why are more customers filing item not received? This is for items mailed overseas.

[orphanitems]

Hi I seem to be getting more and more Item Not Received cases filed.

Is there some Change in the system that I missed?

One buyer in the US  filed the day after the estimated delivery date!

Item mailed JANUARY 7, Filed JANUARY 17.

They also said that it says on Ebay that the item has not been sent.

I paid for the shipping through PAYPAL, and mailed it the same day - it shows at my end that it was mailed.

Not sure what to make of it.

In my opinion the estimated dates of delivery are rubbish, and customers are getting the idea that something can be mailed from small town Canada - and arrive in small town US within 7-10 business days?

ANY IDEAS? 

[cumos55]

Selling overseas will always be a difficult option.....

--- Long delivery time

--- High cost

--- impatient  buyers.

--- poor postal tracking...... pay for it   but postal service ... Canada Post.... did not provide evidence the parcel left Canada....  no excuse  with respect to foreign postal services and lack of tracking..

Situation --- Two defects last summer with overseas sales.

my answer... No more sales outside Canada and the US

I was always walking a tightrope... now  that  overseas option for sales is 100 % gone.... no more tightrope

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and then.... One gets the impression that exposure to potential buyers in the US and Canada  has gone up.

Did Cassini make an adjustment to my decision ... no more sales outside Canada and the US?   or was  my new found lower level of stress in selling.

Many times  we do not realize  the level of stress we have to endure......and then... when that stress is gone... there is a big let down.....  no more sales overseas became a reduction in stress.....  and became a greater focus in selling to Canadian and US buyers...  and then Cassini responded to my new focus....

[lady.stark]

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@orphanitems wrote:

They also said that it says on Ebay that the item has not been sent.

I paid for the shipping through PAYPAL, and mailed it the same day - it shows at my end that it was mailed.

Not sure what to make of it.

---

If you used Small packet or Light packet and gave the false tracking number to the buyer, it may explains why he thinks the item has not been mailed, because it does not show acceptance at the Post Office. Is it a new buyer?

[cumos55]

For sales to the US  my view is to communicate effectively....

Handling time of 3 days

After a purchase my response to the buyer is as follows ...

------------------------------

Thanks for purchasing this book.

Your purchase will be in the mail on Monday, January 19.

Should take about 10 to 14 days, and sometimes longer if it gets caught up
in the postal system or in customs....

------------------------------

Note... this is actual days... not business days...

and... recently Tracked Packet USA and Expedite USA  are taking about 7 days for delivery

[femmefan1946]

Since we can only leave positive (or no) feedback, I use it to give the date of shipment,along with thanks for payment.

"Thank you for your prompt payment. Sent Canada Post Air Mail 19/1/15" If I use a tracked service I also include the number.

Leaving early feedback, in my opinion, makes receiving feedback somewhat more likely.

[2014sportsterguy]

People have no work ethics why are so many parcels going to wrong address, do delivery workers know how to read address?

I once had a 1200 dollar parcel just left on my porch I was home the CPC worker did not even knock on door?

[pjcdn2005]

When a buyer contacts you they are giving a choice of 'reasons' that they are contacting you. If they want to tell you that they haven't received their item and they pick that option, it automatically opens a case. Buyers aren't told that is what will happen so I suspect that there are times when a buyer had no intention of opening a case.

[dutchman48]

buyers are being educated that no tracking, get it free, and not just newbies doing it either

[bb_cool_stuff]

Oh yes, just refunded a buyer.

No prior messages in regards to the item, they just opened a case requesting the Tracking Number.

Nothing we can do but refund.

Karma has a way of catching up to them though.

[e_knny]

Ever since ebay plastered money back guarantee everywhere, I have been getting more and more item not received requests

just the past 2 weeks, I have had 5 item not received, and i only ship about 50 things a month. i always ship airmail too

No amount of self insurance can cover this, probably done selling on ebay

[orphanitems]

Thanks Lady.stark. I used light packet, and it does not have a tracking number. I did not or would NEVER use fake tracking, and not even sure why anyone would do that? I purchased the light packet with paypal, and it showed shipped at my end, but not at the customers end - so it may be something in Ebay.com? Also not a new buyer. Still stumped.

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@lady.stark wrote:

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@orphanitems wrote:

They also said that it says on Ebay that the item has not been sent.

I paid for the shipping through PAYPAL, and mailed it the same day - it shows at my end that it was mailed.

Not sure what to make of it.

---

If you used Small packet or Light packet and gave the false tracking number to the buyer, it may explains why he thinks the item has not been mailed, because it does not show acceptance at the Post Office. Is it a new buyer?

---

[orphanitems]

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@femmefan1946 wrote:

Since we can only leave positive (or no) feedback, I use it to give the date of shipment,along with thanks for payment.

"Thank you for your prompt payment. Sent Canada Post Air Mail 19/1/15" If I use a tracked service I also include the number.

Leaving early feedback, in my opinion, makes receiving feedback somewhat more likely.

---

Thank you femmefan. I have been using your method of Thank you for prompt payment - your item was mailed on ...... for a while now and feel it is a good idea. Still I am getting more of these Items not received's filed. I had to refund another today. I am about to shut the window to overseas selling of anything without tracking - It is a disturbing trend here.

The one today was mailed on the 5th of Jan. they filed on the 17th - I replied to it and tried to buy more time, but it ran out, and I had to refund, so I am out the postage - the item - and the sellers final fees. This was an item that went letter mail.

I was just wondering if this is a trend - or an unusual occurrence ?

[orphanitems]

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@pjcdn2005 wrote:

When a buyer contacts you they are giving a choice of 'reasons' that they are contacting you. If they want to tell you that they haven't received their item and they pick that option, it automatically opens a case. Buyers aren't told that is what will happen so I suspect that there are times when a buyer had no intention of opening a case.

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I think your note makes the most sense, seems a fault in the system - and it sets the alarm bells ringing for the buyer - so they are worried about their item. They file and it sets the whole system in action - when the item is still in the system!

I had yet another one today - I refunded - and asked that they please pay for the item when it comes - probably they will if they are honest buyers, or not - in any case I can't do a thing about it.

Thanks anyway - but I think I will just stop selling outside the US and Canada unless the item has a tracking number.

[dutchman48]

Depending on value, you could use light packet and get insurance through Shipsurance which is a lot cheaper than international tracking. They only insure to certain countries and I would never ship to any they don't insure. They do not insure to countries for a reason and they are far cheaper than CP with tracking which is also useless for international to many countries..

[ricarmic]

Orphan: A suggestion for things like the patterns, you could consider using flat rate shipping and include the extra $2 in the starting price (the ones I noticed ranged from $14 to $30 so the extra $2 I wouldn't think would make them outlandishly started) making them "free shipping" to USA and Canada. Then you can make everywhere else a different flat rate shipping amount, you can make it whatever you want, $20 or whatever you need to get whatever tracking you think works, that weeds out everyone outside Can/USA except those who want it real bad or will ask you for their particular country. I believe making them free shipping draws more viewers too. (I guess we shouldn't have donated a whole bankers box of patterns to goodwill, I had no idea they were worth anything!)