So what do I do as a seller when the item never arrives?

[zemmix]

Back in February I shipped this box with USPS:

9102 1288 8230 0621 1394 08

According to the tracking it shows as processed on the 28th but then nothing again. The buyer is requesting his money back since a month later it hasn't arrived.

I've never had this happen before and since I'm a pretty new seller what am I supposed to do? Do I give the buyer back all his money including shipping and just eat the cost of shipping plus the loss of the item?

[gum_drops]

Yep, a full refund including shipping.

Make sure to file a mutual agreement to not complete the transaction so you can get your listing fees back. I usually email the buyer first, tell them that I am going to file the mutual agreement and once that is completed I will send a full refund.

[Terminusvitae]

If you do have a tracking number, is there any way to determine the package's last known location and see if it can be hunted down from there?

I had something similar happen with several packages I sent to a very reliable person in the Philippines. He ended up having to do some legwork, but he did manage to track down the shipments and finally got them all.

[zemmix]

I'm calling the post office tomorrow about it. It wasn't even international, just Parcel post from California to Florida. Everything else I sent that day made it ok.

Sucks too. It was a near complete collection of Rotary Rocket magazines. Probably one of the most complete collections in the US. Took me a great while to track them down. Oh well such is life.

[ryborg]

Ouch, this is never a good situation to be in. You're paying for the USPS's mistake. It is unlikely that both the receiving clerk AND the mail carrier in Florida forgot to scan it, so it was lost/stolen en route from CA.

Your best bet is to call both post offices, ask to speak to a supervisor/postmaster and explain the situation. Also, there's a form on the usps.com website that you can fill to register a complaint about a missing parcel. This goes to headquarters and makes both offices look bad, which can sometimes get a fire started underneath them.

This has happened to me for US-to-US packages only 2-3 times in over 10 years of shipping, but it stings because you as a seller did nothing wrong.

Also, keep in mind that Delivery Confirmation is NOT tracking and should not be used as such. It is only, like its name indicates, a way for the shipper to see if the package was delivered and when. Unlike paying for insurance or their Express service, there is no official guarantee on DC items, so if it never shows up, the post office just shrugs its shoulders and says "our bad."

[megasdkirby]

This is why I like insuring packages. I've noticed (at least where I live) that when an item is insured and a similar occurance occurs, I simply call and threaten with filing a VERY high insurance claim at the mail Post Office (the one that governs all).

The package mysteriously appears and gets to it's destination a few days later. :)

[Cornelius]

This is why I like insuring packages. I've noticed (at least where I live) that when an item is insured and a similar occurance occurs, I simply call and threaten with filing a VERY high insurance claim at the mail Post Office (the one that governs all).

The package mysteriously appears and gets to it's destination a few days later. :)

Huh? USPS insurance is for a specified amount, not whatever 'VERY high' claim you choose after the fact.

[eskobar]

Its hard to be in that situation but as a seller you will have to experience it sooner or later.

I think that an online sell is finished until the package arrives to the buyer.

Most people think that their job finishes when they deliver the package to the postal office ...


When one package is lost, everyone loses; be it money or confidence from more customers, but there is always a loss in that situation.

If you are shipping locally, you can always try to use an online traceable method to avoid mistakes from the postal service. It can be more expensive but in the ends both sides will benefit from a better service and better protection.

And sometimes there are very improbable situations that just happens once in a while ... even UPS can lost a package but the probabilities of that are very slim.

You, as a seller, have the responsibility of that package and you can do two things if the package is lost:

- Refund the buyer and try to recover the package or claim on the postal office.
- NOT refund the buyer and accept the consequences of you action.


I sell on ebay and in several online sites on Mexico and i have been in that situation a few times and i have always taken responsibility for the mistakes of the Mexican postal office for local and international shipments. If the packages that i send to the USA, Canada, Australia or any other country didn't arrived, today i wouldn't have the customers confidence that i won over many transactions

I could never sell anything if i cannot guarantee that it will arrive ... why risk the money of your customers ?, if you can't guarantee that your customer gets what he pays for, sooner or later you won't have any customer.

There are many ways to protect your customers, don't risk their money and please never act so cocky to say : I shipped it, its not my fault.

[megasdkirby]

Huh? USPS insurance is for a specified amount, not whatever 'VERY high' claim you choose after the fact.

Correct.

But remember, that at the time when I call, they don't have the package in front of them to verify what I say. I simply go to the Post Office or call, say that if the package is not found, I will execute a formal claim "sometimes I mention "in the hundreds", and VIOLA! The package arrives.

My purpose is to insight fear into the system, and it works. Same as most government agencies.

[Videogamerdaryll]

I hate Parcel Post but if I offer it cheap ass buyers always gotta take the cheap route instead of Priority.If I don't offer it I get less or no bids.
NJ to CA takes forever with Parcel post..

