Item Held at Post Office..Should I Notify the Buyer?

[r_lresale]

Sent out a package on August 31 and it arrived at the buyers PO for delivery September 6 (The exact date shown for delivery) Originally PO showed "No safe place to deliver" then overnight held at post office. 

#1 Should I send a quick message to let the buyer know that the post office has package or let it ride until/if they open an INR

#2 In the event they do open an INR I am protected by uploading tracking showing delivery attempt and hold at PO, correct?

[meme6253]

Yes!, I Always notify the buyer when their order is held at the post office,because that actually means it was delivered!

[toybrats · Accepted solution]

If it doesn't show delivered,  you will lose.  Email the buyer one more time.  IF the item was sent priority mail, let them know that you are going to RECALL the package. That means that it come back to you and you will have to pay postage.    The buyer might be a scammer and is waiting to open a case and then he gets a refund and then runs to the post office and picks up the package.

[buyselljack2016]

Carrier should have left a notice stating such. They should leave a second notice on day 5 (that was Sunday). USPS should have left a second notice today. Unclaimed would should be returned on day 15.

Notice left should protect you on eBay, but may not be supported by the buyer"s payment method.

[r_lresale]

Thank you! I should have messaged them as soon as PO put hold on package. I had 2 items that went to CA and held at post office the same day but one item was picked up within a couple of days so I was hoping this buyer would do the same and was giving them some time.

[lepke1979]

Can't hurt any. Is possible they aren't aware. Had one person I messaged a few days after it was held (wouldn't leave at their property for some reason) tell me thanks. But he was also slightly annoyed because they had just come from the Post Office and they didn't tell him about the package.

[r_lresale]

Yes, I worded the message as to package might possibly be sent back or I would retrieve it but didn't want to take that action if she wasn't aware of the hold. Guess I will see what happens. It was shipped priority, but it wasn't a high dollar item so if she is trying to scam the item just seems like a lot of work lol, but stranger things have happened.

[wrong66]

Just email them. If there was no safe place to leave the package (dog problem, for example) then there would be no safe place to leave a notice it was being held. Be proactive. 

[stlbbrpm]

I would email him and let him know the package is at the PO ready to be picked up. I once sold a valuable autographed baseball and the husband didn't know it was ready to be picked up because his wife forgot to tell him about the notice.

[albertabrightalberta]

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@toybrats wrote:

If it doesn't show delivered,  you will lose.  Email the buyer one more time.  IF the item was sent priority mail, let them know that you are going to RECALL the package. That means that it come back to you and you will have to pay postage.    The buyer might be a scammer and is waiting to open a case and then he gets a refund and then runs to the post office and picks up the package.

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@toybrats This is inaccurate information. 

If the item is shown as attempted delivery but unsafe or unable to deliver, it counts as delivery and you have seller protection. Buyer will NOT win INR. 

[soh.maryl]

How could a buyer be "trying to scam the item"? You have her payment and the PO has her package.

So far, the buyer has nothing.  If there's a scam in there somewhere, it's not working in the buyer's favor so far.

[rugerskick]

Just let them know.

If roles were reversed, I would think you'd like it if the seller told you.

[nuclearomen]

i usually do if it's been a few days they still haven't picked up - usually they repond - and with "I know, I'm out of town right now, but thank you"

[nuclearomen]

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@toybrats wrote:

If it doesn't show delivered,  you will lose.  Email the buyer one more time.  IF the item was sent priority mail, let them know that you are going to RECALL the package. That means that it come back to you and you will have to pay postage.    The buyer might be a scammer and is waiting to open a case and then he gets a refund and then runs to the post office and picks up the package.

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sorry, but this is the worst advise possible to give someone! 
You don't just call the post office and put in a request for a recall because your FEAR of a scam. People order stuff all the time and it gets held at post office for various reasons, no secure place to leave package, no access to location, they can also have a request in with post office for their mail to be held etc... 
In every case this has happened in past 20+ years of doing mail order not once was it due to a scam buyer. 

[inhawaii]

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@toybrats wrote:

If it doesn't show delivered,  you will lose.  Email the buyer one more time.  IF the item was sent priority mail, let them know that you are going to RECALL the package. That means that it come back to you and you will have to pay postage.    The buyer might be a scammer and is waiting to open a case and then he gets a refund and then runs to the post office and picks up the package.

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I was always under the impression that an attempted delivery was considered "delivered" in a dispute.

It's not the sellers fault that there was no safe place to leave the package.

In any case, there is nothing wrong with keeping the buyer updated.  I would.