I didn't share all the details when I first posted about this INR (in case my buyer was reading, I didn't want him to know what I was doing).
So on May 22, a package went out for delivery, and there was no delivery scan. On the 23rd it said "awaiting delivery scan".
On May 28 at lunch time I got a message from the buyer that he doesn't have his package. I waited to respond, and when I did, I told him I was on the phone with USPS and I'd help him find his package. I spent the rest of the afternoon pondering what to tell him.
When I got home from work that evening I sent a message to tell him an investigation has been opened into his missing parcel and they will be investigating his letter carrier because he was the last person to have it (on the 22nd). I told him he'd probably need to sign a statement, and don't worry I provided USPS with all your contact info from the eBay site. I also provided him his postmasters name post office name and phone number (which USPS emailed me in the afternoon after the Missing Mail request was opened).
His response to this was to open one request each for the two coins he didn't receive. (And it was an immediate response to my message, not a response that happened hours later). I went and uploaded tracking and said in the case an investigation is being opened, and that he needs to be patient while they look for his package. He replies that he opened the claim so eBay would know he didn't get his package.
I spent the evening planning my next move, because now I have these two refund requests pending (which were set to time out on June 3). I found out eBay can put a hold if there's an update, and not long after the Missing Mail request was started the tracking was updated to provide information that there was an investigation started on this package (which the buyer can also see).
First thing Saturday I called his post office with the number USPS provided. I told them they delivered a package on the 22nd that wasn't scanned as delivered. I told them I opened a missing mail request but it's not missing in the sense that they need to go and look for it, they just need to confirm if they delivered it and mark it delivered.
Twenty minutes later tracking updated to say delivered, and it was retroactive to May 22 (to confirm the out for delivery date was the date it was delivered). I decided to wait before doing anything else, but not long after this happened eBay sent messages to tell me the package was delivered and the request will be closed in 24 hours (giving the buyer a chance to confirm or appeal). The buyer didn't respond.
After the case closes in my favour, I get a message from the buyer telling me the post office has been holding his mail for some random reason and all his packages were delivered Saturday afternoon. (I knew my package would turn up if I kept at this...)
Anyway, I'm glad I managed to have that INR closed in less than 24 hours and I think kudos to me for calling his post office. The post office apologized for what they did. I just explained without the delivery scan I will have to refund him, so if it's delivered, please mark it as such. She said she'd talk to the letter carrier and it was updated 20 minutes later.
C.
