tracked item missing

[davidc4430]

just got a 'item not recieved' thing, first time for me.

the item has tracking, posted on 31/1/19

last track scan showed facility in adelaide 5/2/19

nothing since then

whats the process for dealing with this.

thanks.

[shoppingbag*]

I presume we are talking of a sale to an Australian address. also presume you are the Seller.  If it is Australia Post you can ring customer service and inquire, however the buyer can also do this. Is the item much overdue? I have had a couple that eventually turned up. I had one from the USA that tracking stopped on for an entire month, then started again and I received it. Also another purchased early December from Australia, turned up on January 3rd (apparently it had been sitting in my local sorting centre since the 19th December) Also if the item in question went through Chullora sorting centre in New South Wales, then they are notorious for holding parcels up. Good luck with it.

[glenbankloel]

We had this a few months ago for 2 deliveries and we started a query via Aust Post.

But be warned, they want 10 days for their system to be able to follow up , which of course won't work for your customer!

So we started the process, and kept the customer in the loop all the way, including forwarding all corres from AP to them.

This kept them happy (?) and they were able to see all the comments and discussions that we had with AP.

All messages are online in AP's website so you have a record of their progress, and your comments. Send it all to the Customer!

End result?

Well AP decided that the items were lost, we received a refund, - so we refunded the customer, - and then items delivered!

Took nearly 3 weeks to get into their hands and one delivery was in our home state.

So, they got their items for free, but they were resonably happy that they weren't ignored, and they could see what was going on via our emails.

So best we can suggest is that you go above and beyond to give them service and above all keep them in the loop.

Stand your ground with AP as they won't want to bend, but if they don't provide the service that they tout then they have to wear it!

Good Luck with your customers.

[kopenhagen5]

What is the last estimated delivery date ?

[davidc4430]

well, i visited my post office and they didnt do much other than confirm the last scan of the item was on the 5th.

they gave me a 2 page form and a phone number 131318 to call.

now i have called and when i finally pressed enough buttons to get a human, she took my parcels tracking number and instantly declared it as lost in transit.

said there was nothing more she could do but offered a $50 + postage refund.

the item was sold for $70 so i wasnt real happy but i didnt have insurance so i guessed $50 was better than nothing as ebay are going to refund the guy and its pretty unlikely he will give it back if the item turns up. i took the $50

the item was travelling from south australia to victoria.

[digital*ghost]

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@davidc4430 wrote:

the item was sold for $70 so i wasnt real happy but i didnt have insurance so i guessed $50 was better than nothing as ebay are going to refund the guy and its pretty unlikely he will give it back if the item turns up. i took the $50

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Just in case, if you haven't already, refund the buyer yourself - don't let it escalate to eBay to do it, otherwise you will have a 'case closed without seller resolution' defect, which is pretty much the last thing you want. 

[davidc4430]

i used the ebay chat function and talked to a rep about the case and was told they have given me 5 days for the item to 'turn up' before they act.

is there any point waiting a few days before i refund?

[davidc4430]

oh, and if it does 'turn up and is delivered' after the refund can i get the money back?

[digital*ghost · Accepted solution]

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@davidc4430 wrote:

i used the ebay chat function and talked to a rep about the case and was told they have given me 5 days for the item to 'turn up' before they act.

is there any point waiting a few days before i refund?

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You do have a few days before the buyer can escalate the case to eBay for review (if the buyer doesn't escalate, and you don't ask eBay to take any action, I don't think eBay will do anything or refund). 

At this stage it's really up to you, normally I like to ask the buyer to wait just a couple of days before providing options for a resolution (in this case, a refund) just to buy some time in case the item shows up, but usually an investigation with Australia Post has been initiated and is ongoing, in your case it seems to have been pretty open and shut, with you receiving compensation (that'll usually take a week or two to arrive). 

Technically that means the package (and loss) is Australia Post's now, if my memory of their T&Cs is correct (I will double-check later, just to be sure). If so, that means in real terms it's inconsequential if the package arrives later, because the buyer would owe AP, not you (and if they choose to deliver rather than retain, that's also on them). 

Or, just in my opinion, no, not really much point waiting for further developments before refunding. Plus, if you look after a buyer in situations like this, they will often surprise you (eg lots of my buyers have advised of a package's arrival after me providing a refund or sending out replacements, some are happy to RTS them, others offer to buy the second lot - in my cases I haven't been compensated so it's 100% between me at the buyer). 

[davidc4430]

ok, gotcha, i will just refund him and see what happens, at worst i'll be short $20, not the end of the world.