eBay

bereantrading · ‎07-08-2021

On June 21, a buyer purchased 3 desk flags from me. On June 22, the same buyer purchased 2 more of the same exact item, for a total of 5. Both orders were going to the same address. I shipped both orders together.

For that particular item, the shipping label is not purchased through eBay, but there is tracking. Being it doesn't upload automatically, I usually don't enter tracking information unless I need to because a buyer opens a dispute ( it happens very seldom,and the last time a buyer opened a dispute on me for this item, it was very similar circumstances, only that buyer relented after tracking showed the item was already delivered).

So, earlier today (July 😎 buyer opens a claim on me saying he never received the item. I went and pulled the tracking number which shows it was delivered on June 28. The tracking information on USPS even indicates it was delivered to an individual at the location, and it shows that it went to the exact town and zip code on the order. I double checked the address I had on that, and it was the same address as that in the order.

So, I uploaded the tracking information onto the eBay case. Buyer has become verbally aggressive, using profanity, telling me he didn't really get the item and that I better issue a refund "or else" (he used those exact words).

What I suspect happened here is the buyer opened a claim, believe he could take advantage of the fact there was no tracking that I had put on the order at the time. But now that the tracking shows it was already delivered, he is getting mad and trying to threaten and bully me into capitulating.

My only concern is I get the wrong person from eBay who ignores the tracking information. eBay has already frozen my funds. I've done everything I'm supposed to do. If the buyer believed his own story, one has to wonder why he isn't talking about going down to the post office to figure out where the "error" was, since it would have had to have been error on the part of the postal service.

pikabo-icu · ‎07-08-2021

@bereantrading

Model citizen sheesh.

Has the buyer opened an official INR claim?

If yes, just make sure you enter the tracking into the case and you should be fine.

~Pika~
People in life that are the happiest don't have the most,, they make the most of what they have...

itscalledapostingid · ‎07-08-2021

I would contact my local Postmaster with that tracking number. Have them check their GPS information to see if it was actually delivered to the correct address. If it wasn't they may be able to help get the package delivered, returned or file an insurance claim if the USPS did mess up. Then you will also have a good idea wether or not the buyer is being honest. It's good that you put the tracking number into the case but I am not sure if you will be covered by Ebay if it was not initially uploaded to Ebay on time when it was supposed to be entered. You should always enter the tracking number when you ship it in the future.

luckythewinner · ‎07-08-2021

@bereantrading wrote:
My only concern is I get the wrong person from eBay who ignores the tracking information.

I'm not sure what you are looking for. Do you have an experience (or have you read anything on this board) that you feel justifies your concern that eBay will ignore your delivery confirmation in this instance?

@bereantrading wrote:
What I suspect happened here is the buyer opened a claim, believe he could take advantage of the fact there was no tracking that I had put on the order at the time.

If that is what you suspect, then it would seem that adding the tracking information at the start would have avoided this entire incident.

bereantrading · ‎07-08-2021

I don't think the exact time you enter the tracking is that consequential. The fact is, the item was shipped and there is tracking that shows it was delivered.

In fact, I was just thinking about how in many ways, that I automatically upload the tracking right away could actually be helping me in the case of a dishonest buyer who is opening a case believing there to be no tracking to prove delivery. Because with an INR case, I can show the item was delivered. Whereas if the buyer claimed the item wasn't as described or was broken when it wasn't, and then sent me back a different item, etc., that would be much harder to protect myself against.

vintagecraze50 · ‎07-08-2021

Always enter your tracking numbers into the system. The buyer might have thought they could get away with an item not received becuase they saw no tracking in their purchase.

bereantrading · ‎07-08-2021

Not necessarily. Being the buyer bought 5 of these flags, he could have claimed I only sent 3 of them or something. Instead, by me having not automatically uploaded the tracking number, the buyer chose INR case believing there to be no tracking information.

