What happens if Special Delivery item doesn't get delivered?

JustAnotherSaver

Someone bought an electrical item from me. They were super excited over it (seemingly) and i sent it via Special Delivery.


It attempted to get delivered this Monday but nobody was there.


I contacted the buyer yesterday to say that i'd looked at the tracker and noted it was down as having not been delivered. Said that i didn't know if a card had been put through their letterbox or not but that they could arrange redelivery online or try and their local post office depot.



Basically just doing one for the good communication side of things.



No response from them. It isn't a cheapy item either. Well that depends on your idea of cheap but we're looking at approx £60-£70.


I'm just wondering what happens in the event they don't go to their PO to collect?
Or what are the chances that it actually has been delivered but it shows the wrong result on the website?

theonlywayisup

What exactly did the tracking say? Not being delivered and being attempted but not successful are very different. You can get a refund if RM failed their 1pm deadline.

Do not chase up a parcel until the buyer chases you. If you see an item is sat at the DO you can make a redelivery (for free) using the RM website.

https://www.royalmail.com/personal/receiving-mail/redelivery/book

Put in the details that you have, as if you were the addressee.

JustAnotherSaver

theonlywayisup wrote: »

What exactly did the tracking say? Not being delivered and being attempted but not successful are very different. You can get a refund if RM failed their 1pm deadline.

Do not chase up a parcel until the buyer chases you. If you see an item is sat at the DO you can make a redelivery (for free) using the RM website.

https://www.royalmail.com/personal/receiving-mail/redelivery/book

Put in the details that you have, as if you were the addressee.

The tracking says exactly that it's pending.

Sorry, we tried to deliver your parcel on 26-11-2018 but there didn't seem to be anyone in. Please choose an option below.

I contacted the buyer because i know what items are more likely to cause problems than others - such as electrical ones. I wanted to make sure everything was ok.


My understanding of Special Delivery is that unlike 1st class signed for it's tracked every step of the way and that should anything 'go wrong' then there should be no dispute really and i should be compensated. I would refund the buyer their money and i would be compensated through RM?

theonlywayisup

JustAnotherSaver wrote: »

The tracking says exactly that it's pending.

No, the tracking shows the item was attempted but no one was home to take delivery. It has been taken back to the DO and the addressee will have a card with the attempt delivery details on it. It will sit at the DO until the buyer collects/a redelivery is arranged by you or the buyer, or the item times out and is returned to you.

JustAnotherSaver wrote: »

My understanding of Special Delivery is that unlike 1st class signed for it's tracked every step of the way and that should anything 'go wrong' then there should be no dispute really and i should be compensated. I would refund the buyer their money and i would be compensated through RM?

Nothing has gone wrong, it simply means there was no one at home to take delivery.

Why don't you arrange a redelivery - if you have heard from the buyer you can arrange it on a day they are going to be in.

https://www.royalmail.com/personal/receiving-mail/redelivery/book/

JustAnotherSaver

theonlywayisup wrote: »

No,

ok

if you have heard from the buyer

That's the weird thing - for as desperate and pleased as they seemed, i haven't heard from them. Over such a spend on something i was real keen on i'd have done something about it by now.

F&L

Buyers change their mind all the time. Special Delivery items get returned to sender after a week or so, perhaps the buyer is counting on this if it's no longer required? I would not contact the buyer again and either do as suggested above by arranging the redelivery yourself or just refund the buyer if and when it's returned. You've let them know it's available for redelivery so they can't then use the familiar excuse of the postie not having left a card.

theonlywayisup

It is telling you that someone wasn't home. I am not sure what else to say to you.

It's clear from your numerous recent threads you are not used to eBay and are trying to learn quickly. Some of this learning is tiresome, perhaps to you too....good luck but I'm out.

JustAnotherSaver

theonlywayisup wrote: »

It is telling you that someone wasn't home. I am not sure what else to say to you.

I know it's saying that.


I also know you said that it isn't saying pending. With that screenshot i was simply showing you that it does say that that's all.


Anyway i'll see what happens with them.

soolin

JustAnotherSaver wrote: »

I know it's saying that.


I also know you said that it isn't saying pending. With that screenshot i was simply showing you that it does say that that's all.


Anyway i'll see what happens with them.

I think you were being pointed to the bit below where it says 'pending' as that explains what pending means. It says a delivery was attempted but there did not appear to be anyone home'.

So in this case where you mention compensation for lost items this would not apply, item is not lost it is merely waiting for collection or for a re delivery to be arranged.

lindens

It stays at the delivery office for 18 calender days and then will be sent back to you at the return address if they do not collect. Probably a lot more battered than when it left your hands

JustAnotherSaver

soolin wrote: »

So in this case where you mention compensation for lost items this would not apply, item is not lost it is merely waiting for collection or for a re delivery to be arranged.

I'm not sure or not whether you missed the part where i said 'should anything go wrong', as in i'm trying to educate myself on various possibilities here.



Obviously going right is getting delivered to the person who bought it and if that doesn't happen then getting returned to me.

Then there's the going wrong part - where neither of us get it.