Best liner/ bedding for drop tray

[soapdragon]

Typical - went to the PO this morning who said I need to claim via E bay! Anyway have a claim form and have e-mailed buyer one final time to ask her to check at delivery office/local PO as Counter Clerk told me this am that sometimes Posties don't leave cards so it may be sitting at her local office

 

Assuming its not there, as soon as I hear from her will refund and fill in and send off theform...has anyone used any of the other couriers to send E bay parcels out? Just wondered as I now don't feel safe with Royal Mail

[The Dogmother]

Some folks use MyHermes and they get good feedback but we've had issues with them here at work. I understand that local Co-op supermarkets are depots for dropping and collection for them - good idea as they are open late.

[WitchHazel]

I've used MyHermes as an option, with a warning to the buyer to ear in mind that it takes 3-5 days to be delivered.

We have a local drop off point, in a little newsagents, and I prefer to do that than to sit in and wait for them to come and collect. It's also marginally cheaper if you drop off, and it makes the delivery timescale shorter.

 

For larger value items, I use a proper courier company, but I go through somewhere like parcel2go or interparcel, as the prices they offer are cheaper than going direct. I like the tracking capability.

[Cinnamon]

I use Parcel Monkey for larger heavier items, but they do dish the jobs out to other couriers. However they are really good value.

For 'everyday' parcels the Post Office is probably cheapest.

[Willow]

Sarah said

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.

 

I obviously (thankfully ) lead a bit of a sheltered life, this wouldn't have occurred to me what did your friend do Sarah ?

[soapdragon]

I have now refunded the buyer but, as I don't have the full £20.00, Paypal are taking it out of the bank account and say it won't be paid to the buyer until NEXT Wednesday - surely if its coming out of a bank account it should go straight away?

 

Am SOOOOO fed up with the whole thing; if it was genuinely lost then my address label also had my house number and postcode on it so it should have been returned?

 

I have a Penhaligons make up case listed and have just got a bidder and am now terrified to post - tho I have added 75p for it to be signed for (as if that will make any diff!? )

 

Aggggh!

[The Dogmother]

It really is annoying how the Royal Mail hold us to ransom

[WitchHazel]

I have now refunded the buyer but, as I don't have the full £20.00, Paypal are taking it out of the bank account and say it won't be paid to the buyer until NEXT Wednesday - surely if its coming out of a bank account it should go straight away?

 

Am SOOOOO fed up with the whole thing; if it was genuinely lost then my address label also had my house number and postcode on it so it should have been returned?

 

I have a Penhaligons make up case listed and have just got a bidder and am now terrified to post - tho I have added 75p for it to be signed for (as if that will make any diff!? )

 

Aggggh!

 

That's because they are having to request the money via Direct Debit, and it takes time to do this. Normally when you buy something, Paypal effectively lends you the money and uses Paypal's money to pay the seller, and is then reimbursed by taking a DD from your credit card or your bank account. When refunds are involved, however, Paypal will not use their money for this, they wait until they get the money from your account.

 

If you transfer cash into your Paypal account yourself then the money will be available immediately. Does anyone else in your family have a Paypal account? If so they can transfer the money to your account immediately. You could always set up a Paypal account in your husband's name, and do it from that.

 

I know it's frustrating, but it's probably even more frustrating for the buyer.

[Cinnamon]

Indeed, its just how it works unfortunately.

It might be worth thinking about keeping any Paypal payments in the account until you have verification that the item has arrived if you can, or building up a 'cushion' to absorb these annoying problems.

You can even, if you have a second email address, open a second account & keep £20 or so in there for emergencies.

(I use my Husbands account if mine is low )

 

And signed for WILL make a difference. I don't think I have had many if any signed fors go missing yet.

[soapdragon]

I must admit that I do usually wait for the feedback before splurging my ill gotten gains, just in case but, as we were just about to go on hol, I bought a T shirt each for the boys (it rained ) and treated myself to some organic lipsalve and a new toilet bag (we know how to live over here in Chalgrove!)

 

In future I will heed the good advice and control myself until I know things have arrived safely!

[Cinnamon]

To put another slant on the 'things not turning up' story, it has also been noticed that if something has been sold for a lot less than the seller wanted for it, then the seller may not send the item, claiming a Royal Mail mishap

I am sure this has happened to me on more than one occasion (also sometimes someone who is interested in the item but didn't bid will message the seller after the sale has ended,offering more money. This has happened to me as a seller!)

 

So its worth keeping an eye on things if an item doesn't show, just to see if they do relist it.

 

Horrid to think badly of people, but with eBay I am afraid its just a given sometimes

[soapdragon]

Thanks, Cinnamon; will keep an eye on the Birkenstocks up for grabs!!!!!

 

Have posted off the claim form this morning and am wondering if I can get a refund on the E bay fees; Paypal do this automatically but I can't see how to 'tell' E bay that this has happened or, indeed, if they do this?

