Buyer refuses to confirm or deny if they have recieved an item.

[lagarto_electronico]

I started a thread about this, then contacted eBay and started to notice a few odd things.

Basically, I sold this item. It was supposed to have been delivered last month. However, the tracking information just shows it never got there.

So, I've contacted the buyer and asked if they received or not, as we all know sometimes the USPS doesn't scan items as delivered.

The buyer would neither confirm nor deny if they received it and just told me not to worry about it and that they were in no rush. 

Red flag. 18 years on eBay. My experience is that any buyer that doesn't receive an item after over two weeks is going to (a) confirm or deny if they received it and (b) encourage the seller to contact the courier to put a trace on the parcel.

This buyer is refusing to tell me if they received the item and is essentially discouraging me from taking action.

I'm not accusing the buyer of anything, but how are we supposed to know this buyer didn't just grab the parcel while the USPS worker was distracted, so that it would not be scanned, and then they could file a claim and get it for free? Rhetorical question.

Has anyone here run into a scam that fits this situation? Not a rhetorical question.

If this item doesn't show up, I'm considering asking an eBay representatives to look at this buyer's history to make sure there isn't pattern of items not resolving at their address, followed by claims.

[nobody*s_perfect]

 Why do you think you need two threads about this?  Whether or not the buyer says they received the item is irrelevant.  If there is no delivery scan, then he can file and win a claim for "Item not received," and if the package was insured you can also file a claim.

The notion that "how are we supposed to know this buyer didn't just grab the parcel while the USPS worker was distracted, so that it would not be scanned"  is ridiculously implausible.

[definingcolor]

Why would you poke the bear and ask if he received it. If he hadn't he would have let you know and now that he knows that you are looking into whether he got it or not, he might just open an INR case and get his money back and have the item. I don't get it.

[grasscarp]

Now that the buyer knows that you cannot prove delivery, they may just open a "not received" case, even if they have your item. You will then be obligated to refund or replace. Best to let sleeping dogs alone. Once awake they may be hungry!!

[dirk12955]

Poke the bear is exactly 100% what popped into my head.  I would never, ever, give a buyer an opportunity 

to lie thru his teeth and scam me out of my money.

Never plant an idea where it might never have existed in the first place..    

[bargainnation]

You're between a rock and a hard place. You should hope that your buyer is one of the honest buyers who make up a majority of eBay buyers. However, I can't understand why your buyer won't let you know if they received or did not receive the item.

You could contact the USPS and have them to track the package since it was last known to be in their possession. Go to the link below and click on "Where is my package?" to send USPS an email. Give your name/phone number/email address as the person they should contact regarding your package. 

https://usps.force.com/emailus/s/

[picknparley]

The information you're seeking is at the post office, not with your buyer. 

Go to USPS and put in the tracking number. Sign up for the email updates on the package.