Cheek of some people! Update..now buyer selling same book but not my one.

wishuponastar

Thanks soolin for link and advice. 
Buyer wrote and said she hasn't got book yet (but when i checked it turns out she is in one of the affected areas that are having delays according to express website) so she will claim a refund. She says she will give it a few more days (which ties in with my ebay estimates so i think she has probably tried and Ebay won't let her do it until then). She told me i can put a claim in with RM as she will be claiming a refund. She bought the book she is selling from a book company and claimed that didn't arrive either and now she is selling the same book. So i don't know if she is just trying it on or what. 
I'll do as you say and leave it as long as i can before refunding. Do i refund or do Ebay automatically refund?
Keeping fingers crossed and hope RM pull their finger out. 

olgadapolga

wishuponastar said:

I'll do as you say and leave it as long as i can before refunding. Do i refund or do Ebay automatically refund? 

I believe that the general consensus is that it's better for you to issue the refund. Don't let the case be escalated to eBay as you'll then end up with a defect on your account which can be detrimental to your sales.

She will open an "item not received" case via eBay, as soon as she can by the looks of it. eBay will then tell you the latest date by which you can respond to it as they will give you the date upon which eBay can be asked to "step in". You don't want that to happen but if you leave it until just before that date (perhaps the evening before) then that gives a few more days, during which Royal Mail may deliver the item.

Hope it gets delivered and then you can relax again!

soolin

olgadapolga has given excellent advice.
I would just add that personally I would block the buyer from buying from you again - I dislike buyers like this who expect everything immediately and who put pressure on sellers when it is obviously out of their control like this. With the postal issues I think most people are happy to wait a few extra days and don't start off in such a manner insisting on everything immediately. 

wishuponastar

Thanks olgadapolga and soolin. If i block them now, will that block any messages coming from her and me being able to write to her? As i think if so i'd be better waiting until after the whole thing is finished. 
Yes okay i will refund the night before if i need to when the time comes, is Ebay allowing extra time under the RM delay fiasco? Or just normal times whatever they are? Is there a possibility for me to show that her postcode is in one of the delay areas and to ask ebay for extra time before refunding on that basis or do they just want the tracking to show delivery and that's the only way? 

soolin

wishuponastar said:

Thanks olgadapolga and soolin. If i block them now, will that block any messages coming from her and me being able to write to her? As i think if so i'd be better waiting until after the whole thing is finished. 
Yes okay i will refund the night before if i need to when the time comes, is Ebay allowing extra time under the RM delay fiasco? Or just normal times whatever they are? Is there a possibility for me to show that her postcode is in one of the delay areas and to ask ebay for extra time before refunding on that basis or do they just want the tracking to show delivery and that's the only way? 

Ebay are not extending the time for refunds unfortunately , it might be worth letting them know there are issues with the buyers area but I wouldn't hold your breath. If you block the buyer it just stops them from bidding on any further auctions so it is a good thing, as for messages it doesn't stop them but there is no need to respond to any more questions- if item hasn't arrived then buyer needs to open a dispute- there is no need for continual messages from either of you. Once the case is open any correspondence can be done through there.

olgadapolga

wishuponastar said:

Thanks olgadapolga and soolin. If i block them now, will that block any messages coming from her and me being able to write to her? As i think if so i'd be better waiting until after the whole thing is finished. 
Yes okay i will refund the night before if i need to when the time comes, is Ebay allowing extra time under the RM delay fiasco? Or just normal times whatever they are? Is there a possibility for me to show that her postcode is in one of the delay areas and to ask ebay for extra time before refunding on that basis or do they just want the tracking to show delivery and that's the only way? 

You can block her now, it won't stop the flow of messages between you both. Soolin is absorbed right about blocking the buyer, I always do it when buyers cause issues and have no idea why I forgot to mention it.

I don't think that eBay are allowing extra time for delays in deliveries (but happy to be corrected). There certainly won't be any additional time allowed once the case is open so you need to be really careful about dealing with the refund before the "stepping in" date, if it comes to that. If it is delivered before that then all is well and good.

ETA: cross-posted with Soolin.

wishuponastar

Good news...it arrived later on today...phew, i've never been so happy to read that (buyer sent me a message to say and it shows on delivery confirmation too). And the buyer left good feedback too. Lesson learnt not to use RM until the problem is sorted. Is everything ok delivery wise for other couriers such as Hermes etc? Or are they experiencing same delays? As trying to work out who i should send things with in future (i only mail maybe one thing every so often so not a big user).

Peter999_2

If I were you I would still block her just because of her actions.

olgadapolga

wishuponastar said:

Good news...it arrived later on today...phew, i've never been so happy to read that (buyer sent me a message to say and it shows on delivery confirmation too). And the buyer left good feedback too. Lesson learnt not to use RM until the problem is sorted. Is everything ok delivery wise for other couriers such as Hermes etc? Or are they experiencing same delays? As trying to work out who i should send things with in future (i only mail maybe one thing every so often so not a big user).

That's great news, what a relief for you.

With regards to couriers, I stopped using RM completely about three months ago as I had a run of INRs although not as many as some posters here. I now use Hermes and I think that within that three months I've had three parcels go missing (although two of those were debatable). Hermes have accepted the claims and paid out in full, although it takes about a month for the claims to go through. Hermes usually take between one and three days to deliver (depending on how local the buyer is to me) although there has been the odd parcel that has taken longer. 

Rantband

Rantband said:

Do not reply,make sure you load the tracking which will prove it has been received and move on to the next sale.

Think how much less stress you would have had if you had followed my advice originally.