soapdragon Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 (edited) Yet another E bay query, I'm afraid.....I posted out a parcel 1st class on Friday 7th June so, theoretically, it should have arrived either Saturday morning or the following Monday. Have just had a message from the buyer saying its still a no show just over a week after it should have been with her. Its a pair of Birkenstock sandals at £16.00 plus £4.00 postage so £20.00 all in. Just sent 1st class but I have the proof of posting slip from the PO. I am in Devon at the moment with a dodgy wifi connection so have e-mailed her to explain and confirm that I WILL sort it for her but can't physically do anything until Monday when I can take the proof of posting to the village PO. However, this is the first time that this has happened to me and I can't find anything helpful on the E bay site itself about what I should do. Any advice from more E bay savvy Omleteers would be very much appreciated........ Thanks! Edited July 20, 2013 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluekarin Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 I think if you have proof of posting, there is nothing you can do and you don't need to refund any monies. If you hadn't got the proof of posting then you'd need to refund the buyer. I always make sure I get PoP just to cover myself. Were they sent in a box of package? If its in a box it might take a bit longer to be delivered. I find things sent in packages get delivered quicker. But that might be just me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 This happened to me as a seller, I had to wait the number of days specified by the Post Offfice before the parcel could be declared missing then refund the seller and put in a claim with the PO to get my money back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indispensable Hobbes Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 I have read a few threads on this on moneysavingexpert and the 'experts' seem to think that buyers will be impatient in waiting the royal mails timescale for the item to be declared 'lost'. Communicate with the buyer and see if they will allow extra time for the item to be delivered. If not you will have to refund the money or they will open a claim and ebay will refund it anyway. As you have your certificate of postage you can put in a claim for a lost item up to the value of £46. You will need to include the sales details from ebay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 OK, what I would do is refund the buyer now, with apologies for the Royal Mails uselessness. Hopefully they will be happy with this & they won't leave poor feedback. Then when the requisite number of days is up, put in a claim online with the Royal Mail, who will, eventually, refund you.(15 days) They will NOT refund you to postage And they may try to refund you in stamps They will need proof of value - a print out of the Paypal payment will suffice. They will also need your proof of postage....make sure you keep a copy though, as I once had a claim for lost post get lost in the post!!! Just as a side note, it is generally worth sending anything fairly valuable by signed for delivery. They will refund you for the value of goods up to £26, but I send anything over £20 signed for these days, as I am sure that some things 'don't turn up' on purpose! If the buyer does leave you poor feedback, you can leave a response to it saying that the non delivery was not your fault Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted June 19, 2013 Author Share Posted June 19, 2013 Thanks for the wise words...I have emailed the buyer to explain that we are away and that I will be back in touch on Monday. I once bought a linen skirt that took nearly 2 weeks to arrive so it may turn up in the interim It was sent as a well wrapped plastic posting bag incidentally, rather than box. We have very dodgy Wifi down here - can obviously post on here but cannot seem to access Paypal and had to use OH I pad to contact buyer via E bay...I have also sent her a pretty postcard of Devon explaining the situation too! Hopefully she won't mark me down on feedback as I have 459 100% pos so would be gutted! I guess I will need to refund on Monday.........I am amazed that the PO won't refund the cost of posting (ie; the bit THEY messed up! ) having sold quite a bit on E bay I guessed this would happen at some stage but isn't it a real pain!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 As you have your certificate of postage you can put in a claim for a lost item up to the value of £46. You will need to include the sales details from ebay. The amount refunded under first or second class post is now a maximum of £20, and it looks like it includes a postage refund too. It went down when the postage costs rose dramatically earlier in the year See ***here*** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Gits The Royal Mail are not my favourite people in the world at the best of times, but that decrease is outrageous! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 I hope you get it sorted soapdragon. I am still waiting for an Emma Bridgewater mug (limited edition) which I won on 23rd May; it is for a present at the end of the this week. The seller initially had it returned to her as 'mis-addressed' (not sure if I believe that as the address isn't a hard one) I chased her again at the end of last week and she apologised for senior moments and said it was sent 'first class signed for' to arrive yesterday (at my work address where I sign for everything)... it didn't turn up yesterday or today. I have messaged her saying that I expect her to send me the tracking details so I can see where it is, and that I will open a dispute if it hasn't arrived by the end of the week. I am especially annoyed as it's one design which my friend doesn't have in her collection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WitchHazel Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Royal Mail are useless when anything goes missing, even if you have proof of posting (or even if you've sent it recorded delivery). Taking your proof of posting down the the post office will be a waste of time, as there isn't anything they can do. I'd refund the buyer as soon as you are able to. Imagine if you were the buyer, you'd be thinking the seller is trying to pull a fast one, and we'd be answering your questions about that side of things. Once you've refunded them, go through the dispute procedure (even though it isn't a dispute) to cancel the transaction. That way you will get your seller fees back. Then, as soon as the requisite 15 working days (or whatever it is) is up, make an online claim from the post office. As has been said, you often get stamps and it won't cover everything. Recorded delivery isn't much better if things get lost, but it does at least help you see whether the item was actually delivered. You might want to look at something like MyHermes, especially if you have a drop-off point near you. They are slower, but the tracking is better and they are cheaper than the courier companies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indispensable