Misplaced Sold Item, What To Do?

[bigmotormania]

So in constantly having to rearrange my office space, which is where all my items are, I've misplaced an item that sold, and I've turned this place upside down looking for it, and I have to upload the tracking before tomorrow night, I'm hoping I find it before I get off work tomorrow but if I don't, what should I do?

Should I just take the OOS defect? It would be my second, the first rolls off in October (was caused by eBay's system relisting a variation that had sold and eBay basically told me to shove it), it's my fault, I'm fully aware of that, but I'm not sure how to handle the situation, I want to be honest with my buyer that I misplaced the item, but those defects are gnarly, and my office area has seen a lot of activity lately that has caused some boxes to be spilled and items placed in different areas than before.

Advice?

[sg51]

what should I do?

Order one off Amazon, shipped as a gift to buyer.

[nowthatsjustducky]

And nice thing about sourcing your replacement somewhere other than eBay is that you can plug your seller's tracking number into your transaction to meet the tracking requirements here.  If sourcing from another eBay seller, that isn't possible since eBay deems that number as already used.

[bigmotormania]

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@sg51 wrote:

what should I do?

Order one off Amazon, shipped as a gift to buyer.

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This item has been discontinued for almost 10 years. It's not that simple.

[sg51]

And nice thing about sourcing your replacement somewhere other than eBay is that you can plug your seller's tracking number into your transaction to meet the tracking requirements here. 

I can confirm from experience that works just fine.

[gal220joy]

When something like that happened to me, and I could not find the item, I apologized, explained, refunded, and sent an extra $5 to the buyer hoping to avoid a negative and to appease them a bit more.

[galfam]

I have 1000s of paper goods and that has happened to me before -- it always shows up in the future

I email my customer and plead my case and ask them if I can  1) have a few days to find it 2)cancel the order  and let them know that when I find it I will relist and let them know it is relisted. So far no one has had a problem with it and when I do find it they are happy that I let them know about it.  

I am trying to get more organized so I have spent the last month sorting postcards and making a system to file one s I need to relist in the future so hopefully it will not happen any more 

good luck

[sg51]

and sent an extra $5 to the buyer

A little over-refund goes a long ways in an OOS situation.

Makes it clear to buyer that the poor experience was not part of seller's business plan. 

[nowthatsjustducky]

Unfortunately, that extra $5 won't matter if that little oops causes you to be forever banned from selling here.  The end result is that the buyer experiences a little inconvenience by not getting their item, though they have been made whole and are $5 ahead, while you are "run out of town" forever.

That does not sound like a suitable trade off just because "being Human happened"; something that can easily happen to anyone no matter how much they brag and boast about how absolutely perfect they are as a seller.

[nowthatsjustducky]

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@sg51 wrote:

and sent an extra $5 to the buyer

A little over-refund goes a long ways in an OOS situation.

Makes it clear to buyer that the poor experience was not part of seller's business plan. 

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But that doesn't matter to the pointy haired folk running the show.  You could give away to the buyer everything you own to make up for their inconvenience; but you still have the mega defect which could put you out of business for a simple oversight.

[forestthrutrees]

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@bigmotormania wrote:

So in constantly having to rearrange my office space, which is where all my items are, I've misplaced an item that sold, and I've turned this place upside down looking for it, and I have to upload the tracking before tomorrow night, I'm hoping I find it before I get off work tomorrow but if I don't, what should I do?

Should I just take the OOS defect? It would be my second, the first rolls off in October (was caused by eBay's system relisting a variation that had sold and eBay basically told me to shove it), it's my fault, I'm fully aware of that, but I'm not sure how to handle the situation, I want to be honest with my buyer that I misplaced the item, but those defects are gnarly, and my office area has seen a lot of activity lately that has caused some boxes to be spilled and items placed in different areas than before.

Advice?

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This actually happened to me once. I couldn't remember where I had placed it and was out of town. I was having my husband ship it.  3 different people looked for  it and couldn't  find it. So I emailed the buyer and explained what happened. He was very acceptable and very nice. We cancelled the transaction and it gave me a defect. When I got home I walked right up to it and there it was. However they didn't want it anymore. So, to answer tour question I would just suck it up and email them. Good luck.  

Robin 

[kitschy*loot]

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@bigmotormania wrote:

So in constantly having to rearrange my office space, which is where all my items are, I've misplaced an item that sold, and I've turned this place upside down looking for it, and I have to upload the tracking before tomorrow night, I'm hoping I find it before I get off work tomorrow but if I don't, what should I do?

Should I just take the OOS defect? It would be my second, the first rolls off in October (was caused by eBay's system relisting a variation that had sold and eBay basically told me to shove it), it's my fault, I'm fully aware of that, but I'm not sure how to handle the situation, I want to be honest with my buyer that I misplaced the item, but those defects are gnarly, and my office area has seen a lot of activity lately that has caused some boxes to be spilled and items placed in different areas than before.

Advice?

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I don't see how you would get around the defect system without putting a false reason in for the cancellation. I thought the only way you could do that was buy saying it was buyer requested or something wrong with the buyer's address?

[klassic*kids]

@bigmotormania  Has it turned up yet?  I am rooting for you.  Just a little note to let you know I am on the sidelines cheering you on.  Let us know when it turns up.

[castlemagicmemories]

BIGmotor:  I feel for you.  It's a version of Murphy's Law, I firmly believe.

I can have something sit in the same place for months, years, whatever, as soon as I need, it has, in the meantime, apparently grown LEGS and decided to take itself to a better location!!!!

[rainbowcolorz]

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@bigmotormania wrote:

So in constantly having to rearrange my office space, which is where all my items are, I've misplaced an item that sold, and I've turned this place upside down looking for it, and I have to upload the tracking before tomorrow night, I'm hoping I find it before I get off work tomorrow but if I don't, what should I do?

Should I just take the OOS defect? It would be my second, the first rolls off in October (was caused by eBay's system relisting a variation that had sold and eBay basically told me to shove it), it's my fault, I'm fully aware of that, but I'm not sure how to handle the situation, I want to be honest with my buyer that I misplaced the item, but those defects are gnarly, and my office area has seen a lot of activity lately that has caused some boxes to be spilled and items placed in different areas than before.

Advice?

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@bigmotormania, (if this is within eBay policy) would it be possible (after explaining to your buyer the situation) to offer him/her a replacement of something you have on hand that you can point them to? Maybe something already listed that you can end the listing on?  Or something you have in your shop you can send them a photo of in eBay message and if they agree, you can ship it and it will show tracking to your buyer uploaded on time?  That way you make everyone happy?  And if it's not a very expensive item, maybe you can do as someone else suggested and offer to send them the one they wanted (as well) without charge, if you find it?  

[rolenboy01]

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@siayan wrote:

Is it something you can buy elsewhere? This used to happen to me and I would buy it elsewhere and have it dropped shipped. This is when I had 20,000 books on the river and every once in a while this happened. 

It is a little bit of a gamble since you are under the gun but I have pleaded my case to another seller and they helped out with tracking.

Just an option. Otherwise you may have to bite the bullet.

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I did that recently replaced a buyers item and still got an OOS defect is that supposed to be what happens?