USPS - Item not Delivered - Help

[gentmark012]

I mailed my item on 2/22. It should have been received by 2/26. I've talked with the Postmaster and I initiated a missing mail search request. It sounds like the package is lost. However, it could show up a month from now because of the storms everything is backed up. The buyer and I are both freaked out. He is willing to wait until the end of the week to receive the item. How do I make sure I receive the ebay fees back if I refund the buyer? Can I initiate the cancellation of the sale and refund his money and get my fees returned? It looks like a guy from Indianapolis bought the item and resold it to this guy who lives in New York. I've left many messages with the buyer from Indianapolis, but I don't get any response back. The money has been on a hold with Paypal. I want to make sure I do this correctly so I don't owe ebay $80 in fees and Paypal $24 in fees when the item is lost and the sale never completed. 

[blueapples_22 · Accepted solution]

You can call eBay customer service and open a case as the Seller here.  Just explain to them what is happening, they will look at the tracking, and then they will put the case on hold for 10 days to allow the item to arrive.  We ship on average 10 packages a day and while most are arriving on-time or a day late, I'd say 2-3 out of ten are more than a week late...some up to 3 weeks late.  As an example, a buyer opened a case in the pic i attached.  I mailed it on the 19th...you can see it went dead after the 20th.  They opened a case against me.  I called customer service and they extended it 10 days, and now today its moving again and they should get it soon.

[releasethekraken_1]

You started a missing mail search after 4 days? Wow. I'm surprised the Postmaster even entertained that idea.

What does tracking show? You didn't say anything about that.

And did you use signature confirmation, which is required for payments of $750 and up?

[powell-memorabilia]

You should execute a package intercept before you execute a refund.  It costs $15+return postage, and you are charged only if the package intercept is successful.  You don’t want to be out both the sale funds and the item.