Getting sad and angry about International Paypal disputes :(

[Anonymous]

Hi there! I think I am here just to vent a bit....the past two weeks I have had two Item Not Received claims opened against me and its very frustrating.  I had been using Small Parcel Airmail only, which we know has no tracking (Canada Post). If I were to use XpressPost for the tracking, the cost would be like $70, so I took a chance with the Sm Parcel option.

The first was a $50 blackberry (for parts) to the USA, the buyer filed wayyyyy early for Surface Post, but Paypal refunded her as I could not provide tracking. Even after I explained everything to them.  I emailed her a few times asking her to send me a recent confirmation message that the item indeed had not yet been received so I could forward it to the insurance claim investigation, but no response at all.  I wonder if she did recieve it after all, if so she got a freebie :(.

Today a customer from Germany opened up a dispute about a $200 vintage toy he had not received yet (after a month).  I understand if you didn't get the product, of course you want to resolve it, but why do customers say on the dispute thread that they repeatedly tried to contact me with no response (did not contact me at all), that really annoys me.  Now I can't respond to the thread unless I put in a tracking #, but that reference # is not tracking on the Small Parcel.....

Anything I can do?  It makes me sad to be out this money and the buyer may still receive it, it doesn't seem right.

Has anyone else had bad experiences like this? Do you still ship internationally on more expensive items?

thanks for listening!

[dutchman48]

Use private insurane such as Shipsurance who will insure if sending light packet. Make sure you read exlusions for both countries and items. Build it into your price as cost is very reasonable.

[doumb21]

eBay/Paypal only protects the buyers and make it SO easy for them to steal every seller.

If you do not ship with a tracking number and the buyer decides he does not want to pay for the item, he just have to claim an unreceived item and there is nothing you can do about it.  On eBay, buyers can buy everything for free if its not shipped with a tracking number.

The only thing you can do to protect yourself when you do not go with tracking number is to take insurance on the package.

In the current case, if you have no insurance, you have no other choice then processing a full refund.  And yes the buyers will still get the items ... but hey .. that is how eBay wants it who are we to discuss it.

I suggest you take insurance for high value items in the future.

[bb_cool_stuff]

Postal insurance is your friend. Small packet Insured for 100.

Hope you added the extra insurance for your 200. sale. Peanuts for peace of mind.

In nearly seven years of selling i have only made three claims. All three happened to be in 2011.

Contact Canada Post to make a claim after the suggested time limit has passed. Have all your receipts available. They are actually quire easy to deal with.

Cardcentral, have you had to issue a substancial amount of refunds this year? A friendly competitor, who sometimes deals in cards when the deals are there, had issued a lot of refunds on Items Not Recieved cards this year. Feels he now has to sell in lots so he can send them with insurance. Too many single cards & expensive graded cards supposedly not making it to their destinations. Just happening to him this year & never an issue in previous years. Pattern with you?

[reallynicestamps]

Do give Paypal your shipping invoice number on general principles. By the time the PP clerk discovers it is not a DC number, your parcel may be delivered. Or something. It makes it look as if you are trying.

But in both cases, the real answer is Canada Post insurance. They do pay off, eventually.

You should ask your buyer for his cooperation. First that he refund the refund when the parcel arrives, as it eventually will. And second that he cooperate with the USPS/Deutscheposte inspectors when they make enquiries.

I would suggest phoning your CP insurance claims. In my experience the phone staff are pleasant and knowledgeable. Sometimes they can cut you a cheque immediately if your claim appears valid and straightforward.

[doumb21]

@bb_cool.

No I have been quite lucky so far.  While actively selling on eBay for 13 months, I only had 1 claim.  It occured during Canada Post strike just before I interrupted my activities.

But I read Canada Post insurance policies and collectable cards are excluded.  That is why I only sell low value items.  There is no protection for me in any way.

[guessfourless]

Wow, don't I feel like a target now!? I'm not sure why but I get screwed over more than I wished to imagine!  Not sure if it has to do with my product or not or the fact that 75% of my business is overseas and not worth paying for tracking but in any case I was out over $400 last month. Insurance will cover maybe 1/2 of it if lucky... be a few months before I see a penny of that too!
 
I suppose it happens to the best of us, This guy in Luxembourg (who can be easily found in my neutrals in which he thanks paypal/ebay for his refund mind you) opened a claim after 10 days of his purchase. He claimed that not 1 but but both of his 2 packages did not arrive. That's insanity to have 2 missing packages??  So 15 days after his purchase he got himself three new pairs of jeans. Obviously it wouldn't have been delievered in in 1 1/2 weeks to his location nor was there tracking on small packet to prove it. Pretty hopeless these days in trying to win a claim. I'm always nice and explain the situation but it doesn't really matter because if it is there intent to steal they could care less about what you have to say.

I had another buyer from France the month before claiming non-recipet again after only 1 week! I messaged the other sellers I knew she had purchased from recently and the woman had 6 open claims all international small packets all given the same story. eBay didn't even think it was suspicious!

