Item broken by Australia Post - need some advice!

[lyndalpn-cows]

Okay needing some advice

I sold an item (a radio) to a fellow and posted it off - double wrapped in bubble wrap, packed with lots of packing and inside an Aussie Post box and it has apparently arrived badly damaged.  The box is intact from the photos I have seen but the plastic casing is wrecked and not surpisingly the radio doesnt work. the item number is 261186439014 if that helps.

I sent the item registered post and have the lodgement receipt. (and ended up paying $13 more to post it than he paid for the postage due to me miscalculating the charges! ARgh)  I have advised the fellow he needs to take it to the post office with the packaging and put in a claim form. 

The buyer has responded today to say that he will not be taking it to the Post office but will be sending it back to me and is demanding a refund.  That it is my item and my responsibility to sort out nd that he wants the refund he is entitled to.  As far as I see it it is only my item until it is posted....

According to the registered post  lodgement advice it says

"The addressee has the sole right to claim after accepting delivery of the article"

So... the way I see it I have a couple of options

1. Is a refund and lose my money - this is a $125 radio so not a small amount.

2. Refuse to refund and most likely get a negative feedback.

What do you advise I do?  Am I correct in my ststament that he must make the claim?  Im starting to think that its the prinicple of the thing and I dont care all that much (well not $125 worth) about a negative feedback?  If It was a small item I would just refund and move on, but frankly his last email was stroppy and a bit rude.

[***super_nova***]

The reason why only addressee can file a claim is that they have the item, and AP will not accept responsibility without being able to examine the item.  But I believe they can make the sender the beneficiary of the claim.

Which is something PP should take in consideration and they should not accept claim if the buyer did not first try to get compensation from AP.

[lyndalpn-cows]

He was not even willing to try and make the claim. Said it is not his problem. Sigh. ...

Anyhoo I have just emailed to ask him to send everything (including original box) back to me and I will refund his money.

[chezzy]

How was he planning to send it back, obviously not via a Post Office if he wasn't even willing to take it to a Post Office to be inspected.... Hope it all works out for you in the end

[lyndalpn-cows]

Good point chezzy!

[ambridgebuckskins]

Last year l bought a room box (single room doll house) from Qld. It was packed in bubble wrap then inside a sturdy box.

The room box, being wood, had a break in it down one side. Like something heavy had been dropped on it yet the outer box was not really damaged at all.

It was sent to me with reg'd post. The sender told me to take it into the post office and claim on the insurance up to $100 as they could not do it from their end.

l took the parcel and contents into my post office, they viewed it and we filled out the damaged mail section of the green claim form.

Several weeks later, l received a money order from Aust Post for $110 being the price of the room box and postage costs.

l know you said your buyer refuses to take it into the post office but l thought l'd just explain the process l went through with a damaged item. Surprised me that they paid over the $100 limit but they did.

[lyndalpn-cows]

Thanks for that.  I hope my outcome is the same!

[davewil1964]

Your buyer is cutting off his nose to spite his face.

He will have to take it to the PO anyway, and his way he will have to pay return, Paypal-compliant postage.

So he'll end up out of pocket, as there is no requirement on you to pay for the return, whereas he could simply take it to the PO and have the damage assessed.

[chezzy]

Maybe he will attempt to send it back COD. OP, does he know he has to send it back a certain way? (I am guessing registered/tracked)

[lyndalpn-cows]

I know its crazy. but whatever.

Yes, I told him i need it to come back signature on delivery.

[lyndal1838]

All you can do is hope he is too pig headed to take any notice of what you have told him about returning it by tracked postage.

If it arrives on your doorstep with no tracking he cannot win a paypal dispute as he has to provide the tracking details to paypal.