Several "UNDELIVERABLE" orders coming back

[shoptalkid]

In the last week, 4 have been returned by USPS as undeliverable for a variety of reasons (no such number,  no mail receptacle, no forwarding address).   The address match what's on the paypal transaction too.    3 of them were from new buyers,  which makes me wonder, are they just trying to get some FB?    What's even stranger is that when I message them, they don't reply.   

[autopartspuller]

I have had this happen several times over the last year.  An abnormal amount.  When I get no contact, I just set the item side for 90 days.  If I get no answer in that time, I put the item back in stock and relist.  I dont see that there is anything else we can do.

[thallidguy]

If they never contact you about getting a refund, it's an awfully expensive way to build up feedback.

Who knows what their deal is. Sometimes people order stuff online and literally forget about it. Or, if they're new members, they may not know how to work eBay's message interface, maybe they rely on email to notify them when they have eBay messages and the spam filter is weeding out the notifications.

Since you got a "no forwarding address" return, it sounds like the buyer might have bigger things to deal with than something he/she bought on eBay.

[shoptalkid]

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@autopartspuller wrote:

I have had this happen several times over the last year.  An abnormal amount.  When I get no contact, I just set the item side for 90 days.  If I get no answer in that time, I put the item back in stock and relist.  I dont see that there is anything else we can do.

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May I ask how you word your messages to these buyers?   Do you just state "hey, your package was returned to me by (insert carrier here) but it was sent to the address you provided.  please get back to me" or something like that?   

These are cheap items, under $2 with free shipping so I could see potentially see  a shady buyer trying to buy FB  so they can bid on more expensive stuff .    Nothing surprises me anymore on here.    The buyers who usually make an honest mistake with their address are quick to get back to me.    But 4 in a week???!!!   I can't imagine they all had emergencies or just forgot about it.   

[autopartspuller]

I usually just say, "Good afternoon.  I recieved your item back today.  It says that the item was undeliverable.  Do you still need this item?  If so, I would like to confirm your adress first so we can make sure this does not happen again.  Then I will send you an invoice for the new shipping cost and I will get it out to you the next day.  I look forward to hearing from you.  Sincerely,"

[duchess-at-speakeasy]

Before I mail an order, I always correspond with the buyer to make certain the address is current, correct and complete. I also run the address through the USPS "find a zip code" tool -- mostly to get the full 9-digit zip code but also to find out if the address is a multi-family building, a commercial address or contains errors. Sometimes I employ an online "white pages" search to locate an individual.

"No such number" generally means typos -- untrained typist, fat fingers, dyslexia and poor eyesight all contribute to mistakes. My simple cross-checks fix the mistakes before the package goes out.

"No mail receptacle" could mean the buyer does not receive street delivery. If a listing specifies FedEx or UPS but the package is actually delivered by USPS (Smartpost or Surepost), the lack of USPS service means the street address is useless. It could also mean the mailbox has been damaged and/or removed (storm, fire, flood, auto crash, etc.) or that the property is abandoned.

"No forwarding address" generally means the buyer has moved but has not filed a COA and forgot to change the eBay/Paypal contact information. Again, that's why I always give the buyer a chance to fix the problem.

~~C~~