International Buyer claimed not received item 2 months later.

[jdestiny718]

International Buyer claimed not received item 2 months later. What should I do?

One of my international buyer purchased the item on Jan 4, 2012. As March 1, 2012 today, she send me e-mail saying she did not receive her item. On my shipping it indicated clearly that International order is 6 to 18 business days (excluding weekends and holidays). I didn’t hear anything from her for all those time, I assumed she receive her item. Why contact me 2 months later? Why not earlier.

Usually, if the buyer did not receive their item, they contact me pretty fast and I always tell them to wait for a month. Until then if they did not receive their item. I will send a replacement. However for this case, no word from this buyer at all until now. What should I do?

[femmefan1946]

Well she's too late to open an INR dispute. One saving grace. but she still has 10 days to leave feedback and DSRs.

If you used Expedited Parcel or ExpressPost, give her the shipping invoice number and encourage her to ask at her post office. It may be sitting on a shelf- waiting for her to pay customs.

If you used Small Packet (Surface or Air) again give her the number but also PHONE Canada Post and start a "loss in mail" insurance claim. You may have to call back in a few days depending on how long the clerk says the waiting period is. Give the customer this number too, although, frankly it would be  a stalling tactic to get you past the feedback deadline.Tell the customer that you have started the insurance claim and ask her to cooperate with her nation\s postal inspectors.

If you used LetterPost or Light Packet, just refund.

Is the money you have in hand worth more than the fallout from a neg and trashed DSRs?

If she does neg, you can Respond. I would suggest giving the date of shipping and the shipping # in your Response.

[femmefan1946]

Two further notes. Make sure that the clerk knows you sent COSTUME jewelry. Canada Post has restrictions on insurance for fine jewelry.

And Swarovski is a trademark. You should not be using it for off-brand items. The older term of "rhinestones" is not copyright nor is cubic zirconia (although I think that may be a different product.)

[jdestiny718]

Thank you for your advice.

[craftycatsattic]

I used to be employed by the biggest costume jewellery manufacturer in Canada.  Swarovski is a trademark but the correct term for the stones used is "Austrian Crystal"...unless things have changed in the last 25 years!

[femmefan1946]

I've often thought rhinestones were just glass* with a good PR campaign and Swarovski was glass with a very good PR campaign.

It is interesting to read early 20th century detective novels, where the expensive jewels are revealed to be "just paste" because the husband has gambled away the money he got for pawning the real stones.  And mid-century references to "rhinestones" as something cheap and tawdry. Yet today Swarovski in particular is coveted and collected.

* I have some "crystal" wineglasses and they are a form of glass too, not carved from a single piece of quartz or amythest.