Parcel delivered but saying item isn’t in there.

[autumnpumpkin]

Hi, I sold my phone on eBay for a good amount - eBay choose the postage and I sent it right away. It sat at the post office for 2 days and then 2 days later it’s been delivered however the phone is missing. I sent this phone in the box then bubble wrap and then bubble envelope and then a plastic one it was very well packaged, well the phone has been stolen and you can see whoever did it then cello tapped it back up. The delivery photo backs up the seller as you can see the photo it’s been cellotaped over the postage label then delivered to him. 20 years on eBay never had this kind of issue but the buyer wants their money back but where does this leave me? I did everything correct and have all the postage proof etc will Royal Mail sort it do you think? I’m obviously panicking as it’s so much money!! Anyone had this happen to them?

[suelel1968]

I know you must be frantic. I don't like to see the post left not responded to. There have been a number of posts recently like yours. The first thing is - was it Simple Delivery paid for directly by the buyer? In which case the customer needs to raise a case with Ebay and they should sort it. You are not really involved after you posted the item. 

If it was custom delivery thats not quite so straight forward.

[autumnpumpkin]

It was the simple delivery, they paid and eBay sent me a qr and I posted it. 

[**peaseblossom**]

Ask the buyer to open a return case stating "Arrived damaged" as the reason.   They should not use a "not received" case because the tracking will say otherwise.    Then as said,  ebay will refund the buyer and you keep the payment.

[suelel1968]

Hi, Phew! Not many positives about SD but in your case it should work out just fine. Get the buyer to raise an item not received case with ebay. It won't be straight forward for the buyer because it will say "delivered", but to the best of my knowledge there is nothing you can or should do. Do not refund, Do not accept a return under any circumstances and if the buyer does anything other than raise a not received case which you should not be involved in, get in touch with customer services.

This is all to the best of my knowledge based on reading other accounts. It has not happened to me. It is possible the buyer is trying to scam you/ebay. If you have any doubts at all contact CS in the morning and hopefully you will get someone from Dublin who will help you. Good luck.

[autumnpumpkin]

If they choose to return though they can’t as the phone is missing? So it’s not damaged it’s been stolen! 

[**peaseblossom**]

The parcel arrived damaged.   It won't go as far as them returning the packaging.   With SD ebay refund without return.

[sml192]

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@suelel1968 wrote:

Get the buyer to raise an item not received case with eBay. It won't be straight forward for the buyer because it will say "delivered", but to the best of my knowledge there is nothing you can or should do. Do not refund, Do not accept a return under any circumstances and if the buyer does anything other than raise a not received case which you should not be involved in, get in touch with customer services.

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That isn't the correct way of dealing with this situation.  Whilst such a claim would automatically close in the seller's favour, due to the tracking showing 'Delivered', it won't really resolve the issue as the buyer could still proceed to an 'Item not as described' case. 

The correct way forward is, as advised by @**peaseblossom**, for the buyer to open a return request specifically using the reason 'Arrived damaged' then, as the item was sent using Simple Delivery, eBay should just refund the buyer at no cost to the seller.  

[*vyolla*]

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@suelel1968 wrote:

Hi, Phew! Not many positives about SD but in your case it should work out just fine. Get the buyer to raise an item not received case with ebay. It won't be straight forward for the buyer because it will say "delivered", but to the best of my knowledge there is nothing you can or should do. Do not refund, Do not accept a return under any circumstances and if the buyer does anything other than raise a not received case which you should not be involved in, get in touch with customer services.

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I would strongly advise against doing this, this route will result in a refund for the buyer.

Follow the advice of @**peaseblossom** 

[suelel1968]

@*vyolla*  i said it was to the best of my knowledge and it hadn't happened to me. Peace blossom and my post crossed last night. Hopefully it was enough to stop the OP from doing anything other than referring back to the buyer. 

12 hours too late, but im sure you are right. 

[autumnpumpkin]

They have said  to eBay it wasn’t delivered and that he thinks it’s been stolen I used the simple delivery so hoping that eBay will sort it out. As technically the parcel was delivered. 

[papso22]

That's going to create a problem as advised in previous posts. 

Ebay will reject the claim as tracking shows delivery.  What the buyer might do next will almost certainly result in you refunding and not ebay.

[suelel1968]

@autumnpumpkin Hi, The problem is that the buyer probably doesn't have an option to select "parcel arrived , but was empty." as an option. But you did your bit and you should not have any further dealing with the claim. Whenever a buyer contacts you on a simple deliver item you get a message from Ebay saying "we'll take it from here". Ebay know it was delivered, the buyer has said it was missing from the parcel, they can't claim a return or a not as described. As I said, if you have any doubts, talk to Dublin in the morning.

[autumnpumpkin]

So does that mean I can keep the money and the buyer will have to go to Royal Mail to complain of theft? 

 

[**peaseblossom**]

They lost the case because from what you say it sounds like they opened a "not received" case when the tracking showed delivery.   They can still open a return.   As long as they use "damaged" as the reason ebay will refund and you keep the payment.   But they may not realise they can do that.

[suelel1968]

@autumnpumpkin hi, well hopefully the message just means that ebay doesn't require you to do the refunding. I wouldn't be happy with not getting a refund if i was the buyer, but that is not you problem. Any further action should just be between the buyer and Ebay. 

[*vyolla*]

eBay have closed the item not received claim because tracking shows that the buyer has received the package.

This means that you don't have to refund the buyer in this instance.

However, your buyer is now in a position to open an eBay return, they have 30 days to do this, so you'll just need to sit tight and see what happens. Perhaps keep that money in your eBay balance until the 30 days are up. 

Come back to this thread if your buyer does open a return, and tell us the reason they selected.

[autumnpumpkin]

Trouble is they can’t return something they don’t have as it’s been stolen and say they did return it I could then say it’s not arrived how I sent it? Just gets so messy I hope they will go to the police and file and report with Royal Mail also. 

[*vyolla*]

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@autumnpumpkin wrote:

Trouble is they can’t return something they don’t have as it’s been stolen and say they did return it I could then say it’s not arrived how I sent it? Just gets so messy I hope they will go to the police and file and report with Royal Mail also. 

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They can return the packaging to you, which is what they'd be instructed to do if they open an eBay return.

You'll just need to see what (if anything) develops over the next couple of weeks.

[autumnpumpkin]

EBay have told him to start a return so he will get a refund and I won’t have a phone nor the money!! When it’s been stolen eBay are an actual joke!!