Buyer wins 'item not received' case even though Aus Post tracking has marked it as delivered

[obsidian.vault]

Hi,

A few days ago I had a buyer initiate a request for an 'item not delivered' case. The buyer stated that their items had been marked as delivered but that they hadn't actually received them. I responded almost immediately to the request asking if they could confirm their address, and saying that if it was correct, could they then initiate an item not recieved case with Aus Post. I also said to let me know if I could do anything else to help them. No response at all. The literal minute that the request can be elevated to ebay, it is. And twenty minutes later ebay has decided in the buyer's favour. Their reasoning: "We didn't receive valid proof of delivery from you."

Is Aus Post tracking somehow not valid? Is ebay really in the state where I can have something delivered, have it marked as delivered and then just say it wasn't to get it for free?

I'm going to contact ebay customer support tomorrow. Has anyone else been in a similar situation and been able to get the decision reversed?

Many thanks,

Hayden

[padi*0409]

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@obsidian.vault wrote:

Is Aus Post tracking somehow not valid? Is ebay really in the state where I can have something delivered, have it marked as delivered and then just say it wasn't to get it for free?

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Did you actually upload the tracking showing "delivered" into the dispute ?  If not that may explain why the decision went in the buyer's favour.

When you speak to eBay's CS on live chat tomorrow ask to speak with a supervisor (otherwise you're talking to a "bot") and give them the tracking showing delivered. They "should" then refund your money, though it will probably be out of their pockets and the buyer will still get to keep their refund.

[justkidzbiz]

You can appeal the case

https://www.ebay.com.au/help/selling/managing-returns-refunds/appeal-ebays-decision-return-missing-i...

[papermoon.lady]

They don't check the tracking themselves if you don't upload it. If you forgot to upload the tracking, you can still contact them, show them the tracking now and just explain you didn't know you had to upload it or that you forgot. 

Does the tracking show that the item was delivered in the buyer's suburb by the way? Does it say "left in a safe place"? If it was left in a safe place that was not really safe, then AusPost will have to look into it (photos are usually provided these days when an item is left in a so-called safe place but cannot be found). And of course they will have to look into it also if the item was delivered somewhere else.

[obsidian.vault]

The tracking information was definitely uploaded to the order on the day that it was posted, and it has consistent tracking updates until the day it was marked as delivered. It does show that it was delivered to the buyer's suburb, but it doesn't say "left in a safe place", just that it was delivered. 

If it was actually not received by the buyer, isn't it their responsibility to take that up with Aus Post? As when I go to start an 'item not received' case with Aus Post, it asks me questions as if I were the receiver. The fact that the buyer didn't bother opening an Aus Post case, that they didn't communicate at all after opening the ebay case and that they escalated it immediately just seems really weird to me.

[papermoon.lady · Accepted solution]

Yes, I agree that the buyer should open a case with AusPost, or at least ask them to look into it (on Facebook, apparently even better/quicker than opening a case).

The tracking should also be added to cases (not only orders), but you can still contact them on live chat (from the help page).

[obsidian.vault]

I didn't think adding the tracking information to the case was necessary as the option is to 'update tracking information' and there wasn't an update, everything was fine with the original details. I'll do that in any cases opened in the future though, so thank you.

However, can the ebay employee managing a case really not take the five seconds to check the actual order details and see the tracking? I guess I'm just frustrated. I don't see what I could have done better or what I've done wrong and the fact that ebay can just take the funds away at their whim is discouraging. If the buyer had showed any initiative in sorting out the issue (replying to my contact or starting a case with Aus Post) I would feel a lot better. As it is, they've claimed it wasn't received, done nothing and then received their money back against all evidence. /end rant

[padi*0409]

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@obsidian.vault wrote:

However, can the ebay employee managing a case really not take the five seconds to check the actual order details and see the tracking?

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Many of the processes done by eBay are "bot-driven" including the dispute process, so it's likely no human has actually seen/read the dispute.

[papermoon.lady]

Many steps are automatic in dispuates, for example also when cases are closed if a buyer does not escalate. Humans don't look at all cases. I assume that if a tracking number is uploaded, they will look at it; if not, they automatically assume there is no tracking. Yes, ideally there should be humans who look at cases, but there are probably far too many cases and problems these days, that's why live chat also first starts with bots.

Ideally, before closing a case against a seller, they could at least send a seller an automatic email asking to upload the tracking though, just as a reminder.

[obsidian.vault]

This seems to have been the case as I was quite easily able to get the case appealed. If tracking being uploaded to the case (as well as to the order) is so crucial to having it won though, I'd suggest ebay make it a requirement and not a suggestion. 

In retrospect it seems I may have been too worked up over this. When I searched for the issue, past posts basically said 'bad luck, ebay nearly always sides with the buyer' which mirrors other sentiment I've seen on here. I'm glad I was able to get it sorted. Thank you all for your help.