Costly item stuck in transit, what to do?

[sunflowers652016]

Hi all, 

I sold an item for $140, sent USPS first class, and I do have insurance on it, but it seems to be stuck in transit. It has been in transit for 9 days and no activity for 5 days.  It does state that it is delayed but has no other information of where it is.

I am in touch with my buyer, and she said she will wait 2 more days and then lmk if she didn't get it. I guess at that point she will want a refund, which I have no problem with, but I will certainly want my item back or the abilty to file an insurance claim. 

I have heard and read that ebay refunds buyer pretty quickly for shipments that didn't arrive by the estimated time, does anybody know how that works? 

What can I do at this point, to be sure that I  get my item back if I have to refund, or to be sure I am covered by my insurance? If USPS finally gets it delivered, even late, I will not be covered by the insurance. I want to file a missing mail claim but it asks who to send item to if package is found. So far, my buyer has not been refunded so I would like to put my buyer's address. However, I could do that tonight and she could file a claim tomorrow or the next day and just get refunded? While the item is possibly on it's way to her?? 

Help? 

[slippinjimmy]

Can you post a screenshot of the tracking info (from USPS not from eBay)?

Or at least the location of the last scan and the destination. Things do disappear into the ether and then reappear.

[medusa_pewter]

I would probably wait the 2 days and if not delivered look into filing with post office to recall package. Cost to do that is I think $12 or so, but better that then out the item and the money. As far as I know, eBay will refund a delivered late package-which does not get reversed if it is received afterward.

[adkhighker]

I no longer sell during the last 3 weeks of December or the first week of January because USPS gets so backed up during the holidays that it can take several weeks to get back to normal. Plus they often have to hire some part time workers during this time and mistakes can happen such as packages destined for Kansas ending up on a plane headed to Hawaii.

Anyway, when I've had similar problems with something being stuck in transit for more than a few days, I've gone to the post office and asked to see the postmaster because they can look into it and possibly help. If you give the postmaster your tracking number he or she should be able to tell you more about the whereabouts of your package than what you'll see on the generic USPS tracking website. A couple of times after doing that, my packages seemed to start moving again. Good luck with it!

[kass2emma]

Go to the USPS website & do a tracking search. They offer to send you updates if you leave your email address.  Whenever I do this the package usually is found not long after  & updates come in pretty quickly until it gets delivered.

[reallynicestamps]

Start by enquiring with the shipper (USPS?).

If you don't nothing will happen.

If you can ask at the PO rather than by phone or by email, all the better. In person makes it a bit more urgent for the clerk.

Those enquiries often shake things loose.

If your buyer is not enquiring , don't communicate with her that there is a problem.

For example, the delivery may have happened but the carrier forgot to mark it. Stuff happens. If the buyer is not worried, don't worry her.

[sunflowers652016]

I did sign up for updates on the site, with 2 different emails, trying to get it to move, lol. But Nothing, no movement at all. 

I also talked to the clerk at my PO and she did not see anything more than I could see. She said give it a day or so then try to intercept it, which would send it back to me if found. I hate to do that IF my buyer is waiting for it, yet if she gets frustrated enough she can just click not received and get a refund, even if it's in transit? That should be illegal on ebay's part, if buyer receives the item after refunding her with my money, they just helped her steal. WTH?

I guess I will try to intercept tomorrow, will cost me 13.95 plus a definite Neg. No fault of my own, and still no guarentee I won't lose both money and item at the end of it.

Ebay's such Fun!

Thanks guys.

[southern*sweet*tea]

Your buyer said she'd wait two more days. If after that time it still hasn't arrived and she's not willing to wait any longer, file a lost mail report  https://www.usps.com/help/missing-mail.htm   Have the package sent BACK TO YOU if found. There is NO CHARGE for this. (if the package was sent Parcel Ground or Media Mail I think you'll have to pay the return ship, otherwise FC and Priority will be returned at no charge)

Your buyer isn't going to wait forever, and if she opens a case you'll have to refund, so have her open the case and get her refunded. It won't count against you if you act on it and refund.

I've only had to do this once, but it did work. Package fell off the earth for almost two weeks, buyer filed an INR, I refunded and filed the lost mail report, having it sent back to me. A week or so later the package was found and sent back. I relisted it and resold it.

[sunflowers652016]

Okay, that is what I will do, thank-you.

The postal clerk did mention that if an 'intercept' is started too late, it doesn't work, so I guess my concern would be that the item is delivered before the missing mail report is put into action. 

Also, how likely is it that the item got delivered but not scanned? Would I be able to file an insurance claim if that happened?

Thanks 🙂

[sam9876]

Yes.

[vtrsire8i0]

Always at first scent of a stuck item I go to the USPS and under my account fill out the "find missing / lost mail" form, doing so seems to have helped knock a few of these packages loose.

[dinpavent0]

This just happened to my husband on his acct. He went to post office and tried to see if they could check gps. It ended up showing up in state it was supposed to be in the very next day. It showed no activity for almost 10 days. I would check with post office first and maybe give it another day or two.