USPS Lost package and as the seller I’m now responsible??

[alevar_7608]

I am beyond furious right now. So I shipped a package and received a $227 payout. Cool. A couple weeks later buyer lets me know he will be filling a package not received. Fine. USPS lost the package but I purchased and printed the label from eBay so I should be fine. Right? Nope. eBay takes the buyers side and takes $285???? So not only do I lose the payout, the item, also an additional $58. Absolutely ridiculous! Why  should I as the seller suffer for the stupidity of USPS. This isn’t the first time something like this has happened. Looks like I won’t be using eBay anymore until this is resolved. What am I paying 15% fees for? 

[toysaver]

Did you file a claim with the PO for the lost package? 

https://www.usps.com/help/claims.htm

Priority includes insurance of $100 with additional available at time the label is purchased.  You won't be 100% whole but you are really only out what the item cost you not what it sold for.  Hopefully you bought it to resale for a profit.  If it was a personal item, you had the benefit of use.

[heckofagame]

Welcome to internet sales. You are responsible for the safe arrival of the package. 

And by letting eBay settle the dispute, you will now have a ding against your metrics for "cases closed without seller resolution". 

What method of shipping did you use? Did you purchase insurance beyond the $100 that may have been provided (depending on the shipping method)?

[kensgiftshop]

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@alevar_7608 wrote:

Why  should I as the seller suffer for the stupidity of USPS.

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Because you are responsible for the item until it is delivered to the buyer in the condition as you stated in your listing.

[gurlcat]

Your post leaves out too much information for us to answer your question.  
What was the total cost that the buyer paid when they bought the item?  -If you were the buyer, wouldn't you expect to get every penny back that you paid, considering you didn't receive what you ordered?  
So if that $58 is the difference between the total buyer payment versus what eBay paid you, there you go; that's the explanation.  

[luckythewinner]

USPS lost the package but I purchased and printed the label from eBay so I should be fine. Right?

Why would you think that? Nothing in eBay policies suggests that would be the case. In fact, they plainly state the opposite - that you lose seller protection against non-delivery unless you have acceptable delivery confirmation from the USPS.

You are the one who chose to hire the USPS to deliver your package for you.

USPS packages can get lost for a variety of reasons, and some of them are

• inadequate packaging by the seller
• insufficient sealing of package by the seller
• loose shipping label when applied by the seller
• poor quality printing of shipping labels by the seller

All eBay does is give you a discount based on the volume of labels they buy from the USPS.

Why in the world would eBay take responsibility for the USPS service and the seller's packaging ability?

Looks like I won’t be using eBay anymore until this is resolved

The only way an Item Not Received dispute without delivery confirmation will be resolved is when you (a) refund the buyer, or (b) eBay forces you to refund the buyer.

What am I paying 15% fees for?

You are paying the fees for the services that eBay provides, which are spelled out in the user agreement. That agreement does not cover reimbursement for lost packages.

[mordecai8614]

The post office insures items up to $100 for Priority & Ground Advantage shipping. Anything beyond $100 you should insure yourself, you can even pass that additional insurance charge onto the customer through a handling fee. This is basic stuff.

[tobaccocardyahoo]

All products which are ordered and shipped to the buyer require that they arrive safely without damage, whether they order by internet, phone or mail order. Consumer protection laws require it.

If you did not insure the package it only has $100 in insurance if you shipped by priority mail. If you want that insurance, you have to file a claim with USPS. The buyer gets their money whether you are covered or not.

If you failed to resolve the buyer's claim of damage on the Ebay Money Back Guarantee, Ebay does not refund the Ebay Final Value fees.

If you did not know this before now, close all your listings and do the homework you should have done before selling here. You can only hurt yourself by being unprepared.

Do not get the mistaken idea that if you contact Ebay customer service they will tell you what you need to know. That information is on the Ebay seller help pages.

[slippinjimmy]

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@alevar_7608 wrote:

I am beyond furious right now. So I shipped a package and received a $227 payout. Cool. A couple weeks later buyer lets me know he will be filling a package not received. Fine. USPS lost the package but I purchased and printed the label from eBay so I should be fine. Right? Nope. eBay takes the buyers side and takes $285???? So not only do I lose the payout, the item, also an additional $58. Absolutely ridiculous! Why  should I as the seller suffer for the stupidity of USPS. This isn’t the first time something like this has happened. Looks like I won’t be using eBay anymore until this is resolved. What am I paying 15% fees for? 

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You bought a label from USPS, the fact that you printed the label via eBay does not make eBay responsible for a USPS error.

As far as the "additional $58", sounds like that was the eBay fees that would normally be refunded but are not if eBay has to force you to refund the buyer.

[robbie31415]

The shipping carrier is someone YOU hired.

The buyer did not hire them, they may have given YOU money for it.

The buyer has NO right to go after any insurance since they aren't the shipper.

YOU are the shipper.

The buyer can only go after the person they gave their money to, which is you.

You then go after the person you gave money to, the USPS.

Buyers should get their items as expected, undamaged, and should be refunded by the seller if this does not happen.

If you don't agree with these terms, then you should not sell on eBay.

[wastingtime101]

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@alevar_7608 wrote:

eBay takes the buyers side and takes $285???? So not only do I lose the payout, the item, also an additional $58. 

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Ouch. Sorry to hear you learned this one the hard way @alevar_7608 .

Because eBay stepped in that forfeit your $58 fees. If you voluntarily refunded the buyer, those fees would have been credited.

As others said, you are responsible for the shipping label and purchasing insurance if needed, or self-insuring. You can file the claim to recoup $100 that's included with both Ground Adv and Priority services, but nothing more if you didn't purchase additional coverage.

Here's the page for filing a USPS insurance claim:

https://www.usps.com/help/claims.htm

For reference, here's the eBay policy for handling non-receipt claims which says for seller protections you need to have proof of delivery:

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/managing-returns-refunds/help-buyer-item-didnt-receive?id=4116

[reallynicestamps]

 Did you take the buyer's word that it was not delivered?

Does the tracking for the package show delivery?

Did you show eBay the tracking history in the Claim?

[adamcartwright]

@mordecai8614  Your "OG eBayer" advice is great up to the last sentence, which was condescending and not productive.

OP has 35 feedback, which means he's probably a newby (unless this is a second account), so this will be a difficult learning experience.

Look at his profile photo. He's a young man.

 @alevar_7608 I would hate to see you throw in the towel. Learn from this and keep going. Most people here in the forum are kind and helpful. eBay can be a great side hustle, at the very least.

[yuzuha]

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@alevar_7608 wrote:

USPS lost the package but I purchased and printed the label from eBay so I should be fine. Right? Nope. eBay takes the buyers side and takes $285???? So not only do I lose the payout, the item, also an additional $58. Absolutely ridiculous! Why  should I as the seller suffer for the stupidity of USPS.

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You would not suffer if you had followed the proper procedure for a situation like that. If the tracking showed that the item had been lost and not delivered, then what you should have done was refunded the buyer and then filed a claim with the USPS for the lost package. From what I have heard they will pay out fairly quickly when it is a case of a package being lost rather than damaged.

[kabilab]

Alevar, unless you are able to quash being furious and temper your opinion that organizations are stupid, your decision to abstain from employing the e-Bay sales platform is correct; this situation will not be resolved in your favor.