Advice Please

[oddsandendsoz]

Hi guys,

I hope you are all well. I have just received a message from a buyer stating that they have received a parcel I sent on Tuesday but without the actual item. The lodged weight was 1.8kg and I remember packing this as I have had very few sales this week. The item was certainly in the box as I had 3 of these in stock all lined up next to each other and now I have two next to each other. I take great care in packing my items so I go through a process and remember going through that same process packing this. I also have to weigh every package as they always differ because my items are all different and sometimes I use packing peanuts and others cardboard fill. 

The buyer is claiming that the parcel arrived weighing only 492 grams and sent through images of the box with the packing materials inside. The thing is I know Australia Post have been getting ever more strict recently with measuring and weighing parcels so I am hoping this time they have also weighed this one. I have replied saying that I am sorry they have had this experience and that I may need to lodge a Police report and also lodge an enquiry with Australia Post. I know for certain the item was packed and sent.

Any tips you would suggest? The buyer opened his message with 'Hi. I am impressed by your 100% positive feedback rating. I'm also impressed by the early arrival of my package. I'm not quite sure how you achieved this rating." this raised some flags for me as it suggests I will be scared about the feedback. I know this could just be an upset buyer though. Any ideas on how to proceed?

[oddsandendsoz]

Yes, this is what I am hoping too. I know it is in force as I have been asked to pay under payment for 3 parcels due to the declared size being 1cm x 0.5cm x 0.5cm under the actual. I spoke with an AP rep yesterday on the phone and they confirmed that they had logged the weight at the 1.8kg I declared. I am hoping this meant by the scanners in the system but the rep seemed a bit vague on if this it what it meant on their system or she was just reading the weight I lodged as I know that on the lodgement receipt and postage label it usually says 'declared weight' I think. But fingers crossed it was scanned by the new machines. 

[oddsandendsoz]

An update to this. Australia Post have 'closed' their investigation in to this and concluded that 'they have fulfilled their contract' by delivering the item. They confirmed with me today that the buyer had taken the parcel to the Post Office but they concluded there was no evidence of tampering (it is very strange they could come to this conclusion given the box had been opened but that is another matter altogether). They also confirmed that there were no 'discrepancies' with the item whilst in transit suggesting that it weighed the declared weight, was not smashed and leaking in transit, and that the buyer confirmed delivery and signed for the parcel. They have decided that they are not going to refund the buyer as they believe the parcel was delivered. 

They have also advised that they will not compensate even though we the seller insured the item to it's value. What would you guys suggest in going forward from here? How would eBay likely resolve this if it went to dispute? I asked AP how they could come to this conclusion when it is the buyer's word against the delivery driver and they quoted the above that they had delivered the item, it was signed by the buyer and no damage to the item had been marked on the parcel when in transit. Any advice greatly received. 

[curraone]

So at the moment the buyer has not opened a formal ebay dispute?

[oddsandendsoz]

Not yet. This was the latest message to me on Tuesday

"Hi (my name withheld), I've heard SFA from the post office. I filed a police report. They're not going to be of much help either. They've already made up their mind who did it. I filed a request for compensation from the post office today. They quote a neat little sub clause which states that anything worth more than 100 should be insured. Any progress at your end?
Regards, (name withheld)."

I am not really sure what to make of this. I said to my business partner today that it is quite strange he has not opened a dispute as yet given his aggressive opening to me in the messages outlined in the OP. 

[jellybirddesigns]

There's really nothing you can do or even respond. The whole thing is weird. Taking the packaging to the PO is really meaningless if the buyer simply removed the contents anyway and is just trying to make it look like he is "doing the right thing". 

If he was really serious, he would have opened a dispute instead of running around like this. But then again, there are plenty of buyers that we see on this forum who honestly have no idea how to do the most basic of things such as opening a case. Right now, I wouldn't even mention the option to them at all.

As I mentioned in a previous response, they are probably just fishing for a refund. They just haven't worked out how to get it from you yet.

[oddsandendsoz]

I do think they are just hoping I will want to 'protect my feedback'and give in. I won't. I know I sent the bottle, there is simply no doubt in that because I have to weigh every parcel individually and I am the only person who packs the items, occasionally with help but I am never not involved as I am a perfectionist and **bleep** about packing items properly. 

I am prepared for a Red Dot if need be. My gut feeling was this buyer was just hoping for a Christmas freebie. The way he first approached this with his attacking stance does not seem like the kind of person that would then be so understanding and patient. So my gut says he is hoping to not go through the eBay claim as it may be a flag on HIS account. As I said to him in my last message we have over 1200 transactions on our account and only one other time as this situation happened and this was a Policeman who acknowledged the parcel had been tampered with when he received it. I am more wondering what eBay will do in this case?

[jellybirddesigns]

The worst case is that you'll get a negative. Not the end of the world and you can always respond in a professional manner for future buyers to see.

Ebay won't do anything unless the buyer opens a case. So I would stop communicating as there's nothing you can do. If he messages you, you could just say something like "I'm sorry, but I am unable to assist any further". 

It's also entirely possible that he has raised a number of cases against sellers and is on Ebay's radar for abuse of the system. We did see that here recently where a buyer was trying to get the seller to refund and it turned out the buyer was ineligible for the MBG policy and could not open a case. 

[oddsandendsoz]

Thanks for that. It was interesting that AP would not even refund the $100 that they allow for all parcels to him. I am wondering what eBay would do if he opens a case? Given that AP have delivered the parcel and it was signed for by him, is it likely that eBay will refund him?

I did not know that buyer's could be ineligible, is that because they had exhausted the system? It is very interesting to know that. As I said in my opening messages there is nothing obvious in his feedback, but some that could perhaps be construed as thankful for some negotiating maybe. 

[jellybirddesigns]

That's why I think just leave things for now. The buyer has 30 days from the date of delivery to open a case. You started the thread on the 25 November, so the buyer has less than 10 days remaining.

As I say, Ebay has no reason to do anything, because there is no case in the system for them to look at.

Buyers can only get positive feedback (so it's meaningless) but behind the scenes, some try to negotiate a more favourable outcome. We see it fairly regularly in the boards.

Also, if the buyer tries to extort a refund by threatening to leave negative feedback, this can be used against them in any communication with customer service, especially to have said feedback removed. 

[rogespeed]

Hi ,  i realise of no immediate comfort to you , but there must be a low cost solution regarding proving Seller parcel contents integrity

With the US on-shipping service  I use there is an option to have the contents photographed and uploaded for online inspection prior to redirected dispatch, so maybe a similar service being offered by Australia Post could be viable .

Specifically to have the contents image scanned in within the unsealed parcel by counter staff at Australia Post as part of tracking record prior to the parcel being sealed 

As this would be an Aust Post procedure , the images out of control of the Seller ,  would prove item sent in the case of a claim against by Buyer or an insurance claim