Missing Item from Envelope

[vhs197318]

I sell coins so many times I mail them by standard envelope.  A buyer recently contacted me stating the coin I mailed was missing from the coin insert inside the envelope and looked like the envelope had been taped. The only conclusion I could come up with was that it had been stolen.  I replied to Buyer and recommended he first contact Ebay because  I am not aware of how this should be handled and that I believe the item is insured up to $20. I have not heard back. Now what should I do? 

[redlinear · Accepted solution]

One other possibility.  Got a rough ride on a conveyor belt. Came out. USPS taped the envelope back up and delivered it.    
I've had that happen many times, with every freight company.

[lamber9347]

Sorry but this has nothing to do with eBay. You are the seller and you are responsible for getting the purchased item to your buyer. That is how online selling works. There is no insurance for a standard envelope either. Only priority mail comes with auto insurance and it's much more complicated to acquire a payout then simply your buyer saying something was missing. If your buyer opens a return case for missing items, you will end up refunding them or eBay will take it out of your account. It's always better if the seller refunds before the buyer gets eBay involved as that will only increase your loss. Best of luck to you....

[caldreamer]

Sellers is responsible to give customer a full refund.   First class mail does NOT include insurance (unless you paid extra to insure this item).

Coins and other small items can "pop out of envelope" (I had this happen when I received small items).    USPS delivered empty packages to me before (and they did NOT indicate package was empty and did not put notice on envelope).  

[12345jamesstamps]

Cannot send coins by a standard envelope. You got lucky until now. Some places will let it get mailed. This coin went somewhere where they caught it. Buyer should open a case as item not received and just refund them. But buyer needs to open a case first before the refund...which you should let the buyer know what to do.

I am curious who insured the standard envelope? Was this certified through USPS? Envelope would have to be larger than a standard envelope.

The key points here is a positive feedback and repeat buyers if you intend to sell coins present and the future.

[sin-n-dex]

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@12345jamesstamps wrote:

Cannot send coins by a standard envelope. You got lucky until now. Some places will let it get mailed. This coin went somewhere where they caught it. Buyer should open a case as item not received and just refund them. But buyer needs to open a case first before the refund...which you should let the buyer know what to do.

I am curious who insured the standard envelope? Was this certified through USPS? Envelope would have to be larger than a standard envelope.

The key points here is a positive feedback and repeat buyers if you intend to sell coins present and the future.

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ESE has $20 insurance through eBay, there's a link to file a claim, but I never have because not all situations are eligible to claim (such as no scan in transit = no insurance).

Technically you can send a coin by ESE if you package it right. I have numerous buyers tell me that Joe Blow will ship their coin for $1 shipping with ESE. I like to be sure my stuff arrives, so I use a bubble mailer that's lined with plastic, tape the flap shut, and put the labelope on front so it covers the ends of the tape, making it hard to pry that off and get in without much effort. So far no empty envelopes, except when the courier I was using in the UK was ripping them open to steal the tokens.

C.

[stuff4divas]

@lamber9347  RE making the buyer whole, u r perfect in ur answer, but for the seller > Just an FYI re eBay Standard Envelope Insurance> https://www.ebay.com/sellercenter/shipping/ebay-labels-services/ebay-domestic-shipping-services/ebay...

How do I file a claim on a shipment that was lost or damaged? How do I check the status of that claim?

Each eBay standard envelope shipment includes a $20 shipping protection plan on single item orders, and up to $50 on combined orders, to help in case of lost or damaged items. 

If you believe your shipment was lost in shipping, you must wait 30 days to file a claim. You can reduce the amount of the claim if your shipment was only partially lost or damaged, however the claim amount cannot be more than the item's sold price. 

To file a claim, select the button below and add the following information to the form: 

1. Tell us what happened - was your item damaged, or was your shipment lost?

2. Enter the claim information and your PayPal email address.

3. Enter the following additional information:

• Your first and last name 
• The buyer’s first and last name 
• Shipment tracking number 
• eBay item number
• Screenshot of eBay Order Details
• Screenshot of buyer’s complaint message or dispute details regarding the lost or damaged item 

4. When finished, select File the claim.

Claims must be filed no later than 90 days from the date the shipping label was created. 

