Need advice on package that's been "In transit, arriving late" forever.

[purrcubed]

Hi fellow sellers!

Happy Friday. Brace yourself because I am long-winded so if you don’t want your eyes glazing over, don’t read this. I need some advice about a First Class package that is having the eternal “In Transit, Arriving Late” status. 

Here is the back story: Buyer purchased on Tue, 10/13/20 and I shipped on the same day. The last scan was 10/13/20 at the distribution center. After that, nothing. 

I filed a “Where’s my package?” case on USPS.com twice. First time, it was closed by the local receiving post office. The manager, Bruce, called me and told me that they’d keep an eye out for it and contact the appropriate parties. I was skeptical--why would you close the case if you’re going to go through all that trouble? “I’ll call you on Mon, 10/26,” Bruce said. He never did. He had cited the election (ballots needing to take precedence over packages) and the pandemic as reasons for the delay. I open another case which went to the USPS Customer Service center. After 48 hours, I get a long-winded copy and paste response saying too bad but there’s a pandemic going on and packages are not going to get scans until delivered. The rep told me to file a missing package case. So I did that. Not confident of the outcome. 

All this time, I have not contacted the buyer because I’ve been told by seasoned sellers on here and also a friend of mine who also sells to just “let things be.” The package needs to be delivered by next Tue, Nov. 3rd (Election Day) or else buyer can open an INR. Buyer has not contacted me either.  

I have some questions, and numbered them so you can answer with ease:

1. I’ve never dealt with an INR and just want to confirm that if the buyer opens one and I refund accordingly if item has not been delivered, that I will NOT be hit with a strike or defect on my record. 
2. What if buyer leaves negative feedback for whatever reason? Do I have recourse in this situation? The delays, as you know, are out of our control as sellers, but it is still our “responsibility” somehow to get the package where it needs to go. Sure, I could have chosen FedEx at 10 times the amount or UPS, but I went with USPS, because this is the first package in 200+ that has been “In transit, arriving late,” floating in the middle of nowhereland for the last 17 days. Can negative feedback be appealed with eBay if I followed through with a refund and everything? (I have 100% + feedback and am Top Rated).
3. Do you think I should contact said buyer? I am really on the fence about this. The last eBay customer rep I spoke with says, “No, don’t contact her because it would just panic her.” I know this could be true, and I feel conflicted about it. We’re talking 4-5 days until she gets to file an INR. Is this sound advice? 
4. If said buyer contacts me between now and Nov. 4th (when she gets to file INR), should I just tell her to hold tight and see if the package gets to her by Nov. 3rd, and if not, go ahead and file an INR? 
5. What is the window of time that they have to file an INR? Is it 72 hours from the Estimated Delivery Date? 
6. I asked the rep what if she never files an INR? He said, “Well as seller, you should probably alert her after the INR window has passed but before her ebay money back guarantee has passed and let her know out of courtesy that you noticed her parcel was never delivered and that you would be refunding her.” Is this sound advice? 

P.S. This is a forum ID, not a seller ID. Please don’t lecture me on how I should have shipped it Priority because the dollar amount of the item is not worth the extra shipping charges. Also, all my other First Class packages have gotten to their destinations in a reasonable amount of time this month. 

Thanks in advance for your help everyone!

[nobody*s_perfect]

OK, I won't lecture you.  But I will point out that one possible reason why the buyer hasn't contacted you could be that they have received the item and it just didn't get a delivery scan.  So contacting them would just be putting temptation in their face. Or maybe they see the Nov 3 delivery date and know there's no point in making an issue about it before then.  Try not to worry about "what if's" that haven't happened yet.  There's enough actual stuff around to worry about.  Oops, I might have lectured you just then.

Buyers can file an INR any time from the day after the estimated delivery date until 30 days later. So they are not penalized for patience. The statement "you should probably alert her after the INR window has passed but before her ebay money back guarantee" makes no sense at all, since they are the same thing.

[simba6]

Don't contact the buyer. If they have received the item, you don't want to give them any ideas.  If they have not, don't worry, you WILL hear from them.  Most start to get yippy in only a few days when things are running late.

[buyselljack2016]

If an INR is opened (even when proof that  an item has been delivered) it will reflect on your seller account.

How you deal with an INR will determine what effect it has on your account.

[donsdetour]

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@purrcubed wrote:

Hi fellow sellers!

Happy Friday. Brace yourself because I am long-winded so if you don’t want your eyes glazing over, don’t read this. I need some advice about a First Class package that is having the eternal “In Transit, Arriving Late” status. 

Here is the back story: Buyer purchased on Tue, 10/13/20 and I shipped on the same day. The last scan was 10/13/20 at the distribution center. After that, nothing. 

I filed a “Where’s my package?” case on USPS.com twice. First time, it was closed by the local receiving post office. The manager, Bruce, called me and told me that they’d keep an eye out for it and contact the appropriate parties. I was skeptical--why would you close the case if you’re going to go through all that trouble? “I’ll call you on Mon, 10/26,” Bruce said. He never did. He had cited the election (ballots needing to take precedence over packages) and the pandemic as reasons for the delay. I open another case which went to the USPS Customer Service center. After 48 hours, I get a long-winded copy and paste response saying too bad but there’s a pandemic going on and packages are not going to get scans until delivered. The rep told me to file a missing package case. So I did that. Not confident of the outcome. 