What you do is start making calls to the post office you shipped it at and the the post office where it should go to for delivery..
Push the buyer to make calls to the delivery depot and post office near them..

If you are persistant you may find out info on you package.


........................
I had this happen with a $10.00 item on eBay..

The Buyer contacted me that they did not recieve the item..It was at Christmas time..
I looked up the DC.. Delivery Confirmation said Accepted at my local post office..But no delivery confirmation.....I Emailed them a picture of the package,picture of the receipt and DC slip..
I called my local post office and they funneled me around to a post office to where it was to go.

I told the buyer to call the local post office to them and see if it's there..(using the DC)

Me sending the Buyer a picture of the package,picture of the receipt and picture of the DC slip put them as ease as they knew it was postal error and not my fault..


After legwork from the buyer:
What had happened is the USPS delivery person was trying to deliver it to the wrong address...After more legwork,the Buyer calling the Post office Daily.....The post office FINALLY knew of the package and that it was on it's way back to me..they seemed to know more and more after bothering them more and more..The package was actually there twice and the delivery man tried to deliver it twice to the wrong address.
Crazily,most the time they just drop the item in front of the door.There was no signature required...I feel more that the delivery man just wasn't doing his job and that it was left in the vehicle as I had that happen with my own delivery man.
.
The buyer did a lot of legwork in their condo complex and found out about other delivery mistakes the postal worker was making via other residents..

..Since I now knew that the package was on the way back to me though the DC # didn't say that
I called the local postal Depot(woke the guy up as he was asleep) and they didn't have it... and I told my local delivery clerk to keep an eye out for it..

It took two weeks to come back to me via priority mail..I contacted the buyer right away..

I offered to Ship it back at my cost..$10.00(a total loss)
Or deliver it in person as the buyer lived like three towns away from me..
Or the person pick it up at my wifes job located halfway between us.
(she came and got it)

At First ..Because the item was only $10.00..I considered offerering the buyer a refund..though she didn't ask for one..After proof of shipment that went out the door,she wanted to track it down now since she saw that I shipped it.

In General this was not my fault and I don't feel I should have to refund every USPS mishap.
Once I drop off a package at the post office,get my receipt and DC slip It's OUT of my hands..

I offer Insurance and it's specified for lost or damaged items..Most don't pay for it though...That's on the buyer..

I'm NOT refunding Buyers for packages lost in the mail if the DC says Accepted at the post office and I have a picture of the package,picture of the receipt and picture of the DC slip ..
I did my Job,I'm not holding the hand of the postal worker to deliver my packages..
I will try to track the package down though..


If I buy something on ebay and it's lost I will ask the seller about it..If he proves shipment to me then I don't expect a refund..He did his job..
I'll take it if they want to give it but I don't push the issue..
It's the LAZY sellers that ignore you if somethings lost that I expect a refund from..





..........
I keep ALL my reciepts and take a picture of the package to be shipped..I also use the green Delivery Confirmation slips..

[zemmix]

I called and told the post office about the lost package and they got right on the case.

Today I guess they did find the package and called the guy I sent it to about it. Apparently it did make it to Florida but the Post Office told him that a processing machine ripped it open so there is no longer anything in the box. A form is being sent out to him or me so we can list what was inside and they will see if they can find it. But I'm guessing its a total loss.

Also in more post office fun a number of boxes I dropped off at a different post office last Thursday have yet to show up on the tracking at all. They just show that electronic info was received (when I bought the postage online) but they have never been processed. I called that post office but she told me they don't have any packages still there and because it's parcel post they may just be taking a while. Ugh I hope I don't have even more lost packages.

[jb143]

Also in more post office fun a number of boxes I dropped off at a different post office last Thursday have yet to show up on the tracking at all. They just show that electronic info was received (when I bought the postage online) but they have never been processed. I called that post office but she told me they don't have any packages still there and because it's parcel post they may just be taking a while. Ugh I hope I don't have even more lost packages.

I've had that happen quite a bit both sendign and recieving. Like someone said earlier, parcel post really has no tracking, not like UPS or Fed-Ex anyways, and it's all up to the post office to actually scan it or not. Chances are, everything will be fine.

[megasdkirby]

I'm NOT refunding Buyers for packages lost in the mail if the DC says Accepted at the post office and I have a picture of the package,picture of the receipt and picture of the DC slip ..
I did my Job,I'm not holding the hand of the postal worker to deliver my packages..
I will try to track the package down though..

While I agree with you, it's not that way with Ebay. If the buyer forms a Paypal claim, and the message is just that (that it's in the Post Office), the buyer WILL win. Why? Because it has to say "Delivered" in order for the seller to win the claim. Unfortunate too...this has happened a few times to me in the past.