Sellers beware: Ebay DOES NOT honor their International Standard Delivery $100 indemnity / lost pkgs

[bigislandtoys]

Sellers beware: Ebay DOES NOT honor their International Standard Delivery $100 indemnity for lost packages.

Here is eBay’s page about the international standard delivery program:
Introducing eBay international standard delivery
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Announcements/Introducing-eBay-international-standard-delivery/ba-p/30...

It’s basically like the Global Shipping Program except the customs fees are not paid in advance.
The page states:
“Each purchase of the eBay international standard delivery service includes a shipping protection plan to help in case of lost or damaged items. eBay will also protect you by removing negative and neutral feedback and defects when things happen that are outside your control (like late deliveries due to weather or carrier delays.) “

*You have to click the link at the bottom to find this page:
https://pages.ebay.com/seller-center/shipping/ebay-international-standard-delivery.html
*Where this can be found:
Seller protections
We will protect you by removing negative and neutral feedback and defects when things happen that are outside your control. This could include weather or carrier delays, or when the item arrives late but tracking shows you shipped on time.
Read our Seller Protections policy →

*Then you can finally click the shipping protection link and find this:
https://pages.ebay.com/sell/send/termsofservice.html
“
You’re Covered for Shipping Loss and Damage
You’re protected under this Shipping Protection Plan (“SPP”) in amount not to exceed the lesser of (i) the total sale price (including taxes) of those products or items contained in any individual shipment or (ii) one hundred dollars ($100.00 USD).”

***EXCEPT***
Except when eBay’s program loses you package, they actually try really, really hard to mislead you, delay you and exhaust you until time periods to resolve anything are passed.

**Note: During this entire case, my buyer never contacted me by messages. My buyer only communicated with eBay and Paypal and their interfaces and representatives. My buyer also never replied, not once, to any messages sent to my buyer. Nothing can be accomplished if communication is refused.

5/25/2020 - The buyer bought the item ($40) + $17 shipping [an address in Mexico]
5/26/2020 - I shipped the item via ISD program [not GSP] to Erlanger Hub as is the process.
5/30/2020 - Package arrives in KY
6/5/2020 - Package arrive in Melrose Park [Apparently somewhere in Germany?]
6/19/2020 - package is scanned in Frankfurt/M [Apparently a hub in Mexico]
7/21/2020 - buyer opens a case in the resolution center: did not receive item
7/21/2020 - I reply with tracking information provided to me by eBay.
7/23/2020 - I contact eBay by phone and explain this package is nearly two months in transit and obviously lost and request they please reimburse my customer (or me, so I can) according to their stated ISD policies.
The rep tells me they will put the resolution center case on administrative hold for a period to see if the package will show up and if it doesn’t then to proceed with ‘the package is lost’ scenario.
7/23/2020 - resolution center case put on administrative hold.
*I trusted eBay to resolve this as it is their obligation. They, apparently, ignored it and it did not go away.

8/DATE/2020 - I contacted eBay by phone, multiple times, related to the status of this case. I was transferred to multiple agents, multiple times. Numerous times I had to re-read the above indemnity declarations as the representatives I spoke to seemed to have no knowledge of this program or it’s guarantees.

8/9/2020 - My buyer gave up on eBay’s resolution center and opened an item not received case through Paypal to receive their refund.

8/DATE/2020 - I contacted eBay again about the case and was again assured I was not at fault and the responsibility lies with eBay.

8/10/2020 - email received: Eloise from eBay customer support suggested, via email, over two months after eBay lost my package, that I apologize for the delay due to the pandemic and advised me to send an invoice to the customer from Paypal and request the buyer pay for it again. —— ??!?! why !?!!??

8/14/2020 - After yet another phone conversation with eBay customer service, I received and email from Kelsey R. Global Shipping specialist stating my package: “was mis-routed to Germany instead of to your buyer in Mexico. After this, the tracking stops progressing. This is a rare situation but, one that can happen with our consolidation center and so we will get you and your buyer taken care of. I have closed the Item Not Received claim with a full refund to your buyer. They will receive their refund in the next 24-72 hours. Rest assured, you will not be held responsible for this refund. Your funds may be on a brief hold but, should be available to you again in a few days as well. I understand how important this is, and so I trust I have answered your concerns fully. I am glad that I was able to assist you today and hope you have a good rest of your day. Thank you! I wish you the best with your future sales, and hope you have a great rest of your day. Kelsey R. Global Shipping Specialist”

8/14/2020: I informed my customer through the Paypal dispute interface. In english and also in Spanish.
*** But they did not do that either.