Hobbes Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 As you have your certificate of postage you can put in a claim for a lost item up to the value of £46. You will need to include the sales details from ebay. The amount refunded under first or second class post is now a maximum of £20, and it looks like it includes a postage refund too. It went down when the postage costs rose dramatically earlier in the year See ***here*** Thanks for responding to this. I haven't posted anything of value for some time and hadn't noticed the changes. You do have to jump through hoops to claim anything back. I bought an item from ebay and it was never delivered, the seller refunded immediately. I am quite laid back with regards to postage times but some people want everything the day before yesterday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 You might want to look at something like MyHermes, especially if you have a drop-off point near you. They are slower, but the tracking is better and they are cheaper than the courier companies. I'm not suggesting that all MyHermes concessions are the same, but we've had problems with one locally - they won't deliver to the estate office; they insist on lobbing packages over one of the gates... it's just luck that they are found before the deer make a start on them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted June 19, 2013 Author Share Posted June 19, 2013 Good grief - there are some lessons here possibly not to sell via Ebay Hopefully I have ameliorated the situation by contacting the buyer and telling her we are away - still a difficult connection and I can't get onto Paypal down in Devon! I will refund her on Sunday - unless the parcel has arrived by then and thereafter take up cudgels with Royal Mail....sounds as if it could be a long process! Thanks for the advice, knowledge and wise words everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 Thanks for responding to this. I haven't posted anything of value for some time and hadn't noticed the changes. I only found out by accident, I happened upon the ebay forum when I resumed selling in March (thankfully before any of my items were due to end in April!). I imagine they didn't want to pay up to 100 times the cost of a basic first class stamp in compensation, seeing as they keep putting the price up so much! It has been £46 for many years, no-one could've guessed it would drop by such a huge amount. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted June 21, 2013 Author Share Posted June 21, 2013 I hope you get it sorted soapdragon. I am still waiting for an Emma Bridgewater mug (limited edition) which I won on 23rd May; it is for a present at the end of the this week. The seller initially had it returned to her as 'mis-addressed' (not sure if I believe that as the address isn't a hard one) I chased her again at the end of last week and she apologised for senior moments and said it was sent 'first class signed for' to arrive yesterday (at my work address where I sign for everything)... it didn't turn up yesterday or today. I have messaged her saying that I expect her to send me the tracking details so I can see where it is, and that I will open a dispute if it hasn't arrived by the end of the week. I am especially annoyed as it's one design which my friend doesn't have in her collection. Did you get it, DM? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Eventually... a month after I won it! After she'd mis-addressed it I was back off leave so I asked her to send it to work.. she'd sent it to my home address but got the address wrong so it was delivered to a street with a similar name. Luckily the resident was kind enough to knock on my door and hand over the 'you were out' card and I collected it at 7.30 this morning. I'm afraid that she got a negative feedback. How's yours going? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted June 21, 2013 Author Share Posted June 21, 2013 So glad you got it....eventually Hope your friend was suitably appreciative Still in deepest Devon.....home tomorrow and have had nothing from the buyer to say its arrived so, once the washing machine has done its worst and I have unpacked and organised OH (and sent him off to Newcastle on Sum pm for op at 10.00am Mon!) and got the boys sorted for school on Monday, will just refund the whole amount and resign myself to a battle with the Royal Mail Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 I hope you get some joy... and that OH's op goes well too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted June 21, 2013 Author Share Posted June 21, 2013 Thanks DM - OH is working in theatre, telling the surgeon how to do it as he is a 'Field Training Manager' for an ortho company tho it does sound a very bucolic job title! He would prob prefer to be out in a proper field tho! Just not worth him leaving at stupid o' clock on Monday am to get there for 10.00am..thank goodness for Premier Inn! (Not that he has ever bumped into Lenny Henry! ) Don't think the e bay parcel will turn up now -it was def addressed correctly and so must have disappeared into the Bermuda Triangle at the local sorting office! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 What a shame about the parcel, I hope you haven't fallen victim to one of those who claims something hasn't arrived when it has Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 .....................Which is why it is always advisable to send items signed for, as I mentioned earlier. A friend of mine sent something to someone who said it hadn't arrived. He suspected they were pulling a fast one & kept an eye on what they were listing. Sure enough,they listed it for sale themselves a few weeks later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted June 22, 2013 Author Share Posted June 22, 2013 I do think that the buyer is genuine- only 11 feedbacks (I had blocked anyone with less than 10!) and sounds quite 'unsavvy' - will have to refund tomorrow when have time to deal with it -washing machine gurgling away as I type. I guess this is bound to happen at some point if one is posting on a fairly regular basis but am cross that they wont refund the actual postage cost...which is where they have clearly failed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 I know...its maddening isn't it? I have argued the point with them many,many times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indispensable Hobbes Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 I have heard that the signed for service is quite unreliable (RM fail to upload the details or details are unrecognisable) so is not worth the extra cost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted June 23, 2013 Share Posted June 23, 2013 Maybe, but it is MUCH easier to claim your refund if there is (or should be) a signature, plus the compensation levels are higher. Plus,if you do happen across a dodgy buyer ,they would be highly unlikely to claim that a parcel that has been delivered hasn't arrived if its been signed for,either by them, the postman or a neighbour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
