Guy gives me the wrong address, and apparently I'm wasting HIS time

[iamalwaysright]

I get an INR and a message from a guy who says he thinks there is a mistake in his shipping address then types his address out. The package was delivered to the exact address on file about a month ago. That is the same address the buyer typed, but different unit number. I tell him to physically check with that unit to claim his package.

He says he did but can't get the package because the recipient sent it back since the address was wrong.

Tracking doesn't show any activity since it got delivered a month ago. I tell him then I'll contact him when the package returns back to me to see if he wants a reduced refund or to re-send it to his new address.

"Well how long is that going to take?? Im just going to purchase somewhere else rather than wait even longer for all of this. I just want a full refund. You're a big waste of my time."

[mam98031]

Buyers have the responsibility to give you the correct ship to address.  If they give you an incorrect address, it shouldn't count against you.  Put the tracking in on the INR and it should close in your favor.

Let your buyer know that if you get it back, you will let them know and issue them a refund less shipping and any non recoverable fees.

I've had plenty of these over the years.  Some buyers are just easier to work with than others.  I hope everything turns out for you.

[slyders_finds]

If you shipped to address on file you are good. EBay will back you. The customer may be scamming trying to get the item and the refund. I would ignore future messages and block the buyer from future purchases. Also check feedback he has left for other sellers(you have to do this on the website). You may see a pattern of bad behavior. 

[mam98031]

Oh I forgot something.  I would recommend that you go to USPS.com, if you shipped via USPS and call up the tracking number, then sign up to get email updates on any movement on the tracking.  That way you will know if they actually do start to send the item back to you.

[lakefor94]

Sounds like you have an entitled buyer that will not take responsibility for their error.

If the item had significant value, keep screenshots of delivery and messaging in case of an INAD chargeback. 

If they filed an INR chargeback, eBay would back you.

You never know what the entitled might file....

[movieman630]

There is no end to the entitled nature of most buyers.  I recently had one who's order got sent back to me as "undeliverable address".  I too sent it to the address the buyer had on file with ebay.  I print all my labels direct from ebay.

I only use USPS and don't offer anything else.  Buyer never emailed me about anything in regard to their order.

They emailed me noticing it got returned to me and said "The USPS doesn't deliver to that address only UPS."  To which I replied I only ever use USPS as was stated in the listing as the shipping service and why didn't they let me know before it was shipped?" 

They said I should have said in my listing that I only use USPS.  Fast Forward...

Basically they tried to blame me for not saying I don't ship anything but USPS in my listing.  My only reply was that it is listed as the shipping service and even still how would I know that there was a shipping service that WON'T deliver to their address.  Most do.  If there is some rare exception it should be the buyer who lets the seller know that information.

Why would anyone assume someone's default shipping service was UPS if it wasn't stated?  How ridiculous is that! 

How do I know the USPS doesn't deliver to your address!  More importantly the question in my head is WHY is that even a thing!?  How do you have an address IN THE UNITED STATES THAT THE "UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE" DOESN'T DELIVER TO??  How is that possible?  Only UPS can find that address?  Makes no sense!

[kickin.assets]

@movieman630 

USPS does not deliver to our home address. We needed to purchase a PO Box 15 years ago when we moved into this home as there is no, and has never been a mailbox. And USPS will NOT deliver here, nor do pickups.

Crazy as that may sound to you, it happens. Being in rural country town, for some reason, the last few houses on our street, never had or ever will have mailboxes.

No problems with UPS/FedEex, and post office box, though a little inconvenient, is something we have just grown accustomed to and works really well now being a seller.

[kensgiftshop]

There are a lot of places USPS doesn't deliver to home addresses.

There's a small town not far from me, they all have addresses, but USPS doesn't deliver to them, they all have to use a PO box.

[a_c_green]

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@movieman630 wrote:

How do you have an address IN THE UNITED STATES THAT THE "UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE" DOESN'T DELIVER TO??  How is that possible?  Only UPS can find that address?  Makes no sense!

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It's obviously a cost thing. If you're living in some rural area where the houses are miles out and miles apart, the USPS can't support driving that far every day just to deliver two ad fliers and a vet bill.

UPS or FedEx Ground will do it on an as-needed basis because they can charge more per piece (though it was kind of funny to see, on my last vacation in the North Woods of Wisconsin, a UPS truck trying to do a two-point turnaround on a dirt road in the middle of the forest 😄).

[cstpos]

@a_c_green  I'm in northern IL and there are still a lot of farms. Many rural areas don't have USPS delivery. We also had a cabin on a private lake in MN and there was no mail service there, either. USPS used to deliver once a week to some locations, but have had to save money wherever they can.

[iamalwaysright]

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@a_c_green wrote:

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@movieman630 wrote:

How do you have an address IN THE UNITED STATES THAT THE "UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE" DOESN'T DELIVER TO??  How is that possible?  Only UPS can find that address?  Makes no sense!

---

It's obviously a cost thing. If you're living in some rural area where the houses are miles out and miles apart, the USPS can't support driving that far every day just to deliver two ad fliers and a vet bill.

UPS or FedEx Ground will do it on an as-needed basis because they can charge more per piece (though it was kind of funny to see, on my last vacation in the North Woods of Wisconsin, a UPS truck trying to do a two-point turnaround on a dirt road in the middle of the forest 😄).

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I always thought it was a government owned versus being a private company thing. More red tape for government run to go thru in order for them to change their rules whereas a private company would have more flexibility. But yes, it comes down to cost.

I know a few small snowy towns that I shipped to and the buyers didn't even know USPS doesn't deliver mail to them. The buyer assumed they did because they said Amazon, UPS, and Walmart trucks deliver to their house all the time. Apparently they thought USPS, Amazon, UPS, etc trucks are all from the same delivery service company because they all basically do the same thing... deliver things. I spoke to the city's postmaster to verify not delivering to houses and he confirmed it. He also said the residents in the town aren't the sharpest knife in the drawer with many not knowing where to put stamps, addressee, sender info on the packages.

[iamalwaysright]

Update:

To their "How long is that going to take??" message, I replied that depends on when it was sent back and how quickly USPS handles the RTS package.

He comes back with "I don't even know if it was sent back or not."

Lol "Then why'd you say it was?? Dude go get your package from your neighbor and stop jerking me around." (said the voice in my head).

[iamalwaysright]

I’m pretty careful when using the word scam to describe my buyers because I give benefit of doubt and like to believe that buyers are still inherently good. But I’m smart enough to recognize obvious signs that show that a buyer is trying something shady. Interesting and somewhat concrete update:

Shortly after I wrote my last reply, I decided to look up both addresses on google and maps. Turns out the address isn’t a residential building, it’s a shopping mall plaza that both unit #s are a part of. The first unit # (what’s on eBay file) is a box number in one of those mailbox stores. The second unit # is a water store a few stores down. So I called the mailbox store to see if the box was linked to my buyer at all.

The worker confirmed with me that the box is currently owned by my buyer. So my buyer lied about that being a “wrong address.” I explained the situation to the worker and she said “yea that guy from the water store nearby came recently and picked up your package, but it was sitting here since last month. He has your package.”

I asked again to make sure I wasn’t misunderstanding or there wasn’t a mix up. And she accurately described the package to me and said he has it. “He’s probably trying to scam you to give him back his money. You can tell him you talked to me and we confirmed he has the package.” I’m also suspicious about how someone who pays for a mail box that is less than a 1 minute walk from their work address which also receives mail delivery. 😏