Need advice - case opened against me however item confirmed as delivered

[haidabear1]

Hello,

I sold an item which was delivered by recorded delivery and signed for by the buyer on the 16th July 2020  at 1.51pm however he has opened a case against me for non delivery.

I have responded three times to the request for information sent by ebay and they are stating my credibilty is at risk if I don't refund the buyer even though he has signed for the item.

I have responded on three occasions to ebay by providing the requested information and this information was also uploaded onto the tracking information once I posted the item therefore I do not understand why I should refund the buyer who is in receipt of the item. I cannot further update the tracking information as ebay won't grant me access therefore can anyone offer any advice please.

Ebay have stated they will take the money from my account despite it being signed for which goes against their own policies. It clearly states delivered on the royal mail website as well. In addition the buyer refuses to reply to the request.

Any thoughts?

Kind regards

[rusticrye · Accepted solution]

The buyer cannot have signed for the package. If you have a read on Royal Mail's website (or any carrier's website), you'll see that this is not currently allowed due to Covid health and safety reasons. The postie is the person who will have signed, and should have signed with 'Covid 19' or 'C19'.

In any case, just because you have a signature does not mean that the buyer has received the package. It may have been misdelivered - it happens - or Royal Mail may have a thieving postie on their hands. However, that is the buyer's problem, not yours. Ebay do not refund a buyer when tracking proves delivery, so you need to sort out this tracking update problem asap. Request-a-callback is available during working hours, so do that first thing in the morning, and point the agent at the tracking on Royal Mail's website. They should close the case in your favour. Do not rely on simply writing in the case, as the case system is fully automated - no human at Ebay will ever look at it unless you make contact outside of the case.

In the meantime, accept that the buyer may be telling you the truth. Most buyers are honest folk. Tell them to check around the property, and with family members and near neighbours, as this almost always turns the item up. But if not, the buyer will have to contact Royal Mail themselves, so that RM can investigate. If they've misdelivered and can't retrieve the package, they, Royal Mail, will have to compensate the buyer. Tell the buyer that you can't refund them when tracking shows delivery, or be made to refund, because you can't lodge a claim with Royal Mail for your loss - because tracking shows delivery. Most buyers don't understand that, and need it spelling out.

@haidabear1 

[haidabear1 · Accepted solution]

The buyer has currently refused to answer 4 enquiries in the resolution centre that I have sent regarding the item.

I cannot update the tracking information as I added it originally to the item once I had posted it and hence the error message.

The item was signed for by the postie however this was actioned before the person came to the door, the item was then returned to the depot in Swindon awaiting collection or redelivery, sadly the buyer cannot seem to understand the meaning of the card that is left in place of the item for them to either rearrange delivery or to collect the item.

The buyer has since decided to open a case against me for non delivery despite the royal mail attempting delivery, honestly you couldn't make this up. Your advice is sound and I contacted ebay this morning (they don't make it easy at all these days).

Once an item has been delivered I always add a note to state the day of delivery and time, leave it a couple of days then delete it as I did here however the day after he opened a claim against me so I couldn't contact him though I did attempt 4 contacts via the reolution centre however with no reply from the buyer whatsoever.

On every item I sell I email the buyer with a message stating the item has been posted with the service, ie 2nd recorded, expected day of arrival, possible delays ie covid and what to do it your item doesn't appear, like checking the royal mail track and trace website.....but no, its easier to log a complaint than use your brain...........and follow simple instructions provided free.

I appreciate your time and wisdom - thank you

[angelah1847]

You say you have responded to ebay on 3 occasions.

Have you actually added the tracking to the case?

Did you post the package to the address that Paypal gave you when the buyer paid?

Does the tracking show delivery to that address?

[haidabear1]

Hello, the tracking number was added to the item once I had posted it,

I always post to the address on Paypal with no exceptions

The royal mail track and trace confirms the item was signed for and delivered with the date and time of the delivery

I cannot readd the tracking to the case as ebay won't allow me too, likely because its already been added at the time of posting which I do on all items as a matter of habit

[angelah1847]

Even though you added it to the sale at the time you posted the item, when a buyer opens a case the seller has to add the tracking again to win the case, if you don't respond directly to the case then ebay could close it in the buyer's favour I'm afraid.

[haidabear1]

When I try to add the tracking information again it states in red letters: Invalid tracking information though my receipt confirms the information is correct and the item has been signed for - therefore it is ebay who is preventing me from updating this information, there is obviously an error with ebay as I cannot update this information so why should this go against me as the information is there.

Could it be that two days after the item was signed for I deleted the item from my sold list? however I would expect a big company such as ebay has a history of this somewhere on its massive servers?

[haidabear1]

As I can prove the item has been signed for by the receipient I am fully prepared to go down the small claims court route with ebay and the buyer

[papso22]

Then you need to contact ebay CS.

[haidabear1]

Papso22 - I think you may be correct, just spent the last 30 minutes doing screen shoots of the relevant pages (just in case) its a bit faffy but screen shots don't lie!

Thank you, much appreciated. I will keep you informed and updated on ebays stance on this matter

Kind regards

[haidabear1]

An update: I contacted ebay customer services this lunchtime and spoke it through with them. They updated the tracking information which had already been added to the item by me on the day of posting, they confirmed the item had been signed for and therefore I was not responsible and the case was closed.

In short, the buyer should've read the email I sent to him - which provides the tracking number and possible delays due to the current circumstances etc after which I also add the tracking number to the record however for reasons that are only known to that buyer submitting a claim seems the only way to go rather than contacting the royal mail on the little card they provide. As the item was signed for by the recipient as far as ebay are concerned the case is closed.

Thank you all for your advice.

Kind regards