eBay

m_gabe · ‎03-07-2021

Hi all,

Just looking for some direction as this is the first time I’ve had this issue.

I shipped an item via letter post from Canada to USA. The item itself was inside of a plastic hard case (top loader for those familiar with card products) and then sealed in a plastic adhesive backed bag so nothing can fall out.

Buyer messaged me today, says the envelope had the top loader and plastic adhesive bag but no item inside of it. So basically, the envelope with the bag and plastic shell.

It seems fishy to me as the buyer is a new account, has never made a purchase until mine and to date (about a month later) has not made another purchase.

I have photos of my packaging, I packed it myself so I know it wasn’t a mistake on the selling end.

Right now the buyer has opened a “item not received” case and I am just wondering how to respond.

There’s no tracking code since it was letter post but they sent me a photo with the same envelope that I have photos of so delivery is confirmed.

Either Canada Post or USPS opened it, took the item out and repackaged or the buyer is being dishonest about it.

I wanted to involve eBay in the matter but it doesn’t look like I can for 3 business days? Would that be the best approach, or do you just refund and walk away (seems in poor taste if mail fraud has actually occurred).

Thanks

femmefan1946 · ‎03-07-2021

Without tracking you would lose a Not Received dispute automatically, so while I agree this is fish-adjacent, that would have been an easier dispute to file.

Respond to the Dispute-- hmm this is an official dispute, right, not just a Message telling you of the problem--I believe you get an eBay email telling you if there is a formal Dispute opened.

If you did, also check the extended address.

Scammers try not to file Disputes. They depend on sob stories and bullying.

Your photos will be ignored by eBay. They are mediators and in any case photos and video can be doctored.

But, no tracking, so I can only hope that the item was not high value because you are working in a high fraud category. And it seems as often the seller as the buyer.

Each of us has to decide, at what point we stop using cheap, reliable, fast, but untrackable LetterPost, and move to tracked Parcel rates which start around $12 for regional domestic service and soar after that.

Choose too low an amount and your profits get eaten up by refunds and return shipping fees.

Choose too high, and you lose sales, and sit on a lot of unsold merch.

So we use Cookie Jar Insurance, tossing a few virtual pennies into a virtual Cookie Jar for each sale and when/if there is a problem cover the costs from the Cookie Jar. Boring people refer to this as self-insurance.

femmefan1946 · ‎03-07-2021

BTW - your low end cards.

Buyers hate all shipping, but are especially annoyed when shipping is higher than the asking price.

Consider Free Shipping.

This just means adding your shipping costs (including packaging) to the asking price. Buyers know it's not free, but love it anyway.

And generally, you can't make money on $2.00 items. Those are the ones that you bundle. Rather than one card for $2 plus $2 shipping - a total of $4, you offer 5 cards for $19.99/ Free Shipping.

marnotom! · ‎03-07-2021

Did the buyer really open an “item not received” and not an “item not as described” claim? They should have opened the latter, but . . . 🤷‍

mcrlmn · ‎03-07-2021

@marnotom! wrote:
Did the buyer really open an “item not received” and not an “item not as described” claim? They should have opened the latter, but . . . 🤷‍

Why?

The item wasn't received.

Sorry to dissappoint, but I would've done the same.

My advise to the OP is to refund the buyer.

There is no point in dragging the matter out.

The outcome will favour the buyer.

pjcdn2005 · ‎03-07-2021

@mcrlmn wrote:
@marnotom! wrote:
Did the buyer really open an “item not received” and not an “item not as described” claim? They should have opened the latter, but . . . 🤷‍

Why?
The item wasn't received.
Sorry to dissappoint, but I would've done the same.

My advise to the OP is to refund the buyer.
There is no point in dragging the matter out.
The outcome will favour the buyer.

If you had done the same as a buyer and there was tracking showing delivery, you would have lost since ebay looks only to see if the tracking shows if the item was delivered. But I agree that in the 'real world' it does make sense to open an item not received when you've only received the envelope, not the item itself.

It also makes sense for the op to just refund the buyer now as ebay will not rule in the sellers favour as there is no tracking in this case. Even if the buyer had opened an item not as described, the seller would end up refunding as ebay always assumes that the buyer is unhappy and they want the seller to make things right.

femmefan1946 · ‎03-07-2021

But--

The buyer should be encouraged to open a case--whatever the reason-- with eBay.

I suspect, being old and cranky, that the card arrived just fine, and that the buyer has done this before.

Possibly targetting relatively new sellers who might be more susceptible to bullying.

The reason for the formal Dispute is to put the buyer on notice with eBay.

Buyers who have "too many" Disputes can lose the right to the Money Back Guarantee, and that helps all of us.

Yes, the OP will lose the dispute. But if he promptly refunds, there will be no blowback for him.

The hope is that a scammer finds his scam doesn't work anymore.

@m_gabe If the Dispute has been opened, refund promptly.

If the Dispute is not formally open, do not refund until it is.

If it ever is.

Gamers gonna game.

mcrlmn · ‎03-08-2021

@pjcdn2005 wrote:
@mcrlmn wrote:
The item wasn't received.
My advise to the OP is to refund the buyer.
There is no point in dragging the matter out.
The outcome will favour the buyer.
If you had done the same as a buyer and there was tracking showing delivery, you would have lost

Did I miss something?

Or is this just another 'just sayin' short story moment?

The seller didn't ship with tracking.

Of course, if he had shipped with tracking, the outcome would be different.

But that's not the scenerio the OP is concerned about.

marnotom! · ‎03-08-2021

@mcrlmn wrote:
Why?
The item wasn't received.
Sorry to dissappoint, but I would've done the same.

My advise to the OP is to refund the buyer.
There is no point in dragging the matter out.
The outcome will favour the buyer.

The item may not have been received, but the package was. Would you have done the same if the package had tracking showing delivery?

Agree that refunding the buyer ASAP is in the seller's best interests.