eBay question: What to do in this situation?

[PS1Expert]

I sent a package to Italy from the US on 5/31. It still hasn't arrived. I had sent the seller a scan of the package (I took a picture of it with his address on it). I do this so they can verify that I spelled everything correctly before I ship it. I couldn't get any tracking on the package because USPS doesn't offer it on airmail. I couldn't get global priority mail because Italy doesn't participate in it (which is how I send when I ship overseas). USPS is telling me they can't do anything about it because Italy's postal delivery is notoriously bad.

Would you refund the auction because they said they never got it? I have proof of mailing (I kept the receipt). I have 100% positive feedback so the buyer should know I don't purposely screw people over. He also has 100% feedback, but he doesn't speak perfect English so it's difficult to understand sometimes. Aslo, I had got an email from him a few weeks ago saying he received the game and loved it. Then when I said congrats he said no, he accidently sent me the email, it was supposed to be for someone else.

I'm thinking of not selling worldwide anymore, or if I do I will only sell to a few countries that accept global priority. (UK, Germany, Spain, Canada, New Zealand)

[Nes]

I wouldn't trust that guy. That the email was meant for someone else sounds like an unlikely story.

[Nate Nanjo]

I've shipped some magic cards to Italy before, and kinda had the same problem. He didn't leave feedback until about 2 months after I've mailed it. So I have no idea when he recieved it.

[DDCecil]

I sent a package to Italy and got screwed out of $110, just because I didn't have proof that I had sent it. I just gave him his refund and learned my lesson: No more packages to Italy or Greece (Which also cannot accept Priority Global Packages).

[kevincure]

It's amazing how bad the postal systems in some parts of the world can be. I had a similar situation selling a package to Spain. I have the same concerns as you, so I require non US/CAN bidders to email me before they bid - if they seem like nice, intelligent guys, I'll always say OK. The guy from Spain sent an intl. money order, and emailed me after he sent it saying he'd done the Euro-$ conversion wrong (in my favor), but that I should just get a beer on him since it was only a couple bucks. Nice guy. In any case, the item (fairly expensive, a DC BBA) still hadn't arrived after over a month. We mutually decided that if it still hadn't got there after two months and post inquiries in both our countries, we'd work something out (probably I'd refund half). Luckily, the package turned up almost two months later.

That said, there are non-USPS methods to ship overseas with tracking, and that's all I'll use now.

[Griking]

Did you ship the package via airmail or surface mail?

Surface mail can at times take up to two months to arrive. By then Paypal has most likely returned the buyer's money so that's definatly not the way to go. Airmail usually takes about a week but as you already know, you can't prove it's been delivered.

Do what I do any refuse to ship internationally unless is for a small amount of money that won;t kill you if you loose it because if the buyer paid via Paypal and want's his purchase for free all he has to do is say he never returned it and he'll get his money back almost every time. The only other option is to not accept Paypal from international buyers.

[8bitnes]

That said, there are non-USPS methods to ship overseas with tracking, and that's all I'll use now.

The only bad thing about using the alternative methods, such as UPS, they tend to charge a brokerage fee or some damn thing. It's a made up fee that they feel free to charge whatever they want to or at least it seems as such. Anyhow, a $50 package to Europe plus $20 shipping ended up getting my buyer a brokerage fee of $35 due on delivery. So UPS took $55 to deliver $50 worth of games. No one was happy in that case.

[Poofta!]

no, do not refund the money, ever. (if you send the item of course)

people buying your items that are overseas know perfectly well of the dangers, its their problem, not yours. you did the right thing and mailed the man what he paid for.

personally, i dont ship anything anywhere other than US and Canada. i simply wont. i keep all the proof of shipping and when the items is above 50 bucks i always take out insurance.

[scooby105]

just send all packages via EMS to other countries. let foreign buyers know that up front.

[8bitnes]

just send all packages via EMS to other countries. let foreign buyers know that up front.

What is EMS?

[scooby105]

express mail

[Mayhem]

It is also trackable I believe.

[PS1Expert]

I don't plan on refunding the money. It is a little suspicious that he emailed me saying thanks and he recieved it then retracted that statement. I'm trying to think if I have enough proof that I sent it if there is a paypal complaint. I have all the emails, including the one where I sent him a picture of it to verify the address, I have the receipt showing the customs number shipping to Italy, and I have his email saying he received it. It was Lunar Silver Star Story which sold for a good chunk of money (like new too). If it was a cheap game I wouldn't have cared.

[jonjandran]

I don't plan on refunding the money. It is a little suspicious that he emailed me saying thanks and he recieved it then retracted that statement. I'm trying to think if I have enough proof that I sent it if there is a paypal complaint. I have all the emails, including the one where I sent him a picture of it to verify the address, I have the receipt showing the customs number shipping to Italy, and I have his email saying he received it. It was Lunar Silver Star Story which sold for a good chunk of money (like new too). If it was a cheap game I wouldn't have cared.

No you don't have enough "proof" for Pay-pal. They DEMAND a tracking # AND a confirmed address. With neither of those the guy WILL get his money back if he complains.

[8bitnes]

For the most part, you are in the clear. Formal paypal complaints must be filed within 30 days. These are the harder ones to win. Credit card complaints can be filed later, but those can be settled with a shipping receipt. His e-mail may be enough supporting evidence as well for a credit card complaint.

I actually filed with paypal once, won the judgment but they were "unable" to secure funds, so I filed with my credit card and I ended up losing that judgment. The package evidentally got lost in the mail because the seller had a shipping receipt but no tracking or insurance on the package.

[rpepper9]

Hearing of all these problems makes me wonder if I should have just shipped a package to Spain. It went to Barcalona, which I think is a large city, but I hope it gets to where it is going without any problems.

[boredashell]

dont go outside the us and canada plain and simple. although sometimes even to canada it takes a good amount of time...