eBay

msmith782 · ‎10-31-2020

I had a buyer put in for an item not received - they didn't contact me first. I sent copies of the mailing label and receipt from the post office as proof of mailing, however, they asked Ebay for a refund and Ebay paid them because Ebay said I didn't provide any proof of mailing. I might add when I tried to send a copy of the labels to Ebay there is no place to add attachments - there is only a place for Tracking number. Very annoying for the seller. Also the Buyer didn't pay for item immediately - they emailed me asking me for more time to pay. Kind of think they are scammers and I paid the price , buyer from Canada but wanted item shipped to India. Has anyone out there had this problem?

marnotom! · ‎10-31-2020

"This problem" is called the occasional sale that doesn't go to plan and doesn't make you money. Most sellers make allowances in their business plan for something like this happening, particularly if they sell mostly inexpensive items that aren't worth shipping by expensive trackable mailing methods.

Your buyer's claim was that they hadn't received your item, not that you hadn't shipped it out. I think if you re-read your correspondence from eBay, you'll find that they wanted evidence that the buyer had received their item in order to call it out as bogus. You couldn't provide that, so the buyer was presumed to have a case and refunded. I suspect you'll be owing eBay the money that you say they paid out to them.

You may have been scammed, you may not. A request to have the item delivered to an address other than the registered one on file with eBay is often a red flag, but not always. My understanding is that India has a problematic customs bureaux. Mailed items have been known to disappear from there, or customs workers try hitting up the recipients of mailed goods for "compensation".

Most of the items you currently have for sale are inexpensive and low-risk enough that you can continue sending them internationally by untracked mail. What you may want to consider is adding a small amount to your handling charge to go toward a fund for refunds of this manner. Some people call this "self-insurance" or "cookie jar insurance". Raid your cookie jar for the refund instead of having to write something like this off as a business expense. If you do start getting hit with a lot of claims like this, you'll have to revise your business plan.

kawartha-ephemera · ‎10-31-2020

Most if not all who have been selling for a year or two have had an occasional sale end like this. There's no defence against such a claim unless one can produce a delivery confirmation. What shipping service was used?

brettjet38 · ‎10-31-2020

"I might add when I tried to send a copy of the labels to Ebay there is no place to add attachments - there is only a place for Tracking number."

The two KEY words here are "Tracking Number" the ONLY thing eBay cares about and it must show "delivered"...

Did you use a shipping service with tracking?

reallynicestamps · ‎10-31-2020

India is one of only four countries I will not ship to. They seem to have an inadequate postal system.

EBay (and Paypal) do not want proof of mailing.

The name of the Dispute is Item Not Received.

You have to prove that the item was recieved and that means using a TRACKED shipping method.

The lowest price I see for TRACKED INTERNATIONAL shipping is $14.15 for a package under 100 gr.

You may already have this bookmarked:

https://www.canadapost.ca/information/app/far/business/findARate?execution=e1s1

but it is a worthwhile resource.

If you used Surface shipping, which is the cheapest one, the buyer may not see his purchase for two or three months, making Surface more expensive than Air Mail, due to INR Disputes.

buyer from Canada but wanted item shipped to India.

Hmm-- do you mean your buyer asked that you ship to an address that was not on his eBay nor his Paypal account?

That's another reason why the Dispute was lost. The buyer who asks this after purchase has to add the new address.

If he doesn't you can Cancel the transaction as "problem with address" since we are only required to ship to the address of record.

There are many Indo-Canadians who might be shipping back to the old country, and this is not usually a problem, but the address must be the one eBay knows.

donkeykongvsbowser_7 · ‎10-31-2020

Did you basically ship without a tracking number?

zee-chan · ‎11-01-2020

@msmith782 wrote:

Also the Buyer didn't pay for item immediately - they emailed me asking me for more time to pay.

buyer from Canada but wanted item shipped to [another address].

For future reference, these are both telltale signs of a scammer.

Communication should be done via eBay message only, not via e-mail.

Never agree to ship to a different location than the ones that was in your eBay order details and Paypal invoice. If they want to be shipped to a different address, cancel and refund the transaction, and ask them to re-buy the item with the correct address updated on their account. If they refused to do so, then yeah, they are likely to be a scammer.

mcrlmn · ‎11-01-2020

"I sent copies of the mailing label and receipt from the post office as proof of mailing"

Ebay's definition of proof of mailing is a tracking number.

That's the only thing they want a copy of.

msmith782 · ‎11-01-2020

I shipped Canada Post and sent buyer a copy of the mailing label and a copy of the receipt from Canada Post that I received when I dropped off parcel.

msmith782 · ‎11-01-2020

yes, I shipped Small Pkt Intl Air which has no tracking

pjcdn2005 · ‎11-01-2020

@zee-chan wrote:
@msmith782 wrote:

Also the Buyer didn't pay for item immediately - they emailed me asking me for more time to pay.

buyer from Canada but wanted item shipped to [another address].
For future reference, these are both telltale signs of a scammer.

