Seller protection for small items sent regular (cheaper) postage?

I have a large quantity of small cheap items to list. I'm aware that there's an increasing level of fraud happening (it never arrived I want a refund) and want to avoid this but also need to keep costs down for buyers. So how can one do this as a seller?

 

As I see it I can either:

 

Post cheap and hope that 99% of buyers are honest which I'm sure they are. 

Put stuff in lots to make up a 500g parcel and charge for signature or insurance. 

Charge the extra $4 for registered post (many are small so would go as letters) and it's not as cheap for the buyer so maybe less sales. 

 

Is the tracking number provided free on a standard parcel enough for PayPal and eBay in the event a buyer says it didn't arrive? Do I just need to prove lodgement these days or is it still up to me to prove the parcel arrived to the addressee? It's hard to get a straight answer from eBay or PayPal. Anyone got actual insight from either point of view?

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Seller protection for small items sent regular (cheaper) postage?

Your thread title should be seller protection not buyer protection.

Ebay protects a buyer no matter what as a buyer is an angel and can in no way lie about not receiving an item.

Clarry would give the best advice on this topic so hopefully he will come along soon and provide it.

All the best and have a nice day.

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Seller protection for small items sent regular (cheaper) postage?

Good point. That's probably what I meant. 

 

Yes sadly the buyer is never wrong on eBay and the seller wears it. 

 

I basically want to know if the tracking number itself covers me or must I prove its been received by the buyer? Since the postie can put it on top of a letterbox or even in the wrong letterbox and according to Australia post it's been "delivered" the system has plenty of holes. 

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Seller protection for small items sent regular (cheaper) postage?

You just need to be able to show proof of postage and that you posted it within your time frame.

Yes the whole system has flaws and you need to be extra careful these days.

I learned my lesson and I would never post without any tracking or signature required.

But as you sell low priced items then you just need to be prepared if a case gets opened for item not received by a buyer

that you are willing to refund the buyer and whatever else ebays wants you to do so as you don't receive a defect.

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Seller protection for small items sent regular (cheaper) postage?

My understanding is that if you can prove lodgement of a parcel (either in a satchel or your own parcel) - by going into the PO and lodging over the counter and receiving a printed receipt - then you are covered. Doesn't apply to letters of course unless you purchase extra cover (SOD) which then makes it nearly as expensive to post as a parcel.

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Seller protection for small items sent regular (cheaper) postage?

You are 100% correct but posting at a large letter rate is a gamble that you need to be willing to take.

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Seller protection for small items sent regular (cheaper) postage?

My business model is premised on posting cheap items via large letter (average $8 per item + $3 approx postage).  No tracking as buyers will not pay for registered or express letters.  I just accept that I will refund any claim that is made, but these are very rare.   Works great for me.

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Seller protection for small items sent regular (cheaper) postage?

I don't send a great deal of items as large letters but if I do I use reg post for anything over $25.  For under that I 'self insure', that means that a few cents are added to every item to cover the cost of any refunds either for non delivery or not as described. I look at it a bit like a store having to add a cost to every item to cover shoplifting, staff pilfering and damage done to stock.

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Seller protection for small items sent regular (cheaper) postage?


@letscleanupmycupboards wrote:

 

 

Is the tracking number provided free on a standard parcel enough for PayPal and eBay in the event a buyer says it didn't arrive? Do I just need to prove lodgement these days or is it still up to me to prove the parcel arrived to the addressee? It's hard to get a straight answer from eBay or PayPal. Anyone got actual insight from either point of view?


To absolutely guarantee seller protection via eBay, you need proof of delivery, so there's only so much you can do while the rest is in the hands of AP and the reliability of their service, as well as their online tracking.

 

For PayPal, proof of postage is required, and for that the lodgement scan or receipt will suffice, but in either case a tracking number alone isn't supposed to substantiate either lodgement or delivery, and the evidence really should show the delivery name and address (essential for something like a CC chargeback, not always in other cases). 

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Seller protection for small items sent regular (cheaper) postage?

What DG says is 100% correct.
To guarantee you have seller protection against pretty much any claim for INR or a CC chargeback you need to have tracking that can be linked to the buyer's PayPal mailing address and you need to lodge the item over the counter and get the lodgement scan event. This proves you mailed it and the delivery scanproves rthe buyer received it.
If you use large letter with no tracking then you are doomed to lose any formal case opened against you.
If you use other forms of tracking that cannot be linked to the buyer's address you may have trouble in some circumstances.
To get tracking that links to the buyer's address you need to use eBay labels or click and send labels. There may be other services equivalent I don't know about.
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