Ebay Item - not delivered, tracking number says it was

InitialDave

Ooooh boy, this one is fantastic.

I bought an item off ebay, it never turned up.

Seller provided tracking number, which on the website for the courier shows it as having been delivered.

Having phoned the courier twice, and been to see them in person, they have categorically stated that it was NOT delivered, and they DON'T have a signature. It got lost, basically. Said the sender/seller should raise a claim at his end (i.e. the Sheffield agent - I'm in Leicester).

The seller refuses to listen, and just kept pointing out that the tracking number says it arrived, no matter how much I spelled it out to them. :T

Ebay can't help - if I escalate the dispute to them, I'll lose, as they just check the tracking number online. I've explained to them until I'm blue in the face that it's duff, but even if the person on the other end of the phone gets it, their hands are tied and it's "computer says no". This is even after a 43 minute phonecall to them, and that's cost me as well, as I only have a mobile (so no free 0800 dialling).

I can't raise a dispute through Paypal, as I already did one through Ebay, and they're interlinked now.

I've asked my credit card company to send me the form for doing a chargeback, and have emailed Paypal asking where I'd stand in that case. I don't think it's likely to be a valid option.

I've sent another message to the seller, spelling out to phone the depot on _________, and if they say it's delivered, ask them to check the actual signature (which won't be there). Told them that I expect them to have done something within a week or I'll be sorting out legal action.

Ebay won't release an address to me, say I need to get the police involved and they'll tell them, and I don't know if it's even worth small claims for £45.

I'm getting the nasty suspicion that all I'm going to get for my money is the opportunity to leave the seller some absolutely roasting negative feedback. :mad:

Thoughts?

Myyrrddyn

If the seller can prove it has been delivered you have not got a cat in hells chance of winning any claim. If you leave a negative feedback the seller can get it removed as they have proof of it being delivered. Sorry but unless you want to involve to police or go to a small claims court then, sorry, just forget it and chalk it up to one of lifes little mysteries.

InitialDave

Myyrrddyn wrote: »

If the seller can prove it has been delivered you have not got a cat in hells chance of winning any claim. If you leave a negative feedback the seller can get it removed as they have proof of it being delivered.

This is what, to use an Americanism, burns my cookies.

The seller does not have proof the item was delivered to me. Proof would be my signature on the the docket, which is not there.

Ebay take the online tracking information as being proof, even though the couriers themselves have said that it is inaccurate in this instance.

Annoyingly (but, in a sense, understandably), the couriers will not give me a statement in writing that the item wasn't delivered/signed for, as I'm not their customer.

mobile48

If you can get the courier you spoken/seen to correct the on-line tracking information the problem is solved.

EDIT: Under the Data Protection Act personal information a company holds on you must be correct. If needed you can make an official request for Data to be Corrected. This is most likely not going to help time scales too long, but it may.

Failing above can you get something in writing from them to state you did not receive the item. [EDIT seen your last reply and the answer is no). If so can you get ebay to look at it? I think they will look at paperwork if you appeal a lost dispute read this in the help files some time ago about a different type of dispute so needs checking.

You can automatically request the seller details via ebay - see help - this should work.

bylromarha

I had a similar thing as a seller a couple of years ago. Tracked. Signature. Buyer said they didn't get it. I rang the depot and they said it was lost. I wouldn't have rung had the tracking timings looked dodgy - 100 miles travelled in 3 minutes.

The claim took forever to process, but my buyer got their refund as soon as the courier said the item had been lost.

I don't understand why the seller won't make the phone call? Surely they'll want you off their back.

InitialDave

mobile48 wrote: »

If so can you get ebay to look at it? I think they will look at paperwork if you appeal a lost dispute read this in the help files some time ago about a different type of dispute so needs checking.

I guess it really depends on how deep they're willing to go. If they keep taking things at face value, I'd be sunk, but if they insist on seeing a signature (unlikely, given their approach up to this point), it'd work out.

You can automatically request the seller details via ebay - see help - this should work.

I did, but unfortunately, this just gives me name and general area of the country, which I had already.

bylromarha wrote: »

I don't understand why the seller won't make the phone call? Surely they'll want you off their back.

Oh, I agree, in their place, I'd be demanding a copy of the signed delivery note to prove receipt.

One possibility is that the couriers are feeding them a different line - though if they were playing that game, I'd expect inconsistency in what they told me, and there hasn't been any.

It could be that when they say they spoke to someone, they meant their agent, and they were also just referencing the computerised tracking rather than actually looking for paperwork.

I'm guessing they're either not reading my messages, are extremely bloody-minded, or just thick!

hermum

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, I thought that proof of delivery had to be an online signature?
How can the courier update the system to say delivered when they are telling you that it's lost?

What is proof of delivery?
For transactions that total less than £150, proof of delivery is acceptable documentation. You'll need online tracking information from a shipping company or valid proof of delivery from Royal Mail, that:

• Shows the status as delivered.
  
• Shows the date of delivery.
  
• Includes the recipient's address, showing at least the city/county or postcode (or the equivalent).
  
• For transactions that total £150 or more, shows proof of the recipient's signature to confirm delivery.
  

Just found out for myself.
Why won't the courier company change the tracking to undelivered?

InitialDave

hermum wrote: »

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, I thought that proof of delivery had to be an online signature?
How can the courier update the system to say delivered when they are telling you that it's lost?

I suspect that Mr Delivery Man was a bit naughty, and marked it off as delivered when it wasn't. :whistle:

The tracking system apparently only shows a signature if they're using one of those touchscreen jobbies, and my guy would have been equipped with a state-of-the-art sheet of A4 and biro.

EDIT: IIRC, they can't edit the database like that. I know, I know, but I doubt I'll get anywhere arguing with them, same as the whole refusal to give written confirmation. Or non-confirmation, I suppose.

hermum

Does all the info on the tracking tally, postcode etc & date that it should have got there, it would be nice if like the above poster it was delivered within minutes.
When you request contact details from ebay you should get the phone number of the seller. I would get onto ebay again & ask for a phone number, I'm pretty sure that you have to have a current phone number logged with ebay to sell.

InitialDave

hermum wrote: »

Does all the info on the tracking tally, postcode etc & date that it should have got there, it would be nice if like the above poster it was delivered within minutes.

Unfortunately not. Pickup from seller 6:05pm, "in transit" 6:25pm, supposedly delivered 11:45am next day.

When you request contact details from ebay you should get the phone number of the seller. I would get onto ebay again & ask for a phone number, I'm pretty sure that you have to have a current phone number logged with ebay to sell.

Yep, I do have that (they put it on the auction description anyway), but I've been trying to do everything in writing up until now.

soolin

We had a similar thread a short while ago and it transpired that the courier had just confirmed delivery but had not actually delivered, so tracking was updated but the parcel was no where to be found. If the courier has confirmed to you that the item was not delivered but refuses to update the tracking to show that then all I can suggest is that you persue the courier legally.

EDIT: I wonder if it might be an idea to post on the main courier thread to see if anyone can offer a 'pesonalised' contact name for the courier. Some couriers even post on there and might take up the case for you.