Customer claims he did not receive order even tho delivered and signed for

[menn-intrailers]

I have a situation with a customer who claims he did not receive his item.

He bought the item on 5 June and I shipped it 7 June via Fastway couriers. When I shipped it I sent him an email with tracking number and estimated delivery date. 

On 25 June I sent out some reminder emails to customers who had not yet left feedback encouraging them to contact me if there were any problems. This customer contacted me back and said he was "still waiting patiently for his item". I was surprised he hadn't contacted me earlier but I tracked the parcel and discovered that it was delivered and signed for on 11 June by someone with his first name! When I informed the customer he checked the online tracking info and contacted me back saying it was not his signature.

I contacted my local Fastway office and they filed a "Disputed Signature" claim. 

The next day the courier who delivered the package contacted me. He'd been to see the customer and stated that the customer was the person who signed for the package! He said he told the customer he remembers he was working on his car at the time. The customer lives in a house at the front of a property with a business (second hand/recycled parts) premises behind. The courier told me he does deliveries there all the time and the two guys who owned the business had claimed before that a parcel wasn't delivered when it was. He told me the 3 guys were all 'mates' and he reckoned they were 'scammers'. He said it's gotten to the point he hates doing deliveries there. He said he told the customer that it would come out of his own pocket and the guy said nothing. The courier was reporting the situation to his area supervisor and they would take it from there. Fastway has now told me my responsibility ends here - parcel was sent, delivered and signed for and the guy has no claim on me or them.

Apparently the customer did not deny receiving it when the courier confronted him. However before he was even visited by the courier he had filed an 'item not received' dispute with Paypal. (We had 9 emails between us that day and he did not mention the dispute he had filed.) After the courier had seen him he escalated the dispute to a claim stating he was escalating it because "the signature was not his" and he couldn't have been there "because he was at work". The claim means that Paypal is now holding the funds while they investigate.

I'm at a loss to know what to do next. I've responded to the dispute with a tracking number and the courier's details and am waiting to hear more from Paypal. The customer made no contact for 2 days after the courier visit but now is hassling me to send his item. I want to do the right thing morally and also don't want this reflecting on my ebay store's reputation but I really don't know what to believe or do next!

The courier has had his franchise/run for nearly 4 years. He called and spoke to me direct and he sounded very believable. I know some ppl have had problems with Fastway but in over 9 years I've never had an issue and have been totally satisfied with their service. The customer has a 100% ebay rating of well over 600 so I can't understand why he would say he didn't receive the item if he did. The only thing I can think is that he saw an opportunity when I sent the feedback reminder email and ran with it! However I have to ask why didn't he contact me earlier when he hadn't received his item? Also prior to sending via courier I had stipulated in an email that the courier would not leave the parcel if there was nobody there, so if he wouldn't be home it would be better sending via Australia Post. He chose courier so why is he now saying he was at work?

Would it be acceptable to ask the customer to send a copy of his drivers license so I can check the signature myself? I would imagine it would be a close match to the signature obtained by Fastway if he originally received it with no intention of claiming otherwise. If I did discover his signature was the same obviously I would want to send him a replacement item but what would I need to do to claim the cost of the item?

Any advice would be really appreciated!!

cheers

Cheryl

[*new2vintage]

Google Earth photo's are very old. I've seen one of my previous cars in an aerial view of my property once.

[whipstick12]

There are way better pictures on Nearmap ( Aerial Photography )

Used to be free to view,unfortunately now you have to PAY.

[chuk_77]

pack had my phone number on it so she called and asked if there is a chuk who lives here

:^O:^O:^O:^O:^O:^O:^O:^O

:_|    

B-)

[belindabargainhunter]

I Had a problem like this only I was the buyer. The package was signed for and after constant calls to the company they replyed with the package was delivered to the wrong address and signed for there. I asked why they can't go back and get in I got the run around for 3 weeks but I kept calling. Then when I said I need more details so I could get the police to go around and get my package it was magically found in the back of his van and delivered to me.

Funny thing is how was it delivered and signed by someone else if it was in his van???

[***super_nova***]

Google Earth photo's are very old. I've seen one of my previous cars in an aerial view of my property once.

It depends where you live; they are being updated now and then and at some point the photos are new, especially the street view.  Still, even if the photos are few years old, they should show if it is at all possible that there is a workshop in the back.

[stormness_1]

If it's a regional area there could be a problem there too, although obviously not in this case as the courier said they delivered to the customer in this case. I was living out whoop whoop at one stage and bought an item to be couriered to my door on an agreed upon date, as I worked full-time, 8-5, but had an RDO so I could only be home THAT day. I waited around all day, no courier. Admittedly, I had a difficult to find address, but they had my phone numbers. So I called the seller, and they had it down as delivered and signed for. The lady was great, chased it up and got a name for the signature - some guy's name, definitely not me, not anyone in my street, heck even that I knew of in the town. Turned out upon contacting the actual courier they'd couriered it to a Australia Post distribution center, and it was transferred to the regular mail, but they hadn't disclosed to the seller that that was their practice. Three days later it arrived. But 'Signed for' doesn't necessarily mean received, and that's why I avoid couriers now. 

[menn-intrailers]

Well I have finally received notification from Paypal about this case.

THEY HAVE FOUND IN FAVOUR OF THE BUYER and refunded the money to him!!!!

I am so p'd off!! I submitted tracking information, my local courier's run sheet showing pickup of the item, and my eBay shipping label and sale info and they still found for the buyer!! I can't understand why, especially considering Paypal was also given contact details, and informed of the statement by the courier who did the delivery that the guy was the customer who signed and received the parcel! How can they decide in favour of the buyer when I've done verything right?!!

Has anyone else had this happen?

I've appealed the decision and relodged the documents and asked what more they need. I'm not keen to leave it to Paypal to re-evaluate the case based on the documents they have if they already decided against me. I'm waiting on the courier to get back to me to see if they can offer anything else. Meanwhile does anyone have advice on what to do now? 

[davewil1964]

If they knock back your appeal, ring them and point out that you sold the item on eBay, you have proof of both postage AND delivery to the correct address, therefore you are eligible for seller protection, therefore that cannot take your money.

if no joy with the first person you talk to ask to speak to a supervisor. Be calm and polite at all times. If they seem unwilling to budge give them 48 hours to return your money or you will file a complaint with the ombudsman. They should cave in then, but if they don't go to the ombudsman.

[zo_bella]

All fastway services carry insurance. Tell Fastway you will be making a claim, they will need to investigate and that you will  report to police as someone has your item.

Either buyer scamming you or less likely dishonest courier.Get police involved.

[jplus*]

This doesn't sound right, why would paypal be satisfied with the buyers claim? You "Apparently" have all the evidence requiredto support your claim - Tracking & Signature. Correct?

Because If its not enough, what else would suffice to support your claim?
Do fastway couriers have a low rating and thus lacking merit and reputation within paypal claims process?

To weigh it all up, I would give fastway a pretty low score myself. (heh)

So It doesn't sound right and for paypal to go in favor of the buyer might elude to what was raised earlier...

The courier pulled a shifty.