——————-

Not necessarily. I’ve sent lower cost packages to a different address, especially at Christmas, without a problem although I probably wouldn’t do so if the new address was in another country. I
Plus, unless you use tracking, you aren’t covered regardless of the address sent to.

in the past year or so a favourite scam seems to be that someone other than the buyer with a different eBay ID will message the seller asking for the item to be sent to a different address. I’ve read about quite a few sellers who fell for that.

mcrlmn · ‎11-02-2020

@msmith782 wrote:
I shipped Canada Post and sent buyer a copy of the mailing label and a copy of the receipt from Canada Post that I received when I dropped off parcel.

yes, I shipped Small Pkt Intl Air which has no tracking

How about this way...

Ebay wants a tracking number as proof of delivery.

bearlover69 · ‎11-02-2020

1. You say you shipped an item - but I guess you didn't use Tracking
Did you get a Receipt from the Post Office (I assume so)

2. the Buyer was from Canada- or so you Assume. and Had the item Sent to India?

3. Could it be that you didn't allow enough time for the item to arrive, and In Fact the Customer did not get it - by the Delivery Time?

4. If the Buyer has not got the Item, then Maybe they Think they have been Scammed as well.

5. You say the Buyer wanted More time to Pay for Something..
So you Put it on "Layaway"?

Unfortunately, it's come to the Point - Where Some Transactions, with Buyers and Sellers, Mistrust Each Other- And Perhaps Tracking with a Signature, is Going to be Mandatory.

Last Week, I've had a Parcel (from another Online Vendor) say that it's been delivered to the Address....though it hasn't arrived.

Is it Lost in the Mail or Stolen?

Who would benefit - if items, were being Shipped but Not getting delivered? Well, I guess the Postal Services would - if Sellers had to Start Shipping Stuff with Tracking and Require Signatures.

I reiterate that I've had Problems..
The Saying at the Card Table:
Trust Everyone But Cut the Deck!

Just last week I Posted an Idea on Another Site:

I've gone to the Post Office so many times.. and there's been nothing there.

Here's My Dragon's Den Idea:

Why not have a Mail Notification at the Post Office

They Push Open a Lid to put something in -/Push a Button - Or a Censor Detects Something; and Sends a Notification to your Email or Smart Phone=

BLING- You've Got Mail!

Think of How Many Needless Trips that could Eliminate!

Or Possibly Calls to the Post Office to see if something is there?

bearlover69 · ‎11-02-2020

I just want to add:

If a Buyer doesn't contact you 1st and Puts in for an Item Not Received - what is that Implying?

I believe I've contacted Sellers for items not received - before filing a Claim...
What if the Seller, offers to reship the item.. is that a Good Idea?
the Problem I see with that "solution" is:

They may not reship the item or it may not get delivered -AGAIN?
The Seller, may be Stalling for Time to have the eBay "Buyer Protection" run out.

What if the Seller Ignores your Message, as I've had happen.

Sometimes a Buyer, is just tired of the Deal - and wants to Recoup, and Perhaps Reorder from another Seller.

mcrlmn · ‎11-02-2020

Never accept a replacement

reallynicestamps · ‎11-02-2020

Is it Lost in the Mail or Stolen?

Or was it never sent in the first place?

Which with untracked cheap mail from overseas is an ongoing possibility.

Which is why we should never accept an offer of a replacement-- it won't be sent either.

And then.... porch pirates are a possiblity, especially since Canada Post reminded us in an email today, that they are currently neither guaranteeing ontime delivery nor Signature Confirmation of Delivery.

Why not have a Mail Notification at the Post Office

This already exists.

When a tracked parcel is being Held at the PO, the recipient gets an email and/OR a Delivery Notice in his mailbox about where and when it can be picked up. No point in going to the PO just to ask, check your mailbox and your emails first.

bearlover69 · ‎11-03-2020

The problem with Just Scanning an item at the P.O. - you'll get an email... "Delivered"
That doesn't Guarantee that it's been "Delivered" ; or that there is something in your mail box..such as the case of my missing item last week.

If there was a Sensor or Button, DIRECTLY ATTACHED to YOUR MAILBOX.. then it does indicate something has been Physically -PUT IN YOUR MAILBOX

The Card Notification is Good... at least then, you can present it for Pick Up - and they must produce it. However; they only leave a Card Notification in your mailbox..if the item, can't be put in the Mailbox.

Signatures are the ONLY way to Guarantee that the Buyer has Actually Received a Parcel, Unfortunately. And the Only People it Benefits, is the Postal Service.

a51split · ‎11-03-2020

@msmith782 wrote:
.... and a copy of the receipt from Canada Post that I received when I dropped off parcel.

Since you shipped via Small Packet Air, which has no tracking, getting the receipt from Canada Post is a worthless activity. That receipt has no value, so you might as well stop wasting your time getting it.

When I send by Small Packet Air, I use stamps and drop it in the red box down the street. My method of shipping holds equal value as yours in the eyes of Ebay and Paypal.

Saving a copy of the label is just as worthless.