Tracked 48 delivered to wrong address

[wargamers_vault]

Good evening,

The most valuable sale I've had for months has typically gone to the wrong address. RM GPS location is several streets away and the supplied photo is of a bank of postal boxes inside the entryway of flats, the customer lives in a house.

I'm going round in circles on the RM website, because I don't have a business account with them I can't seem to get them to investigate - and of course the customer is not happy and wishes for an immediate refund.

If it was a couple of quid I'd just do it, but it's not, and refunding at this moment would cause some financial issues... I'm going to have to though, aren't I?

[ojewellery]

So frustrating when it goes wrong!  There are two issues.

1) The priority is your customer has paid in good faith and doesn't have their goods.  They could open a dispute and create a bigger headache for you.  In your situation I think I'd go with lots of communication and laying out your intended next steps, reassurance they aren't going to be left without goods and money.  Ask for three days for an honest flat owner/ royal mail to redelivery.  I find quite a high percentage of miss delivery items do work their way back through the system.  Some end up return to sender, others get passed back to postman and delivered correctly, some get hand delivered.

2). A claim with royal mail for miss delivery can be made but if you refund the buyer then royal mail redelivery correctly they'll not honour your claim.

[wargamers_vault]

Thank you! I have just found a form to fill in on the RM site, so hopefully that will get the ball rolling, and like you suggested I'm being as transparent and honest as I can be with the buyer.

I sell a lot of items valued at less than £5 and of course this one had to be over £130! Sods law!

[bravergrace]

Did you have your contact details on (or inside) the package?  I've had this sort of thing happen a few times over the years, and most people receiving a misdelivered parcel will do one of these things:

- pop it round the corner to the correct address

- give it back to the postman the next day

- ring the sender to let them know what's happened and ask for advice.

Of course, it's complicated by the fact it's flats - though your buyer might (if they're so inclined) go to the flats and put a note through the door "Has anyone seen my parcel?  If so please ring ....... "  

Refunding is difficult with such a lot of money.  You don't want to jump the gun and end up out of pocket, but on the other hand, the buyer is obviously worried too, and the sooner you refund them, the more chance you have of them telling you - and repaying you - if and when the item eventually turns up.  

[sportex-uk]

First of all discuss it with buyer, so they won't open a case.

Then submit claims to Royal Mail (both of you).

Royal Mail will eventually refund.

Happened to me, but buyer was reasonable and did the most of investigation - Royal Mail confirmed they found out where it has been delivered in error, but were unable to retrieve the parcel. Refunded with no issue.

That was the only problem I've ever had with Tracked 24/48 and it was just postperson's fault, rather than RM itself.

[wargamers_vault]

Thank you both for the replies. Yes, I have return information on the package so it could come back. Unfortunately I haven't heard anything else from the buyer, I've been keeping her updated with what I'm doing but on the other hand I don't want to keep spamming her with messages.

I've opened up a case with Royal Mail, and last night I spoke to an eBay agent who I'm sure just told me what (he thought) I wanted to hear - that I'm covered and not to worry. But it's not right if the customer would be left out of pocket.

[sportex-uk]

Don't waste your time speaking to ebay and seeking general advice, it's pointless.

Only contact them if there is an action for them to do.