Item lost in delivery

gazfocus

I recently sold a couple of items to someone on a computing forum and posted them via Royal Mail Recorded Delivery. He received the parcel yesterday. When he got home, he emailed me photos showing that the box had been damaged and royal mail had taped it up with tape stating 'Royal Mail - Found Opened or Damaged'.

He is claiming that when he opened the box, one of the items was missing. I don't know whether to believe this or not, but I have no reason to call him a liar.

So, I went to the post office today, picked up a claim form and started to fill it in. However, it says I need to have an original receipt from when I purchased the item, or if it's an eBay item, I can send a paypal receipt. However, I don't have a receipt from when I bought it (I have moved house since), but also, what if say it was a hard drive that I got as part of a complete PC? I wouldn't have a receipt then.

Has anyone got experience with this sort of thing? I could send a print out of my bank statement, but then this shows the payment from the buyer, but this payment is for 2 items. How can I then prove the value of the item that went missing?

Thanks in advance.

Mark_Hewitt

Seems strange to require the receipt. What, for example would happen if the item you posted was a product you or your company has made yourself and apart from perhaps the raw materials wasn't 'purchased' as such.

gazfocus

Mark_Hewitt wrote: »

Seems strange to require the receipt. What, for example would happen if the item you posted was a product you or your company has made yourself and apart from perhaps the raw materials wasn't 'purchased' as such.

It gives the following example on the form:

Example: Mrs Smith (the end purchaser) bought a pair of jeans and paid £25 for them. If she posts them on and they go missing she can claim the cost to her i.e. £25. The shop (retailer) that sells the jeans, buys them from the manufacturer for £15. If they post them on and they go missing, they can claim the cost to acquire the jeans, i.e. £15. The factory (manufacturer) that supplies the shop makes the jeans for £10. If they post them on and they go missing, they can claim what it costs to manufacture, i.e. £10.

So I guess a manufacturer would still have to prove how much it cost them.

gazfocus

anyone got any suggestions?

custardy

better asking on the eBay board