eBay

weatherloach · ‎06-01-2022

Hi

I sold a book for $65 which is a nice sale for me. The buyer inquired and said the book isn't moving from my post office and the delivery date has passed.

I went to the post office and they have no clue were the book might be.

The buyer is not ugly but said he will wait until Friday then ask for a refund.

1) Am I forced to refund when he will ask , or is it beyond my control?

2) If I refund and following the tracking number, it gets delivered, what can I do if the buyer is not cooperating?

Thanks for your help

Weatherloach

m60driver · ‎06-01-2022

Explain to the buyer that USPS media mail, assuming you sent the book media mail, can be slow and to please be patient. Then wait for the buyer to file a formal item not received notice. You will then have a few more days before you will be required to issue a refund. If you make a refund and then the book arrives well, at that point you are dependent upon the good graces of the buyer who is under no obligation to pay. But do read the INR notice and initiate the refund within the stated time frame.

1786davycrockett · ‎06-01-2022

From what city are you shipping? Some states and cities have slower USPS movements than others do, and yours might be one of the slow-pokes.

What day did you ship, and what is the estimated USPS delivery date?

Did you ship via Media, First Class or Priority?

Any weather delays in your area, which may have effected delivery? How about in the buyer's area?

Lots of variables, as you can see.

reallynicestamps · ‎06-01-2022

If you have to refund and tracking later shows delivery, you can use eBay Messages to ask for the buyer's Paypal ID (because you have been in a transaction this is allowed).

Then you bill him through PP.

You may decide to waive the shipping charge, your choice.

If you keep the transaction polite and professional, you have a good chance that the buyer will return your refund.

a_c_green · ‎06-01-2022

@weatherloach wrote:
I sold a book for $65 which is a nice sale for me. The buyer inquired and said the book isn't moving from my post office and the delivery date has passed.
I went to the post office and they have no clue where the book might be.

When you look up the tracking number on USPS.com, what is the latest scan reported there, and when did it occur?

Was this sent via Media Mail or a faster service? I can't seem to find a Sold listing of yours.

onefootflipper · ‎06-01-2022

I often say something like this.

"Hi, I am so sorry that your item appears to be delayed, could you do me the hugest favor and please close the ebay case, those can hurt my seller status. I will of course take care of you if the item ultimately does not show up, shipping insurance requires it to be 30 days to make a loss claim anyway, and I have found that if it hasn't shown up by 30 days then it probably isn't ever going to show up. If I refund early it could complicate both our lives if the item still gets delivered."

I have about a 50 percent success rate with that, it depends on if the person is a reasonable person or not.

caseypl · ‎06-01-2022

This seems like a good response. I have in many cases assumed the item would somehow get lost in the mail. Never happened. It always ends up delivering. You do not want to issue a refund and then feel insulted when it arrives to the buyer just a couple days later. But make it look like you are doing all you can. I have found that after I do lost mail inquiries, it gets the mail moving somehow.

Most shipments go off fine, just let the buyer know this one unfortunately appears delayed but that you believe it will arrive and cannot consider it lost at this point.

tarbucky · ‎06-01-2022

Don't ever whine like that to your customer, be professional. The customer does not care about your seller status, the customer wants to know where the book is that he's paid $65 for. Going to the post office and talking to a clerk means nothing. You go to usps.com and look up the tracking number and see what it says.

First you need to respond to the other responses and tell us what the tracking says and how you shipped it. Don't mention shipping insurance if you were cheap and just mailed media mail. When was it shipped and when is it supposed to be delivered?

carlmarxx · ‎06-01-2022

Tarb. going to USPS. Com will be useless If the OP dropped the Package on the counter and parcel will be off USPS tracking radar for 15 to 25 days or longer . If the buyer opens a INR after the estimated delivery or files with credit card which will be case lately . sounds like the buyer will not wait since the OP is a newbie .

lepke1979 · ‎06-01-2022

@weatherloach wrote:
Hi

I sold a book for $65 which is a nice sale for me. The buyer inquired and said the book isn't moving from my post office and the delivery date has passed.
I went to the post office and they have no clue were the book might be.
The buyer is not ugly but said he will wait until Friday then ask for a refund.

1) Am I forced to refund when he will ask , or is it beyond my control?

2) If I refund and following the tracking number, it gets delivered, what can I do if the buyer is not cooperating?

Thanks for your help

Weatherloach

If you got an initial scan and it hasn't moved, do a Where's My Package via the USPS site if you haven't already. Can also sign up for email and text updates via the tracking page.

If the buyer does an INR. Can wait a day or two I guess, but refund the money. And if it eventually gets delivered, eBay is supposed to refund you what was taken. I don't know if there is a point where they won't though (30 days? Could be more). I also don't know if you have to request it via chat or eBay for Business on Facebook. But if you refund after the buyer does an INR and it shows delivered a week or two later. You shouldn't be out the money.

Also, where is it coming from and where is it going to? If you did media mail going to Guam or Mariana Islands for instance. It can take over a month with no updates. I guess it goes by boat.