Item Not Delivered but I Sent it 1st Class Signed For

[baileynorris]

Hi, Recently had a buyer who said he hadn't received the item and from my Post Office Tracking number that appered to be the case. He took out a case against me after 2 weeks, rightly so and I contacted him and said everything would be fine, he would get the refund and as the item was tracked 1st class signed for and insured, I would get my money back as well. Ebay asked me to put the tracking number in again, which I did.

I then went on to the Post Office website and raised a claim for a non delivered it, loaded photo's of the Certificate of Posting, put all the ebay references down and got to the bit about the recipients details, put his name and address in and then it asked me for the recipient valid email address, which I didnt have, so I expalined this to the recipient and said I was happy to progress the claim but he refused and said I didn't need it. I then advised ebay that I couldnt do any more and after the deadline, he took a case out against me and they found in his favour. 

So his money has been refunded and I now have to appeal the case with ebay to get compensation back. Spoke with ebay on line and explained the situation and asked them what they were going to do about it, as it was clear whoever had decided the case, hadnt read the case notes, which were attached and explained everything. I don't know why ebay just didnt ask him if it was ok to pass his email address on to me to resolve the case.

I did explain that in these current covid times, signed for packages are not being physically signed but the barcode is being scanned by the postman before he pops the package or letter through the letter box, apparently that was news to ebay on line!!

Has anyone had a similar issue and how did they get it satisfactorily resolved?

[rusticrye]

Oh dear, you've made such a mess of what is a very simple process...

1. You don't lodge your claim at the Post Office's website. The Post Office has nothing at all to do with deliveries, lost or otherwise. You lodge claims with Royal Mail, the carrier.  And Royal Mail does not need the recipient's email address.

2. You can't lodge a claim with any carrier unless and until you've suffered a loss.  You haven't suffered a loss until you've fully refunded your buyer. So even if you'd lodged a claim with the correct company, it would have been thrown out.

3. Ebay's system is fully automated. You failed to do what's expected of you and as instructed within the case, ie. refund in full by the stated date when a buyer claims Item Not Received and tracking does not prove delivery.  So the refund happened automatically when the buyer escalated the INR case to Ebay after you're failure to refund by the stated date.  As the system had to force a refund from you, you will have had a damaging defect slapped on your account for not refunding voluntarily by the stated date, and your selling fee will not have been credited back to your Ebay account.

4. It is not Ebay's job to compensate you for lost mail.  Now that the buyer has been refunded, you simply lodge a claim with Royal Mail using your Proof of Posting receipt. That's what it's for. Claim forms are available from any Post Office, or you can download or complete one at royalmail.com.

Everything you need to know about selling on Ebay, including what to do when a buyer opens a case or return request, is in the Seller Centre.  You should also read Ebay's Money Back Guarantee, so that you understand your buyer's rights and what's expected of you as a seller.  The MBG is on every listing, and in various other places across the site.

Wishing you all the best.

@baileynorris