Ship to Freight Forwarder Shipping Service Address - USPS Ready to Pickup w/out delivery attempt

[fmc.inc]

So few days ago I sold a Samsung Gear 360 to a buyer without paying attention to his home address. The shipping address is in US so I assumed that I'm safe. This is my fault since I didn't always sell or flip stuff on eBay, only when I have free time or when I need to do it.

Anyway, I shipped it promtly with USPS First Class and it arrived this Friday. Here is the tracking number:
https://tools.usps.com/go/TrackConfirmAction?tLabels=9400109699937668279318

This is the very first time I've encountered this situation, being shipped to a forwarder. After a quick research I do realize that many people used this service to ship it to their home country. My buyer is located in Brazil, so I guess this is it.

The problem is now the package not deliver but rather pick up option, required buyer or guardian to pick it up. While I am not so sure why USPS did not try to deliver it, I am also afraid that the shipment won't be picked up by the forwarder service. 

I sent an e-mail to buyer informing him that item is ready to pick up due to uncertain circumstance and asking if he can pick it up in the local post office, in hoping that he will tell the forwarder to do it for him. Not so sure how they can do that though, but I tried to avoid the trouble here.

Do you guys have any experience with this situation before? Any other option I have to solve this problem?

[mr_lincoln]

@fmc.inc  I have sold to foreigners through Forwading comapnies too ... the Forwarder's address is the one on record for the Buyer in their PayPal account.  Ebay is only looking for you to deliver to that location.  You might want to physically go to your local Post Office with the info and ask them to explain what the problem is at the other end.  They will be able to get through to the Forwarder's post office better than you.  You may also advise them that if the item is not deliverable you want it  returned NOT discarded.  The Forwarder may also wind up pikcing the item up, unless you have a signature required by the specific Buyer who is NOT in the country, not sure how that works.

[duchess-at-speakeasy · Accepted solution]

It is possible the package arrived at the destination PO too late for Friday's delivery to the forwarding service. Or maybe the company always picks up their incoming packages at the PO and does not have street delivery.

Either way, if the company is closed on weekends, then the next business day is Monday. I hope you did not specify "restricted delivery" or any other notation that requires the actual named addressee to pick up the package in person.

~~C~~

[fmc.inc]

No I didn't require any signature though. If the forwarder willing to pick it up, I think that the best though.

Buyer did have 110 feedbacks and all of them came from US seller, so I think the address should be fine, not like some "undeliverable" address as USPS said. (cannot leave in porch, don't have mailbox etc)

Oh well, guess I have to go to my local PO to figure things out. Thanks a lot for the advice. Appreciated.

[fmc.inc]

Oh I just print label directly from eBay like I always did. The name of the package is the name of the company combined with the name of buyer's company. Feel weird though, but whatever. It's not a person's name so I think a the forwarder can come pick it up just fine.

I wonder if USPS can re-delivery the package or it all about picking it up now. I try to figure thing out on my end, but if buyer didn't reply tomorrow I will go to my local PO to see what I can do about it

[tarpedge]

You're in the clear: eBay considers "Available for pickup" to be "Delivered".

A very recent item not received case reported here on the boards was closed in favor of the seller with the decision that the buyer is responsible to retrieve the item from the carrier.

[fmc.inc]

Wow thanks a ton. I felt relieved to know that.