seeking advice regarding safe drop and delivery

[lm-entertainment]

hi everyone,

just wanted to seek some advice and see if anyone had had a similar situation happen.

i sold an item to a buyer recently which was sent via Express Post (label printed through MyPost Business). 

before even sending the item i got a message from the buyer saying "the item better not arrived damaged" which made me question his motives to begin with. 

the item was sent and delivered two days later via "safe drop." i've never had any problems with safe drop before. buyer contacts me later that day and says that the item wasn't delivered as the tracking states. i contact AP business support and they said that they have a photograph of the item left at the premises but can't provide it to me; only to the buyer. i tell the buyer, buyer contacts them and comes back to me saying "they said tracking number doesn't exist, were rude and hung up on me." i told him politely to try again and make sure the tracking number he provided was correct. 

meanwhile, i contact AP business support again and ask if they can describe the location in the photo so that i can pass it on to the buyer since they can't give me the photo. they provide a decent description of where it was left and i pass it onto the buyer. 

buyer comes back with "still nothing mate." 

so - the question is (sorry for war and peace) - where do i stand with this? AP seem to indemnify themselves against losses via safe drop by saying the buyer authorises it or the sender upon sending (though there is no option not to allow it via the AP business portal). 

do i tell the buyer i've done everything i can and it's been delivered - and to take it up with australia post? i've been as helpful as i can and can't glean any more info from AP. i assume if he puts in a INR request, it'll be found in my favour since the tracking number shows the item as delivered and AP also have a photo and i have the chat records of them saying the location it was left in. 

i assume regardless i'm getting a negative from the buyer - but i'm trying to work out their intentions. is it to get a free item? surely they would know the game is up though seeing as the item is marked as delivered and AP have the photo. 

would appreciate anyone's thoughts on it :] 

[lyndal1838 · Accepted solution]

I originally signed up for safe drop some 14 years ago and part of the T & Cs was that I accepted all responsibility for the parcel....AP would not accept a claim from me under any circumstances.

I was happy to take all responsibility as I trusted my AP contractor completely.....my safe drop container was out of sight of the street and waterproof.  The only parcel that ever went missing was from the UK and all records showed that it never left the UK in the first place.

I must admit that I would be very upset if AP decided to do away with safe drop as I have mobility issues and cannot get to the post office to collect carded items.  I have to rely on my family to collect things on Saturday morning.

There must be a lot of people like me who shop online for various reasons and are happy to take the chance with safe drop.  These days the photo makes it easier to prove that the item has been delivered.

[clarry100 · Accepted solution]

From what you describe here you have done all you can to help the recipient. It's now up to them to take the matter up with AP.

If they raise an INR claim thru ebay you should win as the tracking status says delivered.

If you could get hold of the safe drop photo it would be good evidence to attach to any claim, but alas AP will not give it to you.

Keep in mind tho that if they lose an INR claim they can still say it subsequently turned up and then raise an INAD claim.

These are much harder to defend against. But given the messages you have received there might be a slim chance ebay would find against them for attempted double-dipping.

Good luck.

But for now I think I would stop communicating with them and see where they go with it.

[tazzieterror]

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@clarry100 wrote:

...

Keep in mind tho that if they lose an INR claim they can still say it subsequently turned up and then raise an INAD claim.

...

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Is that definitely correct?  I only ask because the impression I've was under is that you can only open one dispute through eBay, and regardless of the result you're no longer able to open another (different) one.

[lyndal1838]

Clarry is correct.....if you open an INR dispute and the item eventually arrives the dispute can be changed to Not As Described.

[lm-entertainment]

thanks all for your input - greatly appreciated :]

i'm now convinced that the buyer is trying to pull a swifty because he said that he had "checked his cameras" and there was no delivery.. but acknowledged the location that AP has described in the safe drop photo as being near his front door. so if AP has a photo of them delivering it there - and he claims he's checked his cameras - there's no way it can't be delivered. 

[davewil1964]

Maybe the buyer needs to watch the recordings rather than just looking at the cameras.

[kopenhagen5]

Good one.

[enigmabear]

[tazzieterror]

Lyndal, thank you for....Clarry-fying!

[lm-entertainment]