advice on item buyer claims not delivered but tracking says delivered please.

[gorragerritgone]

This is becoming a headache. Parcel delivered to a buyer but buyer claims she hasn't received it, Royal Mail website states delivered and ebay states delivered. The buyer is getting impatient and is demanding a refund. I will not refund of course. What will ebay's view be on this matter and what can the buyer do? Any advice gratefully appreciated, thank you. 

[tressygirl]

Doesn't matter here if eBay's tracking shows a non delivery , it's always a bit late, it's the tracking you have from Royal Mail / courier that counts.  If that does show delivery then entering it into a case the buyer may open, will close it in your favour.

Send the buyer a message with the tracking for them to check on RM / courier's website for them to see when the item was delivered.

@gorragerritgone 

[wyntersemporium]

I got the same last week, tracking said delivered Royal Mail said delivered but buyer said not delivered as post van was outside her house as she sent me 8 ring screen captures of the time the postie should have delivered. 

[a45heaven]

If that does show delivery then entering it into a case the buyer may open, will close it in your favour.

Hi - just a follow on question if i may.

How long does a case take ? ( Ive very limited experience in this field, where by i havent resolved the issue directly with the Buyer)

Also who is holding the funds ?

Thanks in advance.

[gorragerritgone]

Hi Tressygirl, I've done that..messages going back and forth, tracking number sent to her, a screen shot of the PO receipt with house number and postcode but she is taking no notice of it and wants her money back. I have refrained from telling her that I will not refund her and have always been polite in my messages. She is now getting rather curt and it is getting on my nerves. I didn't know whether she could open a case for non delivery as status states delivered on both RM and ebay. She said she'd been round her neighbours and asked them whether they'd had it but strangely, she sent a message saying she was going to do that but then messaged back 4 minutes later to say none of them had had it! I'm going to have to play it by ear and see what she does next. Thank you for the input.

[the.last.nazgul]

If this happens I ask the customer to speak to their postman.

Ebay will not know, you do not know, they do not know, a Royal Mail call centre will not know but the postie SHOULD know.

[forestfeline62]

If you look at the tracking on the RM site it will give tracking history too and should show where it item is ,Ebay will class it as delivered so will find in your favour if the buyer tries to open a case of non delivery . If they still go on at you ,state the item has been delivered and that they should check their safe places for deliveries if they have one  like out side behind a bin or shed etc .

[gorragerritgone]

Leopard and Nazgul. I've done all this. I told her to speak to her postie and she said that on the day the parcel was apparantly delivered, it was a different postie and he is no longer doing her route!!!!!!!!!!! The whole thing stinks to be honest. I have told the buyer that the item has been delivered and for her to tell me to refund her just on her say so is ridiculous. Her 'chat' with ebay apparently has ebay saying that I have to refund her!!!!!! Really? She aint opened a case...yet!

[lucy_farmer]

'She aint opened a case...yet!'

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Hello Gorra,

I would ask your buyer to open a non-delivery case.

If you've got delivery confirmation, you put it into the case and ebay should find in your favour.

Don't refund her without a case being opened. 

If she opens a case and ebay close in favour of you, she *might* leave you stinky neg feedback.🙁

If that happens, one of the best ways to deal with it is by leaving a 'reply'... as long as it's the right sort of reply!

A calm, polite, factual, truthful and impersonal reply can often 'defuse' a neg feedback in the view of other potential buyers. (just don't mention the words 'refund' or 'case'; these are on the 'don't mention in feedback' list; no real idea why!)

If the case doesn't go in your favour (always a small chance of CS acting strangely!) come back here and ask for help ! 

[forestfeline62]

 your buyer needs to contact royal mail herself and tell them the item hasn't been delivered and see where that gets her .Usually when items are tracked royal mail can pinpoint just about where the item was left . I suffered a similar problem when I moved into a new area ,but I went to our local royal mail delivery /sorting office and they typed in the post code and tracking number and on a big screen it showed where the ring had been delivered ,it was fantastic and i got my package from neighbours  down the rd who had the same surname as me but didn't know who I was .So tell your seller to go to her royal mail sorting /deliver office and see what she says to that .  Also if she has tried this item not delivered farce before Ebay will be aware of it so will know if she is trying to pull a fast one .  

[suelel1968]

Leopardlass is right. Either of you can contact RM and ask them to check the coordinates assuming it is large letter proof of delivery and you should be able to see a photo of where it was left if it was full tracking. I had one of these the other week and RM can tell you if it has gone to the wrong address. They say they will go and get it and redeliver...... If it has gone to the wrong address RM will refund you (not the buyer) as you bought the postage, so she should get a refund from you. Then block her!

[bravergrace]

It is perfectly possible that the buyer is telling the truth.

Over the last 3 months, I've had 4 parcels where the tracking showed "delivered" to my address but the items weren't actually delivered until a later date - in one case, the following day, and in the others were up to 10 days later.  

Sometimes the courier or postman scans the parcel as delivered before handing it over.  The fact that your buyer's postman has been removed from the route, suggests that they made a right pig's ear of their deliveries.  The parcel may yet turn up - either with the buyer, or returned to the sender.