Responsible for USPS Delays?

[abeamcollectibles]

A buyer reached out to me today requesting a refund due to a package that is running late. The item was purchased on a Sunday and tracking shows it picked up by USPS the following morning. I refunded the buyer right away but just feel that it was completely out of my control and this person is still going to receive the item. Am I totally responsible for USPS delays? What about in cases where I'm using the eBay Standard Envelope for Trading Cards program and am required to use USPS?

[rebell45 · Accepted solution]

Am I totally responsible for USPS delays?  Yes.

That said, it's nice that you refunded the buyer right away, but you may want to rethink that policy. If the buyer had filed an INR case and the package had shown any kind of movement in the last 7 days, eBay would have let you delay the refund.

[wastingtime101]

It was just shipped 3 days ago? You definitely shouldn't have refunded.

The buyer can open an item not received claim the day after the estimated delivery date. If the buyer escalates the case 3 days later and there's been a tracking scan within 10 days, then eBay will put a hold on the case to allow more time (another 10 days) for the package to arrive.

Edit: It's typically a tracking scan within 7 days, but right now with the current USPS delays it's at 10 days. I didn't see an announcement that it was rolled back to 7 ...

[erkosuniverse]

Next time around it would be in better interest for you to open an official usps

"Package Research Case",This will prove on your part it has been shipped,as well the buyer then must give time for delivery in conjunction with tracking being updated showing the item is in transit;as long as you do this a buyer cannot ask or a refund while the item is showing movement,If they do 99.9% percent of the time the refund request is denied

Go to usps.com and start researching how to do the package research case so you are prepared if it ever happens again

Also another smart thing to do is when you take a package to be shipped at post office,wait until it is labeled with postage and take picture of it,This way you can validate to buyer it has been shipped with postage and time must be given on buyers part (remember you can send pictures through e-bay message box)

It is very important nowadays to do all this to protect yourself,Many buyers are taking advantage of all of us sellers and using guidelines against us in hopes of

obtaining/being granted "Freebie" items

Also e-bay has been honoring delays for sellers due to everything happening

I hope this helps you in the future

[wastingtime101]

---

@erkosuniverse wrote:

Next time around it would be in better interest for you to open an official usps "Package Research Case",This will prove on your part it has been shipped,as well the buyer then must give time for delivery in conjunction with tracking being updated showing the item is in transit;as long as you do this a buyer cannot ask or a refund while the item is showing movement,If they do 99.9% percent of the time the refund request is denied

---

After 3 days? USPS will close the case without looking into it. It would also have no bearing on whether a buyer opens an item not received case or asks for a refund.

---

@erkosuniverse wrote:

Also another smart thing to do is when you take a package to be shipped at post office,wait until it is labeled with postage and take picture of it,This way you can validate to buyer it has been shipped with postage and time must be given on buyers part (remember you can send pictures through e-bay message box)

It is very important nowadays to do all this to protect yourself,Many buyers are taking advantage of all of us sellers and using guidelines against us in hopes of obtaining/being granted "Freebie" items

---

This is also a waste of time. What will the photo show the buyer that the online tracking won't show them? It doesn't add any protection.

[3eyedfishcatcher]

You can contact the post office and have them reroute the package back to you. I think this costs 15 to 20 dollars. If the item is worth more than the cost of redirecting the shipment this may be worth doing. Also the buyer will not get the item for free.

[jvdi9617]

INTERCEPT the package right away!!!!! You will NOT get your money back, customer may keep your item for FREE. You should have not refunded by yourself. Let customer open a case "item not received". You should have let case expire and let ebay step in and refund. You may or may not get defects, and/or negative feedback, and charged Final Value Fee (because it is considered a successful transaction, let them charge). Let ebay stepped in and refund customer, when customer receives the item, you  can appeal the case and ebay will reverse the payment/refund.  

ebay considered you Voluntarily refunded customer. It is totally your responsibly to get your money or item back later.

Why I say that, because that is what ebay told me yesterday.  I was just punished by Voluntarily refunding customer in the same situation as you are.  

You just saved 10 days of waiting with at least 6 calls with ebay Representatives and 2 emails. You will be played and fed with contradicted and confused information from ebay representative until someone from a bit top level shows up and tells you the truth.

I believe most of customers are good. But this ebay policy - so called "Voluntarily Refunding" is carefully and very well designed for not-well-informed you and me,  and other sellers. 

You probably need to research a bit business laws as well, sending Paypal invoice doesn't do anything to protect yourself. Sending returning shipping label  within 30 days does.

Good Luck!

[abeamcollectibles]

The last tracking update was 6 days ago and the buyer did file an INR case. I suppose I was afraid of the negative service and feedback scores that having eBay step in might cause. 

[jvdi9617]

Yes, that was exactly what I was afraid of. That was why I said it is well-designed. Logically, you try to be a nice and responsible seller,  it benefits customers and overall market's health. But you will be punished for being too nice without correct and well-hiden information.  Not sure how much your item costs. Do cost and benefit analysis. Besides, this kind of feedback may be eligible for removal depending customer's wording.

[erkosuniverse]

The photo will prove it is shipped

Too many buyers claim sellers are using false/fraudulent tracking numbers

The photo will validate there is no false tracking number

package research case prevents buyer from filing case,When research case is open it must be honored by buyer according to e-bay until it is resolved

Hope you yourself are not this careless,it seems you do not really put effort in protecting yourself from fraudulent buyers,or those that take advantage of sellers

God Bless You and Best Wishes

[abeamcollectibles]

It was only a $12 refund so it's not the end of the world but I definitely wanted to understand my options for future reference. Especially if/when a higher valued item is involved. 

[sincerely_scented]

I received negative feedback for delayed shipping, eBay wouldn’t bother to remove it even though it’s in ebays policy says it’s legible to get removed if it’s shipping delay that’s not in seller control. They keep ignoring everything I say, I even sent screenshot from there policy and they just telling me it’s buyers experience. Buyer who couldn’t care less to contact back to resolve the issue, but ruined my feedback and eBay would provide protection. What is happening to eBay?  I have no problem refunding and dealing with lost packages, I did many times, but I was never even given chance to deal with it. Why does eBay do that? I feel so lowered and humiliated by EBay. 

[jvdi9617]

For $12. I take my words back. 

[wastingtime101]

---

@erkosuniverse wrote:

The photo will prove it is shipped

Too many buyers claim sellers are using false/fraudulent tracking numbers

The photo will validate there is no false tracking number

package research case prevents buyer from filing case,When research case is open it must be honored by buyer according to e-bay until it is resolved

Hope you yourself are not this careless,it seems you do not really put effort in protecting yourself from fraudulent buyers,or those that take advantage of sellers

God Bless You and Best Wishes

---

Haha. OK - that's not how it works, but you do you, man.

[myescape]

photo proves nothing as it can be faked or does not show package is actually in the postal system

Buyer does not have to aid in a delayed/lost mail case and ebay does not take those cases into account in a case