10-01-2019 08:34 AM
I sold an item for $60 approximately two weeks ago I received a request yesterday that the item was never received and in the message the buyer says verbatim I don't even live at that address anymore refund! I shipped to the address provided and when I check tracking it says it's still in transit however USPS says the item is likely long gone. EBay is siding with the customer even though they provided the wrong address so now I have to refund and lose my item? I am extremely upset about this I've called eBay and they don't seem to care
10-01-2019 02:21 PM
@justbenice3 wrote:There was no scans showing... therefore it's their word against mine whether I even shipped in the first place.
I know for a fact that this particular package went out because my mail lady remarked that she used to live in the same city that this was going to.. but regardless I've been in tears over the entire thing
It's not worth crying over- a year from now it will be a distant memory.
Even though there are no scans showing in the system you should speak with your mail carrier. She may remember the package since she remarked on living in the same city. Tell her the system is not showing any scans and you are going to file a lost package insurance claim and ask her to support it. Ask her what steps you need to take to ensure coverage.
Wait- was the package insured? I don't recall if you said that- only that others mentioned Priority includes insurance. Did you ship Priority?
10-01-2019 02:26 PM
@a_c_green wrote:
@keziak wrote:I had to refund recently a Priority package that was never scanned. Am I right in assuming the USPS will not honor the insurance if there is no scan/proof of mailing?
There's some anecdotal evidence that they may pay off under those circumstances, but it would be an uphill fight, probably involving an appeals process, sworn statements that it really was mailed, etc.
The USPS is expected to scan the package when it's presented for mailing, not later on sometime. If handing it to a carrier, the carrier should pull out his handheld and scan it.
I know! I left it with other mail on the Post Office loading dock but apparently it was never scanned.
10-01-2019 03:03 PM
Go to your post office and talk with the Postmaster. They have access to tracking methods that you nor ebay have. Go to the Shipping Labels page and pull up the label you printed and make a copy and take it to the Postmaster. They should be able to take a lost package report once four weeks have passed. If the package is undeliverable as addressed it should automatically come back to you but in the meantime you will have to refund your buyer. It is very maddening when that happens and truthfully most sellers have had it happen. I have several times but the package always came back.
10-01-2019 03:22 PM
I had a couple first class items that were never scanned once along the way.
Its true that PO has ways of tracking that we don’t have access to. It could be in the system but the scans are not showing on the tracking sites.
My kid was a Postmaster.
My unscanned packages made it to the customer but I will not put them in the box again. I’ll bring them to the counter and watch them scan and get a receipt.
10-01-2019 06:51 PM
@justbenice3 wrote:I sold an item for $60 approximately two weeks ago I received a request yesterday that the item was never received and in the message the buyer says verbatim I don't even live at that address anymore refund! I shipped to the address provided and when I check tracking it says it's still in transit however USPS says the item is likely long gone. EBay is siding with the customer even though they provided the wrong address so now I have to refund and lose my item? I am extremely upset about this I've called eBay and they don't seem to care
Gee, and all that additional "seller protection" stuff started today... yet a seller ships to the address eBay provided and loses an INR?
Sounds about right for eBay, unfortunately.
10-01-2019 06:59 PM
They lost the INR because they didn't have a delivery scan. It doesn't matter which address they shipped to. From post #6: "There was no scans showing... therefore it's their word against mine whether I even shipped in the first place."
10-01-2019 07:03 PM
@trustedbasset wrote:I had a couple first class items that were never scanned once along the way.
Its true that PO has ways of tracking that we don’t have access to. It could be in the system but the scans are not showing on the tracking sites.
My kid was a Postmaster.
Ask your kid (if you don't mind) if the PO can see scans in the system why can't they push scans to the public-facing tracking where nothing is showing?