I'm pretty excited to get back to a 9-5 where my paycheque won't be garnished by theft!

[nikitapunch]

Hi

I did this and shipping is 25% off

Became a Parcel Drop off for Canpar look in to it.You can ship with tracking.

Phone Number

1-800-387-9335

Ask to be a Parcel Drop Off it's Free they give you everything to start up. Only pay for items you ship no monthly fees

.

[femmefan1946]

  So 15 days after his purchase he got himself three new pairs of jeans. Obviously it wouldn't have been delievered in in 1 1/2 weeks to his location nor was there tracking on small packet to prove it. Pretty hopeless these days in trying to win a claim

On these Small Packet shipments, your claim should not be with Paypal but with Canada Post.

Do try to schmooze the buyer for a while. I put the shipping invoice number into my Feedback. Even though this is not Tracking (or even Delivery Confirmation, which is all that Paypal requires) the number soothes the honest but impatient buyer and may make the scammer think that the parcel is tracked.

And if he complains, and soothing does not work, refund and ask that the refund be repaid when the parcel arrives. Most buyers are honest and will do this.

Then go to Canada Post for the insurance claim.

Your problem is not that the buyer got a free pair of jeans. It is that you did not get paid. The insurance claim takes care of that.

You don't want PP or eBay involved. Not only is there a chance of poor feedback (emotionally painful, but not economically important) and worse Detailed Seller Ratings (a big problem for a seller) but your Seller Dashboard will also be affected, especially if you do not refund voluntariliy.

Phone Canada Post and start that insurance claim.

Oh and Block the buyer, of course.

[femmefan1946]

BTW, a week and a half for European delivery should be plenty. I find I get feedback from European buyers within that time. Same with Australia.

Providing I use Air Mail of course.

The slow delivery is to the USA. There you have to prepare your customers for three to four week delivery times.

[mainstreamcycle]

I have sold since 2000 internationally. I know this much..

Eliminate shipping to risky nations, you will see a major reduction in dispute activity.  Many nations, even in Europe are not safe to ship to...France, Spain especially....South America - Brazil is for sure a no no...  These three have very aggressive customs....they will hold for months and months.  Tracking will not help you at all.  UK is is pretty safe, northern Europe is safe too.  I have had no problems in Greece, Portugal, Scandinavian countries are no problem.

Russia should be blocked also.

Small packet is good, but you will be under insured at $100. in many cases....I often send items in 2 parcels or 3, if i can separate the item....so i can get 100 for each parcel.

CP will settle insurance for SP items faster than items with tracking.

CP knows countries hold items in customs, so they wont settle epedited or expresspost items for months.

Sell to the USA - they are #1.  then Austrailia, then UK,

Once i started using my experiences with the scamming countries and using the ebay restrictions better...my dispute activity went down DRAMATICALLY

[mainstreamcycle]

....forgot to mention another thing I did was to eliminate comunication with the buyers....ebay has been pushing this idea for a couple years now (mainly to avoid off-ebay dealings), but strangely, it works well to diperse weirdo buyers...Im not sure how....but if they cant bitch to you,, they go away...

So i introduced 'hosted support' for both my user names , and added every disputable Q & A and all info ive ever get tossed at me by buyers....and it works very very well....they get concise answers, no personality or bias or 'there-there...just be patient a few more days..."   simply....you didnt get the parcel...file a claim....item not as desc.....file a claim...,  where is my item....check your my email or my ebay shipping status....can I get a price of 1/2 you are asking....no answer....  Just be sure you are properly insured for loss or damage on every shipment worth a claim and you can rest easy.  Simple straight answers...and they all went away for me...I really recommend it.

[bar_gr]

I can certainly sympathize with you on this point. I too use Small Packet Air with no tracking to send items to the U.S. and Internationally as Expedited shipping through Canada Post is exhoribantly high. During the postal strike in Canada I lost two gold watches worth $500.00 in total with no insurance because I used Small Packet Air. Yes, I had to refund the money through PayPal including shipping costs like you have had to do!  I believe that they were stolen by Canada Post workers but no confirmation has come back to me from Canada Post and that was July 2011. If I had followed up the issue with copious amounts of extra work and phone calls I believe that I could have been compensated for a little of the money. You may want to look into this with Canada Post! I too wondered whether is was my buyers BUT the both items disappeared the same day and the little tracking that takes place didn't show them going past being accepted at my Post Office. eBay and PayPal do not understand the hardships that sellers face or the risks involved. Both eBay and PayPal make their money from the sellers but they don't seem to realize that if there are no sellers then there won't be any buyers. OH YES, I HAVE NOT LISTED ANY MORE OF MY EXPENSIVE VINTAGE GOLD JEWELRY ON EBAY AFTER THIS INCIDENT - I CAN'T AFFORD THE LOSSES!

[mainstreamcycle]

bar_gr,   you dont insure items, you cannot complain.  before you sell on ebay , you must first protect yourself fully against loss/damage claims.  you can blame yourself only.

only from chargebacks sellers cannot be safe....but that is the same in any retail.