International Buyer - Item Not Received - First Class Int'l doesn't do delivery tracking.

[shoparts]

• Shipped to buyer via USPS First Class International.
  • For most small foreign countries this means there will never be a "delivered" tracking update.
  • (For USPS First Class Int'l, 99% of the time, tracking is never updated as "delivered" even when the buyer confirms it was delivered.)
• Buyer in a foreign country opened an Item Not Received dispute in PayPal.
• Last tracking update was arrival in buyer's country over 1 month ago (like usual with this service.)
• Any suggestions / possibilities to try to win the dispute? Without "delivered" tracking update I'm pretty sure PayPal will decide for the buyer.

As it is now, tracking shows it arrived in the buyer's country over a month ago, but like usual there are no follow up tracking updates. I've already communicated politely with the buyer, but just got generic short responses.

Other than just never using First Class International, any ideas on how to deal with these situations? This happens on maybe 10-20% of these shipments. Priority shipping would be 3x more expensive than the items I'm shipping so that's not feasible.

[tdumonde2014]

Without tracking showing delivery you will lose. 

[picknparley]

Wouldn't it be proper for your buyer to contact the postal delivery system in their area?  Or customs?  If it made it to the country of origin it's sitting somewhere and an inquiry many times spurs movement (at least at USPS).

Just some thoughts.......

[a_c_green]

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@shoparts wrote:

As it is now, tracking shows it arrived in the buyer's country over a month ago, but like usual there are no follow up tracking updates. I've already communicated politely with the buyer, but just got generic short responses.

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Which country are we talking about, exactly? If you got an Arrival scan from the foreign country, then you should expect to see later ones as well, since obviously their system is communicating with the USPS system. On that basis, it sounds like they are an e-DELCON country, but some function better than others. Ultimately, it all comes down to the carrier making the delivery, and whether he bothers to use his scanner (or even has one). If it's been a whole month since the last scan came in, I would not stand on one foot waiting for something more to happen. Sorry.

[luckythewinner]

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@shoparts wrote:

Other than just never using First Class International, any ideas on how to deal with these situations?

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Sure - only ship to the 40+ countries that have delivery confirmation for First Class International. 

https://faq.usps.com/s/article/Electronic-USPS-Delivery-Confirmation-International

[cream_couture]

I suggest insuring your packages via Shipsurance; at least your international ones. They cover items shipped via international first class mail up to a certain dollar amount (I believe $250). After that dollar amount, priority or express mail is required. They pay out quickly for scenarios like you just described. 

For this package, you can file a lost item claim with USPS, but I have never had that work. I also recommend buyers to go to their local post office/customs office. Often packages are just sitting there waiting to be picked up and the buyer was never notified. If that doesn't work, you will have to refund. 

[shoparts]

That is helpful, though the country I shipped to (Cyprus) is actually on that list and arrived in the country over a month ago with no updates. So... how accurate is that? Canada and the UK have always been pretty decent, but other countries seem like they never get updates. I know I've also had the same issue with Portugal, Israel, Malaysia, Russia, Croatia -- all of which are on that list...

[shoparts]

Have you ever made an insurance claim for this specific type of issue? (Item not received, tracking just stops at buyer's country arrival?)

In the past the issue with insurance is the buyer needs to sign the insurance form agreeing they never received the item. But then there's a hassle with getting a signature via email (which means the buyer has to print the form, then scan it, then email it...which some don't know how to do), and also buyers have to go out of their way to do this for you, when it doesn't actually benefit them. Just curious on your personal experience with this, if any.

[richard1rst]

I have found that sometimes the foreign country scans the package but doesn't always send that info the the USPS - or or least not quickly. In those cases if you access the country's postal web site you might find more info.

Try this:

https://www.cypruspost.post/en/home

Then click on "Tools"

[zylor4200]

If you use the GSP then you are only responsible to get the package (safely) to the GSP re-shipping center in the U.S.

[cream_couture]

Yes I have experience with the exact scenario. Shipsurance doesn't require a form from the buyer. They have electronic forms that the buyer can fill out in less than 1 minute. If they refuse, you can submit a case from ebay or paypal or proof you refunded the buyer. 

With international first class mail Shipsurance won't allow you to file until after 40 days have past. But usually international buyers don't start to contact me until around 30 days anyway. I've always been paid out from Shipsurance, but I do ask the buyer to check with their post office/customs office first. 

[muttlymob]

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@shoparts wrote:

Other than just never using First Class International, any ideas on how to deal with these situations? This happens on maybe 10-20% of these shipments. Priority shipping would be 3x more expensive than the items I'm shipping so that's not feasible.

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Depends on the value of the items.  Low value, keep doing what you are doing and write them off as business losses, while adding a bit to the price of each listing to create a self-insurance kitty to draw from when something gets lost.

High value items, use Priority - but make sure that service gets tracking to the final destination too.  If First Class doesn't get a final delivery scan, Priority probably won't either.  Or as already suggested, use the Global Shipping Program for international sales.  Or eliminate international sales entirely.

Evaluate how much you lose for each shipment with an indefensible (ie, no delivery scan) Item Not Received claim compared to how much  you would lose by either eliminating international sales or using a higher priced shipping method.