All this time, I have not contacted the buyer because I’ve been told by seasoned sellers on here and also a friend of mine who also sells to just “let things be.” The package needs to be delivered by next Tue, Nov. 3rd (Election Day) or else buyer can open an INR. Buyer has not contacted me either.  

I have some questions, and numbered them so you can answer with ease:

1. I’ve never dealt with an INR and just want to confirm that if the buyer opens one and I refund accordingly if item has not been delivered, that I will NOT be hit with a strike or defect on my record. 
2. What if buyer leaves negative feedback for whatever reason? Do I have recourse in this situation? The delays, as you know, are out of our control as sellers, but it is still our “responsibility” somehow to get the package where it needs to go. Sure, I could have chosen FedEx at 10 times the amount or UPS, but I went with USPS, because this is the first package in 200+ that has been “In transit, arriving late,” floating in the middle of nowhereland for the last 17 days. Can negative feedback be appealed with eBay if I followed through with a refund and everything? (I have 100% + feedback and am Top Rated).
3. Do you think I should contact said buyer? I am really on the fence about this. The last eBay customer rep I spoke with says, “No, don’t contact her because it would just panic her.” I know this could be true, and I feel conflicted about it. We’re talking 4-5 days until she gets to file an INR. Is this sound advice? 
4. If said buyer contacts me between now and Nov. 4th (when she gets to file INR), should I just tell her to hold tight and see if the package gets to her by Nov. 3rd, and if not, go ahead and file an INR? 
5. What is the window of time that they have to file an INR? Is it 72 hours from the Estimated Delivery Date? 
6. I asked the rep what if she never files an INR? He said, “Well as seller, you should probably alert her after the INR window has passed but before her ebay money back guarantee has passed and let her know out of courtesy that you noticed her parcel was never delivered and that you would be refunding her.” Is this sound advice? 

P.S. This is a forum ID, not a seller ID. Please don’t lecture me on how I should have shipped it Priority because the dollar amount of the item is not worth the extra shipping charges. Also, all my other First Class packages have gotten to their destinations in a reasonable amount of time this month. 

Thanks in advance for your help everyone!

---

1: In theory you will not get a strike if you refund instead of eBay.

2: if the feedback does not qualify for removal it will stay. No protections on the shipping now.

3: do not contact the buyer.  Do not ask for trouble when in the end their may be non.

4: sound correct if you decide to go that way.

5: 30 days from the estimated delivery date, See time lines here

https://www.ebay.com/help/buying/returns-refunds/reporting-item-didnt-receive?id=4042#timelines 

6: depends on how honest you are.

Note if the file an item not received: and it is worth it you can try and do an intercept on the package if it qualifies for such.

[southern*sweet*tea]

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@purrcubed wrote:

Hi fellow sellers!

Happy Friday. Brace yourself because I am long-winded so if you don’t want your eyes glazing over, don’t read this. Not a problem since you used proper formatting - no ALL CAPS, you used paragraphs, punctuation and all that good stuff. THANK YOU!  I need some advice about a First Class package that is having the eternal “In Transit, Arriving Late” status. 

Here is the back story: Buyer purchased on Tue, 10/13/20 and I shipped on the same day. The last scan was 10/13/20 at the distribution center. After that, nothing. 

I filed a “Where’s my package?” case on USPS.com twice. First time, it was closed by the local receiving post office. The manager, Bruce, called me and told me that they’d keep an eye out for it and contact the appropriate parties. I was skeptical--why would you close the case if you’re going to go through all that trouble? “I’ll call you on Mon, 10/26,” Bruce said. He never did. He had cited the election (ballots needing to take precedence over packages) and the pandemic as reasons for the delay. I open another case which went to the USPS Customer Service center. After 48 hours, I get a long-winded copy and paste response saying too bad but there’s a pandemic going on and packages are not going to get scans until delivered. The rep told me to file a missing package case. So I did that. Not confident of the outcome. 

All this time, I have not contacted the buyer because I’ve been told by seasoned sellers on here and also a friend of mine who also sells to just “let things be.” The package needs to be delivered by next Tue, Nov. 3rd (Election Day) or else buyer can open an INR. Buyer has not contacted me either.  

I have some questions, and numbered them so you can answer with ease:

1. I’ve never dealt with an INR and just want to confirm that if the buyer opens one and I refund accordingly if item has not been delivered, that I will NOT be hit with a strike or defect on my record. Correct
2. What if buyer leaves negative feedback for whatever reason? Do I have recourse in this situation? Maybe. It depends on what the neg says or if you get a rep that will remove it. The delays, as you know, are out of our control as sellers, but it is still our “responsibility” somehow to get the package where it needs to go. Sure, I could have chosen FedEx at 10 times the amount or UPS, but I went with USPS, because this is the first package in 200+ that has been “In transit, arriving late,” floating in the middle of nowhereland for the last 17 days. Can negative feedback be appealed with eBay if I followed through with a refund and everything? (I have 100% + feedback and am Top Rated). Don't sweat a neg. It sucks to get them, but they can be your chance to shine or to look like a hardheaded idiot depending on how you reply to it.
   
