason to be pretty stupid as many times recipient names on address labels are dumb made up names or words. Unless the package was physically refused by a tenant from that existing address for that reason. Like even if the recipient name is blank, the package will still deliver to the address just fine. I myself have gotten plenty of junk mail to my address (work and home) with different names and such that I’ve never heard of before.

My concern isn’t if I will receive the package back, frankly I don’t even care about it as long as I’d be protected from INR because of that delivery attempt scan. Let the package go into USPS limbo for all I care. I just want to hold onto my cash and not be responsible for buyer fault.