Three or four weeks after the latest expected delivery date, I advised the seller that the items had not yet arrived. I stated that I still wanted them and was just letting them know, but was prepared to wait longer. They very courteously replied, suggesting I contact my local post office. I was unable to do so immediately, owing to a public holiday followed by a personal commitment, but did so as soon as possible. Was told by post office they would "look into it". Next day it was delivered and that same day I received advice from eBay that a refund had been made.
This is the second time since covid-19 delays began that the same thing has happened. On the previous occasion I had considerable difficulty re-paying the amount owed. the store told me to just order another one and send a note, but the item was no longer on the website. After several emails, I was given an email address to send money to, but that email bounced. Finally was given another email address which did go through, but to this day I am uncertain whether the store actually received the money or it went into someone's private bank account. The store certainly did not seem particularly concerned about it. I won't be wasting my time following this one up!
EBay's refund system seems badly flawed. Surely it needs an extra step asking (again, if necessary) whether a refund or send again is appropriate and it would have been sensible to send that question only after I had replied that the item appeared to really be missing. EBay's guaranteed delivery is a nice option, but it should not be abused, and it would be just as good if it were not so badly automated. Given that I ultimately pay for the insurance cover and that delays have been so prevalent during this pandemic, it really needs some modification. Thanks.
Best3700
