Signature item returned on delivery?

[retrowise]

I've sold an item to overseas, it was send with tracking and signature on delivery. Now I've received the item back as unclaimed.

Makes no sense. If tracking shows delivered, it must have been signed for by the buyer. Not sure of next step, maybe best do nothing and wait?

[jellybirddesigns]

Where was the item being sent to?

If it was a place like the UK, their duty threshold is very, very low. The buyer would have recieved a card which tells them to pay the duties before getting the item. If the buyer felt the duties were too high, they would have just left it and not done anything. After a certain number of days the item would then be sent back to you.

[ozstockman]

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@jellybirddesigns wrote:

Where was the item being sent to?

If it was a place like the UK, their duty threshold is very, very low. The buyer would have recieved a card which tells them to pay the duties before getting the item. If the buyer felt the duties were too high, they would have just left it and not done anything. After a certain number of days the item would then be sent back to you.

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I don't think they have any threshold in UK or its in like under 5 GP . I have at least three parcels returned to me from UK and only one(forth) buyer complained that she was not happy because she was asked to pay as much in duties and taxes as her order total by her customs in UK.

Other three never contacted me for not receiving anything and no surprise why. They knew it was their fault and they chosen to do it that way. Actually it is  not a seller problem at all. I have a note in my items that it is buyer responsibility to be aware of and pay their customs whatever they need to pay.  Now if somebody from UK buys from me I send it with a note "dispose if it is not claimed" which is an option on AusPost documents for overseas parcels.  No way I will be paying return postage on the item returned to me because buyers do not care to pay their own taxes and do not even care to check that they need to pay them. 

[lyndal1838]

I think the UK threshold is around GBP40.00.

When/if items are returned to sender as unclaimed they come via sea mail and when I had an item sent back I didn't have to pay any postage....although that may have changed as it was some years ago.

[tangledstitches]

It's 15 gbp in the UK.  They also pay on gifts if they're worth over 39 gbp.

retrowise, they can't claim for not received if they refuse to accept it. It's in the terms somewhere but I can't remember where.

[tangledstitches]

The 15 gbp & 39 gbp include the postage cost of the parcel so their threshold is very low for VAT.

[ozstockman]

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@tangledstitches wrote:

retrowise, they can't claim for not received if they refuse to accept it. It's in the terms somewhere but I can't remember where.

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The problem is that their refusal to pay duties and taxes probably won't be recorded anywhere and it will be impossible for a seller to prove it. However most of them know it is their fault for not checking duties and taxes and that why none of them have complained(at least to me) for not receiveing it and tried to get a refund.

[ozstockman]

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@lyndal1838 wrote:

I think the UK threshold is around GBP40.00.

When/if items are returned to sender as unclaimed they come via sea mail and when I had an item sent back I didn't have to pay any postage....although that may have changed as it was some years ago.

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On Australia Post form you can choose to return it the most economical way as an option. Another option is disposal. However this is on their fresh form that they are using 2 years maybe. Before there was no choise at least I cannot recall it. When it is returned in most cases AusPost will give it back to you only if you pay return postage.  I got it back without paying only once.

[retrowise]

I presumed the delivery was signed but now I'm not sure. But tracking shows attempted delivery so if he simply refused because of the customs tax it should not make any difference. I have postal receipt so I expect Paypal or Ebay NOT to refund his money since I've done everything according to their rules therefore I qualify fully for the seller protection.

It was send to Netherlands so I have no idea of their taxes if any.

Auspost didn't ask for any money when postman brought it back. Funny, it arrived back with signature on delivery. So I signed but if they asked for money I wouldn't pay anyway.

I am going to put the unopened package away and just wait and see what happens. I'm happy to send it back to him if he pays another postage but will not contact him. He's got the tracking so surely he can take a look where it is. But who knows what happened, maybe he go sick or something....in that case I will refund minus the postage if he sends some good proof. I think that's fair no?

[jellybirddesigns]

Personally I would contact the customer to let them know you have received back the package unclaimed.

There's no reason not to contact him, and you can't keep his money AND have the item back.

Advise the buyer that you will refund the item price within 3 days, but not the postage as that has been used up.

You can then relist the item and if the buyer still wants it, they can pay again.