I have results from the INR Case - decided in my favour. Now that I won the case and the buyer can't leave me feedback, I can post what actually happened with this transaction. (I realize there can be a SNAD/CC Chargeback... I'll cross that bridge if I get there).
So I had a set of USSR coins that I listed at auction with the world coin listings for 1.29 to start. The same day they went up (but after bids), a buyer contacts me to offer me $35 to cancel their bids, sell it to him, and how he'll pay right away. (They always say they're going to pay right away, like I'm desperate for the money from that sale or the whole world's going to end). I told the buyer no, it's an auction, if you want it, bid on it.
Fast forward 7 days, I hadn't checked the auction in the morning, but I do remember the notification when it sold... $255, to that buyer that offered me $35. Oh, I knew this was going to be trouble, but I wasn't sure what I could do about that would be any different from what I normally do. I sent him an invoice, waived the shipping charges as a favour (by my initiative), and shipped his packaged the next day when he paid.
Package was delivered June 30.
Fast forward to July 6, I get a message from the buyer that says "I didn't actually receive this package, it wasn't delivered to my mailbox. This is the first time this has happened. I've opened a missing mail claim and was wondering if you could do this as well from your end." (BTW, the buyer did not open any claims with USPS, these show up when you look at the tracking, and mine was the only one there). While I figure he probably did get the package and just wants his $255 back because it's $220 more than he wanted to spend, I had to do my due diligence to help the buyer.
I opened a package research case (scanned delivered but not received), and waited to find out which post office is handling it so I could follow up with them. I provided the information to the buyer, and he thanked me for this.
I did my research... that always starts with me checking my OWN records on past sales to see what I can learn... this is what I found out:
- Buyer is using a person in the US as a freight forward (not a company)
- This person has lived at his address in USA at least 5 years (as per my records of past shipments)
- Buyer is the owner of a coin dealing website in Europe that's well known in the community of Euro collectors
- Buyer lives in Europe, and packages are forwarded
On the night of July 7, at 11pm Eastern Time, someone from that area code called me (I traced the number, turns out it was his post office doing after hours work on cases), but not going to answer an unknown call at 11pm. I called the post office back in the morning and spoke with one of the supervisors.
This is what I found out...
- Someone checked mailboxes in the area to see if the package was misdelivered
- GPS indicates it was delivered to the right address
- Mailman was in the office when I called - 8:30 Pacific time - knows the customer, remembers the package, and said he delivered it correctly
USPS closed out the case as "correctly delivered". I screen capped the email (taking out my email address) and send it to the buyer, and never heard from the buyer again. This was on July 8.
I did follow up with eBay and they looked into the account and agreed with me that he's using a freight forwarder and is not eligible for coverage, however because tracking shows as delivered, it will close out in my favour anyway. I was advised to call back today, July 12, to ask for them to close it out, which they did, in my favour.
I'm waiting to see if my coins appear on his website for sale... (I'm assuming that's why he bought them).
C.
