Letters returned to sender - how long does it usually take?

[egyptian-shop]

Hi,

I had an item I sent as a large letter returned today.  I can't find a record of the buyer or the item sold and have searched my invoices back to April.  Nothing in my sold items for the last 60 days.

Just wondering how long it usually takes the post office to return letters to sender, its a legitimate address not too far from where I live.

Thanks,

[harley_babes_hoard]

does the envelope not have a date stamp when you sent it.

[kopenhagen5]

Every seller should keep a sales record in a book. Especially as eBay details drop away after a period.

Very easy to have basic details in a ruled up record.

Not only to solve problems as this but also to help customers with past purchases or future marketing tools.

Occasionally items may be sent to the black stump n back, not found to be returned to seller after a few months, but rare.

[*tippy*toes*]

I've only had 2 items not arrive and neither have been returned. I think they fell into the Aust Post black hole. I bought an item from England a couple of years ago and I sent the seller a message saying it hadn't arrived and asked if it may have turned up back there. He said it hadn't. I think it had been about 4 weeks since posting. I'd bought from him before with no problems, so I was confident it had been posted. 2 days later he sent me a message saying that it had just arrived back there. On further investigations, it had never left England for some reason.

[egyptian-shop]

Unfortunately I couldnt read the date stamp on the envelope.   I do print out every order and have been through every order since April but can't find a record of it.    Checked Paypal payments since the beginning of September and nothing there either.   Nothing listed in the White pages.

I did want to contact the buyer and send it on to them again...it's a wonder they haven't asked where it is!

[digital*ghost]

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@egyptian-shop wrote:

I did want to contact the buyer and send it on to them again...it's a wonder they haven't asked where it is!

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They could have, though. At this stage, if you're unable to find the transaction, you can't know for sure whether the buyer ever contacted you about INR and it was resolved, unless you haven't had any of those for a really long time, I guess. 

I haven't had any packages returned to me after a really extended period of time, but one of my buyers did receive an order more than 3 months after I sent it, so I assumed it was lost or misplaced with AP and that someone eventually moved whatever cabinet it had fallen behind  The buyer actually contacted me, though, to let me know it had been delivered and to offer to pay for it (I'd already sent a replacement way back when, and just told them to keep it).

AP will usually deliver packages if they've been discovered in their possession though, AFAIK, anyway, so either they had it for so long that by the time they attempted delivery the buyer had moved, or possibly someone has been in possession of it all this time and left it unopened until ultimately returning it.

Just out of curiosity, how are you searching for the transaction. The fastest method I've found is to search my emails for specific details - I have a folder in which I store all payment notifications (goes back to 2008 ), so I just go to that folder, type in the surname (or full name as it appears on the order details, or written address in this case, if it's a common surname - sometimes the street name if it's unusual) then check the results. 

[joethenuts]

as you say its not to far from where you live maybe pop up there when your close by and knock on the door and see what happens,

maybe previous tenants or they might know something. 

[joethenuts]

how long does it take we were expecting an express post letter that was sent last thursday got it this thursday , 

a whole 8 ks    the sender is going to compain today  , . i dont think aus post have a usually on anything. 

[letscleanupmycupboards]

At least letters usually don't have a bill attached. 

I sent a parcel to a buyer and got it back 3 months later. Cost me the postage fees again (same as it had cost to send initially) to collect it. 

Transaction was 6 months ago now and still no contact from the buyer. Items been resold so not much I can do. 

Large letter they they may charge you to get it back. I imagine you can add that cost as well as postage again and charge the buyer. 

[egyptian-shop]

The letter I got back was delivered to me again by the postie.   Didnt even have a return to sender stamp,  just a small RTS written in ink.

I'll just keep it as is and hope the buyer contacts me.