eBay

swizz-mizz · ‎01-20-2018

I sent a package to a buyer and after much shuffling around (and almost reaching him) it was returned to me. I took a picture of the label and the buyer confirmed the address was correct.

So now what? Will USPS refund the shipping fees? Do I print out a new label and send it out again?

Here's the tracking info if it's helpful:

January 20, 2018, 7:22 am
Arrived at Post Office
ISSAQUAH, WA 98027
Your item arrived at the Post Office at 7:22 am on January 20, 2018 in ISSAQUAH, WA 98027.

January 20, 2018, 2:26 am
Departed USPS Regional Facility
SEATTLE WA NETWORK DISTRIBUTION CENTER

January 20, 2018, 1:14 am
Arrived at USPS Regional Origin Facility
SEATTLE WA NETWORK DISTRIBUTION CENTER

January 19, 2018, 12:12 pm
In Transit to Destination

January 18, 2018, 11:12 pm
Departed USPS Regional Destination Facility
WARRENDALE PA DISTRIBUTION CENTER

January 18, 2018, 11:07 pm
Arrived at USPS Regional Destination Facility
WARRENDALE PA DISTRIBUTION CENTER

January 18, 2018, 11:09 am
Forwarded
PITTSBURGH, PA

January 18, 2018, 10:19 am
Return to Sender Processed
PITTSBURGH, PA 15235

January 18, 2018, 9:26 am
Out for Delivery
PITTSBURGH, PA 15221

January 18, 2018, 9:16 am
Sorting Complete
PITTSBURGH, PA 15221

January 18, 2018, 7:16 am
Arrived at Post Office
PITTSBURGH, PA 15235

January 18, 2018, 4:58 am
Arrived at USPS Facility
MONROEVILLE, PA 15146

January 18, 2018, 4:01 am
Departed USPS Regional Facility
PITTSBURGH PA NETWORK DISTRIBUTION CENTER

January 17, 2018, 10:19 am
Arrived at USPS Regional Destination Facility
PITTSBURGH PA NETWORK DISTRIBUTION CENTER

January 15, 2018, 12:04 pm
In Transit to Destination

January 14, 2018, 12:04 pm
In Transit to Destination

January 13, 2018, 12:04 pm
In Transit to Destination

January 12, 2018, 11:04 pm
Departed USPS Regional Origin Facility
SEATTLE WA DISTRIBUTION CENTER ANNEX

January 12, 2018, 10:19 pm
Arrived at USPS Regional Origin Facility
SEATTLE WA DISTRIBUTION CENTER ANNEX

January 12, 2018, 4:43 pm
Departed Post Office
ISSAQUAH, WA 98027

January 12, 2018, 4:41 pm
USPS in possession of item
ISSAQUAH, WA 98027

January 12, 2018, 1:58 pm
Shipping Label Created, USPS Awaiting Item
ISSAQUAH, WA 98029

thallidguy · ‎01-21-2018

Was there any notation as to why it was considered "Undeliverable"? Was there no place to leave the package? Was the address bad? Was it held for pickup and the buyer never picked it up?

If your buyer gave you an address that USPS will not recognize as valid, that's an issue that he needs to resolve with his local postmaster before you two discuss reshipping.

USPS will not refund you for the postage. As far as they are concerned, they did their job and it's up to you (and the recipient, I suppose) to provide them with an address that works.

lightlily_arts · ‎01-21-2018

What is very strange is that you see the tracking show that it was out for delivery on the 18th at 9:26 a.m. and then 45 minutes later it says return to sender. If the package was undeliverable due to an address problem wouldn't there be some sort of documentation. Are you sure the the recipient didn't refuse the package? You need more information and I seriously doubt that the post office would refund your money unless there was some way of proving it was their fault.

ed8108 · ‎01-21-2018

USPS should provide a notation upon the package to advise why a package is being returned to sender.

missjen831 · ‎01-21-2018

The package wasn’t returned because a problem with the address, according to the tracking it was refused (returned to sender).

USPS won’t refund the shipping fees. You can either a)contact the seller and ask if they want reshipped at their expense (send a PayPal invoice if they do). B)cancel the transaction using the reason problem with buyers address and refund in full credit, to get a FVF credit. C)refund the item price only, forfeit the FVF credit and then relist the item. D) do nothing until the buyer contacts you. Technically the buyer lost their eBay buyer protection but they still have PayPal buyer protection.

