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.

[*new2vintage]

However it would be dishonest to say you haven't received it.....

[phorum_junkie*]

There are two options, he won't take it to the PO because it is not really damaged and he wants it for nothing or he is a cantankerous old grouch who thinks the world owes him a living 😉

I would tell him to return it with all the original packaging, if he is trying to score a freebie he won't do so and I don't know why you told him to use signature required, why help him qualify for Paypal protection;-)

[chezzy]

Signature required? Paypal bizzo aside, OP needs to feel 'confident' she is receiving it back so she can put in her OWN claim to try get money back through AP!

Whether the buyer likes it or not, there is obviously a process involved and he has to do his bit.

[purplespoilz_au*]

If the buyer is willing to send it back to you, this is what I would do, and have done several times with success.

Ask them to send it back and tell them you will reimburse them for their postage costs as long as they send you a receipt as proof.  THen reimburse them for everything.

Take the damaged item to Aust Post and fill out a damaged item claim form, detailaing everything.  Submit the form with the damaged item - you will need to leave it at your post office.

Someone from Aust Post will then be in touch, asking for more details about the damaged item - proof of the value and what are wanting to be remibursed for.  I normally send them a copy of the message trail between yourself and the buyer, and also a copy of the invoice (through ebay) of the radio, as proof of what it sold for.

You need to also list what you want reimbursement for : the sale price of the radio, the cost of postage to send it to the buyer, and the cost of remibursing the buyer for their postage to send it back to you

It takes a few weeks, but you will generally get a rembursement, sometimes they can only do a max of $50, but I have received the full asking amount of more than $50 in some cases too.

Aust Post always say they don't have a fragile policy but this is BS - as far as I am concerned, if they are happy to take your money to post the item then they should take more care.  We have had quite a few things damaged in the post - things which only would have been damaged if it were handled extremely roughly and this is unacceptable - I have argued with them before about what exactly am I entitled to then, when I hand over my money for the postage ?  After all, the post office also sell FRAGILE stcikers which we use, so why do they say they don't have a FRAGILE policy if they sell the fragile stickers ?!?!

Lodging a claim for a damaged item is the only way Aust Post will learn, this is what I have been told by a Aust Post staffer myself.....

[purplespoilz_au*]

Also, if the buyer wants their money back they either have to send you pics or send the item back to you.

If they send it back, you can lodge a claim with AP

If they only send pics, I am afraid you will have to reimburse them and you won't be able to lodge a claim with AP

[lindsey2573]

More than likely the buyer dropped it himself but there is not much you can do about it. Did you pay for insurance or just registered? That could have a big impact on the outcome. 

Your best bet is to get it returned & try for compo from AP. But hopefully he will be too lazy to return it & that will be case closed.

[stickerswa]

Pretty sure they would have sorted it after 4 YEARS - why drag up an old thread. Very annoying

[springyzone]

Why threads don't automatically lock after eg 12 months, I do not know.

They should be 'read only' by that stage.

[*tippy*toes*]

Yeah, I'd like to see someone try and claim compo from AP after 4 years. You'd be a laughing stock.