8/18/2020 - email received: Marlon M., eBay representative, confirmed: “I do understand that you're having a situation about the item that you listed, it is unfortunate to see that transaction did not go as expected I will do my best to help you out. I see that you want to appeal the closed claim. Based on record that this claim was closed last August 10 as NO SELLER FAULT, meaning that buyer will be refunded and you will still get paid. So basically no loss on both parties. But the unusual thing is the buyer also filed a dispute on Paypal for a chargeback, I think the buyer was not aware of the result of the claim. What you need to do is to tell the buyer to contact us and since that the buyer filed a Paypal dispute, check within Paypal and tell them that eBay resolved the case.”

8/18/2020 - I notified my buyer by messages, as directed by Marlon, In english and also in Spanish, my buyer did not respond. I even asked the paypal representative that I spoke to on the phone if Paypal could pass this instruction to my buyer, my buyer did not respond.

9/7/2020 - Paypal debited my account $57 and gave it to the buyer.

9/7/2020 - not wanting to spend another 45 minutes+ on the phone with eBay customer service explaining everything all over again, I replied to my last received email describing the outcome I received and informing eBay they owed me $57. I received a generic email in reply stating they aren’t monitoring this address and a link to help/home (To call by phone)

***The solution was simple: From the first notice, the package had already been missing almost 5 weeks. It is lost. It is under the maximum indemnity by more than half. Pay it.

Instead, I received numerous uninformed customer service representatives. I received reimbursement assurances but no reimbursement. I followed all of the instructions and am still out the $57.

What a pitiful amount of money to hassle a seller with this much. I spent well over 3 hours on the phone with eBay through at least 5 phone calls, probably more… Not to mention all of the messages and resolution center instructions. I have spent well over any time warranted by $57 on this one transaction. It is not the dollar amount. It is the principle of the matter. I put this effort and time in, following every instruction given, to properly get my customer refunded. My customer did their part: Pay. I did my part: Ship / On time / To the given address. Ebay did not do their part: indemnity not provided to the seller for misrouted/lost package.

That is called Bad Faith.

That is what I received from eBay.

Thanks for reading.
Share with your friends.

Reply, I'll read it.
Hopefully you won’t have a similar experience.
David

[pjcdn2005]

@bigislandtoys 

I'm sorry I had a difficult time reading the whole post so I might have missed something. But it seems that you were expecting ebay to refund the buyer? The way that I understand it to work is that you are still responsible for refunding when  buyer makes an item not received claim and then you file the insurance claim.  Did you file the claim?  If you go to the following link scroll down to 'Filing a claim' for instructions.

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/shipping-items/setting-shipping-options/ebay-international-standar...

On the link that you posted, there is also a link on the FAQ at the bottom to open a claim. 

[popblox]

eBay provides the international shipping insurance up to $100, but, in my experience, they know absolutely nothing about it and can only provide confusing and incomplete information on how the claims process actually works. Last week I finally got reimbursed on a lost package (item value only, the shipping costs are not covered). Here is how it’s done:

• 30 days must pass before the item in transit has showed any movement
• Claim must be filed within 90 days of label purchase
• File a claim with PIP using the following link and make sure ALL the fields are filled out and all photos are provided: https://www.pip-claim.com/PIPClaim/eBayIntClaim/CreateeBayClaim

Save a screenshot of the claim form before you submit it because you won’t get any kind of confirmation from PIP acknowledging that your claim has been filed and you’ll need all that info if you want to check on your claim.

[martin2001]

What a nightmare. I recommend using pirateship.com for your next international order.

They import you orders from ebay and post back the tracking numbers. You can also purchase insurance for both domestic and int'l orders (read the exclusions). You can ask them to sign you up for their simple international rate and you get 25-30% cheaper prices than ebay on lighter parcels (up to 4 lbs). Their customer service is outstanding, email replies within 24 hours and a real chat. You can easily reprint your labels if needed and when you are finished you can generate the SCAN form (and easily reprint it if needed). You can use you CC to pay for the labels, earning extra % on your CC purchases.

I am right now in the process of making an insurance claim for a package to China for $246, mailed June 25, 2020. The buyer was patient enough to wait but sent a message today that they did not receive the order (nice people, did not file a claim via ebay INR)

I initiated a claim. Sent screenshots of the buyer's message about not receiving the item, another of the ebay order, another one showing the label info from pirateship, including the tracking number. I emailed the info to pirateship (not even the third party insurer). They filed it with the insurer on my behalf. One needs to wait 45 days since the date of mailing and that's it. That's the condition, no sweet talk about asking buyer to wait because pandemic etc. They also send me a link to a short electronic form to be forwarded to the buyer and asking them to verify that they indeed have not received the order. Pirateship estimated time of the refund 1 week after they receive the electronic form from the buyer.