10-01-2019 07:08 PM
@justbenice3 wrote:I sold an item for $60 approximately two weeks ago I received a request yesterday that the item was never received and in the message the buyer says verbatim I don't even live at that address anymore refund! I shipped to the address provided and when I check tracking it says it's still in transit however USPS says the item is likely long gone. EBay is siding with the customer even though they provided the wrong address so now I have to refund and lose my item? I am extremely upset about this I've called eBay and they don't seem to care
The buyer is at fault for supplying the wrong address, ebay should be protecting you on that part. For the lost package... idk what this "USPS says the item is likely long gone" part means... did you call them or did you go to your post office and ask someone behind the counter? You should call them and though you will be on hold forever once you reach an rep and explain the situation they can open a case and try to retrieve the "lost" package. Once they do that, if they find the package you can have them send it back to you. And if you have insurance on it USPS will be quicker to find it as if they don't they will have to pay the value of the item (which also takes a little time but they will send you a check).
10-01-2019 07:10 PM
I was on the phone with them for an hour today and I'm not one to raise hell that I was screaming at them and they literally could not care less
10-01-2019 10:05 PM
@nobody*s_perfect wrote:They lost the INR because they didn't have a delivery scan. It doesn't matter which address they shipped to. From post #6: "There was no scans showing... therefore it's their word against mine whether I even shipped in the first place."
Sorry- I was responding to the OP as you may have noticed- hadn't gotten to Post 6 yet.
After all, nobody's perfect!
10-01-2019 10:56 PM
You first said "when I check tracking it says it's still in transit". How can it show to be "still in transit" if it was never scanned? Contradicts post #6.
10-02-2019 06:35 AM
I completely relate to your feelings. When I began selling on e-Bay six years ago, I had just short of 1/2 century as a self-employed contractor, with 21 as a retailer, and still it was difficult for me to adjust to the situation of thieves defrauding sellers. I was finally, after several incidents, able to reconcile myself to the fact the it was simply the cost of doing business. What made it easier for me, though, was that of the items I have sold, approx. 1,400, none were purchased for sale; all being from either my personal collection or those I had not been able to sell in my store. BUT, it still slightly bothers me and probably will to the end.
10-02-2019 06:46 AM
@a_c_green wrote:
@justbenice3 wrote:When I called eBay yesterday they said that it showed the item was in transit but when I looked it up it doesn't show a single scan so I don't know if they're seeing something that I can't.. I print my labels at home and I know for a fact that this particular package went out because my mail lady remarked that she used to live in the same city that this was going to..
Just to clarify here: What does the tracking on usps.com show for that package? Is there an Acceptance scan? Any entries beyond the Label Created entry that will show that it's in the hands of the USPS? Did you hand it to your carrier for shipping, or take it to the post office?
@justbenice3, can you please fill us in on these details?
10-02-2019 06:51 AM
@wastingtime101 wrote:
@trustedbasset wrote:I had a couple first class items that were never scanned once along the way.
Its true that PO has ways of tracking that we don’t have access to. It could be in the system but the scans are not showing on the tracking sites.
My kid was a Postmaster.
Ask your kid (if you don't mind) if the PO can see scans in the system why can't they push scans to the public-facing tracking where nothing is showing?
The intranet does not log any more scans than what you see in the public-facing portal. What it does log are lots more details about each scan (e.g. whether it was a direct scan or a container scan; whether it was a handheld or automated, etc.) as well as more details on the shipment itself: where it came from, where it was going, its size, its weight, its class of shipping, etc. The last time I got an intranet printout from them on a specific shipment, it ran to four full pages.
(They're not officially required to show you the intranet report, but asking nicely may pry it loose.)
10-02-2019 07:05 AM - edited 10-02-2019 07:07 AM
Assuming that PayPal was involved in this transaction, What shipping address do they offer on your buyer? If it is the same incorrect address, PayPal should cover you. For some strange reason though eBay does not. If it's the same incorrect address registered with PayPal (especially if it is a verified address) you should be covered through them. I know a lot of sellers dis PayPal, but they have helped me out many a time.