Package doesn't show as delivered to freight forwarding address

[raprich999]

Hi, first time poster and new seller here. I recently sold a $50 bag to a customer who I thought was in the US. The address is a third party reshipper in Portland, Oregon, and according to USPS tracking, the package was last seen arriving at a USPS in Portland on August 26, where it went radio silence with "In Transit to Next Facility, Arriving Late."

It's been like that ever since with no updates. The issue is, when I went to open a help request form on the USPS site, it says that the package was delivered to the third party reshipper's address and no further inquiry can be made. This is despite the fact that USPS hasn't marked it as delivered to the address.

What actions can I take here? I can't get paid unless it's shown as delivered to the address, which USPS claims it has but also has not delivered. The buyer is located in Hong Kong, has good ratings and hasn't contacted me or taken any action so far.

I only recently found out about the troubles people had with freight forwarding addresses, and if I knew about them I never would have shipped this item out, but hindsight is 20/20.

[reallynicestamps]

I can't get paid unless it's shown as delivered to the address,

Your payment will be slower but you will be paid.

Until you've been selling for 90 days and sold 25 items your payments will be held until tracking shows delivered, or in 30 days if there's no tracking. They can hold the payment for the full 30 days if you're selling in a high risk category. 

The main problem is that should the buyer open a Not Received dispute you would not necessarily be able to prove delivery to the forwarder*.

But your Hong Kong buyer is not expecting the purchase for weeks.

Buyers have only 30 days from delivery** or last estimated date for delivery to open a Claim.

Only crooked buyers open false Claims.

Most people, even in Hong Kong, are honest.

Don't watch tracking.

Your buyer is patiently waiting while their purchases are accumulating at the forwarder who will ship your sale, along with all the other shopping the buyer has been doing, according to their contract.

It's nerve wracking.

Especially since USPS is amazingly fast and efficient, something we foreigners envy.

But slow shipping is actually the world norm.

USPS is an outlier.

*Or to any address, that this is a forwarder is a side issue.

** Which has probably happened, and the paperwork hasn't caught up.

[raprich999]

Thank you! That's taken the stress off a bit thinking this was a scam of some sort. In that case, how would I deal with the package not showing up as delivered by USPS to the freight forwarder address, even though they claim they did deliver in other sections of their website?

[u2_vintage]

If you messaged them through eBay messages and they said the shipment was delivered, take a screenshot of this as it is partial proof for you and show it to eBay troubleshooting.

[stainlessenginecovers]

1st; check usps website (not ebay)

2nd: 'arriving late' is VERY common-

3rd- what is the tracking number?

4th- when did you ship it? 

[whatmorefabric]

I have never had a problem with a freight forwarder.       They are easier to deal with than customers in the USA.