When should seller refund buyer if item is lost in post?

spinning_hamster_wheel

Have been to PO twice and phoned them aswell; there is no package there!

Well they've said they'd refund me on 5th March so I'll keep the dispute open til than and see what happens. I just left a message on the dispute log saying are you aware how long a RM refund could take and that they may not get refunded ASAP on 5th March. *sigh*

barney1979

I posted an item recorded delivery and the customer moved without letting me know and then asked where the item was, subsequently i contacted the post office only to be told by them it had been lost.

i was about to start a claim from royal mail when the package was returned to me! I couldn't beleive it as RM had said it was lost!

This took around a month all in all so if the seller has put a return address on it, it may still turn up - for what its worth!

snax

The Royal Mail website states that : for 1st class mail ...

1. Mail is officially classed as 'lost' if not delivered after a period of ... 15 working days
2. Mail is classed as 'delayed' if not delivered after ... 5 working days
3. Mail is classed as 'Substantially Delayed' if not deliver after ... 11 working days

http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/content2?catId=14000176&mediaId=3100011

On the odd occassion that a buyer has contacted me asking about a non-delivery I simply quote the above and ask them if they would mind being patient as their order may still arrive.

I also state that I will be happy to refund for lost mail if their order is still undelivered - but that I would need an email stating that their order has not been delivered and confirmation of their postal address.

In my opinion a seller should then refund a buyer in full - an then submit a claim for compensation from Royal Mail [forms are available at you PO ... you will need your C.O.P. .... best if you can keep a copy, either a scan or photo .... RM do like to lose things!]

This just happened to me yesterday and I've just had an email back saying that they are happy to wait the full 15 days.

Before Xmas, a buyer had waited for 15 working days - so I happily refunded - only for them to email a week later to say, honestly, that their package had turned up after all, and how could they pay now it had arrived [had to create a special listing at a time convenient to the buyer - so they were online - then email a direct link to the webpage so they could repurchase]

It sounds like the OP seller hasn't explained it fully to them - hence the miffed understanding.

snax

Just to add - if you order an item today [01/03/07] and the item is dispatched same day ... if there is no delivery ... I would offer to refund the buyer in full on the 20/03/07 [I count saturday as a working day as there is a mail delivery]