Tracking provided but has not been received. Will Ebay take my funds to pay buyer?

[glam-and-glitter]

I sold an item.  Shipped with tracking.  No tracking update after three weeks.  Buyer wants a refund.  Will Ebay take my funds or will this be covered by PayPal or Ebay?  It isn't right that I would lose my item and my profit.  I cannot control the U.S. postal service.

[fbusoni]

@glam-and-glitter 

Refund for the buyer will come out of your funds.

Meantime; have you contacted USPS?  Filed a service request to find out where you package is?  

If the item was sent media mail, and was NOT insured, and USPS cannot locate the item, all you will get back from USPS is your postage.

If the item was sent ground advantage or priority, it will be insured for loss and USPS will reimburse you in full (up to $100) IF the item is indeed lost (i.e., if USPS cannot locate it).

(This happened to me this week.  Shipped a book media mail; USPS misrouted it.   It is somewhere at a USPS hub in Missouri, arrived at the hub on October 13... but by the 27th, had not moved.   Yesterday I refunded the buyer.  I also filed an "item missing" request with USPS (https://missingmail.usps.com).  If they find the book, they will send it back to me.  If they do not locate it, they will refund me the media mail postage I paid for the book.  A good lesson for me: always ship moderately expensive books ground advantage, vice media mail.)

[klhmdg]

Has the buyer filed a "not received case"

Have YOU tried to do a lost package with USPS?

This is your 1st thing to do.

Then immediately after filing Lost Package, if the buyer has filed a case, you add the tracking number to the case.

IF the package is lost you the seller will refund. 

The funds will come from YOU.

You are responsible for shipping.

[glam-and-glitter]

Thanks.  Doesn't seem right, if the seller mailed it timely and provided tracking, then the seller should not be responsible for the US Mail's failure to deliver.  The seller would be out the cost of the item, the shipping and fees, just not right.

[ebooksdiva]

@glam-and-glitter 

Sellers are responsible until the item is delivered to the buyer, like it or not it is what it is.

[bonjourami]

Since you, as the seller, chose the shippping service, the buck stops with you.

[luckythewinner]

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Will Ebay take my funds or will this be covered by PayPal or Ebay? 

If you lose a dispute for "Item Not Received", you will have to refund.

It isn't right that I would lose my item and my profit

First, you were never entitled to both the item and your profit - you were only entitled to one or the other. You would lose the item and the cost of shipping it plus 40 cents. Second, isn't right that the buyer would pay for an item and not get it.

I cannot control the U.S. postal service.

You chose which carriers you were willing to offer.

You paid those carriers to deliver an item on your behalf.

You and the carrier are responsible for delivery, not eBay or PayPal.

Doesn't seem right, if the seller mailed it timely and provided tracking, then the seller should not be responsible for the US Mail's failure to deliver.

There are many reason for non-delivery that have nothing to do with the USPS and everything to do with the seller. Inadequate packaging, misprinted labels, labels not attached properly, labels not protected from rain where the ink runs, etc. 

[monica-sells]

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@glam-and-glitter wrote:

Thanks.  Doesn't seem right, if the seller mailed it timely and provided tracking, then the seller should not be responsible for the US Mail's failure to deliver.  The seller would be out the cost of the item, the shipping and fees, just not right.

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It is right...you are just not looking at it right....

ebay/paypal are not liable....

USPS is on the hook to YOU....(insurance funds go to you when settled)

You are on the hook for the BUYER...(original funds are returned to buyer)

In reality, you are made whole just as if you sold the item...sure you have no item, but you have the insurance settlement and buyer has their funds returned.

.....so, it is just right.....

make sure you follow all the proper protocols though

buyer must file INR through ebay options

you must upload the tracking number to respond to the ebay inquiry

(you should contact USPS now and see if you can "shake it loose"...sometimes it helps)

if there is movement, the refund is delayed for you....

if there is no movement, you need to follow up as explained previously

[m60driver]

When a buyer files an INR you will get a notice from Ebay with a time limit to respond.  Wait until the last moment to respond but do not fail to respond within that time frame.  If tracking does not show delivered the funds will indeed be taken from your account as you are, as mentioned above, responsible.  You might have some insurance from USPS that you can seek.  And you don't lose your profit as that was never realized, you only lose your cost of goods and shipping fees.

[kabilab]

fbusoni, thank you for your post. I had an item missing and spoke with 5 persons at various postal offices, BUT, none mentioned the info you shared concerning a Media Mail charge refund.

[gloryglorygifts]

My question is did the package show the item actually received and scanned by the post office? Without that scan of acceptance, they won't have any records to do anything for you. Even if your buyer opened a case, and your upload tracking, it will be no help. 

So sorry this happened to you. 

[funfactorychannel]

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@glam-and-glitter wrote:

Thanks.  Doesn't seem right, if the seller mailed it timely and provided tracking, then the seller should not be responsible for the US Mail's failure to deliver.  The seller would be out the cost of the item, the shipping and fees, just not right.

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If your the buyer how would you feel if the seller said take it up with USPS? NOT MY PROBLEM

[broto_64]

You can issue the refund yourself just prior to case expiration, doing so will relieve you of a defect that ebay will bestow down upon you if you do not refund voluntarily (that's on top of taking your funds to pay for said refund).