eBay refunds my buyer 14 days after packaged was shipped but is delayed by USPS

[jokeman84]

I have posted on here before about this but let's start from the beginning. Customer purchased an Nintendo N64 console for $325. It is too big for Priority Mail large box and I did an estimation using eBay calculated rates that is would cost $70 to ship to Van Nuys, California from my home in NJ based on size of box and weight. In my listing I specifically stated that it would be shipped USPS Select Ground. Buyer knew this beforehand. In any case he purchased on 4/25/2023 and I shipped 4/26/ 2023. It arrived at the Los Angeles Distribution Center on 4/30/2023. The estimated delivery was on May 1st. On May 4th buyer requested a missing package inquiry. He did this on his own. At this point it was three days late. The package research case was closed and the buyer was sent a message by the post office that USPS Select Ground is the slowest form of parcel handling by post office and it could actual take 6-8 weeks with the manpower shortages they have in LA. Though the service request was closed the customer service agent said she will continue to track package.

Buyer contacted eBay today and they reviewed the case issued him a refund for $325. They then sent me an email that $325 will be withdrawn from my checking account. By the way I should add then in the email USPS sent to buyer they said both Priority Mail Packages, First Class Mail and Select Ground were all delayed due to limited transportation availability. Look, I understand how the buyer feels but eBay should have extended at least another 7 days.

Also I'm confused. eBay only put $277 in my checking account. They are charging me the Final Value Fees. How can they chargeback to me more than they gave me in the first place. There can't be Final Value Fees if the buyer is issued a refund. I put in an appeal. I don't know what will happen but if 14 days is the longest they give a seller then the only business I will do on eBay again is as a buyer. Would love some feedback on this.

The USPS said I should put an intercept on the package and have it sent back to me if eBay gave the buyer a refund. I tried to do that and the site said Intercept Package Request is down at this time. Plus you have pay $17 if they find the package and send it back. It's amazing. I get $277 back for the item that they charging my checking account $325

[the_fancy_fox]

Better to lose some money than all of it. 

[lamber9347]

I'm sorry for your losses in this transaction. You've learned a valuable lesson in that USPS ground is not a good choice for a seller to make, especially in the days of free shipping on Amazon. Folks are impatient and not willing to wait for ground transportation. For this amount your best bet is to intercept the package. If the website is down go in person to your local main post office and do it in person. It will be worth it to get back your package and sell it again or in person next time. Best of luck to you.... 

[ten_o_nine]

Try to intercept the package and have it sent back to you since the buyer was refunded in full.

By the way, eBay will credit back their fees once the refund is completed.

[fashunu4eeuh]

If eBay kept the Final Value fee, that is an indication that they had to step in to refund, because you had not refunded the buyer within the timeline of the Money Back Guarantee. Had you issued the refund, then your FV fees would have been reimbursed.

[jokeman84]

What is the timeline. Expected delivery was May 1st. 

[jokeman84]

You can't do the intercept at the Post Office only online. It is still down. No reason given. 

[a_c_green]

---

@jokeman84 wrote:

You can't do the intercept at the Post Office only online. It is still down. No reason given. 

---

Just to be clear: are you getting an error message when trying to submit the intercept, or is it telling you that the tracking number is not eligible? I tried the intercept form just now using the tracking number of a shipment currently traveling, and was told that it is eligible for Package Intercept if desired.

Ref: https://retail-pi.usps.com/retailpi/actions/index.action (You must be logged in to your USPS.com account.)

[jokeman84]

Yes it says it is eligible. As soon as I enter buyer's address and hit next it says Intercept is not available at this time. Try again later.

[jokeman84]

Sorry, Package Intercept service is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later.

[gail5176]

You should have mailed it priority mail with insurance 

[fashunu4eeuh]

---

@jokeman84 wrote:

What is the timeline. Expected delivery was May 1st. 

---

A buyer can open an Item Not Received case one day past the expected delivery date. The seller then has 3 days to provide 1) an online-viewable  tracking number showing delivery (or attempted delivery),  or 2) a refund. For more info on the timeline, see the link below to eBay’s policy.

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy...

[jokeman84]

Well, this is crazy. I appealed to eBay and they have reversed the decision and refunded me the $325. This doesn't make sense because the case is closed and the buyer still hasn't received package. Did eBay pay this money out of their own pocket and make both the buyer and seller whole. Before I saw the appeal reply I sent a message to the seller asking him to contact me if he did receive it to make arrangements to send it back to me and I would pay the postage or purchase the item and I would give him a $100 discount and buy it at $225. I honestly don't know what's going on.

Did eBay elect to also reverse his refund to his credit card and make him wait. eBay made no mention of extension in deciding for me to win my appeal. At this point I'm going to let sleeping dogs lie. Whatever happens, happens. If they want to refund the seller at a future date if it is not received I am okay with it. If I get a message today that they are withdrawing $325 from checking account after all I'm okay with that. I'm done selling anything else on eBay. I will take down my existing listings. Going forward I will still make purchases on eBay because overall I have very pleased with the experience and usually find very good deals. With USPS problems it just isn't worth it to me anymore. I had a priority mail package misrouted and arrived many days late. As a previous poster said with Amazon next day delivery consumers are used to having something in their hands in 24 hours. 

[traditonalproducts]

I have also sold a Nintendo 64 console with a controller. I shipped this UPS to California for about $25 out of Houston plus full value insurance I am shocked that the same console costs $70 USPS Ground Select (GS). The weight can't even be 5 pounds plus the box should not be odd nor oversized. That seems extremely high. Regardless, the mistake was using USPS Ground Select. There is no firm estimated window of delivery for this shipment. USPS GS can stop at any time, held at a collection pool until other USPS GS shipments arrive then off, they go again and so forth. 

I would never ship anything of value USPS GS nor basically any shipment. It's a high risk for a dinge to your late shipments and as you see now a refund costing more time & dollars.