Have I lost out?

noitsnotme

spud17 said:

Thanks soolin.
I should be in bed and asleep, but thought I'd just check in.
Another thing, should tracking details have been uploaded at dispatch? 
I'm sure other sellers have emailed dispatch confirmations with a tracking link.
All I've had from the seller is the "we got your order" email. The first I knew about an alternative delivery was the text Monday morning from Yodel.

While eBay prefer sellers to upload tracking when they mark orders dispatched, it is not compulsory. I’m a business seller and I don’t provide tracking unless asked by the customer because if you do upload it to eBay, a lot of the time it negatively effects seller metrics if the item is delivered late by the carrier.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Try Google to find a number for the local depot, our one comes up under the depot address without any hunting around and the guy who mans the phone is always helpful. 

If you can call them they'll be able to see the GPS data to show where the parcel was when it was scanned as delivered.

Yes the seller should sort it out but worth a try down the path of least resistance. 

soolin

noitsnotme said:

spud17 said:

Thanks soolin.
I should be in bed and asleep, but thought I'd just check in.
Another thing, should tracking details have been uploaded at dispatch? 
I'm sure other sellers have emailed dispatch confirmations with a tracking link.
All I've had from the seller is the "we got your order" email. The first I knew about an alternative delivery was the text Monday morning from Yodel.

While eBay prefer sellers to upload tracking when they mark orders dispatched, it is not compulsory. I’m a business seller and I don’t provide tracking unless asked by the customer because if you do upload it to eBay, a lot of the time it negatively effects seller metrics if the item is delivered late by the carrier.

This is going to be a complicated response as it is not straightforward . EBay changed their rules last year to say that a seller is only protected against an INR if the ‘tracking’ (and that includes just a delivery confirmation  number) is uploaded before the estimated delivery date, sellers were warned that failure to add tracking before that date meant they lost the ability to use the delivery confirmation to defend an INR. However, whilst this is still in the t and cs it is pretty much ignored by eBay , and in fact when a seller gets a case opened the tracking is not entered automatically despite it being added to the original sale, and the seller has to input it manually in the case. 

Personally I don’t risk not adding it and all mine are done automatically added by RM when I buy my postage, under the current COVID rules this tracking number also protects us sellers from defects caused by late dispatch marks. 

You could try phoning eBay and ask them to consider the INR in the light of tracking not being provided, it has to be worth a shot. 

soolin

Here is a link that might work to a discussion about it 

https://community.ebay.co.uk/t5/Archive-Seller-Central/New-tracking-rules/td-p/6207031

although interestingly it looks like the t and cs don’t actually state that tracking must be uploaded at point of sale anymore  https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/selling/posting-items/tracking-items-youve-sold?id=4088&st=3&pos=2&query=Tracking%20items%20you%27ve%20sold&intent=Tracking%20numbers&lucenceai=lucenceai#section1

noitsnotme

soolin said:

noitsnotme said:

spud17 said:

Thanks soolin.
I should be in bed and asleep, but thought I'd just check in.
Another thing, should tracking details have been uploaded at dispatch? 
I'm sure other sellers have emailed dispatch confirmations with a tracking link.
All I've had from the seller is the "we got your order" email. The first I knew about an alternative delivery was the text Monday morning from Yodel.

While eBay prefer sellers to upload tracking when they mark orders dispatched, it is not compulsory. I’m a business seller and I don’t provide tracking unless asked by the customer because if you do upload it to eBay, a lot of the time it negatively effects seller metrics if the item is delivered late by the carrier.

This is going to be a complicated response as it is not straightforward . EBay changed their rules last year to say that a seller is only protected against an INR if the ‘tracking’ (and that includes just a delivery confirmation  number) is uploaded before the estimated delivery date, sellers were warned that failure to add tracking before that date meant they lost the ability to use the delivery confirmation to defend an INR. However, whilst this is still in the t and cs it is pretty much ignored by eBay , and in fact when a seller gets a case opened the tracking is not entered automatically despite it being added to the original sale, and the seller has to input it manually in the case. 

Personally I don’t risk not adding it and all mine are done automatically added by RM when I buy my postage, under the current COVID rules this tracking number also protects us sellers from defects caused by late dispatch marks. 

I was aware of this but I’m willing to take that chance.  I very rarely get cases thankfully and for me, uploading the 2D codes on dispatch is much more of a risk to my metrics because Royal Mail deliver late too often.

I have had Top Rated Seller status continuously ever since I first got it (maybe 7 years ago?).  The only time I came close to losing it was when I started uploading 2D codes automatically from the order management software I use because Royal Mail were delivering too many late.  I’ve not had a problem once I switched that auto upload off.

It may all be moot soon anyway now that eBay have introduced their own integrated Royal Mail tracking.  For now they’ve said it won’t effect sellers metrics but you can be sure it will at some point!

theonlywayisup

Op, have you appealed your lost case on eBay.  It is ALWAYS worth doing, as it is the first time a human may get to see the details.  If you are clear and brief but state the item wasn't delivered to you and you wish proof of the delivery address to be given, then you might just get luck with eBay themselves.

spud17

Thanks all.
I've not yet opened an INR.
I'm busy at work and don't get much time to chase these things.
But will get on it this evening. 

AstonSmith

Is there any chance that your phone number was entered into Yodel for someone else's delivery by mistake?

The tracking number would refer to a different parcel, meanwhile your 2nd class RM delivery might just be delayed (some areas are very slow at the moment) or lost.

In any case don't be accusatory to the seller just in case the Yodel thing has nothing to do with them.

spud17

AstonSmith said:

Is there any chance that your phone number was entered into Yodel for someone else's delivery by mistake?

The tracking number would refer to a different parcel, meanwhile your 2nd class RM delivery might just be delayed (some areas are very slow at the moment) or lost.

In any case don't be accusatory to the seller just in case the Yodel thing has nothing to do with them.

I've not been accusatory to the seller. All I've done is asked them to look into it, which is also why I've held off opening an INR.

spud17

I found a number for my local Yodel office as suggested, the number must be no longer in use, it doesn't connect.
I phoned the Yodel helpline and went through the automated process, the robot said that there was no item with the last 4 digits of my tracking number linked to my post code.
On inputting the full number it was confirmed that the item had been delivered.
I hung on the line for about a minute and spoke to a South African guy, he seemed to be clued up, he could confirm that the delivery had taken place but not to my post code, it was another one in the UK, data protection then took over, but he did confirm that my mobile number was linked to the delivery???
So, Aston Smith's suggestion might be correct.
I'm going to wait until at least the weekend before starting an INR.