18-03-2012 5:23 PM
Hi, has anyone noticed an increase in UK Royal Mail packages going "missing" recently. In the last 2 days I have had 3 different buyers claiming item has not arrived. One looks genuine as it is Recorded Delivery which has not arrived. The other 2 are fairly low value First Class items and of course I have no way of knowing if this is genuine or not.
Prior to this (I have "lost" a few international parcels) but only 1 UK parcel last year went astray and never turned up.
Anyone else having problems with this?
Solved! Go to Solution.
09-01-2015 7:23 PM
09-01-2015 7:47 PM
Even though this is an old post it is still relevant. The only parcels I haven't received from eBay sellers were a few (3 or 4) won at a low start price (99p) and seller immediately refunded when I asked to see a copy of their proof of post!
And I use cat food boxes for posting whenever I can snaffle them as they are very strong. Unfortunately I don't have a cat but all of my neighbours do so I have to raid their paper bins on collection day before the truck arrives.
Since I started using signed-for/courier tracked (items >£7.50) and all those posted in December irrespective of value - not a single parcel has gone missing - weird that!
09-01-2015 10:33 PM
@kyanyama wrote:Since I started using signed-for/courier tracked (items >£7.50) and all those posted in December irrespective of value - not a single parcel has gone missing - weird that!
Ignoring the courier items I presume that you are aware you are throwing away £1.10 on pointless insurance. To make that a worthwhile exercise financially you would need to lose 15 of your £7.50 items out of every 100 without Royal Mail paying out a single claim.
10-01-2015 6:26 PM
Yes, am quite aware and until the last couple of years seldom used signed-for delivery but after several 'alleged' inrs started having to use it to:
- Prevent defects - still have one from Jan 2014 where I was compensated in full by RM but it is sitting as a DEFECT on my account.
- Saves time and money as it takes a lot of time to sort out problems with buyers and eBay, & money to claim, (ink, paper, copies), etc. Not to mention the stress caused by another possible inr defect!
- Am now complying with both eBay and Paypal policy where a signature on delivery is required for seller protection.
And buyers who don't want signed-for delivery are quite welcome to collect and pay cash or buy from someone else.
http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/selling-practices.html#delivery
You should:
Clearly and accurately specify in your listing when the item will be dispatched
Post items immediately after purchase (see our pre-sale listings policy for further information)
Use tracking, delivery or signature confirmation to ensure that both you and your buyer can track the package and know when it will be delivered
11-01-2015 1:15 PM
@kyanyama wrote:Yes, am quite aware and until the last couple of years seldom used signed-for delivery but after several 'alleged' inrs started having to use it to:
- Prevent defects - still have one from Jan 2014 where I was compensated in full by RM but it is sitting as a DEFECT on my account.
- Saves time and money as it takes a lot of time to sort out problems with buyers and eBay, & money to claim, (ink, paper, copies), etc. Not to mention the stress caused by another possible inr defect!
- Am now complying with both eBay and Paypal policy where a signature on delivery is required for seller protection.
And buyers who don't want signed-for delivery are quite welcome to collect and pay cash or buy from someone else.
http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/selling-practices.html#delivery
You should:
Clearly and accurately specify in your listing when the item will be dispatched
Post items immediately after purchase (see our pre-sale listings policy for further information)
Use tracking, delivery or signature confirmation to ensure that both you and your buyer can track the package and know when it will be delivered
As long as you are happy wasting money, that is fine. You are totally correct that any seller who wishes to comply with Seller protection needs to send with delivery confirmation but are you aware of how many 'Signed For' packages don't actually get signed for?
Personally I much prefer to keep more of my earnings and self insure because it works far better for me as I so rarely get INRs.
15-01-2015 1:13 PM
I've noticed an increase in items not received this year. I think it's because Ebay keeps telling everyone they can get a full refund!
15-01-2015 5:53 PM
I've no idea what's happening but something must be going on. Personally I suspect people are hard up this time of year having been paid before Christmas and spent it all before New Year. I've had 3 items go missing in the last 3 days, well the buyers have emailed me stating they haven't recieved them but they were all posted Christmas week.
