Please Help

kirstle99

Hi there I sold some stuff on ebay last weekend and posted most of it on Monday (5th jan) 2nd class. However one of my buyers is saying their item hasn't arrived. I've looked on the post office website and it says they aim to deliver within 3 working days so the buyer should have got it on thurs really.

The buyer is telling me it was bought for a present for someones birthday which is today and that if it doesnt arrive today they are going to get a refund from paypal.

I've not been in this situation before so I honestly dont know what to do, any advice would be welcome.

frivolous_fay

To be honest if it was a birthday present, they should have said so, so that you could send it out by a faster method. But if it fails to turn up, you'll need to refund them.

soolin

This is a very tricky one and really depends on how decent your buyer is.

Firstly it is worth stating that any buyer expecting their goods quickly should approach the seller first and not make any assumptions about despatch times. Unless your listing says otherwise then sellers do technically have up to 7 days to ship.

However, a buyer can start a paypal chargeback as early as day 7 after payment, so they can actually open an item not received claim this weekend on you. You would then have 10 days to either prove delivery (which you can't do with standard post) or refund. If after 10 days you do neither then paypal will refund them using your paypal funds. Obviously a decent buyer would also stop the claim as soon as itme did arrive, but your buyer sounds a bit dim frankly. He buys something and only pays for second class, madness. If it was that urgent he should have emailed and asked about upgrading to 1st class or even special delivery to be safe.

Personally I would be hopping mad at this buyer as expecting 2nd class goods within a week of payment is nonsense. Yes most of mine do get there that quickly, but I would not bet money on it.

All you can really do is go back to the buyer and be really polite but firm. Explain that you shipped well withing the required postage times and had no way of knowing that the item was needed urgently. Go on to say that if you had been contacted to say this item was time sensitive then you would obviously have offered the buyer a choice of upgrading the postage used, as referring back to the auction he can see that he has in fact paid for second class post and the RM do not consider that lost or delayed until after 15 working days has elapsed. This won't stop you getting a neg or a chargeback but it might persuade the buyer that he is being exceptionally hasty.

kirstle99

soolin wrote: »

as referring back to the auction he can see that he has in fact paid for second class post quote]



This is where my silliness has come in, I didn't state on the listing that the item would be posted 2nd class, I just put it on as 'seller's standard rate' so that is my mistake entirely.

I didn't know they needed it for today until i was emailed on wed 2 days after i had posted it. I feel so stupid I should have anticipated RM would have a backlog of stuff from christmas and that 2nd class probably wasn't the best thing to do.

However, if this refund process goes ahead, have i now lost my item for good?

soolin

Can I just ask one further question, how much are we talking about here?

Anything smallish I would expect sellers standard rate to be standard mail, so 1st or 2nd. Anything a little more expensive I would expect it to be special.

Also worth remembering that as people don't like sellers standard rate ebay are doing away with it and from some date (can't remember when) they require at least one stated option on postage to be given.

Basically though if buyer persists with a chargeback and insists that item has not arrived then yes you will lose your money. However asusming you have a certificate of posting you can make a claim from RM for loss, but only after 15 working days.

kirstle99

I have just had an email from the buyer saying their item has not arrived and they are not happy and they will have to get a refund from paypal.

I know putting standard rate on was bad it was an oversight on my part but there's not much i can do about it now.

So now what happens? Do i just wait the 15 working days and then phone up royal mail? What if the buyer gets the item in the meantime? What happens then?

The item sold value inc postage was £15.50, i charged £3 for postage.

soolin

AS per the first post there is a difference between what will happen when you have a good buyer and what happens when you get a bad one.

This buyer is already proving himself a bit hasty, however if he does open a paypal chargeback and does not close it when his item arrives (if it arrives) then you will still lose. You are relying entirely on his honesty to cancel the claim if he gets the goods.

As for the Royal mail, do you have a full certificate of posting? If so after 15 working days you need to get a form from the Post office, or download one and fill it all in. You will need a print out of the auction page plus a print out of the paypal page where you have refunded the buyer. Send it all in together with your COP (keep copies as quite a few go astray!) and then after approximately 2-3 weeks RM should issue a refund for item cost plus actual postage paid.

Bookworm63

kirstle99 wrote: »

Hi there I sold some stuff on ebay last weekend and posted most of it on Monday (5th jan) 2nd class. However one of my buyers is saying their item hasn't arrived. I've looked on the post office website and it says they aim to deliver within 3 working days so the buyer should have got it on thurs really.

The buyer is telling me it was bought for a present for someones birthday which is today and that if it doesnt arrive today they are going to get a refund from paypal.

I've not been in this situation before so I honestly dont know what to do, any advice would be welcome.

Here are a couple of things you could also put in your email when you reply:

Confirm the exact address the item was sent to (it has been known for buyers to move house but fail to update their ebay/paypal details).

If the item was a package and would not fit through the letterbox, try asking them to check that it hasn't been left with neighbours or that it isn't being held at their local sorting office as delivery cards can sometimes go astray - my customers have found a few things doing this.

kirstle99

Hi there the buyer tells me they have been at home all week and the item has definitely not arrived.

I have sent them a reply email asking them that if the item does arrive during the refund process, do they no longer want the item at all. I have asked them that if this is the case i will pay for a recorded delivery to my address of the item. I want the item back you see, i'm not gonna let them have it for free!


Ok I am even more confused now, I have had a reply from the buyer saying they still want the item if it arrives, so i have asked them why they have requested a refund if they still want the item. Am i justified in asking this?

Bookworm63

kirstle99 wrote: »

Hi there the buyer tells me they have been at home all week and the item has definitely not arrived.

I have sent them a reply email asking them that if the item does arrive during the refund process, do they no longer want the item at all. I have asked them that if this is the case i will pay for a recorded delivery to my address of the item. I want the item back you see, i'm not gonna let them have it for free!

As Soolin said earlier, you really are relying on the honesty of the buyer here. Second Class post takes up to 3 days, so it's only a couple of days late and could easily turn up yet.

If you have to raise a RM claim then the buyer's details will have to go on it (including their telephone number so ask for it in good time). I always say that Royal Mail may contact them to verify, but in practise I doubt it happens - I just think it may make them more wary of pulling a fast one!

I always leave feedback until after the item has arrived, then if there was a RM claim, I will leave something like " Item lost in post but full refund given" - at least it gives other sellers a chance if they do it lots. I have been known to pay for Recorded Delivery if I am unsure of a buyer for my own peace of mind!

Bookworm63

kirstle99 wrote: »

Ok I am even more confused now, I have had a reply from the buyer saying they still want the item if it arrives, so i have asked them why they have requested a refund if they still want the item. Am i justified in asking this?

Yes you certainly are. The buyer is being far too hasty in circumstances which are out of your control.