Buyer opened INR, package is in transit arriving late...

[nuclearomen]

...so yeah, buyer on a sale that happened on 29th/shipping the 30th via USPS Priority Mail opened a INR case last night saying "So yeah was supposed to get it last week and it hasn't been delivered yet." on the case. I explained responded by saying that the package is in transit but it's arriving late due to covid + black friday/cyber monday backups to USPS and that I opened a case with USPS to locate the package and get it delivered. I will not refund while a package is in transit, just so the buyer then get the money and the item. If USPS rules the package as lost I will refund, no problem. 

I called EB today MP (cause the money from the order they placed on hold of course), who transferred me to the EB worker handling the case, they said "do not refund, this is not your fault, you did what you were suppose to do and shipped the item on time, I'm not USPS and the tracking shows it's in transit" when I asked if I do not refund the buyer they said "it's OK, your are protected and no action will be taken against you on your account"...

..SO, my question is for those whom experienced this, is this accurate info the rep gave me? I am waiting for USPS to call me back right now (used the call back feature for when it's my turn...takes hours as you know), I told EB rep that if USPS says I can have the package intercepted and returned to me (likely at with a fee) I would just issue the buyer a full refund then.  

[donsdetour]

good luck with this:

you most likely will have ebay refund them with out a return due to time of case.

Get a ding on you as well.

A intercept cost $25 I believe: you might try it if the item is worth it to recover.

Oh and let us know what does happen with this case please.

[kensgiftshop]

@nuclearomen 

If tracking shows recent movement, they might put the case on hold a few days.

If they don't, and you don't refund by the 3rd day, Ebay will do it for you.

[collectfest]

No its not right in my opinion. In my case I am the Buyer. My item was shipped Dec 3 priority Mail. The package is now in neverland, stuck in a pit, not moving for 3 days.

I contacted the seller as a courtesy to give them a heads up on usps blunder. (I'm a seller also so I am sympathetic to the present state of affairs). Well, for whatever reason they are not responding so I called Ebay who advised I can open an INR case on the 9th.

In my case I will because of the sellers non-response. If I had a responsive seller like you I would be more patient. The longest I can wait is the 14th but that's beside the point

To be really honest if I was a buyer and my item was shipped Priority Mail on the 29th, I'd expect it pandemic or not by now if shipped within continental USA. That's 10 days if my math is right. Some people just cannot wait and wait, they may have to go out of town etc. 

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't give a neg feedback but I'd want to get on with my life.

Also, in eBays infinite wisdom the put the est arrival date. That also puts more pressure on you.

I ended all my listing at this point. I just don't want unhappy customers and, like you, I cannot control the mail.

Christmas is coming, its not unreasonable for a buyer desire to get their item when expected. I for one do not need the soap opera.   

Anyway, I wish you luck, I am sure it will work out ok because you are responsive

[nuclearomen]

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@donsdetour wrote:

good luck with this:

you most likely will have ebay refund them with out a return due to time of case.

Get a ding on you as well.

A intercept cost $25 I believe: you might try it if the item is worth it to recover.

Oh and let us know what does happen with this case please.

---

According to the rep handling the case, ebay will rule in my (seller) favor and release the funds back to me as they said I fulfilled my obligation and shipped on time and that no marks will go on my account in the matter. 

I talked to USPS 5 min ago, they also said do not refund the buyer because what has likely happened is that the package was scanned as departing Denver and is either sitting on a truck at Denver since the 2nd waiting to go to next facility, or the truck is already at next facility sitting waiting to be unloaded due to backups and is arriving late. They also said that I need to wait til Friday minimal to hear anything about the case I opened, again, due to covid they are over flowed with open cases and the normal 24-72 hrs it takes to investigate cases are now extended to 5 days. The case from buyer opened last night, 3 days would close the case on same time it was opened on the 10th (thursday)... 

They also said wait til Friday at which point if nothing is found I have $100 insurance on the package (auto for ebay priority mail purchase for TRS sellers) and I can either file that claim if package is lost or then have a intercept done to return the package to me (it will cost $15 to do intercept). 

So seems I will have to call ebay back again and see what they say as USPS says it can take til Friday to hear anything about the investigation.?.. Fun.

[nuclearomen]

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@kensgiftshop wrote:

@nuclearomen 

If tracking shows recent movement, they might put the case on hold a few days.

If they don't, and you don't refund by the 3rd day, Ebay will do it for you.

---

That's what I'm thinking, need to call ebay back and see, thanks

[nuclearomen]

UPDATE: (just to do so), I talked to ebay again on the matter and they had me add a message to the case showing that I talked to USPS and opened investigation and that USPS stated that would be minimal Friday I hear anything back on it (if not longer). Rep said this will inform those working on the claim and they may extend the time from 3 days...

..However, because this particular buyer still has not responded at all I called USPS back and am having the package intercepted to be returned to me (at a cost of $15...it's not free of course), so waiting til tomorrow for the intercept notice to show up on the tracking (USPS said it would, that is what informs workers at the destination post office to intercept the package and return it to sender)...once that info shows I'll refund the buyer...I actually have til Thursday night to do that. At least this way, buyer gets refunded and I should get the item back. 

