Tracking of eBay Postage Labels not showing on AP website after 2 months

[jfmgray]

Today I had a paypal chargeback for an items which sold mid December. I shipped with an eBay post label (500 gram sachel).  Paypal seller protection will cover me (I thought) as tracking will show the item as delivered. To my surprise Australia Post tracking shows no events for the tracking number although ebay sales record shows full tracking.  So I checked with AP and checked other eBay label tracking numbers to discover the tracking record disappears from AP's database after 2 months.  Paypal are saying they only accept AP tracking for seller protection (or a lodgement receipt which I don't have) but will review the eBay evidence which shows delivery against the tracking number.

Not so much concerned about this particular chargeback as it is of low value but I am concerned that AP tracking will only last for eBay labels for 2 months, and of course eBay's own information is wiped after 3 months.  

Is this new or has it always been the case?

[eol-products]

I have a list in MyPost that shows the parcels as delivered going back years but when you click on one to see tracking that is just over 2 months old and yes the tracking is gone. 

[purplemon18]

Sigh. We probably all need to complain to AP and ask them to keep for 3 months since (I think) that's how long people can do charge backs.

[lyndal1838]

Some banks allow chargebacks up to 12 months after the transaction....it depends on the individual bank.

[digital*ghost]

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@jfmgray wrote:

Is this new or has it always been the case?

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Always been that way - to ensure you qualify for seller protection for the whole time that chargebacks remain a possibility, getting lodgement receipts is pretty much essential (I save the label PDF, and keep lodgement receipts for a minimum of 1 year - the label establishes the delivery address, the receipt proves the parcel was sent, so it's a pretty ironclad method to ensure eligibility). 

You can also contact Australia Post and request written confirmation that the article was lodged and delivered, but they may not be able to provide something like 6+ months after the delivery, while chargebacks are unlikely, they remain a possibility (a seller I know had a chargeback notification for a purchase over 12 months old, actually - though at least when they pointed that out to PayPal, they were granted immediate seller protection). 

[lm-entertainment]

further, if you use the mypost website (auspost.com.au/mypost) you can add tracking numbers to your list and tick the box that says "Email Updates" down the bottom. you then receive an email when the item has been delivered. the delivery email shows the delivery suburb and postcode and tracking number. i hold onto those emails for the rare cases where things like this happen and the tracking is no longer available. 

if you want to go one step further, once you get the delivered email you can screenshot the tracking for that item and store them electronically for up to a year which shows the whole tracking history :] 

[jfmgray]

"You can also contact Australia Post and request written confirmation that the article was lodged and delivered"

Yes I tried that but Australia Post had no record in their system (even their archived records).  And that was after only two months.  Fortunately eBay still had the tracking showing at 84 days post sale which Paypal eventually accepted for seller protection.

[digital*ghost]

That's quite unusual, as I'm sure there have been sellers who have been able to get records from AP 3-4 months after posting. Maybe they are recycling tracking numbers more frequently.

It's good to know that eBay's status counts, though. 

[casbit33]

I always, always get a lodment receipt for parcels with an ebay label. I have an excercise book i put them in with details of the item sold and who bought it.

I also have a sheet i printed up, it show the date, my account, the ebay user and their address details for letters.

The postal workers stamp a section to show that item has been posted.

Some people like to take a photo of their items at the post office.

You just have to have some kind of proof that you posted it. If everything else is deleted, at least you would have your receipt.