I've made an expensive mistake, ideas for how to handle it please.

[wears4bears]

Buyer ordered and paid for a plush toy item with express international shipping. I accidentally sent something similar, but it wasn't what they ordered. It was much bigger, nicer and worth 3 times as much as what they bought...a real bargain for what they paid. But of course, they might be upset and want what they bought.

Because of the current situation, their express package hasn't arrived yet, so they don't yet know of the mistake.

I'm hoping they receive their package and realize they got a bargain and are happy. But if they are disappointed, what should I do? The cost of express shipping was almost as much as what they paid for the item.

I'm really wishing I had paid more attention at the time, I remember having the brief thought while I was packing that I should have priced this item higher, but it didn't register. This is the first time I've sent the wrong thing to a customer, and of course it turned out to be an expensive mistake with the most expensive shipping.

Any ideas or suggestions appreciated.

[dk0]

Always be proactive.  As soon as you realized the mistake you should have contacted the buyer to let them know.

It's not about the value of what the buyer is getting, it's about them getting what they want.  Since you sent it express international, I'm guessing it may be a birthday present or something similar.

Hopefully you will get lucky and they will like the item you sent, and will accept it rather than what they ordered, but if not, you should sent out what they actually ordered.

[kensgiftshop]

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@wears4bears wrote:

I'm hoping they receive their package and realize they got a bargain and are happy. But if they are disappointed, what should I do? The cost of express shipping was almost as much as what they paid for the item.

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Either pay to have the item returned and refund, or just refund and let them keep the item.

[iart]

Except then they could demand the actual item.

[iart]

I'm better at making mistakes than fixing them!

I would probably send a note, be honest, explain what happened. Ask if they'll be happy with the other item or if they would rather return it (while you send out the correct one). Then hope they'll keep the one they have and say all is ok.

I'm sorry this happened to you but sellers should pay for their mistakes. It makes you try harder. LoL

[kensgiftshop]

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@iart wrote:

Except then they could demand the actual item.

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If they still wanted the original item, seller could ship it once the other item was returned.

[adkhighker]

I'm sorry that happened to you. The fact that it's an international transaction kind of complicates the situation somewhat. Plus, there is a chance that the the buyer might find it very inconvenient to return the item to you, especially with the pandemic going on.  If I made the same mistake I would bite the bullet and send this message:

"Dear Buyer, your package is on the way, but unfortunately I sent you the wrong item. I sent you a similar toy by mistake, one that is actually more expensive. To make things right,  I plan on shipping you the correct toy tomorrow.  Feel free to keep both toys since this was my mistake.  I'm sorry this happened, and I will ship the correct to to you tomorrow unless you suggest otherwise. Please let me know if that will be alright.

Regards, wears4bears"

Then I would sit back for a day and keep my fingers crossed that your buyer will have a heart and offer to return the first toy.  If they decide to keep them both, then I'd follow through and send the correct one right away.

[sg51]

You might consider "I've upgraded your item...".

[fashunu4eeuh]

Yes, this was an expensive mistake. I agree that it would have been best to have contacted your buyer immediately. Hoping they will just let it go is wishful thinking. It is important the buyer knows you don’t have anything to hide. Customers appreciate transparency when an error has been made. 

 The bottom line is you will have to make this right at your expense. If it were me, I would have immediately dispatched the correct item with the original shipping service the buyer selected. In my first contact i would have reassured them the correct item is on its way, tho it appears the opportunity to get the correct item there as quickly as possible has been lost. It's usually better to act, rather than just hope such a problem will work itself out. 

As for what to do with the other item sent by mistake, if you want it back, then you pay the shipping home and impose on the buyer's goodwill to assist in the effort. 

Keep in mind, the buyer did nothing wrong here and they shouldn't incur any expense while you fulfill your contractual obligation to get the right item to the right address by the method selected by the buyer.

All in all, don't feel too bad, things like this happen. 

[turquoisetulips]

I'm hoping they receive their package and realize they got a bargain and are happy. OP 

I would bet that will be the outcome  . Tulips 

[wears4bears]

Thanks for all the responses, I'm going to contact my buyer now. I didn't leave it, or ignore it, like several of the responses implied,  I only realized my mistake this morning, and wanted to get a bit of advice before doing anything. 

Thank you for sharing your opinions and suggestions.

[inhawaii]

"Honesty is the best policy."

I would explain it to your buyer just like you did to us. 

If they are not happy, have them return it for a full refund OR if you can afford it, let them keep the item and give them a full refund.  Take the loss. Learn from your mistake.

Good luck!  I hope it works out.

[krazzykats]

Is it too late to recall the package? If you just mailed it out in the past couple of days, you could file for package recall online.

Not sure if it costs more for an international package, but the one time I recalled a domestic package it was about $15.00.

[wears4bears]

Thanks for this, I used some of the wording from your suggestion, it was very helpful.

[wears4bears]

Lol, thanks for the smile,  I feel really bad about my mistake so the humor is appreciated. 😊