Hi everyone, 👋
I agree that rising costs and fees, especially for tracking on low-cost items, can make it challenging for sellers of inexpensive products. Like some of you, I sell relatively low-cost items, mainly coins, and using USPS First Class without tracking is the only way to keep shipping costs reasonable. 💸
To protect both myself and the buyer, I record each mailing. 📹 This includes a video of the addressed, stamped envelope being dropped into the USPS mail slot, complete with the post office ID and timestamp. The video is saved to a cloud service that tracks the time and GPS location. This way, if an item is reported missing, I can share the video link with the buyer to show it was mailed as promised. ✅
I also inform buyers that I will file a report with the Postal Inspector to investigate any possible mail theft, and I always do. 🚨 It’s a step to ensure transparency, but it also means that any untruthful “item not received” claim could potentially be scrutinized. Additionally, I let them know that USPS scans nearly all mail for their Informed Delivery service, so if the item was delivered but not received, they could follow up with their local USPS, and USPS at their own discretion could review these scans to see if the items were indeed delivered. 📬
In my experience, simply mentioning these steps has often led to a quick response from buyers saying, "The item just arrived." 😊 Over time, I've become fairly adept at recognizing patterns with potential scammers, especially when they claim non-receipt earlier than would be reasonable for delivery based on the marked ship date. This typically happens when the actual mailing date was earlier than the one marked on eBay—an approach I use to ensure underpromise and overdeliver. 📦
While I can't prove intent with certainty, I find these patterns quite telling. 🔍 To keep track, I also note any claims of non-receipt in the buyer’s feedback—not as an accusation, but as a way of creating a record of the interaction for future reference for other sellers who may also choose to forego tracking. Many buyers have high feedback scores, which is not necessarily an indication of their honesty but more reflects thieir limited opportunities for misuse, as most sellers use tracking. For those of us using USPS First Class without tracking, it can be more of a balancing act ⚖️, but with the right safeguards in place, I’ve found it manageable.
Hope this helps others in similar situations! 👍
