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?

[95ardenfield · Accepted solution]

You don't need the recipient email address for a Royal Mail claim..case is closed on ebay as buyer has been refunded..cases are automated with zero human input

[baileynorris · Accepted solution]

Hi, following your comments regarding not needing the recipients email address, I have gone back into the claim and restarted it and although that question does not have an asterisk against it as required, it still declined me a few times before actually letting me progress, it was also a bit temperamental around the postage values and item value, but after a few goes, it has finally gone through, so thanks for your advise regarding not requiring the recipients email.

[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 

[tobiasd4]

Buyers can open item not received case 1 day after estimated delivery date & escalate 3 days later,

unless you can prove delivery, you have to refund buyer.

You then claim from RM, but they won't accept claim until 15 working days after posting.

As you found, you have to refund before you can open claim from RM, blame ebay.

[m25jet]

Although I haven't sold on eBay for a while now, when I used to sell on eBay I had a buyer open an Item Not Received case against me claiming that the item had never been delivered.  I put a trace on the tracking item and found out that an attempt had been made at delivery and the item had been taken back to his local Post Office awaiting collection.  He claimed not to have received the Royal Mail "Sorry, You Were Out" card, so I explained to him what the parcel looked like, including the colour of the parcel, the dimensions of the parcel and even other things that he wouldn't have been able to tell the Post Office unless he was the intended recipient, such as the fact that the postage label had been stuck on lop-sided and was a bit creased.  I advised him to take some ID with him to prove that he was the intended recipient of the item and to give the staff of the Post Office the description of the package that I have explained to him, and when I next checked the tracking the item had been collected but the buyer had not closed the case.  As a result of that I got in touch with eBay Customer Services and asked them to put a trace on the tracking number, and when they saw that the item had been collected and signed for they closed the case in my favour and relinquished the hold on the funds from the transaction.

With regards to your own case keep tabs on that tracking number.  Given the fact that there is still a backlog of post owing to a combination of the Christmas rush, as well as the fact that the Royal Mail have been understaffed due to staff sickness owing to Covid19, it may well be the case that the item was delayed in transit.  Therefore, if the item subsequently arrives and you can prove that the item was delivered, albeit belatedly, contact eBay Customer Services again and appeal the original decision, presenting them with the fresh evidence that you have to prove successful delivery of the item.  In this scenario argue your case very firmly that the buyer should not be entitled to receive a total refund and get to keep the item, and demand that the money is refunded to your account.

So long as you can prove that the item has been delivered, even if it was delivered late, then you should be able to appeal the matter and get the original decision overturned.  If that does indeed happen you will get your money back in full; however, if the item does end up being delivered belatedly but eBay will not refund your money then contact PayPal about the matter and ask them to put a trace on the tracking number, making sure that you emphasise the fact that eBay have given the buyer an unjustified refund.  PayPal tend to investigate cases far more thoroughly than eBay do, so if you do have to contact PayPal to resolve the matter then so long as the tracking proves that the item was successfully delivered to the address on the PayPal confirmation of payment e-mail they will revoke the refund to the buyer and reinstante the funds into your own account.

[nh2928-c3lqtel]

Hi there 

[nh2928-c3lqtel]

Hi there I need my refund money back I purchase on February 23/20 I don’t got any delivery please

[nh2928-c3lqtel]

My items was golden life cream 12 pieces