Should I ask buyer if I can cancel the order before she opens a case...

[cambriachick]

Hi Fellow sellers,

I sold a poster on May 28, mailed it with a scan on the 29th, and it was supposed to be delivered on the 30th.  It's moving about 250 miles.  The scan says, it's delayed, but on the way.  I spoke to the post office and they believe it's lost, it's just been too long.  The buyer has been patiently waiting, hoping it will show up, but it's really been too long.  Should I ask her if she's ok with me canceling the sale or should I wait until she opens a INR case?  I don't think it makes a difference financially and I'd just as soon avoid a defect if I can.

[slippinjimmy]

There is no "defect" if a buyer opens an INR request as long as your take care of it promptly.

I can't think of ANY reason to voluntarily refund a buyer because the tracking is showing it's moving but a few days late?

What type of service did you use that would give you overnight delivery (ship 29th, estimated delivery 30th)?

[12345jamesstamps]

I would wait until buyer opens an item not received...gives you more days for it to get to the buyer.

If however, it doesn't get scanned as "delivered" and buyer receives it... which does happen...and buyer still saids not received you will have to refund. I have a few opened "delayed" months ago but buyers have given me positive feedback long ago.

[lakefor94]

You won't take a hit on Transaction Defect Rate but Seller Metrics gets a ding if the INR is opened. 

[dbfolks166mt]

     At this point as  slippinjimmy  mentioned there is no reason to cancel the sale or refund the buyer. This was a large poster that, according to the listing, you shipped USPS ground advantage in a shipping tube. I am assuming the 30 May date is the one eBay provided to the buyer which causes a LOT of issues since eBay has NOTHING to do with the shipping process. What does the USPS tracking currently show? Where is it going and where is it "delayed at" several post offices are having issues with deliveries, some weather related some functionally related. 

     Either you or the buyer can open an insurance claims with USPS based on the following schedule. USPS is pretty good about handling these pretty quickly. I know I have had 4 of them so far this year. You have a few days before you can file an insurance claim but you can open a missing mail request. If it is lost they should respond to that effect. If it is just delayed they should also respond and it may in fact kick the package loose. 

     If all else fails have the buyer open an INR and go through the official process. 

[jimw1776]

I sold some speakers...they left the USPO 4/15, to be delivered 4/18.

I kept tracking, and tracking showed them going all over the place...finally delivered 4/29.

The buyer was fine...He probably kept tracking them, too

Some golf clubs went out May 31, to be delivered 6/3...tracking says delivery is delayed. 

I'm finding odder shaped items take a little longer...was it in a tube?

Have you messaged the buyer? Are they worried? 

If your tracking says delayed, I'd go with that. If it's tracking, why would the PO say it's lost?  It's being scanned in somewhere.

Personally, I'd message the buyer, tell buyer you're tracking the shipment, and sometime the post office is slow.  

If you cancel, and refund, and it's delivered...she might not send it back to you when it arrives.  I don't know if it was an expensive poster. And I understand it's expensive to stop delivery on a package

I'm sorry, I guess I'm not helping much. I think I'd wait a few more days, but let the buyer know you're aware that delivery is taking longer than anticipated.

[tsme35]

I've done this way too many times this year(12 times).  Buyer knows so next step is to go to USPS site and file mail inquiry, after 7 days from pick up date, you can put in a missing mail request. Those usually get the USPS to start looking in bins for it.

 All my buyers were cool and waited, but I emailed them every other day and kept them updated. I haven't had to file a claim, 2 came close, showed up on the 15th day, just before I was about to file a insurance claim.

[selsa84]

Was the poster mailed in a tube?

[fern*wood]

I honestly can't believe the post office told you it was lost in that short amount of time.  I had a few packages take up to a month to arrive, but they did.   As the other post mentioned---did you ship in a tube?   If so, are you sure you placed the label properly?   If not, that may delay the arrival since it won't be easy to scan and probably has to be entered manually.

[dbfolks166mt]

Was the poster mailed in a tube?

     For future reference you can look at sellers sold listings, most of the time, and read the description along with how the item was shipped. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/126493362386?itmmeta=01HZN8XA6QASZQ59WA229SF8MT&hash=item1d739788d2:g:DbwAA... 

[ajs_coins_and_alchemy]

---

@cambriachick wrote:

Hi Fellow sellers,

I sold a poster on May 28, mailed it with a scan on the 29th, and it was supposed to be delivered on the 30th.  It's moving about 250 miles.  The scan says, it's delayed, but on the way.  I spoke to the post office and they believe it's lost, it's just been too long.  The buyer has been patiently waiting, hoping it will show up, but it's really been too long.  

---

Last year I sold an item around Memorial Day. I shipped it but it got missed in the mix of packages and didn't get an acceptance scan. Every other package in the batch got an acceptance scan, but not this one. Then there was nothing. So as far as anyone was concerned, it looked as if I never shipped the item. I think I messaged the buyer assuring them I shipped ... well either way I never heard from the buyer AT ALL. I periodically checked the tracking ... after about 3.5 weeks (no joke) it showed up and then was delivered. I don't think it took a full month, but it definitely took like 24+ days, if not longer. It was absolutely absurd... 

Never heard from the buyer, never got any feedback. But there it is, 24 days with zero scans, and then it popped. Don't tell me 1 week is "too long" LOL

[chapeau-noir]

It hasn't been too long for something that requires special handling. Keep in contact with your buyer and be a little patient. You can always put a notification on the tracking - it shouldn't make any difference, but for some reason it seems like it bounces a package loose. 

[epsilon_publishing]

"

---

Either you or the buyer can open an insurance claims with USPS based on the following schedule. USPS is pretty good about handling these pretty quickly.

Huh? I go to the Post Office, they say I can only file a claim online. When I go online, they allow to file a claim only under special circumstances

"Claim" = "request for refund of postage"

USPS does not refund the value of the item unless you have chosen certain delivery options and added additional insurance to the parcel. 

[tsme35]

Had a postmaster in GA call on my missing package, told me to file an insurance claim, your package is lost. Showed up the next day.

[cambriachick]

The posrer was mailed in a tube and was sent Priority Mail. It was only traveling about 250 miles so it showed estimated next day delivery.  The tracking is kind of spooling around.  I can wait, but my buyer already sounds exasperated.