USPS didn't scan, package possibly stolen, appropriate steps and advice?

[ebaiysellslots19]

A lot of context first but overall this isn't a dire post, just want to seek some advice for how to handle a new situation I've never run into.

I've been doing eBay for over a year now, shipping out packages nearly every other day. Of the hundreds I've sent out, all were dropped off at P.O. front desk without asking for reciept, and 99.5% eventually get scanned either 12 hours later, or at a major USPS warehouse along way. Only two never got scanned. One eventually showed up at buyers address, with final destination scan, and the other ended up getting stuck in a dropbox for a week. You live you learn, a goof is bound to happen. 

Last week I dropped off a package exactly the same as always, and 7 days later still hasn't been scanned. Buyer is also a little frantic, not being able to see where it is. I assured them that sometimes Parcel Select Ground takes 7+ days or well over a week to deliver. I also read somewhere on here that 3 weeks is official timeframe before package is considered lost by USPS but no idea if that's true or not. The buyer and I contacted 1-800 USPS number, obviously no sign. Spoke in person with the local employees at the PO item was dropped off at, and they gave me a dead phone number to their "supervisor" (lol). Filed an official complaint on USPS and am supposed to have someone in contact with me today per USPS 24 hour response promise. 

If it doesn't show up by this Friday, I'm ready to just chalk it off as a stolen package. Don't have any problem refunding buyer full amount even if package IS still floating out there somewhere. However, I would like to keep a channel open with buyer so that if they do eventually recieve it, they can easily send back. eBay's return shipping label would be handy here, but pretty sure a buyer can't open a return request for an item that's not even scanned as delivered yet. The buyer seems to be a reputable small business, so it's possible they'd be honest about recieving it regardless and try to work something out. 

What's the proper protocol here? Is there a process or option I'm leaving out of handling this?

Thanks for reading, and PLEASE do not reply "WELL IF YOU ASKED FOR A RECIEPT THIS WOULDNT HAPPEN". I'm fully aware. The % of problem packages is so small vs those that succesfully go through, coupled with the fact my local PO has a line out the door everytime I drop off, have no need for a reciept. 

[sam9876]

Since the buyer hasn't filed an INR complaint, don't do anything.

[*coins]

Hi, @ebaiysellslots19.

Since it was sent Parcel Select, I'm assuming it was not sent with insurance? Do you mind me asking why you are sending your items Parcel Select? Priority Mail is actually cheaper if you ship through eBay, and you get free insurance up to $50 and most things get to buyers in 1-3 days. Just curious about that.

I don't think the PO will help you - I remember one of my first sales was some really expensive books ($80). They were send Media Mail and were lost. I spent hours on the phone trying to get reimbursed by the PO. Nope, they wouldn't do it.

If it never arrives, then you would be the one responsibe for refunding the buyer. If you refund them and then it shows up at their door, that is tough. You just have to hope they are honest and will mail it back to you. Your buyer cannot open a return if they were alreayd refund, btw, so they would have to ship it back by going to their PO and buying postage there.

Sorry this happened to you, it is super annoying when stuff like this happens. Just a risk of selling on eBay I guess.

[ebaiysellslots19]

Thanks for the reply. To clarify, yes I'm not really trying to get claim money from USPS at all. If there's no scan of anything then you literally have no ground in a claim lol, just the way it is if you're unlucky enough. 

And weirdly enough I DO usually sent PriorityMail because of lower cost, insurance, etc., but I think because the package was so ungangly large the shipping math showed Parcel to be about $6 cheaper. $6 that could've righted this situation had I bothered to spend it, so oh well. 

Isn't refunding through PayPal different than canceling the order via eBay? I could refund on Paypal but still have the item active in my selling manager as simply "not scanned" still?

[*coins]

Hi, @ebaiysellslots19.

If you refunded through PayPal, it would show as refunded on eBay too. You could cancel the order through eBay. If you say you are out of stock, it will give you a defect. If you say that the buyer asked to cancel the order, which could be true, then eBay would give you your fees back and you would not get a defect on your account.

[ebaiysellslots19]

Now that's exactly what I was looking for. Would rather lessen the blow as much as possible, thanks so much!

[johnrj1226]

You might want to go to your local Po and ask them to print out a intra USPS tracking report.  This report has a lot more details than what you see on the intranet.  Maybe there is some information that  can shed some  light.

Parcel Select normal estimated delivery times are 2 - 8 days (not counting weekends or holidays) depending  on shipping distance but if the shipment is to Alaska, Hawaii or to a US protectorate it can take longer.  Parcel Select for the  most part does not save  a lot of $$ almost the  same as Priority mail but there are some exceptions to that mainly with oversize and heavy  items.

Being an over the road shipment it is  difficult to scan a package while it is enroute and locked up in a trailer.

Have had packages that never were scanned until the actual delivery date

[lex-talon]

Wait it out till this Friday. Don't refund the buyer yet. Buyer would need to open an INR two days after the expected delivery date.

[missjen831]

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@*coins wrote:

Hi, @ebaiysellslots19.

If you refunded through PayPal, it would show as refunded on eBay too. You could cancel the order through eBay. If you say you are out of stock, it will give you a defect. If you say that the buyer asked to cancel the order, which could be true, then eBay would give you your fees back and you would not get a defect on your account.

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The OP will get his fees back if he cancels for being out of stock. 

If he doesn’t have a message from the buyer asking to cancel & he uses “buyer requested” he still gets a defect. 

[missjen831 · Accepted solution]

@ebaiysellslots19 You don’t need to do anything. It’s not uncommon for there to be no tracking until the package has been delivered. 

If you cancel the transaction, you get a final value fee credit no matter why you cancel. And you can get a defect even if you use “buyer requested” as the reason. What you really need to do is NOTHING. Just wait it out. What you want the buyer to is file an item not received case. That way you get no defect and you can respond to the case by issuing a refund if the tracking still shows nothing on the 3rd business day after the case was opened. 

[pburn]

Two days after the expected delivery date? Is that new? I've always filed mine the next day (so, estimated Friday, opened Saturday), but I've only had a couple in the 20 years I've been buying.

[ebaiysellslots19]

Thanks Jen, I actually got a call literally an hour ago from a P.O. supervisor down near the delivery destination showing someone finally scanned it today at a sort facility. Nothing out of the ordinary, and glad to not be one of the unlucky ones today. Thanks!

[ebaiysellslots19]

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[missjen831]

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@ebaiysellslots19 wrote:

Thanks Jen, I actually got a call literally an hour ago from a P.O. supervisor down near the delivery destination showing someone finally scanned it today at a sort facility. Nothing out of the ordinary, and glad to not be one of the unlucky ones today. Thanks!

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Yay! Great news, thanks for the update 🙂

i have had this happen before with media and parcel select packages so I figured it wasn’t lost.