Had a claim 2 years ago also to China, 100% effortless, took about a week.

[weethings]

I used the ebay international standard delivery ONE time.  A package to Canada.  It took forever to get there.  It did get there. But I decided it wasn't worth the small savings for the SLOW delivery.

After reading your story, I guess I was lucky it only was slow.

As someone else mentioned, pirate ship is another way to ship.  sometimes cheaper and $100 insurance for the priority mail instead of the $50 ebay /usps gives.  --though that is for us mail , I believe.  Insurance can be purchased for international

Though I haven't had to claim the insurance and you only know how good the insurance is when you have a claim.

[laperlalady]

What a nightmare for all involved.

If eBay refunded the buyer, PP should have closed the case. 

Key words here are “should have.”

I would appeal with PP. 

[supercharger-parts]

I'm sorry you had the run around.  eBay team members should be aware of what you needed to do, you had to file the claim as stated by other community members.  I have been reimbursed on 3 claims that I had to submit, but they do not reimburse the shipping which stinks.  It should also be much clearer on the steps you need to take to file a claim and eBay fails on "steps you need to take" for most things, but it's a huge platform, so I kind of understand they can't cover all bases, but I'll still gripe a little.

[bigislandtoys]

Thanks.

The package was more than 30 days late by my first notice. I was not provided a claim reimbursement. I was instructed by eBay customer service to wait more.  After my calls into customer service, I received instructions, by email, from eBay, that eBay would reimburse my customer. So why would I look elsewhere for a solution after receiving an official notice like that? Then when that never happened my customer went to Paypal for a solution and eBay says, basically, ' .. nothing we can do about it now '.

[bigislandtoys]

Thanks. PIP claims are not even remotely like shipcover claims.

PIP needs: preserved screenshots of tracking numbers that don't exist, screenshots of order details and other things. Fill in multiple fields that are all part of the order information and wait on a verdict.

*** don't know what I mean about tracking: New ISD and GSP labels have two tracking numbers. One disappears from the tracking when the other is activated and PIP (Or if you have provide info for paypal) sometimes says the tracking you supplied is invalid. Hopefully you saved the PDF of your label that day. or good luck finding that information.

*Shipcover:

Information is all present already, click on: Create claim: package is lost/damaged =  buyer gets a notice and confirms or denies. Refund given ( if warranted) . Done.

[bigislandtoys]

Thanks, I did that with PP. Nothing they can do. I received a lot of empty promises by (apparently uninformed) eBay customer service representatives. In retrospect, it would seem their goal was to tell me whatever was necessary to get me off the phone line instead of actually helping me.

[bigislandtoys]

Yes, they seem to leave a lot to the community to solve on their own. ...maybe you find the right answer, maybe not.

[pjcdn2005]

I agree that the eBay reps should gave given you better information.  Have you tried filing an insurance claim...it may still be possible.

[craigsdieselrepair]

I had a package go missing using this program. The buyer messaged me asking about the package. They agreed to give it an extra week before I would initiate a refund. The week went by and the package didn't arrive. I was able find out through researching, that the package was shipped through DHL once it left eBay facilities in KY. So I entered the tracking # on the DHL website. The DHL website gave a more complete tracking history. 

I found that the package had been sent to a completely different country than where it was supposed to go. So I went ahead and refunded the buyer, then I proceeded to open an insurance claim. I refunded the buyer on a Friday, and the insurance paid me back that Monday. I was shocked at how fast I was reimbursed by the insurance company. 

The insurance does not cover your shipping fees, so I did lose the shipping that I paid. But I was happy that I didn't lose everything as would normally happen if you send a package internationally and don't have insurance at all. 

[bigislandtoys]

That is 99% of the problem. Due to the *two tracking numbers* on the ISD packages it is not possible without eBay's assistance - which is why I had to contact customer service in the first place. 

The tracking still displays where the package went and when, but it now displays the ESUSXXXXXX DHL tracking number, not the 9XXX XXXX XXXX XXXX etc USPS tracking number...

The first Domestic tracking number **disappears** from the tracking once DHL gets the package from the KY hub. When I entered the remaining DHL number into the claim the result is: *Invalid tracking number* .

If you didn't just happen to download your original label PDF to be able to know that original domestic tracking number you can't fill out the form. Maybe they fixed that part of the form now, I don't know, but that is what happened all the times I tried to fill it out.

[bigislandtoys]

I also had one package since go missing, used the form, received my refund for it. This problem package was one of the very first ones I sent through the ISD program, ... back in May.