eBay

americana-jewels · ‎08-07-2022

So I sell a $40 item, buyer is in brazil. Bummer because shipping to brazil is like a 50/50 proposition. Cost $60 to ship it.

72 days later, buyer reports that he hasn't received it. Tracking shows that it landed in Brazil and tracking showed nothing further. I explained to the buyer, be patient, customs and all that.

About 10 days later, the item is delivered back to me by the post office, went 'unclaimed' in Brazil. Now at that point, I'm content with refunding the buyer the $40 purchase price because I have the item back in my possession. But the buyer immediately escalates the case and ebay refunds the guy the full $100.

I don't really care much about losing the $60, but I care about the principles that eBay is exercising here.

* I will never ship to Brazil again.

* ebay can easily institute real solutions to these common problems: They can see that I mailed it to the right address. Knowing that, they can refund only the purchase price and let the buyer eat the shipping. It's immoral for ebay to have us sellers eat the shipping in a case like this.

ikonicstudios · ‎08-07-2022

Did you have the buyer start a "item not received" request through eBay or did you just manage this yourself?

When item not received issues arise, it's best to start a request as this will document everything that is being done and much cleaner when you need to have eBay step in.

Also, for future international shipments, you may want to consider using eBay's GSP ( Global Shipping Program). This programs has many protections in place for situations just like this. I just had an item that I sent to the Netherlands and for some reason the item could not be delivered. In addition, and according to the tracking on this package, it was marked as undeliverable and package destroyed.

But because I shipped through this program, the buyer was able to get a refund and I was also able to keep the funds. And yes, there are protection in place when you sell an item. If you sell it, ship it and either the buyer doesn't claim the item or provided an incorrect address from the start, protections are in place to ensure you don't lose the money. I would recommend calling the eBay selling team to appeal this as many of the functions on eBay are system generated.

Good luck!

femmefan1946 · ‎08-07-2022

I think I'll call ebay and try it over the phone:

The phone reps are NOT eBay employees.

They work for a sub-contractor based in Utah.

Use the social media.

Those are trained employees with some authority.

trbl13 · ‎08-08-2022

A very upsetting situation...I always use eBay's Global Shipping Program to avoid these kinds of outcomes.

and I only ship to Countries that eBay's GSP ships to successfully...

americana-jewels · ‎08-09-2022

I used GSP accidently early this year, the item going to great britain, buyer never received it. DHL took it over and eventually it ended up in germany. never got it back, never got a refund. I'm busy, I don't have time to chase all these problems, and before I realize it, too much time has passed. I swore I wont use GSP again.

I've been shipping globally (I have another eBay ID) since 2007 and brazil and russia and vietnam has always been risky, mexico is erratic, but those areas by so infrequently, that it's not a big problem. But the two most unreliable I would say it Brazil and Russia. I wont ship to either of those anymore.

americana-jewels · ‎08-09-2022

Well, the estimated delivery date was 21 days after I shipped it. He opened the case 72 days later after I shipped it. So, when usps returned it, I figured the guy had no case anyway and I would refund him the $40 but the ebuyer escalated right away. and it was not a chargeback, ebay just flat out over-rid their own 30 days past expected delivery date and refunded the guy, found in his favor within a few hours.

americana-jewels · ‎08-09-2022

I used GSP once and the package never got delivered. $350 to great britain. The package ended up in Germany after about 90 days. It was stuck in GB for weeks and weeks, buyer didn't know where it was. I sent him a replacement, used regular mail and the buyer had it within a a couple weeks.

In the meantime, I figured the lost package would get returned to me as they almost always do--- I've had them come back to me 3 months later or more on a few occasions, but it never came back.