topic Re: Australia Post safe drop parcel not received in Selling

Australia Post safe drop parcel not received

etronika — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 10:48:34 GMT

I've just received a message from a buyer (via my selling account) claiming they haven't received their parcel... After checking the tracking it's showing as being delivered with safe drop on 5th Dec.

It's a $200 + item. I offered postage with SOD & postage without SOD. Both choices included insurance. The buyer chose the postage without SOD. I printed the label via click & send as it was a 5kg satchel & I didn't see anywhere on C&S to offer safe drop.

Does anybody know what happens if the buyer decides to open an INR dispute... am I covered as a seller?

Re: Australia Post safe drop parcel not received

*tippy*toes* — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 11:16:09 GMT

If the tracking shows as delivered then you should win an INR dispute, but you may have to put your foot down with eBay. If the buyer does open a dispute make sure you upload the tracking number and any other relevant details. For a $200 item I would have only offered SOD.

Re: Australia Post safe drop parcel not received

kopenhagen5 — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 11:32:36 GMT

Agree with tippy, only SOD. It's for your safety, not what the buyer wants.

Insist on it with pricey items.

Re: Australia Post safe drop parcel not received

etronika — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 11:42:31 GMT

Thanks Guys... I added the insurance to cover myself as a seller just in case the item got lost or broken in transit... I've read on the boards Aus Post only pay compensation if items have extra cover...

I'll message the buyer with tracking info... & wait n see what happens. Just hope the parcel wasn't left in plain view & has been stolen !

Re: Australia Post safe drop parcel not received

lyndal1838 — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 11:47:49 GMT

If a parcel does not require a signature it can be safe dropped by the contractor/courier/postman.

As it is showing as being delivered you will probably be covered by seller protection.

Re: Australia Post safe drop parcel not received

lyndal1838 — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 11:55:35 GMT

Also, as it scans as being safe dropped there should be a photograph on file with AP....ask them where it was dropped so you can tell the buyer. Or tell the buyer to contact AP to ask where it was left.

Re: Australia Post safe drop parcel not received

performance_parts_clearance_centre — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 00:14:57 GMT

I had a seller contact me a month after purchase, stating that their item hadn't arrived. Tracking showed that it had.

I sent a replacement item anyway (only a $5 item, worth that much not to cop a neg) - buyer got in touch a week or two later: the replacement had arrived, and they'd discovered that the postie had safe-dropped the original one in a spot they hadn't thought to look...

Re: Australia Post safe drop parcel not received

*tippy*toes* — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 03:54:59 GMT

I had a similar thing. Buyer opened an INR 6 weeks after I posted. She had a PO box in a small town and the tracking showed as delivered. I told her she would lose a dispute as the tracking showed as delivered. I also suggested she check with her PO. They said it must have been put in the wrong PO box, but remembered the parcel.

She closed the case and left negative feedback. I had been in touch with eBay throughout the course of the dispute (via email) and I sent them another email requesting the neg to be removed and shock horror, it was gone 20 minutes later VIA EMAIL. I noticed after the fact that she had bought from one of my other account previously and I'd had no problems, but that account has way more feedback than this one. I wasn't sure if maybe she was trying it on with a "new" seller.

I refuse to bribe people into not leaving negs. They are a coloured dot on a screen. They aren't going to dictate my life. If they leave them, they leave them. A neg on that account would have made me look bad as at that point I only had about 5 feedback, but I still wasn't that worried. I could have just ditched that account and created a new one if it affected my sales.

I've had 2 negs on my main account and it didn't affect sales at all. I think the fact that it was my error and I admitted it was my fault in the reply made a big difference. As I said on another thread, most buyers don't care about negative feedback in a lot of cases. However, if they see a seller abusing the buyer, calling them a thief or a scammer, it doesn't give them much confidence in that seller. If a seller leaves a professional reply, taking responsibility if it's their fault, it gives buyers the confidence that if they encounter an issue, it will be dealt with professionally.

Re: Australia Post safe drop parcel not received

etronika — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 10:40:19 GMT

I've messaged the buyer & still waiting for a reply. Thanks again everyone for your replies 🙂

Re: Australia Post safe drop parcel not received

*bellee* — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 12:32:35 GMT

The buyer needs to contact AusPost so they can investigate. Since it's "delivered", you the sender no longer have authority or ownership of the parcel. AusPost will only discuss things with the recipient once it's delivered.

Re: Australia Post safe drop parcel not received

letscleanupmycupboards — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 01:00:22 GMT

Don't you have to prove delivery to win an INR case? As in a signature?

A parcel left by Aus post on a doorstep and stolen before the buyer gets home isn't the sellers fault but isn't the buyers fault either. Who covers that?

Re: Australia Post safe drop parcel not received

clarry100 — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 01:36:31 GMT

@letscleanupmycupboards wrote:
Don't you have to prove delivery to win an INR case? As in a signature?

A parcel left by Aus post on a doorstep and stolen before the buyer gets home isn't the sellers fault but isn't the buyers fault either. Who covers that?

If the order was paid for using PayPal and the INR claim is lodged thru PayPal you only need to show that the item was lodged. No delivery scan event or signature required. The tracking number has to be able to be linked to the buyer's PayPal postal address (eg ebay labels or C&S or similar).

If the INR claim is made via ebay MBG (Money Back Guarantee) then you need to be able to show delivery. ie a delivery scan event is required showing at least the buyer's suburb. A signature will not help here. Makes no difference if/not you have it except that items valued at over $750 it is a requirement. No lodgement scan is required but if you have that inside your stated handling time this will help you avoid the late delivery defect you will likely get. So better to lodge over the counter and get it scanned in. But if there is no delivery scan then the seller will lilkely lose the ebay MBG INR case and the buyer will be refunded from seller funds.

If the delivery scan event shows delivered then the seller is covered even when safe dropped. If there is a signature required then the delivery driver is supposed to leave a card and not safe drop it.

Unfortunately the buyer will have to cover it and accept the loss if the tracking shows delivered. Sometimes AP will make a $50 discretionary compensation payment to the buyer but usually only if forced to by the ombudsman. If the seller purchased extra cover upon lodgement that may pay out in which case he can compensate the buyer and they can re-buy the product and try again.

Re: Australia Post safe drop parcel not received

miss-decorum — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 10:25:40 GMT

That's interesting reading Clarry... I thought an INR case whether opened via PayPal or MBG both had to show a delivery scan at the buyers end..

So basically a SOD helps to protect the buyer ie no safe drop / parcel left at doorstep in plain view. Parcels need to be collected from the PO.

Insurance (with or without SOD) helps protect the seller against loss / damage to a parcel in transit.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong 🙂

Re: Australia Post safe drop parcel not received

lyndal1838 — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 12:10:02 GMT

Insurance is really only good if a parcel disappears completely and cannot be found.

AP does not offer a fragile service so you will have your work cut out to get the insurance for a broken item.