A first for me, buyer did not sign for tracked item

celestius

Just had a 'request' opened against me on Ebay. The buyer is saying that her item has not arrived and the signature on the Royal Mail website is not hers.
She says that Royal Mail will only investigate if the seller asks them to, not the recipient, is this right?

burtons

I've had the postman sign my parcels and post them through the door. A seller has got to contact royal mail.

Brunbjorn

I wouldn't have thought Royal Mail are going to investigate an issue without it being brought to their attention.

As for Royal Mail staff themselves signing for the packages they deliver, they ought to watch out (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1246608/Postman-signed-parcel-behalf-frail-customer-lost-job-Royal-Mail-took-disciplinary-action.html)

Anyway Seasons Greetings

CouponWoman

1 - put the buyer on your block bidder list.
2 - put the tracking number in ebay asap.
3 - tell your buyer you will make a report to Royal Mail to investigate whats happened.

Don;t ignore whats happened in case she is genuine but by putting the tracking number in ebay you will hopefully stop ebay helping themselves to your money while its being sorted out.
xx

JethroUK

celestius wrote: »

Just had a 'request' opened against me on Ebay. The buyer is saying that her item has not arrived and the signature on the Royal Mail website is not hers.
She says that Royal Mail will only investigate if the seller asks them to, not the recipient, is this right?

I dont have to read anything to KNOW thats right - YOU made the contract with the royal mail and as the seller YOU are the person that employed a courier as YOUR agent (you could have delivered it yourself) - the buyer is not responsible in any way shape or form of how YOU deliver their purchase to meet YOUR part of the contract

From RM perspective YOU employed them as YOUR agent and YOU are solely responsible for delivering your buyers order

If you want a happy customer you could just post out a replacement or refund and should the goods eventually turn up you could ask them to be returned at your expence

Of course RM request 30 days to deliver YOUR parcel before YOU can make a claim but whether you visit this (YOUR problem) on your customers is up to you, but then dont be surprised if they aint happy and reflect that in your feedback

That said your maximum liability for YOUR breech of contract is the cost of the item (full refund - made whole again) - that being the law then Ebay should not let buyers who received full refund (made whole again) post any feedback at all on that purchase

Never fails to amaze me that Ebay sellers do not understand this most fundamental obligation (to deliver) they accept every time they make a sale

soolin

celestius wrote: »

Just had a 'request' opened against me on Ebay. The buyer is saying that her item has not arrived and the signature on the Royal Mail website is not hers.
She says that Royal Mail will only investigate if the seller asks them to, not the recipient, is this right?

celestius I do not see this as quite the black and white scenario that some other people do. Firstly you have proof of delivery so can win any paypal claim, the signature is immaterial if item is under a certain amount - and there is nothing in paypal's rules to say that the signature must belong to the account holder- all paypal require is tracked delivery to the address they supplied.

However, it may well be that RM have messed up somewhere in which case you can assist your buyer in getting RM to look into this apparent non delivery. I believe that the buyer can also do this- it is after all them that have the issue with the tracking being wrong , but you have all the relevant info about the parcel so it seems better for you and the buyer to work together with this.

soolin

JethroUK wrote: »

I dont have to read anything to KNOW thats right - YOU made the contract with the royal mail and as the seller YOU are the person that employed a courier as YOUR agent (you could have delivered it yourself) - the buyer is not responsible in any way shape or form of how YOU deliver their purchase to meet YOUR part of the contract



e

Paypal require seller to show delivery to the address that they say is 'OK to send to', assuming seller sent it to that address they have fulfilled their obligation with paypal. The signature is immaterial- paypal do not hold copies of legally authorised and court proof signatures on file.

However, we all know couriers and RM can be lax with parcel deliveries at this time of year so the seller and buyer need to work together to get this resolved. The seller has all the info about the parcel to provide to RM, but the buyer is actually the one who is making the complaint and disagreeing with the info that RM has provided. Working together and involving RM at the earliest possible time is the best way of doing this- if buyer merely expects seller to do anything then they may well lose out.

celestius

The item value to me is just under £20 - it would not fit through a letterbox.
I will do my utmost to help the buyer and will contact Royal Mail, however I am not going to rush into refunding the buyer until I know more.
And by opening a request for a refund with no prior contact she has not given me much time!

soolin

celestius wrote: »

The item value to me is just under £20 - it would not fit through a letterbox.
I will do my utmost to help the buyer and will contact Royal Mail, however I am not going to rush into refunding the buyer until I know more.
And by opening a request for a refund with no prior contact she has not given me much time!

By opening a case the buyer has done herself a dis service. Provide your proof of delivery , upload everything you have and you will win the case, if eBay do anything strange then appeal. That is the important bit, then try and assist the buyer with their issue about not having the item.

As a seller if buyer had come to me and explained that although tracking showed delivery they hadn't actually got the item, I would immediately start to assist. By opening the case that takes your attention away from helping them, and concentrates on protecting yourself first.

It may well be a simple case of item being delivered to a neighbour that can be sorted out in a few minutes easily by the buyer going to ask. If neighbour hasn't got it then it could well take some time after the Christmas break with both you and the buyer liaising with RM to see exactly where parcel went.

RMS2

soolin wrote: »

The seller has all the info about the parcel to provide to RM, but the buyer is actually the one who is making the complaint and disagreeing with the info that RM has provided. Working together and involving RM at the earliest possible time is the best way of doing this- if buyer merely expects seller to do anything then they may well lose out.

I think this is very much one for the attitude test. If the buyer comes across, hey, I haven't received it and that definitely isn't my signature (or anyone in the house) can you help me sort this. Would get the seller trying to sort it out with RM.


But if the buyer says, right that's not me, I haven't received it, I want a refund. Then the shutters go up, the POD goes in to ebay/paypal and it's batten down the hatches and ride the storm.


The buyer has their part to play in this, which can effect the outcome.

JethroUK

soolin wrote: »

Paypal require seller to show delivery to the address that they say is 'OK to send to', assuming seller sent it to that address they have fulfilled their obligation with paypal. The signature is immaterial- paypal do not hold copies of legally authorised and court proof signatures on file.

However, we all know couriers and RM can be lax with parcel deliveries at this time of year so the seller and buyer need to work together to get this resolved. The seller has all the info about the parcel to provide to RM, but the buyer is actually the one who is making the complaint and disagreeing with the info that RM has provided. Working together and involving RM at the earliest possible time is the best way of doing this- if buyer merely expects seller to do anything then they may well lose out.

Buyers obligation stops at providing the correct delivery address for obvious reasons

divorcees would also benefit if they could simply "work together" and save £1000s in solicitors fees but when it comes down to who is right, and who is wrong that does not negate the seller being 1000000000000000% responsible for delivery of item (meeting their end of the contract)

buyer has ZERO to lose (legally) and is entitled to full refund (totally made whole) if the seller does not perform their part of the contract

Its really that simple

I dont know Ebay T & C but common sense right vs wrong always smacks me in the face