Question about an INR

[pickapaper]

I just had an INR claim in which a buyer said he did not receive his package but tracking showed it was delivered yesterday.  He said he had waited for the carrier and personally got his mail from him but there was no package.  I was going to enter the tracking number in the claim but it was grayed out so I couldn't.  I did tell him to check with his post office as they have GPS that would tell them exactly where the package was delivered.

He just sent me a message that the post office confirmed that they delivered it to the wrong address and they are trying to get it back for him.   

My questions are, does anyone know what happens if the post office delivers a package to the wrong address and can't get it back?  What if the person where it was delivered refuses to give it back to the PO?  Could they do anything about that?  Will the PO reimburse my buyer if they can't get his package back?   It wasn't a cheap item. 

[a_c_green]

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@jonathanbrightlight wrote:

@pickapaper  that is now the normal process for an INR when the tracking already shows delivered. The posters who were concerned that you couldn’t enter it just likely haven’t seen the new process for themselves yet,  but I’ve seen the same thing, and it is a very positive change. eBay dealt with one of our biggest concerns over the years, that tracking that had been entered into an order didn’t automatically show up in an INR, and now it does. You cannot edit or remove it, if it shows delivered at least, not sure about otherwise.

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That's correct: the tracking number is grayed-out and cannot be updated if tracking status shows Delivered. An error message explains this, and also says that you can add another tracking number (such as for a reshipment), but the original is locked in.

[pickapaper]

@petes_toy_den wrote: "Contact the USPS for compensation so you don't lose out on the sale and the item."

This comment makes no sense.  I made the sale.  The item was delivered but the post office delivered it to the wrong house (their mistake).   The question was about what the post office does to follow up on their end.  

[jonathanbrightlight]

@pickapaper you're correct, that poster is not understanding the situation or how eBay works.

As for what the post office will do, my guess is almost nothing.  Worst case scenario for you, they'll provide proof to the buyer that it was delivered to the wrong address (though not which address, to my knowledge they would never be allowed to provide that), and eBay will accept it as sufficient proof to issue the buyer a refund (and not a courtesy refund from eBay's pockets, since you shipped to the address on the order, so that would be extra bad luck if they charge you for the refund).  If that happens, you can try to get the same proof and submit a claim to the USPS.

Chances are none of that will happen, in my estimation.

[m60driver]

Just follow Ebay protocols.  Have the buyer file an INR and respond accordingly.  How Ebay decides the case is a coin flip in such a situation.

[albertabrightalberta]

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@m60driver wrote:

Just follow Ebay protocols.  Have the buyer file an INR and respond accordingly.  How Ebay decides the case is a coin flip in such a situation.

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In this situation, it's not a flip of the coin. Tracking shows delivery, seller wins case. 

[a_c_green]

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@albertabrightalberta wrote:

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@m60driver wrote:

Just follow Ebay protocols.  Have the buyer file an INR and respond accordingly.  How Ebay decides the case is a coin flip in such a situation.

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In this situation, it's not a flip of the coin. Tracking shows delivery, seller wins case. 

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Ayup. Verification extends only as far as checking that the package was Delivered to the City and ZIP of the address received with the payment. Delivering it to the wrong address within that area is not something that can be detected.

I had a similar incident last month with a regular customer of mine. They insisted that the package had not been delivered as they were home when the carrier came by. With some encouragement from me, they took their tracking number to their PO and were able to verify that in fact it had been delivered to the wrong address about two blocks down the street.

I knew I would be winning the INR claim anyway, but at the same time I thought that this situation might resolve itself, as the item in question was not cheap, but was also a pretty nondescript replacement part, and the packing slip did not show the pricing, so I suggested to my buyer that they just wait it out for a few days to see if the package gets returned to the PO... and it was. Buyer got it a day later. Happy Happy Joy Joy.

[tex-421]

I agree, in the law of commercial contracts and shipping, the shipper-seller retains ownership of the goods until it is delivered to the agreed upon destination.  If the goods are misdelivered or never delivered (regardless of carrier fault), the shipper is responsible to reimburse the buyer.

[reallynicestamps]

Not your problem.

The package shows Delivered so you will not be required to refund.

You did the right thing in referring him to his Post Office, and they are doing the right thing in retrieving it.

If the Claim ever allows the tracking number, do insert it.

Don't assume that either the buyer or eBay will help you on that.

And on the record, you purchased the postage and the USPS is responsible only to you as their customer.

Your buyer paid you to arrange delivery so you are responsible to your customer.

[adamcartwright]

@us-mamic 

Really considerate of you. 

[mam98031]

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@tex-421 wrote:

I agree, in the law of commercial contracts and shipping, the shipper-seller retains ownership of the goods until it is delivered to the agreed upon destination.  If the goods are misdelivered or never delivered (regardless of carrier fault), the shipper is responsible to reimburse the buyer.

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That may be true, but that is not how it works here on Ebay.

[pickapaper]

I'm going to repeat some things as it seems several posters here do not understand what I am talking about.   I have done everything correctly on my part as far as shipping; it was the post office that messed up by delivering it to the wrong house.  (And I know how to respond to an INR claim.) My buyer said he waited for the mail on the day the package was "out for delivery" and the carrier did not have the package so he "panicked" and filed the INR.  I sent him a message and told him to check with his post office because they will know exactly where the package was delivered.  He did that and they did confirm to him that they delivered it to the wrong house.  He wrote me a very nice message and told me that he knows it is not my fault, it is the post office that messed up, and that he is waiting to see if the post office can get the package back.

The whole point of my initial post is that I wondered if anyone had any experience with the post office either retrieving a mis-delivered package or if they can't, do they reimburse the person who should have received it.    

[adamcartwright]

@pickapaper 

Did you see my response above? I had the same thing happen.

[albertabrightalberta]

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@tex-421 wrote:

 If the goods are misdelivered or never delivered (regardless of carrier fault), the shipper is responsible to reimburse the buyer.

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Not on ebay.

[adamcartwright]

@albertabrightalberta 

It sounds to me like  @tex-421 is using the term shipper to mean the seller who shipped the item. 

[tex-421]

Correct. The seller on eBay is also the shipper.  The seller decides which carrier to use and accepts the risks of misdelivery or non delivery, that is why the seller can opt to insure his or her package.  In a situation where tracking shows delivery, but the reality is different, hopefully eBay’s INR policy will cover the loss, but the bottom line is that the seller is ultimately the party responsible.