It's like this. If a buyer is dishonest, uploading tracking right away would only block that one type of case. There is nothing to stop the buyer from lying about the contents of the package. At least now the buyer is boxed into his narrative he never received it. My tracking should protect me against this claim. So now it is a bit hard for him to claim there is something wrong with the package.

numisnorway · ‎07-08-2021

Once i sent two small packages without tracking to two different buyers from the same European city, both got sent at the same time.. a few days later one of the buyers left me positive feedback and the other asked the same day if i had used tracking.. this is a somewhat close country so it didn't take many days. Obviously after i told him no he opened an INR case immediately.

It was so obvious. After that i started sending everything tracked.

In my opinion untracked should be an option where the buyer agrees to not having buyer protection. If they trust the seller and the item is suitable for that sort of shipping then why not?

I'm sure a lot of thievery is being committed using that particular tactic though. If they know they can get away with it..

"oh, no tracking.. sweet.. free item"

pikabo-icu · ‎07-08-2021

So you're playing some strange keep-a-way game with the tracking info, on the off chance that a buyer tries to scam you?

~Pika~
People in life that are the happiest don't have the most,, they make the most of what they have...

chapeau-noir · ‎07-08-2021

@bereantrading wrote:
Not necessarily. Being the buyer bought 5 of these flags, he could have claimed I only sent 3 of them or something. Instead, by me having not automatically uploaded the tracking number, the buyer chose INR case believing there to be no tracking information.

It's like this. If a buyer is dishonest, uploading tracking right away would only block that one type of case. There is nothing to stop the buyer from lying about the contents of the package. At least now the buyer is boxed into his narrative he never received it. My tracking should protect me against this claim. So now it is a bit hard for him to claim there is something wrong with the package.

@bereantrading You are over-thinking this. Simply enter the tracking number when you ship - give your buyer the courtesy of doing that as more than a few buyers also use it to track their item (they may need to be home, need to alert someone else, be curious or whatever). Basing your methods of doing business on the maybe/possible/hypothetical chance of a possible SNAD with this complicated avoidance strategy is pandering to the 1% of bad actors. It's better to serve the 99% good people.

Sorry you got such a jerk, though - IMHO, he would probably have thought of something else.

“The illegal we do immediately, the unconstitutional takes a little longer.” - Henry Kissinger

"Wherever law ends, tyranny begins" -John Locke

bereantrading · ‎07-08-2021

RIght. You got it exactly. Being it's permissible to send items without tracking, why can't there be an option available that protects sellers even without tracking?

To be clear, I did have tracking for this order. I just didn't enter it immediately. Buyer then opened an INR case. I uploaded the tracking. The case even now reflects the item was already delivered. To be honest, I almost like doing it how I do it, by uploading the tracking if needed. Because it gets the dishonest buyers to open cases for the wrong reasons that can easily be overturned.

I can see the pros and cons of both arguments on there being an option protecting sellers even without tracking information. If sellers know they are protected without having to prove delivery, would that not invite dishonest sellers?

On the flip side, I think the current system places almost too much emphasis on the tracking. As a seller, I could have shipped this customer a box of rocks. I'm not saying I did that or would do that. But as long as I ship something and get tracking for it, I can be protected as a seller. How much sense does that make?

itscalledapostingid · ‎07-08-2021

Actually it does matter to Ebay when the tracking number is uploaded so yeah it does matter.

This is from Ebay's policy pages. Read it carefully noting the part about uploading the tracking number before the estimated delivery date:

"If a buyer reports that an item hasn't been received

If you ship an item within your stated handling time, and upload tracking from one of eBay's integrated shipping carriers before the estimated delivery date, you're protected."

reallynicestamps · ‎07-08-2021

buyer purchased 3 desk flags from me. On June 22, the same buyer purchased 2 more

What's that saying about patriotism and scoundrels?

bereantrading · ‎07-08-2021

Not exactly trying to play a keep away game with tracking on this possibility. It is just I tend to not go enter tracking info manually. On the items that I purchase shipping labels through eBay, the tracking is automatically put onto the order. It has been more of time issue and/or laziness issue with not entering the tracking that i have to manually enter. Now, if there is a dishonest buyer who tries to take advantage of the situation, believing there to be no tracking when there is, that's just an ancillary benefit.