 

Have now decided to send everything from E bay 'signed for' - not sure if that will make a diff but will make me feel slightly more secure

[The Dogmother]

I used to send everything 'signed for', but had a couple of folks grumble, so I now send ti 2nd class with proof of posting and state this in the listing.

[WitchHazel]

Thanks, Cinnamon; will keep an eye on the Birkenstocks up for grabs!!!!!

 

Have posted off the claim form this morning and am wondering if I can get a refund on the E bay fees; Paypal do this automatically but I can't see how to 'tell' E bay that this has happened or, indeed, if they do this?

 

Have now decided to send everything from E bay 'signed for' - not sure if that will make a diff but will make me feel slightly more secure

 

go to the resolution centre, choose "I want to cancel a transaction", and follow the instructions from there.

 

 

The buyer will receive a request to confirm they are happy to cancel the transaction. When that has been done, your Ebay fees will be refunded in full.

[soapdragon]

Brilliant, thanks!

[soapdragon]

Having submitted a claim to the PO, got my E bay fees refunded etc I have now posted off (on Monday) my 1st package since the one that got lost! I sent it second class signed for but the query is.....how long do I leave it before having a panic ?!

 

I e mailed the buyer to say that it was on its way and could she please conf safe arrival, either via feedback or e mail, but given that it sold for £43.67 I am on the edge of my seat .

 

What is the protocol for contacting the buyer to ask if they have received an item as there are things that I would like to bid on but don't want to unless I know I won't have to refund?!

[WitchHazel]

Having submitted a claim to the PO, got my E bay fees refunded etc I have now posted off (on Monday) my 1st package since the one that got lost! I sent it second class signed for but the query is.....how long do I leave it before having a panic ?!

 

I e mailed the buyer to say that it was on its way and could she please conf safe arrival, either via feedback or e mail, but given that it sold for £43.67 I am on the edge of my seat .

 

What is the protocol for contacting the buyer to ask if they have received an item as there are things that I would like to bid on but don't want to unless I know I won't have to refund?!

 

If you sent it signed for, you should be able to track it on the royalmail website. You will then know that it has arrived.

[Cinnamon]

Don't panic - it will probably be fine

And if its not, you are covered anyhow.

If you have not heard in a week, send them a little message saying that you hope it has arrived & that they are happy with it, & would they mind confirming this so that you can remove the transaction from your database.

Or, as WitchHazel says, you can track it too.

[soapdragon]

Well, my gob has never been so smacked!

 

This morning I received a letter from Royal Mail and a cheque (YES!!! ) for £19.00 (ie: refund of E bay bid of £16.00 for the sandals and the postage!

 

I was expecting the refund would be in stamps (tho I had asked them not!) and that they wouldn't refund postage so am really pleased - credit where credit is due!

 

Oh, and the other parcel arrived safely too!

[Cinnamon]

Glad to hear it

 

Just this week I have had 2 non arrivals - both items as a buyer, not a seller

[soapdragon]

Cinnamon...that's so frustrating! I do wonder at the workings of RM! My parcels ALWAYS have my house number and postcode clearly on the label so they can be returned in case of non delivery...you just get to the stage where you wonder what more you can do to ensure either safe delivery or return.

 

Hope your parcels turn up - I did once have an E bay package take 2 weeks....by which time both the seller and I had given up hope!

[The Dogmother]

I'd swear that there's a black hole somewhere of mail that doesn't get delivered at my old job, we went through a phase of post (cheques in particular) not arriving.. both sent out and 'receiving'.

[Purplemaniacs]

Each year I take the entries for a Juniors Archery Tournament, about 300 + entries and each year some never arrive, I agree with DM they are all in a black hole somewhere.

 

Chrissie

[merlina]

I think there are all sorts of reasons for missing post.

 

At my last address, every time the 'proper' postie went on holiday I would get post for pretty much anyone/everyone in the street - and I suspect they got mine. The relief guy just seemed to stick letters through random letterboxes.

 

There was also a problem with the address itself. My street was called, let's say High Street, and there was another, much bigger/better known street about a mile away called High Street East. Loads of my post ended up there and the people who lived there left me in no doubt they would not be returning anything any time soon. It got better as, I suspect, the postcode was used more 'properly' but odds and ends (usually the important things ofc ) went missing.

 

I've only had two things not received from ebay since I lived in my current home - one, I suspect was never posted and the other guy said there were major problems at his sorting office (Newcastle) as loads of his parcels has disappeared into the ether . He took to driving miles to avoid post going through that office

[The Dogmother]

A friend recently found that a good deal of his mail had been delivered to a house with the same number in a street with a similar name.... the house was empty and boarded up, so it wasn't until someone bought it and dropped round bags of post that he found he been summonsed for ignoring a speeding ticket