eBay

happy_piano_world · ‎01-06-2021

A) So I shipped an item to an address. I believe it was a Freight forwarder company address, like a middleman company, for another guy who is purchasing through the company.

B) A month later, the buyer sends me a very strange photo of the following. Apparently the item (a paper stamp envelope collectible) was damaged or lost? The original yellow package arrived. But they say a note from USPS was inside? I attached a picture of the note.

So what happens now? The package I sent to the address arrived. Yet the company claimed there was damage or missing, and that a USPS note letter was inside attached. Is this even a real thing? I was thinking it was possibly a scam?

Where do I go from here? And who's responsibility is it now? Thank you so much for any help.

simba6 · ‎01-06-2021

You only had to get it to the address paypal provided. If it was reshipped after that, it's not your problem.

I would reply that it was reshipped. The reshipper needed to address it if it arrived to them that way. If the damage missing item was discovered after reshipping you should be in the clear.

yuzuha · ‎01-06-2021

It's legit, I received a similar letter when something that was shipped to me was ripped open and the contents inside fell out.

no_zero369 · ‎01-06-2021

Gosh this sounds like a mess! Sorry but it might take some time to work things out. I can see eBay siding with buyer as that is a USPS note and likely the item was lost in USA transit. Bu the reshipping angle might work for you?

A couple of other items I note, that hopefully will be of some help to you?

1. That picture of the package appears to show your name and address. With the way things go these days, it might not be a good idea to do that - might makes some sense to photoshop that out before posting. Also, it might be a violation of community policy to show the buyer's name and address too. (you could ax the Mod to delete that pic perhaps?)

2. Looks like you bought postage at the retail counter and paid to add tracking. See if you can't figure out how to buy and print a shipping label through eBay. It does a few things: saves you money and lets you print out a label and not use a handwritten address, easier for the autoscan machinery to read label and it looks more professional. Plus then the tracking number is automatically uploaded to the sales record!

3. You need to be careful about "add-on tracking". USPS has a Label (400) that provides incomplete tracking: it just shows date, time and zip code of the delivery. There is no scan at delivery and thus no "back up" record of the GPS coordinates of where the package was delivered. So..... if you ever need to prove to eBay that your package was delivered to the address on the order, you will not have it with Label 400.

Hope this works out for you and isn't too big of a mess to deal with! Good luck!

daw365 · ‎01-07-2021

@happy_piano_world wrote:
The original yellow package arrived. But they say a note from USPS was inside? I attached a picture of the note.

Yes @happy_piano_world it's a scam. That's a real letter, but it was never in your yellow package. Rather, it came from another package, of which your buyer may have obtained simply a photo instead of the actual letter.

If this had actually happened,

- your yellow package would not be intact,

- there would be a USPS sticker with 4 checkboxes,

- plus the letter inside and USPS tape to reseal the package.

lja440 · ‎01-07-2021

I have been with USPS since 2000. We DO NOT put such letters inside a package. We place small packages and or letters in what we call a 'body bag' that is pre-printed with sorry damaged in handling and such already on it.

Also if it were from a actual person it would include their printed name under the illegible signature, and I have no clue as to what a senior MDO would even be.

I think this is a scam.

andypan_2 · ‎01-07-2021

@yuzuha wrote:
It's legit, I received a similar letter when something that was shipped to me was ripped open and the contents inside fell out.

Lunch meat.

no_zero369 · ‎01-07-2021

@lja440 wrote:
I have been with USPS since 2000. We DO NOT put such letters inside a package. We place small packages and or letters in what we call a 'body bag' that is pre-printed with sorry damaged in handling and such already on it.

Also if it were from a actual person it would include their printed name under the illegible signature, and I have no clue as to what a senior MDO would even be.

I think this is a scam.

Good information, thanks for sharing that. yes, I remember getting something once in a "body bag!" So a good reminder!

Just tossing this out there, since this item was reshipped, is it possible the reshipper opened the 'body bag' and tossed it away before forwarding the contents?