eBay

leonardtrading · ‎08-22-2023

I shipped something quite heavy and it was cost effective to put 1 in a large priority mail flat rate box and the other in a medium flat rate box. Labels were created and they were both picked up together on the next day. Tracking on one shows delivery as scheduled. Tracking on the other shows "Tracking provided." Buyer messages me suggesting tracking says it's not delivered and he didn't get it. I smell foul play already by how eager he was on the 4th business day for me to send him a partial refund. I go the shipping labels page and the 2nd tracking number shows up as "manifest" status in the "track package column". For giggles I check back to an order a month ago where we sent 2 boxes on the same day to the same client. You guessed it - SAME THING. 2nd tracking shows manifest and no activity on the 2nd label printed. This current order borrower has already filed a claim. Do i have a scammer on my hand? If so any thoughts on next steps?

simba6 · ‎08-22-2023

If it does not say delivered there is a problem. Both if delivered will show that. I have both shipped and received more than one package like that and they always said delivered. Did you use a scan sheet? That can cause trouble. The other thing is in might not have gotten scanned.

Priority mail includes insurance and you can file a claim for the non delivered package. Does not sound like a scam to me.

leonardtrading · ‎08-22-2023

It was never accepted. We have daily pickup. Both boxes stacked right on top of each other, taken at the same time.

12345jamesstamps · ‎08-22-2023

Tracking may not show up in eBay....I have a lot that have tracking that do not show up in eBay. I purchased items from Macau quite a bit with tracking and it just doesn't show up in eBay. Not sure what tracking from whom was used. USPS, UPS, FedEx or eBay. The first 3 you can go into the place of business with tracking and ask. Phone calls and the internet are not always up to par. The last one....well that's between you and eBay.

a_c_green · ‎08-22-2023

@leonardtrading wrote:
I shipped something quite heavy and it was cost effective to put 1 in a large priority mail flat rate box and the other in a medium flat rate box. Labels were created and they were both picked up together on the next day. Tracking on one shows delivery as scheduled. Tracking on the other shows "Tracking provided." Buyer messages me suggesting tracking says it's not delivered and he didn't get it.

He was "suggesting tracking says it's not delivered"? That's weird... if he hadn't received the package I would have expected him to flat-out say so.

@leonardtrading wrote:
For giggles I check back to an order a month ago where we sent 2 boxes on the same day to the same client. You guessed it - SAME THING. 2nd tracking shows manifest and no activity on the 2nd label printed. This current order borrower has already filed a claim. Do i have a scammer on my hand? If so any thoughts on next steps?

If he's filed an Item Not Received dispute, you will end up refunding if the tracking never updates to Delivered status. I wouldn't automatically assume he's a scammer, as he has no control over the USPS' failure to scan the tracking along the way. Even if the carrier had not bothered to scan the second package, it should have been logged going through the first automated scanner elsewhere, usually at the origin sort facility. The first in-network scan is treated as an Acceptance scan, even if it didn't occur at the origin post office (or a carrier doing a pickup).

Just to be clear: you printed a Large Flat Rate Priority label and a Medium Flat Rate Priority label in each case. Which one failed to show any shipping updates? Is there any possibility that the labels were not securely attached, or the bar code became obliterated? Is there a packing slip inside each package? Did you see the carrier scan each box at pickup time?

wastingtime101 · ‎08-22-2023

Did you check the tracking on the USPS website or just on eBay @leonardtrading ? Did you go to (or call) your local PO and ask them to check if tracking shows in their intranet system?

GLORIOUS!

leonardtrading · ‎08-22-2023

That was the first thing I checked but USPS says the same status as eBay unfortunately.

leonardtrading · ‎08-22-2023

That's my frustration, I know they will take his side. I have packages picked up every day and have 5000 feedback compared to 40 but what can you do. I gave him a heads up that it was coming in 2 packages instead of one. Looking back, I probably just opened the door for a scam. Yes, I think the package is there and there was an issue with the label. I think he knows eBay will side with him. For what it's worth I have pickup confirmation of the packages (total count), and proof of paid receipt. I think eBay may try and have him ship the partial package back to me vs a partial refund. That will really throw him for a loop.

stainlessenginecovers · ‎08-22-2023

Of course they will take the 'buyers' side because tracking does NOT show it was delivered.

How can it be any other way?

USPS is simple- input the tracking- if it doesn't show delivered; then it didn't.

a_c_green · ‎08-23-2023

@leonardtrading wrote:
I gave him a heads up that it was coming in 2 packages instead of one. Looking back, I probably just opened the door for a scam. Yes, I think the package is there and there was an issue with the label.

Pardon a dumb question, but is it at all possible that you accidentally printed the first label twice and applied one copy to both boxes? That would explain why the tracking number of the missing second package never made it past the "Manifest" stage: the second package entered the mailstream all right, but carrying a second copy of the label for the first package.

It might be interesting to see if the tracking history for the first package (i.e. the one that arrived, and viewed on USPS.com, not eBay) shows what appear to be duplicate scans, but in reality would be the second package carrying the first one's label. You mentioned that one was a Flat Rate Large and the other was a Flat Rate Medium, so in theory the automatic verification process should have noted a Flat Rate Large label on a Flat Rate Medium box, but perhaps that particular mismatch didn't set off any alarm bells. (Their revenue assurance system does normally credit overpayments as well as bill underpayments.)

Bottom line here is that if the second box does not show any tracking to indicate that it was shipped (not to mention Delivered), that would not be the fault of the buyer; he has no control over that.