One life is all we have to live
Love is all we have to give

**Formerly known as MissJen316**

muttlymob · ‎01-21-2018

USPS will not refund you for the postage. As far as they are concerned, they did their job and it's up to you (and the recipient, I suppose) to provide them with an address that works.

If a package is returned to sender because of a supposed problem with address, and it ends up being a mistake that should have been deliverable, you can take the package back to the PO to make another attempt at sending it on the original label.

I don't think there is any way to get a refund but it should be remailed with on additional postage.

It probably wouldn't work with this package if it is marked refused unless it can be shown that it was clerk or carrier error and not really refused by the recipient.

swizz-mizz · ‎01-21-2018

@muttlymob @missjen831 @ed8108 @lightlily_arts @thallidguy

Pic of label with notations attached below. He's checked the address multiple times and is absolutely sure there's no issues with it. Expletive on USPS goes here... 😕

ed8108 · ‎01-21-2018

@swizz-mizz wrote:
@muttlymob @missjen831 @ed8108 @lightlily_arts @thallidguy

Pic of label with notations attached below. He's checked the address multiple times and is absolutely sure there's no issues with it. Expletive on USPS goes here... 😕

Could the buyer have moved residence and no forwarding address ?

muttlymob · ‎01-21-2018

@ed8108 wrote:
@swizz-mizz wrote:
@muttlymob @missjen831 @ed8108 @lightlily_arts @thallidguy

Pic of label with notations attached below. He's checked the address multiple times and is absolutely sure there's no issues with it. Expletive on USPS goes here... 😕
Could the buyer have moved residence and no forwarding address ?

From the OP it is the buyer who has checked and confirms that it is his correct address.

muttlymob · ‎01-21-2018

Pic of label with notations attached below. He's checked the address multiple times and is absolutely sure there's no issues with it. Expletive on USPS goes here... 😕

Since the buyer confirms that his address is correct, this is either clerk or carrier error.

I would take the package to your PO and tell them the address is correct. It should get resent without any additional postage. Your buyer also needs to go to his PO and find out why his mail is being forwarded.

thallidguy · ‎01-21-2018

Hmm. This sounds like what you expect to see if someone at that address refused it because no one of that name lived at the address.

I would send the buyer a pic of the entire front of the box, including his address and the notation about why it was returned, and suggest that he talk to his local postmaster about why the heck this happened.

swizz-mizz · ‎01-21-2018

I generated a new label and threw it back in the mail with a "address is correct, do not forward" message on it. In addition to USPS taking my initial payment and failing to deliver it, this time round I had to pay extra due to their ever increasing prices - joy. Thanks for hearing me out and for the advice.

thallidguy · ‎01-21-2018

@swizz-mizz wrote:
I generated a new label and threw it back in the mail with a "address is correct, do not forward" message on it.

I would not have done that until the buyer clarified with his local PO why the package was not delivered. There's no guarantee that the same thing won't happen all over again.

My bet is on one of three possibilities:

1) Someone at that address other than the buyer refused the package.

2) Carrier — possibly a relief carrier who was unfamiliar with the route — tried to deliver it to the wrong address, and someone there refused the package.

3) The buyer formatted his address in a way that does not correspond to USPS' database. This does not cause problems if an experienced carrier who knows the route recognizes it and can say, "Oh, I know where that is." But a relief carrier or a new carrier might not have that knowledge, so an address that used to work doesn't anymore.

In any event, it would have been best to give the buyer a chance to clear things up before resending.

ed8108 · ‎01-21-2018

Yes , buyer did confirm the address, sorry I should have been more clear buyer could suddenly have moved, after confirming the address as correct, possibly someone informed the carrier the buyer was no longer there, package goes back to sender.

Of course we certainly can't rule out possible USPS error.

yuzuha · ‎01-21-2018

If there is a problem with the address there will be a note in the tracking indicating this. I just had one the other day that accidentally got missent to the wrong post office and was sent out for delivery before anyone caught the mistake, so in its tracking is a notation that says "Unable to deliver item, problem with address."

What happened here makes it look more like the package was refused rather than there being a problem with the address.