Click and Collect - not collected!

[chaise-longue]

I recently sold a DVD to a buyer who selected click and collect and paid using paypal. This was posted on 15th March, Royal Mail Large Letter. Earlier this week I had an email through my eBay in which buyer said he had eventually gone to pick up the package but that he was told it  it had been returned to me.  Now has asked me to chase up Royal Mail - not happy that money has been taken for this DVD. 

Now... I am unclear what to do next.  The clock and collect point is a corner shop and eBay states that they return uncollected packages using yodel. However, I have not been contacted by ebay. Or yodel.  

How can I find out where this package is in the system? And if I don't receive it back, do I need to refund the buyer - who did not follow the instructions.  

Basically, I will opt out of this next time! 

[redwick1]

If you sent it tracked of with the 16 digit code from a Post office receipt then you must put that on the item in your sold section

If the buyer opens a dispute then you make sure the tracking is on the dispute

If it shows as Delivered ( to the click and collect shop) and you have not received it back then you should win any dispute.

The buyer had 7 days to pick the item up from the shop and if they dont then the shop can dispose of it or return it too you. They seem rarely to be returned.

Have they opened a dispute?

How can you chase RM up if you have no return tracking?

[chaise-longue]

Hi. Thanks for this.

I sent the package to the click and collect address given on the eBay
invoice - by Royal Mail 2nd Class Large Letter - not by recorded delivery.
I have a proof of posting receipt from post office but not tracking.

According to eBay, packages not collected from a click and collect point
within 7 days are then returned, tracked, to the seller. The seller then
refunds the buyer through eBay.

My question now then is - how can I find out this tracking number? I have
no issue with refunding buyer if I have received the DVD back - though I
will have paid the postage, PayPal fee, eBay fee.

But if a package has been entrusted to Yodel by eBay , surely they have a
responsibility to communicate with the intended recipient (me)? Yodel's
customer services site doesn't seem to be helpful without a Yodel tracking
reference.

Where next? Is there a time limit for buyer to open a dispute? Does PayPal
protection have any value here?

[redwick1]

If it was a letter size then there would be no tracking if sent RM. If it was a packet then there would be a 16 digit code on the receipt. That acts as tracked and you put it on any not received dispute. If you dont have tracking then you would lose any dispute. Proof of postage is not proof of delivery. You may or may not get the item back but if you have no tracking you will have to refund. Where did Yodel come into it? I had an item returned and it came through RM. Did you have a return address on the item? Has ebay or the shop said it is coming back by Yodel?. If you refund through a not received dispute then you get your ebay fees back but not the paypal fees. The buyer has 30 days to open a dispute on ebay. If they paid by paypal then they have 180 days to open a dispute there.

[redwick1]

Just to add. If you have tracking then put it on your item in your sold section. You should always to that as soon as you post.

[chaise-longue]

Hi. Thanks for your thoughts.

Neither the shop nor eBay have contacted me directly. The buyer says that
the shop have told him the item was sent back to me by courier. Buyer
acknowledges taking a long time to pick up the package.

eBay 's page about click and collect states that items sent via Sainsbury's
/ Tesco / Argos are returned by royal mail, items through other places via
Yodel.

There was a return name and address on the back of the package.

I'm really trying to find out how the return process works - Yodel's own
site FAQ about eBay click and collect says that uncollected items are
returned to sender, and are tracked. But how can I get access to this
tracking number to "track" it?

If, as you say, without proof of delivery, I will lose all disputes, should
eBay not make that explicit on their selling pages?

But it is not the delivery to the Click and Collect that hasn't happened.
Even if I had sent the DVD recorded delivery - the click and collect
process has failed!

[chaise-longue]

Thanks.

Your comments are helpful but currently I have little faith in ebay!

[redwick1]

The most important thing is tracking. See the ebay money back guarantee. https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/selling/managing-returns-refunds/helping-buyers-items-not-received?id=41.... All you can do is to wait and see what happens and if you get the item back. Couriers and RM would normally only talk to the people who paid the postage or couriers fees