3. Do you think I should contact said buyer? NO. Until you hear from them, there is no problem. I am really on the fence about this. The last eBay customer rep I spoke with says, “No, don’t contact her because it would just panic her.” I know this could be true, and I feel conflicted about it. We’re talking 4-5 days until she gets to file an INR. Is this sound advice? Yes, it is. If that tracking never updated, and your buyer has the item already, and they are not honest, you'll find yourself on the receiving end of an undeserved INR.
   
4. If said buyer contacts me between now and Nov. 4th (when she gets to file INR), should I just tell her to hold tight and see if the package gets to her by Nov. 3rd, and if not, go ahead and file an INR?  You could ask her to wait, but if she wants to file, she will.
   
5. What is the window of time that they have to file an INR? Is it 72 hours from the Estimated Delivery Date? As soon as the estimated delivery date has passed.
   
6. I asked the rep what if she never files an INR? He said, “Well as seller, you should probably alert her after the INR window has passed but before her ebay money back guarantee has passed and let her know out of courtesy that you noticed her parcel was never delivered and that you would be refunding her.” Is this sound advice? This goes back to a lack of updated tracking. Yes, it would provide excellent service, BUT again, if that tracking never updated for whatever reason, the buyer could already have the package. Sometimes silence is the best thing. Just my opinion FWIW.  Of course, if the buyer contacts you, you need to follow up and give the refund if the item hasn't been delivered.
   

P.S. This is a forum ID, not a seller ID. Please don’t lecture me on how I should have shipped it Priority because the dollar amount of the item is not worth the extra shipping charges. No lectures from me. I ship Media Mail and FCM and the vast majority of both have been delivered on time. Also, all my other First Class packages have gotten to their destinations in a reasonable amount of time this month. 

Thanks in advance for your help everyone!  You're welcome 🙂

---

[*smedley*]

do... NOT... contact... the buyer...

if it makes it there, great...

if not and the buyer files, refund or it won't be great...

if you get the item back, great, you can resell, if not... not much you can do about it...

[southern*sweet*tea]

---

@*smedley* wrote:

if you get the item back, great, you can resell, if not... not much you can do about it...

---

To tag on to  this:

If the OP does refund, they can edit the lost package report to have the item sent back to them if found. (at least I think you can still do this. I did it a couple of years ago for a package that was returned to me after it fell off the face of the earth for almost two months. I got the package returned back to me.)

[purrcubed]

@nobody*s_perfect lol, I am sorry if I snarked during my original post. I have gotten "lectured" or "told off" by some people in a not-so-nice manner in the past on the forums. You were not being that way at all. But you gave me a good chuckle and I appreciate your advice and thoughts. You're right--too much to worry about in life with all the what ifs, and unfortunately I'm just that type of worrywart. I'll let it be. 

Regarding your second paragraph: "buyers can file an INR any time from EDD until 30 days later..." then what is your opinion about contacting the buyer AFTER that 30 day period is up? Don't contact at all and assume all is well and that the package was in fact delivered but just didn't get scanned? (That is the gist I am getting here from everyone's replies)

Thank you!!!

[purrcubed]

Thanks @simba6 ! Sounds like the overwhelming advice here. It's been 17 days since she purchased item and there has not been a peep from her. 😂

[purrcubed]

@buyselljack2016 What do you mean if INR opened will reflect on my account? What if I resolved and closed it (refunded) within 3 days without ebay stepping in? What I understand is I will get a strike or ding on my record if I don't respond in 3 days after INR is opened. Thank you and if you could please clarify, that'd be great. 

[purrcubed]

@donsdetour Thanks for your numbered responses! Could you tell me what you  might do for #6 if you were in my shoes? (If buyer does not contact me in 30 days from Estimated Delivery Date of Nov. 3) I'm an honest person but a lot of people also pointed out the item could have gotten delivered and she just never informed me and the package was never scanned as delivered. 

[buyselljack2016]

@purrcubed 

Any INR opened will reflect to your account metrics. Does not matter how you deal with it, it will still show.

If you have had any in the past, check it out.

Sellers hub> Performance> Service metrics> Item not received

As another posted, how you deal with an INR will determine what effect it has on your account.

[purrcubed]

@southern*sweet*tea Thank you so much for your responses! You are certainly a kind and sweet person, as your name indicates. I appreciate your patience. 🙂 I laughed at the proper formatting, not all caps, paragraphs, etc. 🙂 

I think the overwhelming consensus is keep quiet, don't contact the buyer (she'll contact you if there's a problem), and everything will be okay. 

😂🤣I'm going a bit crazy here. 

[nobody*s_perfect]

Why on earth would you contact the buyer over a month after the transaction? That's just looking for trouble.  They can still file an INR claim with PayPal or their credit-card issuer for months after that. Maybe it was delivered. Or maybe it wasn't and they just forgot about it.   Is there any possible up side at all to such a late followup?