Item lost in post, what do I do as a seller?

Muffy0 · 10 October 2008 at 6:19PM

I sent an item to a customer on Tuesday - first class royal mail and it still hasnt been received. They needed this item asap so I feel really bad they havent got it yet. W

What do I do as a seller? Do I refund them and claim it back off royal mail? I have a receipt with house number and postcode on it but its only been three days so unsure of what my obligations are

Any help would be muchos appreciated
M xxx

custardy · 10 October 2008 at 6:42PM

claim for what,its only been 3 days so i think its a bit early for refunds
i would advise the buyer to hold out till next week
it wont be declared lost for 15 working days

krailton · 10 October 2008 at 6:44PM

I had this happen once before a few years ago and i contacted the post office, and they tried to trace it but item never turned up so i refunded the seller and got the money back from the post office, but it was registered post, so the item was insured. Tell the buyer you will copntact post office first to see if it can be traced, and maybe it will turn up in the meanwhile, and if it does not try and get the value back from the post office with your receipt, and refiund the seller.
not sure if this helps

ArmitageShanks · 10 October 2008 at 6:45PM

It is very likely to turn up. Do your best to get the buyer to hold on. You can only claim from the RM after 14 days.

Email a copy of the postage receipt to the buyer if possible, may help with their peace of mind and getting them on side.

Muffy0 · 10 October 2008 at 7:03PM

Thanks, I will send them a copy of the receipt, they have pestered me pretty much every day since I sold the item so was beginning to think I was doing something wrong. Anyway I will tell them they'll have to wait it out a few more days and I will also contact the po just incase they can source the parcel.
Many thanks
M xxxx

custardy · 10 October 2008 at 7:12PM

if they bought tuesday and wanted it urgently then they should have asked for special delivery
there was nothing to say you would even have despatched it by friday let alone reeived it

xdaisyx · 10 October 2008 at 7:26PM

Muffy0 wrote: »

Thanks, I will send them a copy of the receipt, they have pestered me pretty much every day since I sold the item so was beginning to think I was doing something wrong. Anyway I will tell them they'll have to wait it out a few more days and I will also contact the po just incase they can source the parcel.
Many thanks
M xxxx

its pointless contacting them, if it was sent first class its completley untrackable

Soot2006 · 10 October 2008 at 7:33PM

I buy a million & one things online and postage generally takes 1 - 3 days ... and occasionally 5 - 7 days ... and sometimes 7 - 10 days ... and very rarely 10 - 15 days ...

As a buyer I now alert the seller than something has not arrived a week after purchase (they then usually tell me when they've sent it). I then sit tight until the 15 days have elapsed that make it psosible for a claim against Royal Mail.

Once I received an item after 30 days but seller had already been refunded by Royal Mail (it disappeared off the "Sign For" tracker, but then randomly turned up again), and once in 5 years something never turned up. The seller refunded me after 30 days (I agreed to a wait a bit longer just in case).

Sellers cannot control the postal system! I've often got things later than I wanted

.

martindow · 11 October 2008 at 8:41AM

tavarishink wrote: »

I buy a million & one things online and postage generally takes 1 - 3 days ... and occasionally 5 - 7 days ... and sometimes 7 - 10 days ... and very rarely 10 - 15 days ...

As a buyer I now alert the seller than something has not arrived a week after purchase (they then usually tell me when they've sent it). I then sit tight until the 15 days have elapsed that make it psosible for a claim against Royal Mail.

Once I received an item after 30 days but seller had already been refunded by Royal Mail (it disappeared off the "Sign For" tracker, but then randomly turned up again), and once in 5 years something never turned up. The seller refunded me after 30 days (I agreed to a wait a bit longer just in case).

Sellers cannot control the postal system! I've often got things later than I wanted .

You are a dream buyer! With delayed possibly lost deliveries I try to reassure that there will be no problem refunding and encourage them to give it a bit more time, but by the end of the second week (if they will wait that long) I would refund or resend if it is repeatable and then claim after 15 days. Good communication is the key to giving yourself as much time as possible. I think it is asking far too much for the customer to wait until the PO refunds.

If you are selling you have to take on and factor in to your business model losses in the post, accepting that you will refund before you claim and that some claims might not get paid.

FloFlo · 11 October 2008 at 8:48AM

custardy wrote: »

if they bought tuesday and wanted it urgently then they should have asked for special delivery
there was nothing to say you would even have despatched it by friday let alone reeived it

Yep if they wanted it asap then they should have paid for special delivery.

I would work out 14 working days from when you posted it tell them that this is the date when Royal Mail will consider the item lost in the post and if they haven't received it by that date you will refund. This is on Royal Mail's website so you could give them a link to it or cut and paste the info. Tell them that you will also check with Royal Mail in the meantime to see if they can trace but that they should also check with their local sorting office as often when they try to deliver but can't they don't put a card through the door. I have had items turn up with buyers right up to the last minute I was going to refund so don't be rushed into refunding.

soolin · 11 October 2008 at 9:34AM

FloFlo wrote: »

Yep if they wanted it asap then they should have paid for special delivery.

I would work out 14 working days from when you posted it tell them that this is the date when Royal Mail will consider the item lost in the post and if they haven't received it by that date you will refund. This is on Royal Mail's website so you could give them a link to it or cut and paste the info. Tell them that you will also check with Royal Mail in the meantime to see if they can trace but that they should also check with their local sorting office as often when they try to deliver but can't they don't put a card through the door. I have had items turn up with buyers right up to the last minute I was going to refund so don't be rushed into refunding.

AS a buyer though I would be a bit disgruntled to be told that I am somehow constrained by the sellers contract with the RM, what would it have to do with me?

Anyway, it is 15 working days so 3 weeks and that is way beyond what most buyers would be prpeared to wait. As a buyer I am usually happy to wait a couple of weeks, maybe even longer , but if I was given a link to the RM website with the claim rules I would assume the seller was going to make me wait weeks until they received their own compensation..and in that case I would open a paypal dispute immediately. A good buyer would not give a poor feedback for an item that gets lost where a full refund is given, however if you make them wait or sound defensive or sound like you are going to make them wait for ages and a neutral or neg might be given.

Item lost in post, what do I do as a seller?

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