USPS attempted delivery... Item returned to me

[toner3k7c]

Sent an item to USA from Canada, and received it back today.   

Tracking notes state :

"Recipient not located at address provided. Item being returned to sender."   Delivery was re-attempted over a 4 day period

I paid the shipping and now will end up paying return shipping ( a total of $90 on a $240 item)

I have not yet contacted the buyer, and they have not yet contacted me complaining about non-delivery.  Original sale was just over 30 days ago.

So what do I do ?

[hlmacdon]

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@toner3k7c wrote:

Sent an item to USA from Canada, and received it back today.   

Tracking notes state :

"Recipient not located at address provided. Item being returned to sender."   Delivery was re-attempted over a 4 day period

I paid the shipping and now will end up paying return shipping ( a total of $90 on a $240 item)

I have not yet contacted the buyer, and they have not yet contacted me complaining about non-delivery.  Original sale was just over 30 days ago.

So what do I do ?

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Not much of anything you can do. If a buyer doesn't provide a valid address they are on the hook for the original shipping cost. return shipping costs get a bit more nebulous. USPS generally doesn't charge return shipping for failed delivery, not sure on the Canada Post side for international shipments, have experienced that with domestic parcels.  Usually in a situation like this I send them a paypal refund for the item cost once the package has been returned and send them an ebay message letting them know this has been done and if they would like the item reshipped you would need a correct address and new shipping charges would apply. That is generally what ebay has recommended in the past. 

Was the address an apartment/townhouse? USPS will often refuse to deliver without a unit number. With higher value shipments I'll often google the address for that reason. I mainly use the US postage providers as I am close to the border and those have address verification which will check an address as well as get the extended zip code info (4 digit suffix). There are some online tools, most are pay services but some have limited free lookups like this one which seems accurate based on a sample run of 3 addresses I just tried.

Unfortunately other times you just get a plain wrong address or worse someone who refuses a delivery.

[esclyons]

a sticky wicket for sure,, sometimes Canada post dings for return shipping and sometimes they don't, you won't know until you receive your item back.. i would double check the address, supplied by paypal, and confirm it was valid.. i think this would be worthy of a few phone calls, as you did what you should have.. and shouldn't be penalized for it.. best of luck to you...

First i would email the buyer and ask for an address verification.. then if it matches where you sent it, then go from there.

[femmefan1946]

Don't do anything until you have your item back.

If, in the meantime, your buyer opens an Item Not Received claim, your defence is that delivery was attempted but was not possible.

You should offer a refund, since ethically you cannot have both the item and the payment.

But the refund should be the payment left over after shipping and return shipping(if any) are subtracted.

So if the item cost $240 plus $90 shipping , and IF Canada Post charges you $90 (or more) (or less--it could happen) then, in my opinion, you only owe the buyer $60.  

There is no reason for the seller to be out of pocket for the buyer's error.