Do I declare OR is it case closed.

[palstave]

I as a seller had a parcel to be collected by DHL. As I did not change my selling address with Ebay DHL went to my old address. Missing them I took the parcel to a collection point and got the label and a receipt but DHL did not pick it up along with other peoples parcels. The buyer reached out to Ebay and we all got compensated. The buyer got there postage cost back and I got the sale price in my balance. I went to the collection point shop and retrieved the parcel. Can I keep the parcel and sell it privately to the original buyer? Can I sell it to the original buyer through Ebay thus giving Ebay a chance to continue the original sale? Do I have to declare to Ebay the recovering of the parcel so they can ask for a refund? Has it got nothing to do with Ebay now as they have settled and marked the case as closed?

[thesmokingrunner · Accepted solution]

Wow @palstave  - this is a good one...

From a moral point of view you should, technically, declare: you call eBay, explain what happened and they take the money out of your account. Practically, however, that ain't gonna happen. eBay isn't really bothered:  it's one sale out of millions, worth a couple of quid at most to their bottom line, and even if they were aware of what happened they don't really care. It's just not worth eBay's time or effort trying to recover the money paid to you.

As far as eBay is concerned the matter is now closed: the buyer has been refunded the shipping cost and you have been allowed to keep the original payment because the transaction was covered by the Buyer Protection Fee.

To answer each of your questions:

- Can I keep the parcel and sell it privately to the original buyer? Yes

- Can I sell it to the original buyer through Ebay thus giving Ebay a chance to continue the original sale? If you want to, yes, you can: as with the original sale the buyer would pay the Buyer Protection Fee and the cost of Simple Delivery and eBay would take their cut from that. Both you and the buyer would also be covered for a repeat of the situation you mention.

- Do I have to declare to Ebay the recovering of the parcel so they can ask for a refund? No

- Has it got nothing to do with Ebay now as they have settled and marked the case as closed? As far as eBay are concerned what happens after a case is closed is nothing to do with them.

I get the impression that you want to do the right thing - refund eBay - so everyone is put back into the same position they were prior to the original transaction. eBay, however, is not set up to process refunds to itself so you'd be flogging a dead horse there.

The closest you're going to get is to relist and sell the item on eBay in order that eBay 'earn' the income from the BPF and SD again - and may even get to keep it second time round.

As for the original payment - look, if you really do feel uncomfortable about keeping it you could always give it to charity. Pass it on - it would be appreciated far more than giving the money back to eBay.

[papso22]

Just to clarify this bit:

As far as eBay is concerned the matter is now closed: the buyer has been refunded the shipping cost and you have been allowed to keep the original payment because the transaction was covered by the Buyer Protection Fee.

In fact the seller was allowed to keep the original payment because of seller protection under Simple Delivery, nothing to do with the BPF.

[thesmokingrunner]

Fair point @papso22 

I stand (well, sit...) corrected.

[palstave]

Thank You you took the thoughts out of my head. It confirms everything and your right I do want to do the right thing. I can relist the item again and i'm sure if Ebay want to they will pick up on it if they feel they have to. I doubt it as look at the massive profits they are making from Buyer Protection. They probably will say 'good on the seller' as they see their policy works.

[xyz307xyz]

Technically I don't think Simple Delivery protects it, as DHL SD is collection only. But I don't think ebay have any defined process to handle what happened.

[papso22]

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@xyz307xyz wrote:

Technically I don't think Simple Delivery protects it, as DHL SD is collection only. But I don't think ebay have any defined process to handle what happened.

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Why would the courier collecting it make any difference to the seller being covered for it not arriving or being damaged in transit?

[thesmokingrunner]

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@xyz307xyz wrote:

Technically I don't think Simple Delivery protects it, as DHL SD is collection only. But I don't think ebay have any defined process to handle what happened.

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Whether the item is collected by a courier or not is irrelevant @xyz307xyz  - when shipped using SD an item is covered "from the point the item is scanned into the carrier's delivery network and until it is marked as delivered" (https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/selling/posting-items/setting-postage-options/simple-delivery?id=5575&st... refers).

In other words if a courier collects from a seller's house the item is covered the from the moment the item is scanned on collection; if a seller takes the item to a collection point it is not covered while the seller is in transit to the collection point.

[xyz307xyz]

Because ebay and DHL have agreed to DHL collecting their items from a seller's given address and haven't agreed to DHL collecting them from drop off points. 

& @thesmokingrunner 

[thesmokingrunner]

And?

It's irrelevant precisely where the item enters the system: once it is scanned by the carrier it is covered under the terms of SD.

Ok, so eBay and DHL have agreed to DHL collecting items from a seller's given address. Great. The item is covered from the point of collection. If the seller is sending the item with Royal Mail the item is covered either from the point at which it is scanned at a Post Office or the point at which it is collected from the seller's home address.

I'm not sure what point you are trying to make.

[papso22]

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@xyz307xyz wrote:

Because ebay and DHL have agreed to DHL collecting their items from a seller's given address and haven't agreed to DHL collecting them from drop off points. 

& @thesmokingrunner 

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How do you know the details of the agreement between ebay and DHL?

[xyz307xyz]

I think we'll just need to agree to disagree. EBay states:

"If your item is being delivered by DHL, your parcel will always be collected at your home and your label will be brought to you when your item is being collected. "

Why didn't they add - "or you can take it to a drop off point"?

I think there's a difference for DHL, in giving an item to someone wearing a DHL uniform (I don't know if they are all employees as such) who is then responsible for the item (until handing it over to someone else) and puts in their van; to giving it to shop staff at a drop off point who puts it somewhere in the shop (if they have room for it) and has e.g. finished their shift before DHL arrives.

It may be that DHL/ebay/the drop off points are all happy with the scenario in the last paragraph and have sorted out what happens commercially if e.g. an item goes missing at the drop off point. But, to me, ebay's statement suggests they either haven't got those arrangements or want to minimise how much it's used, by not telling sellers it's an option.

[xyz307xyz]

You are correct. I don't know the details of the agreement. It could be in the agreement but ebay just don't want sellers to use it.

Feel free to do things that ebay state you cannot do. It doesn't affect me.

[papso22]

I think the OP confused things and created the issue by going 'off piste' and taking it to a delivery point.

I don't think having items collected from your house makes any difference to a seller's protection under SD.

[xyz307xyz]

Do what you like. Anyone else reading, please see the various statements ebay have made e.g. below and form your own interpretation.

"If your item is being delivered by DHL, your parcel will always be collected at your home and your label will be brought to you when your item is being collected. "
"DHL - Cannot be excluded • Used for large parcels • No printer required • Collection only"
"For a DHL collection: Weighs up to 30kg Dimensions should not exceed 120cm x 80cm x 80cm" (compared to "For a Royal Mail parcel shop drop-off or collection:")