Can anyone help me out with Royal Mail Claim please...

DaisyChainsaw_2

Hi, I'm sure this has all been covered before but I've had a quick search and can't see anything.

I had an email this morning from a buyer asking if I'd dispatched her item yet. I replied saying that yes I definitely had but would look into it further when I got home from work. (All very polite and civil btw!)

I've got the proof of postage certificate and receipt - was sent First Class on 19th May (the day after the paypal payment had gone through). Total amount paid for the item was £11.50 including the P&P.

I printed off the RM claim forms but what amount can I claim for? Can I claim for the ebay/paypal fees on top of the £11.50? Have all the relevant docs printed off but never had to do this before so not sure how it works! I know its not a huge amount but I don't see why either of us should be left out of pocket.

What should I say to the seller next? Should I email her a scanned copy of the postage certificate as proof that I've sent it? Do I just take her word for it that the item's not arrived and refund the £11.50 or wait until the claim comes back? Her feedback is 114 (100% positive) so I'm doubt she's pulling a fast one.

Daisy

soolin

Firstly get back to the buyer and explain that the item was sent and ask her to wait a few more days to see if it is just delayed. Assure her that if item isn't with her after the weekend then you will arrange a full refund to be made. I do like to get into the second, or even third week before refunding, but always play it by ear with how the buyer responds.

After 15 working days have elapsed you can then reclaim your own losses from the Royal mail. You will need to send a print out of the ebay auction showing the amount the item was sold for and the postage charged. Send a copy of that together with your COP (keep a copy) to the Royal mail and after about a month or so they should refund you.

What you get back seems to depend on who deals with the claim. The last two I claimed for paid out the item cost plus the actual post and packing I paid. Other people have just had the full ebay amount refunded.

DaisyChainsaw_2

Thats really helpful thanks. Just one more question - on the RM claim form in the "What is your Item Worth?" box should I put the full amount (including the fees/postage) and just see how it goes or just leave it at £11.50 and hope for the best? Also although I have the receipt I don't actually know how much the actual postage cost was as there are about 5 items posted on that day? I suppose I'll just have to guess as there's no other way of proving it. Thanks again

soolin

I'd claim for the full amount you are refunding the buyer, ie: item cost plus post and packing.

DaisyChainsaw_2

Great I'll do that. I'm just mailing the buyer now.

Premier_2

Assuming the cost of p+p you charged the buyer exceeded the cost of postage, do as soolin says and claim the total cost of £11.50 from RM in the item value box.
Stick any one of the prices on the receipt in the postage paid box.
RM should then pay the £11.50 you have lost back to you (which will include the price of postage you paid).

In the unlikely event that the p+p charged to the buyer did not meet the postage value, if you just put the item cost (less p+p) in the item value box plus the postage paid in the appropriate box, RM will pay you the the total of the two (if you're lucky)

With regards to ebay/paypal fees, no you can't add these to the amount claimed.
This is because you haven't actually lost these. Think of it as selling the item to RM rather than the ebay buyer. As long as you get the minimum of £11.50 from RM you've not actually lost anything. In fact, when you refund the buyer by paypal, you'll get the paypal fees back anyway, so you'll actually be slightly better off (assuming you don't have to pay any bank charges to deposit the cheque - usually only affects business bank accounts at present)