Handling buyers and item not received

[dylan11235813]

Hi,

I have been selling for about a year now and I have had maybe 3 'item not reveived' complaints from buyers in that time.

My first instinct is to think that the buyer is straight out speaking bs and I am being conned but that obviousely isn't always the case, for example I may have addressed the package wrong or it may have been lost in the mail, ect..

So my question is how do sellers deal with these cases. Do they get the buyer to put in a claim with paypal or ebay? Which I feel is unfair to a buyer as their order is in limbo until it is resolved, and no doubt they would leave a negative feedback for the seller

Do sellers just resend an item? Which means the buyer could be doing the same thing to many seller without any "flags going up".

Do sellers leave a message in the feedback "had to resend item" or something?

Also on a side note when I first got an 'item not received' case opened against me (most people usually email me though). I emailed paypal support, which I have to say is usually a waste of time, and they said suitable proof of postage is a picture of the postmarked package with the address.

So now I go into the post office and hold up the line so I can take pictures of all the parceled as they frank them, lol just kidding.

Cheers, Dylan

[a_beautiful_room]

If you read the rules, the only proof of postage that ebay accept in an "item not received" case for domestic travel is registered post, click and send or platinum express. So don't waste your time with a camera.

You have to weigh up if forcing your buyers to pay the extra is worth it on top of the items you sell. I never send anything unregistered but I sell fairly high priced items, so I would not risk someone making a false accusation, and even if I have to pay the money myself (and often I do), it's worth it.

But for a $20 item, it's crazy. You'd be better just chucking a dollar in a jar and using that for "self insurance" so that when one goes missing you can dip into the gold coins and just refund.

If someone claims "item not received" and you don't have the proof of post outlined above you will lose every time. So you must pay up, self insure, charge your buyers or cross your fingers. Your choice 🙂

[the3coopers]

Time is money - minimising the time spent on resolution should be your primary objective.

You have sold about 1000 items in the past 12 months, and had 3 reports of Not Received. That is 0.3%, which is virtually nothing.

If you are sending things over $50 or so, then you should be registering them. If those go missing, you are covered. Hence, your maximum loss can be $50 each.

Let's say that the average loss of those 3 claims is $35... that means your loss is about $100 over 1000 transactions. This equates to 10 cents each.

So, get a jar and put 10 cents in against each sale. When you get a claim, just refund in full and move on.

[the3coopers]

SNAP - I was beaten by a beautiful room! :^O

[beach_and_home]

It's a difficult position, but as the others have said, you just have to wear it when you're a seller.

Sometimes I find it suspicious when they say the item hasn't arrived and they ask for a refund straight away. I think to myself, why wouldn't they ask for another item to be sent? Makes me wonder if they really have the item or not. But, you will never know the truth, so it's best to refund/replace and keep the peace.

[***super_nova***]

I send anything that cannot go as a letter, or is valuable in click&send satchel.  If it is over $50 i use click and send with signature, over $100 I also buy insurance.  Never had buyer claiming INR, as yet.

[***super_nova***]

Sometimes I find it suspicious when they say the item hasn't arrived and they ask for a refund straight away. I think to myself, why wouldn't they ask for another item to be sent?

Maybe because they do not want to wait for replacement?  I recently bought little bit of ribbon, which I needed asap, I was sick and did not feel up to the drive to Spotlight.  It did not arrive; i waited 2 weeks and then asked for refund, because by then I already made the trip to the shop.  Maybe the seller addressed it wrong, maybe postie put it in a wrong mailbox, maybe the seller forgot to post it - she did not reply to my message or PP dispute.

It was only few dollars, but it was inconvenient.

[dylan11235813]

Thanks, but my main concern is that if a single buyer is continually saying they never received an item from several sellers, is there a way for paypal or ebay to know that the buyer is continually doing it? Should I be going through the claim process? If they continually put in claims wouldn't that be an indication that something is wrong with the buyer?

Also regarding paypal proof of postage, not ebays, last time I contacted them they said that they needed a tracking number or picture of the franked parcel. All parcel post satchels and registered post and standard express have tracking now.

In the whole scheme of things though your right it isn't worth worrying about as it a small proportion of total sales, but there is the principle of it all.

Also I recall seeing something about Auspost being liable for lost mail, registered or not. After all I am paying for a service that is not being done in some cases.

Cheers, Dylan

[beach_and_home]

Maybe because they do not want to wait for replacement?  I recently bought little bit of ribbon, which I needed asap, I was sick and did not feel up to the drive to Spotlight.  It did not arrive; i waited 2 weeks and then asked for refund, because by then I already made the trip to the shop.  Maybe the seller addressed it wrong, maybe postie put it in a wrong mailbox, maybe the seller forgot to post it - she did not reply to my message or PP dispute.

It was only few dollars, but it was inconvenient.

Yeah well, if a buyer bothered to explain why they all of sudden wanted a refund and did not need the item any more then that would make sense. But they don't. So it makes them look suspicious. Believe me, there are plenty of dodgy buyers on here that know how to work the system. Sometimes you see them with feedback full of comments regarding "missing" items.

But as I said, either way, as a seller you give them the benefit of the doubt and try to keep them happy.

As the OP mentioned, yes I sometimes leave a comment in their feedback about the item being refunded or replaced. It is just so the next seller can see what's been happening. Unless of course they choose to make their feedback private.

[beach_and_home]

Dylan, ebay and paypal do nothing about a buyer with lots of missing parcels. The problem is that usually they just contact the seller who refunds/replaces and it never becomes "official". Not sure what the answer is.