Signature Confirmation

[keziak]

I've had too many incidents where people claim they didn't get their  package and tracking shows delivered. Amazon doesn't honor tracking in this situation. I now ship anything over $50 with signature confirmation. So far no complaints but one box came back unclaimed (I assume it was kept in the P.O. and never picked up). My attempt to reach the customer resulted in no response. Does anyone have any experience with Signature Confirmation gone wrong?

[dentalsales4u]

I've had one in the years that I've used it.
All my items are expensive, so everything I ship is with signature required.
The only problem I ever had was last year in August.
No one to sign for package. FedEx made multiple delivery attempts, but business was always closed.
The buyer requested that the package be forwarded to a different hub for them to pick up. They never did. FedEx finally returned the package back to me. I received it back the first week of Oct (well over a month later). Next day buyer opens an item not received case.
I refunded them, but still wear the ding on my metrics.

[juststuffisell]

I've used the signature confirmation on items sold for years now without issue. Always use it for apartment or unit number shipments if the sales price justifies the signature required price. 50 bucks is a no brainer for me. High dollar items get the photo ID treatment. I don't mess around with the stuff. To many thief's running loose online and I would rather lose 15 bucks in shipping than 200 bucks in merchandise.

Cheers

[keziak]

I've had some trouble with packages being scanned at NYC apartments only to have the customer claim they didn't get it.  If they are too low-cost to add signature confirmation I send an email asking them to keep an eye on tracking.  Lately no complaints but could happen any day.

[7606dennis]

The rules here on eBay are somewhat different than those on Amazon.  Here a signature isn't required for anything under $750.  That being said, you are certainly free to require a signature for any amount of value that you deem fit.  I would always suggest placing something in your listings to let potential buyers know.

With regard to the item being returned because it wasn't signed for, I'd advise the buyer by sending a message through eBay informing him of the situation and requesting instructions on how he wants to handle it.  I would send this only once and await his reply.  The ball is then in his court.

[keziak]

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@7606dennis wrote:

The rules here on eBay are somewhat different than those on Amazon.  Here a signature isn't required for anything under $750.  That being said, you are certainly free to require a signature for any amount of value that you deem fit.  I would always suggest placing something in your listings to let potential buyers know.

With regard to the item being returned because it wasn't signed for, I'd advise the buyer by sending a message through eBay informing him of the situation and requesting instructions on how he wants to handle it.  I would send this only once and await his reply.  The ball is then in his court.

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IT was actually an Amazon buyer, and they are notoriously hard to get a reply from. 

Your advice about putting in the listing that signature confirmation would be used is a good one. I will do that from now on for expensive books.

[fashunu4eeuh]

Hi, from a buyer’s perspective, i had a frustrating experience. Bought an inexpensive widget on eBay (under $25). The seller sent it with signature required, without warning me. 

Was unavailable during the day, and missed the delivery attempt. The UK seller sent it by Royal Mail and required that the package must be signed specifically by me. I left notes at my address and called the carrier to request the package be left. Despite this, the second attempt was made and missed. 

i had no choice but to retrieve the item with much inconvenience. I needed the widget.

I live in a gated community. Packages can be left safely when residents aren’t home. If i had known the seller was going to use signature confirmation, i would have moved along or discussed alternatives with her. The seller hadn’t needed to go to the extra expense, nor was it necessary to force me to pay in time lost.

 This seller had been burned and was now paranoid. As a seller myself, i get it. But all this angst and seller mistrust creates a poor buying environment. 

[gamersbaystore]

I typically require signature confirmation for higher priced items as well. Though, at times I've had buyers complain they weren't available to sign when the item was delivered. It resulted in angry buyers a few times. But I reminded them the listing made it clear that signature confirmation would be required. Its not like they didn't know what to expect.

[vejtrjojbvs0]

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@keziak wrote:

I've had too many incidents where people claim they didn't get their  package and tracking shows delivered. Amazon doesn't honor tracking in this situation. I now ship anything over $50 with signature confirmation. So far no complaints but one box came back unclaimed (I assume it was kept in the P.O. and never picked up). My attempt to reach the customer resulted in no response. Does anyone have any experience with Signature Confirmation gone wrong?

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As a buyer I consider this a real dirty trick, you're forcing me to make an extra trip to a post office someplace if I'm not here when the package arrives because if I don't make that trip you get to keep my money since I "refused" delivery!!!

You can say what you want, I believe maybe that's why you do it!

As far as amazon, I am shopping on ebay!

I can't stand sellers who pull this stunt, especially for sub $100 items, I can somewhat tolerate the nonsense in the 500-750 range but know that insofar as "lost" packages go I am FULL and WELL aware of the rules that pertain to you as a seller.

[ozarkjoe]

Recently I had a $700 gold coin sent to me with signature confirmation and the letter carrier left it on the front porch without knocking on the door and asking for my signature.

[reallynicestamps]

@dentalsales4u 

The package was undeliverable, so the buyer should have been unable to use the Money Back Guarantee.

And you refunded on demand, so you should not have received a Defect.

If the ding bothers you, call Customer Service and ask that the case be reviewed.

[dentalsales4u]

Technically, it's not a defect, but a ding on my metrics.
I did call eBay multiple times and they refuse to remove metric dings.
They just keep telling you, it happens to most, so it all comes out in the wash!
I guess that's their answer since metrics are evaluated with your peers in same category.

[no_zero369]

@fashunu4eeuh 

Wonder if the carrier should have left a "re-delivery form" that would have allowed you to sign the form and have the item delivered to your home when not at home and thus avoiding a trip to the PO?

https://faq.usps.com/s/article/Redelivery-The-Basics

https://faq.usps.com/s/article/PS-Form-3849-Redelivery-Notice

USPS policies...

https://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/2006/html/pb22189/pb6kittx.html

[abfabvintage]

I would follow 7606dennis recommendation. Put in bold letters somewhere visible to the buyer in your listings that you require a signature confirmation which means "you or your designate" needs to sign for it on delivery. Best place I would put it, considering people use mobile and don't go any further than maybe item specifics/condition blocks? Put it there and in your narrative description and on your shipping page comments. Sorry you have to go through this. 

[7606dennis]

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@ozarkjoe wrote:

Recently I had a $700 gold coin sent to me with signature confirmation and the letter carrier left it on the front porch without knocking on the door and asking for my signature.

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Did you register a complaint with the USPS?