Customer says they didn't receive the item

[officialpalegg]

Here is the exact message I got from the customer:

"According to your tracking number the moth traps were delivered; we have a receiving room in this building and a door attendant. Noone received this item. There are 3 buildings in this neighborhood with the address 1555 although different street names. Sometimes items are delivered in error to another building. I have no way of knowing. Unfortunately with USPS the mail people simple scan the item and drop it, per the doorman. He says noone signs for it which is different than UPS and Fedex. I will wait until monday to check again, if not, I dont know what to tell you. This happened to me one other time with USPS; they swore up and down that they delivered the item and in the end, the ebay seller received the item back. They are a mess, especially in the cities. Sorry."

So, if you don't want to read the whole thing, they basically had me mail the package to a building (I'm assuming apartment building) and the package may or may not have been taken to the wrong building.

I'm not planning on giving a refund. It's the customer's fault for not letting me know that I should get a signature confirmation and the item is too expensive to refund just to please this person. At the same time, I don't want to receive negative feedback for not helping out. What would you guys do? 

[misfitfun · Accepted solution]

Nothing can guarantee no negative feedback.

You sympathise that they have a problem w their usps service and suggest the contact their post master w the tracking number and see if gps can flag where it was scanned.You also suggest they open a lost package claim on usps.com and you will as well if they like.

[fashunu4eeuh]

When the tracking shows delivery, the seller’s obligations are met. Of course you can express your concern and recommend they check for the package. If the buyer files an Item Not Received case to press for a refund, you upload the tracking number showing delivery and eBay will close the case in your favor.

Since this has happened to them before, it is regrettable they didnt send it to a more secure location. 

[a_c_green]

As above: murmur sympathetically and suggest that he doublecheck with his carrier, because his own post office is saying that they delivered it. If he files an Item Not Received dispute, you will have the Tracking number proving delivery with which to upload and get the case closed out. 

Signature Confirmation would be a needless expense as it would simply be signed for by whoever's taking in the mail; it doesn't need to be the addressee. It could still go to the wrong apartment building, because if the addresses of adjacent buildings there are so easily confused, the employees probably aren't scrutinizing the mail too closely either. 

[retrose1]

Dear buyer,

I am sorry you did not get your package.  Since tracking shows delvered, but you have been having problems with receiving your mail, I will speak to my postmaster and have your postmaster flag your address for investigation and have a chat wit your delivery person about the confusion in deliveries.

In the meantime, you might want to invest in something more secure, like a post office box or having the PO hold your mail for pickup until this is sorted out. 

You.

Is all you need to send them.  The buyer usually 'finds' their package soon after.

[archer2950]

I once had the same problem and opened a claim since the item was insured (Priority Mail) which promptly came back disapproved because the tracker showed delivered.  Talking to the buyer I found out USPS sometimes delivers to the wrong address because of the similarity within the area.  Talking to my delivery man, I found out the post office can actually look up the location it was "actually" delivered to because of the GPS in their handheld devices.  I believe he called it the GEO locator.  After learning this, I appealed the claim and requested the GEO locator info.  I never received a letter from USPS (like I did when they disapproved my claim), but did receive a check for the item, so I'm assuming it was in fact delivered to the wrong location or they just wanted to shut me up.  Hope this helps.