Buyer deciding to ask where item is, after 1 month!

Mumolulu

I received a message recently from a buyer who bought an item from me at the beginning of December, asking if its been posted???!!!

Surely you wouldn't leave it a month? Is there any 'protection' for me with it being such a long time before they have asked? I do have the postage receipt.

terra_ferma

Mumolulu wrote: »

I received a message recently from a buyer who bought an item from me at the beginning of December, asking if its been posted???!!!

Surely you wouldn't leave it a month? Is there any 'protection' for me with it being such a long time before they have asked? I do have the postage receipt.

This was a patient buyer, no doubt. Some people have a busy life, they go on holiday etc, and may not chase straight away.
It sounds like you think they are lying. Why is that? Would you trust Royal Mail more than your buyers?

I'm not sure what protection you are referring to, if the buyer says they have not received the item they are entitled to a refund, unless you can prove receipt (i.e. tracking/signature). This is how eBay works. (they have up to 45 days to submit a claim)

hcb42

you generally need to show proof of delivery, not proof of postage.

to be fair, with the post the way it was before xmas, and then hols itself, a month isnt that long. or buyer might have been away

You might have to claim off RM, depending on value of item

Mumolulu

terra_ferma wrote: »

This was a patient buyer, no doubt. Some people have a busy life, they go on holiday etc, and may not chase straight away.
It sounds like you think they are lying. Why is that? Would you trust Royal Mail more than your buyers?

I'm not sure what protection you are referring to, if the buyer says they have not received the item they are entitled to a refund, unless you can prove receipt (i.e. tracking/signature). This is how eBay works. (they have up to 45 days to submit a claim)

I always firstly assume buyers are lying, cos its so easy to get a refund and get away with it! Most buyers I know aren't dishonest, but some are. I just don't understand how parcels get lost. All the others have arrived that I posted with it.

The item in question, was possibly bought as a Xmas gift, as it was new and in the box, so thats another reason I'm a little dubious, as surely they would have messaged before now? I know I have to refund, so will ask them now if they want a refund....it just bugs the hell out of me.

chancesare_2

You may assume what you like, but thankfully for sellers like you, eBay and paypal offers buyers protection.

Perhaps, in this new year, think of yourself as a buyer and do not treat others as you would not wish to be treated yourself.

Next time, if you want to be sure, abide by the rules of seller protection.

iieee

It sounds like you have a decent buyer, who has waited quite patiently and considered that the item may have been delayed due to the snow, etc, so has waited until now to chase you up. I think a scammer would want their money back sooner and ask straight away to be honest. I'm still getting post now that was posted at the beginning of December, but has been caught up in the backlog. You might want to cooperate with them rather than accusing them, as they can easily get their money back via dispute if you don't cooperate, and it will be a black mark against your account.

Uncertain

If you have proof of posting then the item is automatically insured for up to £41.

If the buyer formally makes an INR claim you will have all the evidence you need to make a claim from Royal Mail.

So, unless the item was worth more than £41 you will not ultimately be out of pocket.

If it was worth more than £41 then, frankly, you should have sent it by a more secure method.

How much did you charge for p&p? More than the actual cost I expect? Sometimes making an extra pound or two here comes back to bite you.

Mumolulu

Uncertain wrote: »

If you have proof of posting then the item is automatically insured for up to £41.

If the buyer formally makes an INR claim you will have all the evidence you need to make a claim from Royal Mail.

So, unless the item was worth more than £41 you will not ultimately be out of pocket.

If it was worth more than £41 then, frankly, you should have sent it by a more secure method.

How much did you charge for p&p? More than the actual cost I expect? Sometimes making an extra pound or two here comes back to bite you.

Actually on postage, I made about 40p!! Considering I bought an envelope to post it in, I didn't make anything. I never overcharge for postage. And.....I have myself had a few items never received, and I hate asking for refunds etc, sometimes I even haven't if it was just a 99p auction, as I know its not the sellers fault, so generally I am treating my buyers like I'd be treated, as I often think that my sellers think I'm lying too. :A

Happy_bunny

A bit cynical to assume buyers are lying. The fact is the post service is rubbish. As a seller I'd always refund and claim from the post office. TBH think your attitude is what puts many buyers off ebay! :eek:

*Kat*

Gosh, buyers get a hard time, if they request after 2 weeks, it's too early due to the service, but if they wait patiently then they're too late and must be scamming. lol

I've been waiting 3-4 weeks cause I know just now the depot's are all blocked up. You have proof of postage so if there's a problem you can claim with Royal Mail?

Crowqueen

How long should they leave it before letting you know if a month is not to your liking?!

Agree with everyone else. It does happen legitimately - I would be giving you a neg if you came back to me openly stating after a month of me waiting patiently that you thought I was lying. Someone has paid for something and they haven't got it after a month - that's not on. Most scammers launch claims very early on in the process - when they receive an untracked item, for instance. Very few would wait a whole month.

If you have a lot of trouble with INRs as a seller, then there might be something up with your post or you could look at how you address things; if it's only a few items that go missing, then there might not be a pressing problem at your end, but this should really be treated at face value if you value your feedback in any way.