Problems with buyer from Italy

[senor_velasco]

Hi everyone, this buyer from Italy is giving me grief..... he bought a pretty expensive vinyl LP from me in September. He paid quickly and I shipped the item the next day. Unfortunately it was not shipped as registered mail. He now claims he never received the item and wants a refund. I have been selling stuff all over the world for 20 years and there was never one item that was lost. In my opinion I'm not to blame for items lost in the mail, I can proove that I posted the item. What do you think I should do?

[*help_no_brakes*]

I think you should study the eBay Money Back Guarantee on your listing & then make the obvious decision to issue a refund.

[tunicaslot]

Unfortunately - a seller is responsible for using a service that gets the item to a buyer unscathed. Just because it hasn't happened before does not mean the item didn't get lost in the mail - it happens. Did you put any type of tracking on it that you can follow to see if it's maybe being held in customs? Can you put a trace on it with the mailing service? Hopefully you insured it so that you can file an insurance claim for lost package. If you have no tracking and it's past the estimated delivery date - than you should refund your buyer.

[fashunu4eeuh]

 "...In my opinion I'm not to blame for items lost in the mail, I can proove that I posted the item..." 

On ebay, it is not about proving you mailed it, it's about proving that it arrived. 

You have been most fortunate to never have a lost item in an international transaction. Unfortunately, without tracking to show on-line viewable delivery confirmation, you as the seller are on the hook for a refund if your buyer is not past the MBG timelines. Ebay's policy is that the seller is responsible for whatever happens in transit. Your buyer can open a Item Not Received case and he will win if he hasn't missed the deadline. Keep in mind that you must avoid a case closing without seller resolution, where a defect would be logged against you by ebay. Defects can seriously compromise selling privileges. However, it's all about timing now. Ebay will not force you to refund if he is outside the limits of the Money Back Guarantee.

I cannot recall the amount of time a buyer has to open a case on ebay, but I do know if he missed the ebay deadline, he can then open a Not Received case on PayPal. Buyers have 180 days to file with PayPal. Below is the link to the MBG policy on ebay with all the particulars. Good luck to you.

https://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/money-back-guarantee.html

[slati_2013]

Yes, you are responsible for items lost in the mail in the sense that it is your responsibility to get the item there using the most secure shipping method. If it gets lost, you have no choice but to refund the buyer, and in your case with no tracking, you have no choice. Failure to do so will result in eBay stepping in and refunding the buyer. To add insult to injury, you will get a defect. 

I suggest you plead for more time with your buyer. Offer to refund him at the end of the month if he still has not gotten it. Right now you are at his mercy. No one else can help you. If he insists on a refund, do so. 

[daveroo]

Italy is on my blocked country list.

I don't know whether the problem is with the people or their postal system but I don't trust Italy.

[rolenboy01]

Sounds like typical Italy for the past 20 years.

[papyruspapillo]

i no longer ship to Italy. Either the Italian postal service, USPS, or the Italy-USA interface (therefore, both) has problems. Not unusual for a large flat envelope to go missing for sixty days.

[miketuch11]

I just got done shipping to Italy via fedex to a (I didn't know this) central global shipping place in Kentucky, then I held my breath  - Global shipping took over and notified me when it got there. And my goombah left me great feedback.

[retrose1]

OP, You should check the prohibitions/restricted list the PO has to Italy.  And to all countries if you are not familiar with the country.   Italy's is entertaining to say the least and shocking about how little can get in to Italy.

Most problems shipping to Italy are not from the buyer - they are from customs that will stop most items from coming into their country.  A friend shipped an expensive pair of Air Jordans to Italy and a month later got the INR dispute and had to refund.  6 months later, they arrived back to him as rejected by customs - they were leather sewn shoes, a huge no-no in getting past customs.

I have shipped successfully to Italy and most of my buyers are grateful I make the attempt or are honest about why I won't.  OP, in your case - plastic items will easily get past customs - but pictures on the cover might block the item.

As it stands, as far as ebay is concerned,  you can not prove where the item is right now, so you will have to refund and hold your breath that it might come back to you.

[chrysylys]

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@senor_velasco wrote:

Unfortunately it was not shipped as registered mail.

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Aside from everything else mentioned, it could just be extremely slow, possibly taking 90 days or more to eventually arrive.

Question is, if that happens and the buyer has already been refuinded, will they be honest enough to pay again.  No one but the buyer can answer that.

[chrysylys]

And I dont see anything sold on the ID you're posting with, so what do you consider 'pretty expensive'?  If it was over $50 or so, it should have been shipped by a more reliable method.