On side note another buyer opened a INR today, and this one is only 1 day late, literally 2 hrs from them, but at least they communicated back and are going to wait for the item to be delivered. 

In sight of this, I have changed all my handle times through bulk editor to 4 days, that should give a little extra window to help on the impatient buyers.  

[purple-rain-store]

sorry to be the bearer of bad news but adding 4 days handling time is not going to do anything. ( I had 5 days & still have INR cases)  You'd might be better off adding your store into a "time away," with items still available to purchase, which will show a "shipping delay message" to any buyers. BUT even then if you go ahead and ship while it's showing away time per the time you set, ebay probably will just update their estimated delivery time after you print label and yet you could still have issues with buyers being ticked off about mail delays. Really it's a no win situation right now IMO. 

[buyselljack2016]

@nuclearomen 

What eBay means when they say you are "protected" is that they might remove a "late" defect from your metrics, but I personally do not believe that there is any "financial" protection in this situation.

[nuclearomen]

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@purple-rain-store wrote:

sorry to be the bearer of bad news but adding 4 days handling time is not going to do anything. ( I had 5 days & still have INR cases)  You'd might be better off adding your store into a "time away," with items still available to purchase, which will show a "shipping delay message" to any buyers. BUT even then if you go ahead and ship while it's showing away time per the time you set, ebay probably will just update their estimated delivery time after you print label and yet you could still have issues with buyers being ticked off about mail delays. Really it's a no win situation right now IMO. 

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i know it likely won't matter, but it does add little more time (hopefully) to the deliver by date ebay insists on giving buyers. However, the funny part of all this is? > all the packages that are late in transit and being held up are priority mail packages, I send vinyl out media mail and all of them have arrived both on time and ahead of delivery date... tell me that isn't a_- backwards! 

However, I cannot shut my store down, this is my income and if I shut the store down on vacation mode I loose sales... been there before also. 

[nuclearomen]

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@buyselljack2016 wrote:

@nuclearomen 

What eBay means when they say you are "protected" is that they might remove a "late" defect from your metrics, but I personally do not believe that there is any "financial" protection in this situation.

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that's what I was thinking myself, they may excuse the mark on the account, but no way will they not refund the buyer. And that is exactly why I did the package intercept... even though there is no certainty it will be intercepted there is good chance since it's not arrived at destination post office. Being the buyer isn't communicating, I figured this at least if I refund I should get the item back (at a extra cost to me) but better then being out money and item.

[purple-rain-store]

If you're average ship time shipping out items have been less than 4 business days, ebay is still going to show the buyers that time, not the new set "4 business days. It's averaged. I had 5 business days, but not all my items would go out on the 5th business day, some sooner and ebay was still giving buyers estimates of having there item around 1 day (to them) after I'd been required to ship the items. Even after having 5 business days set for well over 2 months it would never estimate accurately to not mislead a buyer.   

[purple-rain-store]

"However, I cannot shut my store down, this is my income and if I shut the store down on vacation mode I loose sales... been there before also. "

I understand where you are coming from! I also was thinking the same thing as well. But when I got to reading all the horror stories here & on Ebay For Business's Page on FB. I got to thinking or asking myself ,"can I afford to refund a bunch of buyer's all their money, even the shipping charges they paid & potentially also be out all my items to not get back to attempt to recoup some of my money & the answer was "No".  So I went from having time away with purchases still available to just time away with not allowing any purchases. I'm gonna try & wait this storm out! Good luck & fingers crossed this mess gets sorted out soon sometime after the Holiday madness!

[evry1nositswindy]

I just had to refund 2 inr cases tonight, so I feel your pain.  I got constant messages from the buyers.  I had inquiries in with the USPS and was waiting for responses before I refunded.  I still had 2 more days before I had to refund but I couldn't take it anymore.  I will probably have 2 negatives coming my way.

Another buyer just left me a false positive telling me to ship the item.  I sjipped it same day and then it sat in Cincinnati for 4 days, which I communicated to the buyer.  I got an email from the USPS shortly after that it had arrived in California.  I will probably have to reund because it was late.

I made the tough decision to put my account on vacation.  Hubby lost his job due to covid, so this is our only income right now.   No money coming in but I can't afford to keep losing money, product, and shipping costs.  We have  kids to take care of.

Merry Christmas to us...

[goldguy22k]

To sellers complaining about the INR cases and screaming buyers, I'd ask - Have you been in contact with your buyers?  Have you started the missing mail process with the USPS?  Have you communicated to the buyer that information?  Are you correspondence demonstrating empathy for the buyer's anxiety?

When I sold I spent the extra time to look at ALL of the tracking for all of my shipments - took 5-min every evening while watching TV.  When a package went astray or was slow, I let the buyers know.  When I needed to I was in the missing mail process and/or at the PO requesting help.  I reported all of those actions to the buyers.  I think being proactive put buyer's anxieties at ease and never had a resulting problem from delayed deliveries, nor negative feedback.

Just saying