eBay

girlie_susy · ‎04-06-2007

Hello,

I have a customer who is saying that they didn't receive their item. What do I do?!?! It's been over a month (since Feb 25, 07) and their package is still not arrived. It was an unconfirmed international address that I shipped to, paid through PayPal. I've contacted Canada Post and they said that they can't do anything until 45 days after the shipped date (May 1, 2007!!! so late!!) Can anyone help?

Thank you in advance,
Susy

sunshine2426 · ‎04-06-2007

Offer them a refund.
I sell bikini's so i normally send them another one if I have it in stock and if not I always refund. That's part of the business.
Unfortunately sometimes we have no way of knowing if the buyer is scamming us. I would rather refund then get a negative.Just block the buyer after if you're not sure.

Good Luck! 🙂

alero0 · ‎04-06-2007

Where was it sent to and by which service? Surface parcels often take 6-8 weeks to arrive at some destinations. I always let my buyers know this if they chose this service. I'll also offer them Xpresspost if they want it quicker. I've had shipments take 8 weeks (sometimes longer) to arrive at some international destinations. That's why now I really try to push Xpresspost for international deliveries. If they chose the cheaper rate I make sure they know that they're in for a long wait.
Depending on how your buyer is reacting I'd try to explain that this happens often for international deliveries and ask them to wait a little longer before refunding their money. Unfortunately with Surface deliveries you never know if they actually arrived or if you're being scammed. Check out your buyers feedback, you can tell a lot about them by reading it.
Most everyone here has gone through this at one time or another and at the end it's your call.
Good luck,
Harvey

katiusciav · ‎04-06-2007

yup....6-8 weeks, sometimes longer, inform your customer of this, and provide them with the tracking number, and with canada post's phone number so that they can be re assured themselves by canada post that the item was sent and is on its way. sometimes buyers can get paranoid pretty quick and think that they're being scammed, if they know its been sent, and is on the way (by canoe with canada post), then they'll usually feel better...

Kat

alero0 · ‎04-06-2007

Probably was sent small parcel surface, so no tracking number
Harvey

girlie_susy · ‎04-06-2007

Hi all,

Thanks for your replies.

sunshine,
I did tell the customer that I would compensate them if it didn't arrive, but told him to be patient and wait a little longer. 2 days later, he emails to say that he had order something else from Canada and it arrived in 11 days. Then suggested that I should give him a refund. I do think this guy is trying to scam me. Thanks for your advice!

Harvey,
I sent it Air mail small parcel. He did email very quickly (2 weeks) after I sent the package asking it's whereabouts. I guess I kinda messed up by telling him the "tracking #" that Canada Post gives you for a small parcel. I realize now after reading posts that it is a false 'tracking #' and is only used for Canada POst insurance. So now the guy is going by the Canada POst tracking information that only says that I've printed it and is stick in Ontario. I guess I'll let him know this too. He's got 100% feedback, so maybe he is not trying to scam me. Thank for your advice!

Kat,
I think the problem is that he fells that it's not been sent since the CP website only informs him that it's still in Ontario. I will let him know that the number I gave him was actually false. Thanks for your advice!

Susy

girlie_susy · ‎04-06-2007

Oopps!

Kat, fells=feels

tobyshitzu · ‎04-06-2007

Refund, way too long for air. If the buyer understands paypal at all they'll open a dispute within days to beat the 45 day limit. I'd rather do it voluntarily first then wait for it to be forced.

girlie_susy · ‎04-06-2007

ok thanks tobyshitzu.

Should I just do this through PayPal? So I need to do anything else? You know to cover my butt.

sunshine2426 · ‎04-06-2007

100% refund by paypal

katiusciav · ‎04-06-2007

ask that he post positive feedback first...

Kat

treasure-pot · ‎04-06-2007

Kat... I would not recommend that. It would make the buyer very suspicious.

Turn it around... under the same circumstances if you were the buyer, would you leave positive feedback before receiving a refund?

Bill treasure-pot

Bill

tobyshitzu · ‎04-06-2007

Yes just hit the refund link on the transaction page. Write to the buyer asking them to repay or write return to send on item if it ever shows up and you can mention canada post might want to be in touch when you are able to make a claim (though don't do anything to imply you are suspicious of the buyer as I have seen in some sample letters that have been posted).

It would be in poor taste to even mention fb let alone demand receiving a fb as a condition of the refund. The buyer is 100% assured of a refund by filing with paypal - If I didn't receive an item and seller demanded a positive before a refund it would be resolved with an immediate paypal claim and negative fb left.

katiusciav · ‎04-06-2007

hi bill...long time no see..!:-)

well...i guess...yes...i'm just thinking of the extreme scammers i guess. i had one lady who was so mad at something (i forget...it was years ago in my first dealings with ebay), and she wanted a refund, and i remember thinking if i refund her, is she going to turn around and leave me a negetive due to all of her anger, even though she got a refund? (this was back in the day when i used to leave feedback first).

but i guess they're few and far between..and yes, now that i think about it, it would make me suspicious if i were the buyer...

Kat

girlie_susy · ‎04-06-2007

Hello all,

Thanks to you all for your suggestions and tips! Some really good advice. You've all been very helpful.

Sincerely,
susy

girlie_susy · ‎04-06-2007

this might be a silly question but is there a way to recover ebay fees on this refund? probably not, but i thought i'd ask, just in case.

thanks.

katiusciav · ‎04-06-2007

i don't know if you can file to get your fvf, or any ebay fees in this particular matter...someone else may know...would be interesting to know...but probably not..

Kat

tobyshitzu · ‎04-06-2007

Yes.

When you write to the buyer indicate you will be sending them a mutual cancellation for the non complete transaction, adding there will be no effect on them if they agree but you will receive the fee back.

Then you start to file an unpaid item but select "mutual". As long as the buyer doesn't disagree you'll get the fee back.

The paypal fee will be refunded as soon as you refund from the transaction page.