If an item was posted that long ago you wouldn't query it now would you, smells fishy to me. It's too easy to get a refund from eBay and I suspect people need some money to go out on a p*** up over the weekend so why not open an item not received case. All my mail is addressed correctly with a return address, so if an item is undeliverable it should be returned to me at some point. During the rest of the year I've had no items go missing, why now all of a sudden? I suspect dishonest buyers but then what can you do, eBay take their word for it but won't take your word that you've posted the item in the first place.
15-01-2015 10:48 PM
I received a parcel back today that I had posted on the 8th of December, so there is still time.
16-01-2015 9:08 AM - edited 16-01-2015 9:13 AM
I have noticed this as well, its been steadly getting worse, but im having more problems with overseas post, manly Spain, Italy and Brazil. I sent one custmer an order twice and gave him a full refund, and he still gave me negitive feedback, it is really starting to annoy me, I seem to wating a lot of money on missing orders!!!
12-03-2015 11:04 AM
12-03-2015 12:20 PM
Me too. As a buyer I've had four things not get to me recently.
Three inexpensive items, although I had spent a long time looking for them on ebay. two seperate replacement tweeters for a set of vintage loudspeakers. Really hard to replace. An electric toothbrush and right now I'm waiting on something that cost 60 pounds and the seller isnt responding to my request for proof of postage.
myhermes is also really bad for me. they have lost 3 items recently and delivered one to the wrong number on a street with a similar name.
so frustrating!!
12-03-2015 9:25 PM
In 6 years of buying on ebay I have only had one item not received and that was my temporary postie not leaving a card, found the parcel two weeks later at my sorting office and repaid the seller, strange how so much seems to go missing
13-03-2015 12:40 AM
RM and myhermes are both bad for you? Hmm well time to retire as there probably the best delivery services as rest are chancers!
13-03-2015 10:29 PM
Another little story of how Royal Mail items can go awol....
A relative moved out his property. Arrangements were made for the new owners to drop any mail into another neighbour for collection. Most important organisations were being informed of change. Surprisingly there was barely any mail delivered so felt impressed at my scheme...but wait
The postman seeing different names on the post decided not to deliver the old named stuff and it ended up back at a sorting office!!!! A huge stack apparently (mostly junkmail no doubt)
a) what if he had simply has lodgers move in
b) how could the postie assume they werent relatives helping him to move out
c) when was official mail redirection (and payment) compulsory
d) since when could a postman however long serving decide on his own not to deliver the mail yet still decided to deliver mail addressed to the new occupants they had sent even before they moved in....
Moral dont order/buy anything for delivery close to moving house...
21-03-2015 10:14 AM
I've now had several items never delivered - not Ebay but Amazon stuff - as yet. Including 2 higher value items (over £100). Currently experiencing this again hence why I'm checking online to see if others are having the same. Seems they are. Best advice may be to always ship anything over £100 signed for tracked and insured.
21-03-2015 9:03 PM
Well, that would be wise unless you wanna go bust!
24-03-2015 3:18 PM
05-04-2015 3:35 PM
Hi
I have just had a package delivered by Royal Mail to the wrong address. This came from China and the seller is not putting in a claim on my behalf so I have lost £39.99!
Dave S
05-04-2015 5:18 PM
@2525davids wrote:Hi
I have just had a package delivered by Royal Mail to the wrong address. This came from China and the seller is not putting in a claim on my behalf so I have lost £39.99!
Dave S
How can you have "had a package delivered by RM to the wrong address" ??
If you, as I perceive it, the Buyer, did not receive the package, then surely it's up to you to open a case of item not received!
Just do not understand your post at all!
How many Sellers on this thread print address labels copied from the PayPal packing slip and attach a printed return address label to the left hand top of the parcel??
and how many check the UK postcode to ensure it is in its correct form ie., no lower case, or capitals and the correct spacing between numbers?
OK - it's time consuming but far better than getting INR's surely!
05-04-2015 6:42 PM
The problem is that if the buyer opens a case for INR, all the seller does is upload the tracking information and it will show as 'delivered'. At that point eBay will usually close the case in the seller's favour without checking the delivery address. Buyer cannot open another case and has to go through the appeal route. If they're lucky, and it does seem to be chancy as to whether they get a cs operative who will take the time to review the case correctly, then they get a courtesy refund. If no luck then the buyer has to use outside resources to get their money back.