For the First Time in 20 Years - I have Lost an Item I Sold

[labratdolls]

I had an item that I have been re-listing for a couple of months and it sold tonight. Before Christmas, I had moved all my inventory from the guest bedroom, to the back bedroom and most of my shipping supplies to the basement. I went to retrieve the item from the stack of shelves In the closet I thought I had put it in, and it was not there. I have now torn up both bedrooms, part of the basement and opened every drawer in the house. The item is no where to be found. How do I approach the buyer about this? This has never happened to me in 20 years! I feel awful! 

[gymbo_limbo]

I'm sorry this happened. Many of us know this sinking feeling. Apologize, be honest, and perhaps offer a discount on a different item in the future. Best of luck

[dhbookds]

just a shot..........when I lose something, if I go back to the original place I look.......9/10 times I find it. 

[pvcliff]

Don't say anything tonight! Sleep on it, you never know what may come to you over night.  Then look again with fresh eyes in the morning before contacting the buyer. In our home when we lose something we say "the house ate it", and it can be years before it regurgitates the item.

[ten_o_nine]

You'll find it, just use a flashlight and point it the items as you scan them.

[labratdolls]

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@dhbookds wrote:

just a shot..........when I lose something, if I go back to the original place I look.......9/10 times I find it. 

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That’s why I did look in the guest bedroom - which I had cleaned out before my daughter came to stay at Christmas. The items had been on the dresser before, so I did look in all the drawers just in case. I remember wrapping the items up in tissue paper so they wouldn’t get scratched before I moved them. I went through all of my tissue paper - I have a ton of it - so that was fun! I wonder of I accidentally stuffed a purse I sold with the tissue paper the flatware was wrapped in. I am just beside myself!

[fashunu4eeuh]

So sorry this happened. Just a thought: Is it an item that you could replace? You might consider looking for another one online and have it shipped to your buyer.

This would prevent your having to cancel the transaction which will give you a defect.

[mg152]

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@labratdolls wrote:

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@dhbookds wrote:

just a shot..........when I lose something, if I go back to the original place I look.......9/10 times I find it. 

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That’s why I did look in the guest bedroom - which I had cleaned out before my daughter came to stay at Christmas. The items had been on the dresser before, so I did look in all the drawers just in case. I remember wrapping the items up in tissue paper so they wouldn’t get scratched before I moved them. I went through all of my tissue paper - I have a ton of it - so that was fun! I wonder of I accidentally stuffed a purse I sold with the tissue paper the flatware was wrapped in. I am just beside myself!

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First of all, calm down. This happens to everyone of us. We usually end up finding it after 2 or 3 coronary events. Have you looked to see if you can get the item from another seller & have it shipped to your buyer? Go to sleep, wake up refreshed & look again. If the worst happens, explain to the buyer & offer a discount on another item. I’d tell them if I locate it later, I’ll send it to them for free just to make it up to them. I’m betting you’ll find it when you calm down. Good luck & let us know. We feel your anguish!

[shevey55]

I lost something once many years ago. A friend said to pray to St Anthony. I'm not Catholic, but I did anyway. I did find the item that day. Can't hurt!

I've lost a few ebay items over the years. I found them after going through the whole inventory 2 or 3 times. (Except the one item ebay relisted on me 4 months after it sold)

[ersatz_sobriquet]

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@shevey55 wrote:

I lost something once many years ago. A friend said to pray to St Anthony. I'm not Catholic, but I did anyway. I did find the item that day. Can't hurt!

I've lost a few ebay items over the years. I found them after going through the whole inventory 2 or 3 times. (Except the one item ebay relisted on me 4 months after it sold)

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2nd that. Or is it 3rd that? 

When you're in panic mode you think you're carefully checking, but you can rush through the search glossing over the very thing you're looking for. I've done it. 

[castlemagicmemories]

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@pvcliff wrote:

Don't say anything tonight! Sleep on it, you never know what may come to you over night.  Then look again with fresh eyes in the morning before contacting the buyer. In our home when we lose something we say "the house ate it", and it can be years before it regurgitates the item.

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The house ate it...never heard that one!

Maybe sometimes things go where one sock goes.  

[castlemagicmemories]

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@shevey55 wrote:

I lost something once many years ago. A friend said to pray to St Anthony. I'm not Catholic, but I did anyway. I did find the item that day. Can't hurt!

I've lost a few ebay items over the years. I found them after going through the whole inventory 2 or 3 times. (Except the one item ebay relisted on me 4 months after it sold)

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St Anthony must be the patron Saint of lost things.

I go right to the top.  I pray, God, you know all things and you know where this is.  I really need it, so please, Lord, let me find it.  PTL when it is found!

[newview]

Boy I hate when that happens, that sinking feeling just ruins your day.  I have a pretty good inventory sytem, all items in Bins & the Bin Number location in the SixBit Database for each item. But it still happens to me. too. Usually because, for whatever reason, I neglected to type in the Bin Number. So dumb.

Can you find items that you acquired at about the same time of the missing item? Many times when an item of mine has gone walkabout, I check to see what items I listed about the same time as that one, then go put my hands on THEM. The missing item generally turns up in the same location or a close proximity.

YMMV

[dcintennessee]

What's your handling commitment? Unless you "have" to ship Monday, wait before contacting your buyer. Is there someone else who can look for you? 

Wouldn't you have noticed if you stuffed a purse with weighted tissue paper? Could the item have been packed away with Christmas decorations? Laid down darn near anywhere while you took a phone call or were distracted for another reason? On top of the fridge? My house recently ate a steam mop cover (not for sale). I looked everywhere I thought it possibly could be, without success. Then I spotted it on a shelf in my office. Most likely I detoured for some unremembered reason, when on my way to mop the master bath. There's no other way it would have landed in the office.

Your item will magically reappear, but it's probably someplace you're not even thinking of looking. 

[mikeystoyz]

Sold a puzzle, looked for it, was not in the box where it was supposed to be.  Looked everywhere for the puzzle, checked online for a new puzzle.  Last ditch effort on my part was to look in the original box and there was the puzzle.  Dont ask me how or why but I will swear to this day I looked in the box to begin with.