File shipping protection plan claim

You can check the status of existing claims here:

Contact PIP (Parcel Insurance Plan) at: 

• Phone: 1 800 325 7390 
• Email: claims@pipinsure.com
• Chat: select the chat button on www.pipinsure.com 

[stuff4divas]

@12345jamesstamps  Just an FYI, coins CAN be mailed via ESE and it has built in insurance, see link > https://www.ebay.com/sellercenter/shipping/ebay-labels-services/ebay-domestic-shipping-services/ebay...

Coin & paper money

• Ship no more than 5 raw coins or pieces of paper money
• Ship no more than 3 coins in plastic flips or pieces of money in protectors
• No rolled coins
• No graded coins or paper money
• No bullion 

[12345jamesstamps]

Well then, eBay will refund the seller and not the USPS.

You are not allowed to mail coins in a "standard envelope"  as a 3 5/8 X 6 1/2 throughout the USPS.

And, depending which state it is mailed you sometimes do not get lucky as here.

And we get so many posts here about sellers having problems with mailing of their trading cards...guess why?

[reallynicestamps]

You sold an item.

You shipped it in an envelope, which is your normal practice.

The envelope was delivered, with taped up damage, but the coin missing.

You believe the buyer.

@redlinear Got a rough ride on a conveyor belt. Came out.

I agree this is the likely scenario.

If the buyer contacts eBay, you will be told to refund him,since he did not receive what he ordered.

No Returns does not mean No Refunds.

You can demand that the Not As Described item (in this case the empty damaged envelope) be returned before refunding, even if you have a No Returns policy.

This seems pointless.

Refund him and apologize.

Use this as an opportunity to up your packaging.

I'm not a numismatist, but consider taping coins, with their holders to a larger piece of cardboard and/or using a bubble envelope which is harder to tear.

Any insurance would be from USPS on your shipment. Try it, but without tracking and given that the envelope did make it to the buyer, the USPS is likely to blame poor packaging.

I am pleased and surprised to hear that you have had few problems with untracked lettermail shipping of coins. Not the service, the demographic of the customers being the problem.

[reallynicestamps]

@12345jamesstamps 

But the seller is still responsible to his buyer for the refund of the buyer's entire payment. (Noting that the sales taxes, if any, will be refunded by eBay as an automatic part of the refund, since the seller never touched that money.

[cardxcraft]

1. Insurance is available for EsE.  It comes standard with the service.

2. Coins can be sent by EsE.

3. It's the seller's perogative if he chooses to refund as the envelope likely received a delivery scan. 

Since your coin is covered by Ebay EsE insurance, I would refund and file a claim. 

[cardxcraft]

In continuation of my above post...I believe you may have to have the buyer officially file a claim before you can.  Check on it.

[cardxcraft]

 

[vhs197318]

Thanks for your answer. It seems logical but I don't think that's what happened. The reason I say that is because the coin was wrapped in paper. I usually leave the ends of the paper untaped, but folded, and placed snuggly to the edge of envelope to secure. I also place the coin in a 2x2 insert and staple tightly so the coin cannot move, but leave enough room for the buyer to easily "remove" it when he receives it. However, the insert was still wrapped in paper but coin missing and no damage to the insert. At any rate, I'll never know what happened. I am surprised at the conflicting info I've read on here.  Some say item  insured, some say not. Some say you're not supposed to ship coins in a standard envelope, and some say you can. Huh? One time I called Ebay after a Buyer said he didn't receive item but it showed "Delivered". She told me to do not issue a refund if it shows delivered, that I am not responsible. But I did anyway.  I've never had any real big issues with any of my buyers or shipments.  A few mishaps but not many. If I mail anything of real value I surely have it insured. Thanks again! I actually never thought about a conveyer tearing an envelope. LOL I will now!