advise needed. package i sent not arrived

cindyhove

I sent a parcel to a buyer who says he has not received it. He has asked paypal for a refund. I feel very guilty about this. I did sent the item and really dont want to give a refund, but I understand how the buyer is feeling too. I'm sure he thinks I've conned him. My feedback is good, and that must be a good record of my ebay history, but I dont know what to do.
Advise please?

Avoriaz

How did you post it? Normal post, recorded or special delivery?

Did you get a certificate of posting?

What is the value of the item.

Depending on your answers there may be something you can do.

If you sent it normal post without a COP then there is nothing you can do as you have no proof of posting.

The buyer may be genuine or may be lying. Does he/she have good feedback?

FloFlo

Whether you had a cop or not unless you posted it with a signature required on delivery and it shows as delivered with signature, you will have to refund. Royal Mail state 15 days from posting until its considered lost in post, so explain this to buyer and tell them you will refund if it has not arrived by then. You will need to claim the cost back yourself from Royal mail.

Sinope_2

Remember for the future, to get a certificate of postage its absolutely free - it does however mean waiting in line at the post office. For anything over a fiver i always do recorded delivery - it costs just 68p for any class and at the end of the day, you add the cost onto p&p.

I can appreciate how you feel though - does anything actually get "lost in the post"?, it makes me angry the amount of people who con through ebay using this excuse. I suppose it can happen, but ebay are flodded with "missing" packages every day.

I would also say though that as i've been the victim of this a few times i'm always a bit dubious of sellers who dont provide recorded delivery/certificate of postage as the con can work both ways. Not that i am suggesting that you have dont this of course, i'm just saying from a buyers point of view you feel more reasured buying when you know theres some guarantee of postage.

That said, i heard a rumour that a friends son was selling phone parts on ebay and he realised that at his post office they gave certificates of postage through the counter and asked people to put the packages/letters etc in the bags by the door on thier way out so he got the certificates and on the way out ripped open the packets and took out the parts before putting them in the bags making it look like "damaged in post" for which he had stated on his listings that he didnt give a refund for! Little swine!

It is very hard for honest ebayers to keep thier blood pressure down when selling and buying!

FloFlo

It doesn't matter what you state on your listing if the item does not arrive or is damaged in transit the seller is liable to refund. The seller then claims from the Royal mail themselves. You can claim from the royal mail without a COP I believe up to £32.

snow

Does the Royal Mail refund the cost of postage? I mean if the item costs 10p. and the postage around £5 can I get the refund of the postage?

frivolous_fay

FloFlo wrote:

Royal Mail state 15 days from posting until its considered lost in post, so explain this to buyer and tell them you will refund if it has not arrived by then.

If the buyer's opened a dispute, that will do no good at all. Paypal aren't going to sit around until RM accept that it's lost - they'll refund the buyer and take a fee off the OP for the privilege.

frivolous_fay

snow wrote:

Does the Royal Mail refund the cost of postage? I mean if the item costs 10p. and the postage around £5 can I get the refund of the postage?

Officially, no.

snow

So how to be sure to obtain a refund if the item losts in post? Do I need to value the item while posting it? Or should I buy an insurance? Of cause the cost of the item is not 10p., I've just been lucky enough to sell it for that price And I don't want to use Airsure as the cost of the postage will be extemely high.

FloFlo

frivolous_fay wrote:

If the buyer's opened a dispute, that will do no good at all. Paypal aren't going to sit around until RM accept that it's lost - they'll refund the buyer and take a fee off the OP for the privilege.

Always best to resolve it before it gets to that stage, most buyers will wait a reasonable extra time if you have good communication with them.

frivolous_fay

'He has asked paypal for a refund.'