Could this result in disaster -- Settle Up?

FFS2020

I've sold an iPhone  to a woman who was initially going to just pick up in person and then claimed due to lockdown she needs the phone posted to her.  She sent payment using Settle Up, which is where you send the person a link that allows them to pay you and the payment goes directly into your bank account as cleared funds.  I checked the woman out via Google and she seemed to be a genuine person and not a scammer so I felt safe going ahead.
However, I've sent the phone -- with tracking -- but it's progress has been annoyingly slow due to Christmas, bank holidays and Royal Mail being generally a bit sluggish.  She has been going nuts -- 6 to 7 phone calls a day and when I pick up she just keeps saying "hello" and then silence and acting really weird and demanding to know how long Royal Mail will take to deliver.
She seemed increasingly skittish and I then researched Settle Up a bit more.  I had thought it was just a sort of bank transfer.  Turns out a person pays using their debit card (or possibly credit card, not sure).  This has scared me.  Because with the degree to which she is panicking and freaking out, what if she raises a "dispute" with her card issuer, gets a refund claiming the phone didn't arrive yet, and thus her payment to be bounces or is charged back?  At this point there is nothing I can do to prevent her still receiving the phone even if she does this.  
I was burnt many years ago when I sold an expensive item on eBay.  The buyer pretended it hadn't arrived and tried to raise a bogus PayPal "item not received".  PayPal shut her down because my tracking info provided proof she'd not only received it at her confirmed address but had also personally signed for it.  However, she then went and claimed "item not received" to the card issuer of the card she'd used to fund the PayPal payment.  The money got immediately reversed and I NEVER got my money back. 
Really don't want to get burnt again!

gt94sss2

What service did you use and when did you post it? Have you shared the tracking number with her?
If it was sent Special Delivery, it shouldn't take that long to deliver, though RM have been having delays and will be insured.
I personally wouldn't send something like that signed for, especially these days due to Covid/lack of proper tracking.

FFS2020

gt94sss2 said:

What service did you use and when did you post it? Have you shared the tracking number with her?
If it was sent Special Delivery, it shouldn't take that long to deliver, though RM have been having delays and will be insured.
I personally wouldn't send something like that signed for, especially these days due to Covid/lack of proper tracking.

I sent it Special Delivery on Thursday 31st Dec.  The Buyer then called me 6 times in one day on 1st Jan to complain it'd not arrived and that this is therefore a "scam", even though I'd explained repeatedly that Jan 1st is classed as a holiday and post is very unlikely to arrive on that day.  Then by the Saturday it still hadn't arrived and she called 7 times and was actually going berserk.  Ordinary Special Delivery doesn't offer Saturday delivery as far as I'm aware.  Tracking shows it's en route with no issues.
I've no doubt whatsoever that the phone will arrive safely -- my concern here is that the Buyer is so skittish she will have been on to her bank over the weekend trying to do a "chargeback."  If she does that'll result in me basically having given her an expensive phone for free.

masonic

FFS2020 said:

gt94sss2 said:

What service did you use and when did you post it? Have you shared the tracking number with her?
If it was sent Special Delivery, it shouldn't take that long to deliver, though RM have been having delays and will be insured.
I personally wouldn't send something like that signed for, especially these days due to Covid/lack of proper tracking.

I sent it Special Delivery on Thursday 31st Dec.  The Buyer then called me 6 times in one day on 1st Jan to complain it'd not arrived and that this is therefore a "scam", even though I'd explained repeatedly that Jan 1st is classed as a holiday and post is very unlikely to arrive on that day.  Then by the Saturday it still hadn't arrived and she called 7 times and was actually going berserk.  Ordinary Special Delivery doesn't offer Saturday delivery as far as I'm aware.  Tracking shows it's en route with no issues.
I've no doubt whatsoever that the phone will arrive safely -- my concern here is that the Buyer is so skittish she will have been on to her bank over the weekend trying to do a "chargeback."  If she does that'll result in me basically having given her an expensive phone for free.

But you'll be able to prove delivery and can contest the chargeback. Providing Starling cooperates with you then it should be of little concern. Delivery will likely be tomorrow.

colsten

You have her name and address, and the tracking info, so if she does a chargeback after receiving the goods, you can do a moneyclaim online and let the Courts deal with it. Hopefully it won’t be necessary. Best to stop worrying. https://www.gov.uk/make-money-claim

FFS2020

masonic said:

FFS2020 said:

gt94sss2 said:

What service did you use and when did you post it? Have you shared the tracking number with her?
If it was sent Special Delivery, it shouldn't take that long to deliver, though RM have been having delays and will be insured.
I personally wouldn't send something like that signed for, especially these days due to Covid/lack of proper tracking.

I sent it Special Delivery on Thursday 31st Dec.  The Buyer then called me 6 times in one day on 1st Jan to complain it'd not arrived and that this is therefore a "scam", even though I'd explained repeatedly that Jan 1st is classed as a holiday and post is very unlikely to arrive on that day.  Then by the Saturday it still hadn't arrived and she called 7 times and was actually going berserk.  Ordinary Special Delivery doesn't offer Saturday delivery as far as I'm aware.  Tracking shows it's en route with no issues.
I've no doubt whatsoever that the phone will arrive safely -- my concern here is that the Buyer is so skittish she will have been on to her bank over the weekend trying to do a "chargeback."  If she does that'll result in me basically having given her an expensive phone for free.

But you'll be able to prove delivery and can contest the chargeback. Providing Starling cooperates with you then it should be of little concern. Delivery will likely be tomorrow.

True, but it's something I'd really like to have to avoid dealing with.  I hope she sees sense and just waits until tomorrow.

mab3000

If the buyer was to go down the route of doing a chargeback, there is a time period that has to pass before their bank will process a chargeback claim. I can’t remember exactly what it is, it’s either 15 days (or 15 working days) from either the statement date or the expected delivery date (again it’s one or the other I just can’t remember off the top of my head). But from what the OP has posted this transaction appears to have only happened in the last few days, so assuming the phone gets to them in the next couple of days I don’t think OP you have much to be initially concerned about. 

FFS2020

mab3000 said:

If the buyer was to go down the route of doing a chargeback, there is a time period that has to pass before their bank will process a chargeback claim. I can’t remember exactly what it is, it’s either 15 days (or 15 working days) from either the statement date or the expected delivery date (again it’s one or the other I just can’t remember off the top of my head). But from what the OP has posted this transaction appears to have only happened in the last few days, so assuming the phone gets to them in the next couple of days I don’t think OP you have much to be initially concerned about. 

Yes, that's true actually.  I remember I had to dispute a charge last year and they did ask me to wait 15 days from the transaction date. 

born_again

One thing on any potential chargeback. Starling settle up, do not provide the goods. Only move the money. So they could simply reject the chargeback on that basis, or they do what paypal does now pay the person & then chase the other party.

FFS2020

born_again said:

One thing on any potential chargeback. Starling settle up, do not provide the goods. Only move the money. So they could simply reject the chargeback on that basis, or they do what paypal does now pay the person & then chase the other party.

I messaged Starling about this and this was their reply. 
In future I'd definitely not accept Settle Up as a payment method for something I'm selling.  I think a straightforward bank transfer or cash would be far, far safer.  

colsten

Any electronic payment method can be disputed. You aren't any safer with bank transfers. A disputed bank transfer can even result in a CIFAs fraud marker if the claimant can convince the banks that you have acted fraudulently (even if you haven't).