How to rectify shipping via Parcel Select to US Island Territory

[lgar80]

I recently sold a relatively high value item to a buyer on US Territory in the Pacific. The buyer was listed as paying for shipping.

It was intially adverised with FedEx but the buyer provided a PO Box which FedEx cannot ship to. After some discussion I offered Parcel Select (which he/she accepted) for the same price and I told him EBay estimated 2-9 days.

After the initial delivery time slipped, I refunded the shipping price while we figured out what happened. However, I just heard back from USPS and was told there is up to a 5-6 *week* delivery estimate at present.

I have asked them to intercept the package and return to sender but don't hold out high hopes. What is the appropriate course of action? I would be happy to refund the buyer and relist if I had any hope of getting the package back.

[muttlymob · Accepted solution]

I have asked them to intercept the package and return to sender but don't hold out high hopes. What is the appropriate course of action? I would be happy to refund the buyer and relist if I had any hope of getting the package back.

The package is most likely on a ship in the middle of the Pacific.  The only way it can be intercepted now would be after it gets to the island - which would be kind of silly, to have it sent back to you when it is 99% of the way to the buyer.

For future reference, ship only by air services (First Class, Priority) outside the contiguous 48 states unless you and the buyer are both willing to wait for the package to take the slow boat.  In this case unless your package was over 1 cubic foot in size, chances are Priority would have been the same or less postage than Parcel Select.

[lja440]

The problem is you shipped GROUND, you should have shipped First Class or Priority.

[7606dennis]

There is really nothing that you can do at this item since the item is in transit.  In the future, I would suggest that you ship via either First Class or Priority Mail unless the item cannot be shipped by air.