Sent wrong item to buyer - high value

[jossk_7998]

Hi there,

Hoping for advice. I sent the wrong item to a buyer today by Special Delivery. The buyer purchased a laptop for approx £1000. I sent a different laptop with the value of approx £1500. I can imagine a headache here as the buyer is reluctant to return the item.

Is there any way I can intercept the delivery? I don't have a business account with Royal Mail.

I contacted the buyer and asked them to refuse the delivery, he said he can't as it is student accomodation and the reception handles deliveries. He also says he doesn't want to go down the returns route...

ANY advice would be much appreciated.

TIA

[vintique*violet]

I do not think that you can intercept a RM Special delivery ( or any post for that matter?) - and may have to consider that from your own mistake you have lost out as it is obvious by your post that the seller is not going to return it... I think you may have to wait and see, maybe the buyer will not like the laptop you've sent and request the original one ? If not at least you can try and possibly sell it again. 

Hoping someone else has better news for you. 

[lucy_farmer]

Well, I do know you can't 'intercept' the post. Once it's in the post, that's it until it arrives.

Has he said why he 'doesn't want to go down the returns route'?

[papso22]

If your buyer refused the delivery he would have been left with no computer and no way of getting his £1,000 if you proved awkward about refunding.

[sml192]

Oh dear, this sounds like it could be a very costly mistake.

A 'Stop and Return' request csn only be made if you have an Online Business Account with Royal Mail.

You are, therefore, going to be reliant on pursuading the buyer to open a return request.  Maybe offering them some form of compensation for the inconvenience caused might help.

Also, they were correct to decline refusing delivery as that would void any protection that they would have under eBay's Money Back Guarantee. 

[jma2815]

I think you’ve lost this one. You can’t cancel or reroute the parcel now its gone. 

Its a lot of money but it was your mistake and if the buyer has effectively already told you he’ll see it as a free upgrade then there’s nothing you can do. 

[vintique*violet]

In reply to my original post ( and too late to edit) I meant the buyer not the seller - re the return.... 

Apologies... brain is overloaded 😉 

[*vyolla*]

Ouch, this could be a costly error.

There is nothing you can do at this stage, you're totally reliant on the buyer playing ball, and it's very possible that they won't.

Your buyer won't refuse to accept it, that would mean that they have no cover against an eBay not received claim.

My money's on them keeping their new toy and refusing to discuss it further. 

[dancewithadingo]

Good Morning Jossk

What a nightmare to wake up to this morning. You have my sympathy but as others have said there is not much that you can do.

Just throw yourself on the student's mercy, apologise and  offer to pay for the return plus a small amount of compensation for the inconvenience.  

I really can't see any other way around this.  The only other thing open to you is to ring the student, the telephone number is on the sale particulars.

Good luck

[vinylscot · Accepted solution]

For the amount of money you stand to lose, would it be practical to personally deliver the correct laptop, plus a small sum of compensation?

Even if it is a fair distance, it may well prove worthwhile, and the buyer may be more willing to co-operate face to face.

[plpmr]

"I contacted the buyer and asked them to refuse the delivery"

Unfortunately if the buyer knows the rules they could assume you are trying to scam them.

If they do that they violate eBay buyer protection and could lose everything.

[jma2815]

Asking the buyer to refuse the parcel was your second mistake, and I don’t think you should contact the buyer again, certainly don’t phone them as some people are saying.

If you get a response it certainly won’t be the one you’re hoping for and most likely will be seen as harrassment. 

You’ll just have to accept that you made a costly mistake and forget it. 

[Anonymous]

I echo this.

You made a mistake and rightly or wrongly the buyer probably won’t make it easy. 

[jma2815]

Please don’t visit the student, even if you intend to be non confontational/offer compensation.

Buyer has clearly said he’ll keep a better model of laptop so that’s that, turning up at his halls asking for the item back can only make your situation worse. 

[vinylscot]

There are obviously ways to do this without being confrontational.

There is a fair chance the buyer is just "trying it on", and will quite happily make the swap, if arranged in advance. He's probably hoping the seller just gives up.

I, personally, couldn't wave goodbye to £500, without trying everything, even if it was my own fault.

It appears the sale was only made yesterday, so there is still time to resolve this.

[jma2815]

I respectfully disagree with all your points. There’s every indication that the buyer has no intention of arranging or happily making a swap. There is nothing reasonable that can be tried to recover the item in this situation. Sometimes we have to accept we made a mistake, however costly, and learn from it. This is one of those times. 

And I did say visiting was a bad idea even if you intend to be non confrontational. 

[vinylscot]

If he gives up now, he has near enough 0% chance of this working out to his satisfaction. He would need to rely on the buyer having an attack of guilt.

If he keeps trying, he will have a greater chance of success, still nowhere near 100%, but far greater then 0%.

[jma2815]

Whatever he does there’s a 0% chance of this working out to OP’s satisfaction in my opinion. 

I’d love to be a fly on the wall if he does try paying a visit to the student accommodation. Buyer has been notified of the mistake and has said he won’t want to return it (unless, of course, its faulty), and he has no legal obligation to do so - there’s after all,  no proof of the mistake. 

So realistically I think there’s far more chance of the OP turning up at the university and the police being called on (what the students will see as) the mad old duffer than of the buyer happily handing over the laptop for a lesser model, even if that’s the one he paid for. 

You have far more faith in human nature than I do. 

[dancewithadingo]

Good Evening

Well said. I couldn't agree more.  I thought your idea of the seller travelling to see him and taking with him the 'correct' laptop was a very good idea. Additionally if he offers an impoverished student a cash incentive it may just work.

Anything legal and reasonable is worth trying otherwise he has lost out.  He may well still be out of pocket but in his position I would definitely give ringing and visiting a 'whirl'. He has nothing to lose.

[Anonymous]

What I find particularly interesting is the acceptance of the buyer behaviour. 

while it is a mistake and not his fault to blatantly say I’m just going to keep the higher spec laptop you sent me incorrectly and what I didn’t purchase in full knowledge that it works out better for him.

bit “off” if you ask me