Buyer not collecting item from post office

waterwatereverywhere

Hi,

Hope someone can help. Am a regular ebay user, never had problems with a buyer before.

I sold an item what must be several weeks/a month ago now. Buyer emailed me - in very poor English - asking me to send item quickly. I did so (before my stated postage times), by recorded delivery to protect myself because I didn't like the sound of their message.

Next (a week or more later) I get a message from them saying they will now be on holiday and unable to collect the item, after they asked me to send it quickly and made no mention of going away.

I checked Royal Mail online and it said they had tried to deliver and left a card for the buyer to pick the item up. I replied straightaway to the buyer, telling them this - sending them the Royal Mail info - and saying they needed to collect the item before it ended up being returned to me and if I had to re-send it there would be new postage costs.

A week or more further on they send another stupid message asking me where they had to collect the item from and saying they were confused! I replied stating the delivery office they needed to collect from and pointing out that all this info would be on the card they had received.

Another week or so, they now say they went to the delivery office on Saturday but it was "closed" and they can't get in again this week due to work. They then ask me to re-send it and to check their "new address" before doing so (did they have an old address on PayPal all along and this is the problem?).

The item has not yet been returned to me by Royal Mail.

How do I handle this? I'd like to cancel the transaction, retain the postage monies I have lost - assuming the item comes back to me and leave bad feedback for the buyer. Given the hassle with this stupid person I don't really want to have to re-send it to them, assuming it does ever come back to me from Royal Mail - I did put a return/sender's address on the parcel.

campdave

You can't leave bad feedback.

If the item has a return address, it will be returned to you eventually. Advise the buyer that when it is returned, you will refund them (you cannot keep the outward postage unfortunately) and advise the buyer should they still wish to buy the item, to buy it again using the correct address (though I would block them personally, rather than deal with them again).

waterwatereverywhere

Thanks for your reply. This doesn't seem remotely fair though since this buyer is obviously deliberately messing around, although I've no idea what they hope to gain from this. Why should I be out of pocket for the postage which I have paid in good faith - and I have proof that Royal Mail have tried to deliver it and the buyer failed to collect. Would it be worthwhile my contacting ebay directly about this via chat or otherwise to see if they can do something about the postage element?

What would happen if the item is not returned to me or if it is returned at a time when I am myself away on holiday - for how long would my local delivery office hold it for - I do have some hols planned and have no way of knowing when my item will be returned to me.

campdave

waterwatereverywhere wrote: »

Thanks for your reply. This doesn't seem remotely fair

waterwatereverywhere wrote: »

Would it be worthwhile my contacting ebay directly about this via chat or otherwise to see if they can do something about the postage element?

You could try. However, if the buyer opens a case for INR, you will have choice other than to refund the entire amount. If they do not open a case, you could try to refund the cost of the item minus outward postage, obviously leaving yourself open to negative feedback.

waterwatereverywhere wrote: »

What would happen if the item is not returned to me or if it is returned at a time when I am myself away on holiday - for how long would my local delivery office hold it for - I do have some hols planned and have no way of knowing when my item will be returned to me.

I think delivery offices hold items for three weeks (less for special delivery).

jon81uk

Once you get it back from Royal Mail, refund the buyer and then block them from bidding on it again and just relist or second chance offer.

Ben84

The buyer does sound frustrating, but dealing with even simple things in another language can be difficult too. I'd try sending them a very simple message saying something like "please visit 'http://www.royalmail.com/personal/receiving-mail/redelivery' and use 'Book a Redelivery' to receive the parcel'."

Royal mail do tend to try again anyway, even if they don't hear from the recipient, so the problem may self-resolve. It won't hurt to try to get them to sort it out though.

Reasonably often the frustrating situations work out well in the end.

custardy

Ben84 wrote: »

The buyer does sound frustrating, but dealing with even simple things in another language can be difficult too. I'd try sending them a very simple message saying something like "please visit 'http://www.royalmail.com/personal/receiving-mail/redelivery' and use 'Book a Redelivery' to receive the parcel'."

Royal mail do tend to try again anyway, even if they don't hear from the recipient, so the problem may self-resolve. It won't hurt to try to get them to sort it out though.

Reasonably often the frustrating situations work out well in the end.

No they dont.......

Ben84

custardy wrote: »

No they dont.......

Maybe it depends on your local sorting office, but I know mine do attempt to deliver again.

custardy

Ben84 wrote: »

Maybe it depends on your local sorting office, but I know mine do attempt to deliver again.

Well its not SOP and if you think about it,neither efficient or sensible.
If a unit has time to redeliver all out of date packets,then they are over staffed.
Also,are they keeping a list of items out for delivery? What happens if a customer comes in to collect the item and its not there? A wasted journey.
If they wait beyond 18 days,then the sender is delayed in getting their item returned.

Ben84

custardy wrote: »

Well its not SOP and if you think about it,neither efficient or sensible.
If a unit has time to redeliver all out of date packets,then they are over staffed.
Also,are they keeping a list of items out for delivery? What happens if a customer comes in to collect the item and its not there? A wasted journey.
If they wait beyond 18 days,then the sender is delayed in getting their item returned.

I really don't know how common this is. Like many people, I probably assume what I experience is the usual until I hear otherwise.

soolin

custardy wrote: »

Well its not SOP and if you think about it,neither efficient or sensible.
If a unit has time to redeliver all out of date packets,then they are over staffed.
Also,are they keeping a list of items out for delivery? What happens if a customer comes in to collect the item and its not there? A wasted journey.
If they wait beyond 18 days,then the sender is delayed in getting their item returned.

If a card has been left and then parcel is delivered couldn't a recipient then fraudulently claim a lost item as the we are holding your item card would be proof it was not delivered?

Mine certainly only attempt delivery once, and once they leave a card that's it.