Paid $16.03 to ship an item to the US via Canada Post...but no tracking given?

[chaldo2010]

I paid $16.03 CA to ship an item I sold to the US (Las Vegas). However, I wasn't given a tracking number. $16 is enough or isn't it? I am a Venture One holder as well but was not asked by post office clerk to use it.

[theafkgamer · Accepted solution]

Do you know what service you used? If you used Small Packet, there is no tracking number. If you used any parcel service besides Small Packet, there is a tracking number.

Did you not ask the clerk?

[chaldo2010]

Thank you. I paid for Small Packet - I'm still shocked I did not receive a tracking number for $16's worth.

Next time I'm definitely going to ask for tracking, as I have a buyer who has been harassing me with eBay messages 3 days straight about their item which I shipped literally 4 work days ago to the US. There goes my weekend.

[femmefan1946]

You only need tracking if the buyer claims non-delivery. By providing the Confirmation of Delivery number to Paypal, you win the case.

How often do you get such claims? The postal system is very good at what they do, and actual loss in the mail is rare. (Oddly, after about 30 years in mail order, eBay buyers seem to make more such claims than any other group.)

If you have such a claim, just refund the customer. Try to have him wait until Day 30 after shipping, since most items take only about 14-20 days to arrive.

You do NOT want him to make a PP claim. That will hurt your eBay business more than the loss on the parcel, which is a business expense in any case.

Do ask him to refund the refund when the item arrives. He might. In fact, if there really is a delay there is a good chance he will.

If you cannot afford to use a Delivery Confirmed service, like ExpressPost, consider using Cookie Jar Insurance. This just means you add a few pennies to every asking price (based on how many items you actually lose annually) to make up for the occasional loss. This is also called self-insurance. If you have a claim, you pull those virtual pennies out of the virtual Cookie Jar and pay back the unhappy customer.

[femmefan1946]

Another thought.

Do you have a printer at home?

If so, you should be printing out your shipping labels through Paypal at home.

You will get a discount of 5%- to 18% off counter prices for many services.

You can drop the parcel into the nearest corner post box. No lining up.

The label will have a number.

Now, those numbers are mostly a bookkeeping thing for Canada Post, but honest customers are often soothed by having the number, which might also be used byCP for tracking and insurance, btw. The number says the label has been purchased, and probably the parcel is in the mailstream somewhere. Dishonest customers may assume there is tracking on the parcel and not try any scams.