Parcel signed for but contents missing

eastlad

IftiBashir said:

Any image taken upon delivery to see if the outer packaging was tampered with??

I had this issue once, although it was many years ago! 
Dropped off an Amazon return for a £400 camera - didnt have an Amazon locker code so took it to the store attendant, who seemed very grumpy but took the parcel in. 
Had a refund straight away from Amazon.

A few days later got an email from Amazon stating that they had received a mug and not the camera, and to return the camera if I still wanted a refund!!
Told them I hadn't sent any mug and I sent a camera - they said the package was still sealed and there was a mug inside and that they would re-charge my card if I didn't return the camera. 
I stated I did not authorise them to take any funds from my card and I had returned the camera.
In the end as a gesture of goodwill they wrote the issue off. 

Personally I put this down to that grumpy store attendant. I reckon he opened the package and swapped items, pocketed the camera, and placed a mug in the box before sending back!
Fortunately the store has long since closed down - wonder why!!

This was many years ago now thought. In the current climate with so many scams etc going on it may be harder to plead your case. Stick to your guns though and state you sent the item and that it was tampered with on route to recipient. You may have to just refund the buyer and carry on with the case with the courier - I wouldn't let it drop though, especially if it was an expensive item. 

I asked the receiving company for CCTV of it being delivered, apparently no CCTV

eastlad

Story so far…

- I raised a complaint with the company, Meelie Mobile, as to why my phone had been left unattended for so long. They took photos of the ‘missing’ phone Thursday morning and sent them to me Friday yea time. But Thursday afternoon, emailed me to say that when they have my package, they’ll let me know. They’d already taken photos at this point?!
- raised issue with Royal Mail, awaiting reply
- reported as theft to local Police (USELESS). Said there was no one to investigate and that I shouldn’t take the company’s word for it that they had no CCTV, but wasn’t willing to confirm this
- reported to O2 to barred the phone. This opened a whole cans of worms. Rather than barring the phone, they barred my whole account. Other phone and watch for a whole day
- reported as stolen to my bank (have phone insurance with them), they refused to pay out 
- now looking into taking the company to small claims court. Any advice?

powerful_Rogue

eastlad said:

Story so far…

- I raised a complaint with the company, Meelie Mobile, as to why my phone had been left unattended for so long. They took photos of the ‘missing’ phone Thursday morning and sent them to me Friday yea time. But Thursday afternoon, emailed me to say that when they have my package, they’ll let me know. They’d already taken photos at this point?!
- raised issue with Royal Mail, awaiting reply
- reported as theft to local Police (USELESS). Said there was no one to investigate and that I shouldn’t take the company’s word for it that they had no CCTV, but wasn’t willing to confirm this
- reported to O2 to barred the phone. This opened a whole cans of worms. Rather than barring the phone, they barred my whole account. Other phone and watch for a whole day
- reported as stolen to my bank (have phone insurance with them), they refused to pay out 
- now looking into taking the company to small claims court. Any advice?

Which company are you looking to take to the SCC  - Meelie Mobile or Royal Mail?

The onus will be on you to prove you did send the phone, so any joy with the receipt with the weight?

TripleH

I agree with @soolin the weight is not a guarantee the phone was sent, however if you sent a 405g parcel but what turned up was a 510g parcel then the balance of probability is that something happened during transit.

Plus it also means the recipient company might be less prepared to 'claim they never got your phone' or that what you sent was something else.

I am deeply suspicious of these companies who operate by mail promising higher returns, I'd rather an actual lower return face to face. The mobile phones I've sold on ebay have been low value / faulty so I am only ever risking up to £20.

soolin

I still don’t see that the weight is helpful, who weighs parcels on receipt?

TripleH

I guess it depends on what the recipient claims is in the parcel.

The flaw is if a substitution is made for a comparative weight item in the parcel.

If you send a jiffy bag with a phone in and an empty bag turns up, you can at least try and backtrack and push on the courier as to what has gone on.

@soolin you're right about the flaws in my argument, for me it's more about building a complete picture to help sort out the bad situation that occurred.

eastlad

powerful_Rogue said:

eastlad said:

Story so far…

- I raised a complaint with the company, Meelie Mobile, as to why my phone had been left unattended for so long. They took photos of the ‘missing’ phone Thursday morning and sent them to me Friday yea time. But Thursday afternoon, emailed me to say that when they have my package, they’ll let me know. They’d already taken photos at this point?!
- raised issue with Royal Mail, awaiting reply
- reported as theft to local Police (USELESS). Said there was no one to investigate and that I shouldn’t take the company’s word for it that they had no CCTV, but wasn’t willing to confirm this
- reported to O2 to barred the phone. This opened a whole cans of worms. Rather than barring the phone, they barred my whole account. Other phone and watch for a whole day
- reported as stolen to my bank (have phone insurance with them), they refused to pay out 
- now looking into taking the company to small claims court. Any advice?

Which company are you looking to take to the SCC  - Meelie Mobile or Royal Mail?

The onus will be on you to prove you did send the phone, so any joy with the receipt with the weight?

Meelie Mobile, their story/timelines don't add up

eastlad

soolin said:

I still don’t see that the weight is helpful, who weighs parcels on receipt?

 Royal Mail weighed my parcel as I posted it. Therefore I HOPING that it was weighed again at various points through their depots, at least just before the postal worker in it in their bag/van to deliver that day. If weight the same, either postal worker or Meelie Mobile responsible. If the weight less before that point, somewhere in Royal Mail. Like I said, I have contacted Royal Mail (awaiting response) so will see if something like that does take place.

eastlad

TripleH said:

I guess it depends on what the recipient claims is in the parcel.

The flaw is if a substitution is made for a comparative weight item in the parcel.

If you send a jiffy bag with a phone in and an empty bag turns up, you can at least try and backtrack and push on the courier as to what has gone on.

@soolin you're right about the flaws in my argument, for me it's more about building a complete picture to help sort out the bad situation that occurred.

This is the picture they sent me on the Friday, after taking it on a Thursday, but receiving it on the Monday:

tightauldgit

eastlad said:

- now looking into taking the company to small claims court. Any advice?

Not sure how helpful the law is going to be on that one tbh. Assuming you contracted with the courier then you'd have to show not only that you actually sent a phone, but that the company actually received it and it wasnt tampered with/stolen on the way. I think thats a big ask.