I sold an item on ebay and there was no tracking. The buyer informed me the item didn't arrive.

Hi there,

I sold an iPhone to a buyer in Columbia. No problems with payments, very timely. However he has informed me that his item has yet to arrive. I shipped it via Canada Post with Air Mail as that was the fastest and most economical option. He has since informed me that the item has not arrived. There is no tracking as Canada Post didn't offer the service for international packages. 

I paid for shipping via Paypal. I am only willing to issue a refund if I can be satisfied the item truly did not get received, as the buyer has very limited feedback. 

What course of action should I take?

Message 1 of 3
latest reply
2 REPLIES 2

Re: Refund the buyer. There is no way of learning if the item...

Refund the buyer.

There is no way of learning if the item arrived or not unless you purchased a service offering Delivery Confirmation. If the phone sold for over $250 including shipping, Paypal would require Signature Confirmation.

One reason Canada Post does not offer DC to a country is that there are too many claims for non-delivery. Whether this means the postal service is terrible (like Italy) or there is a high rate of fraud (Columbia? Hmmm.)or whether the postal workers regard packages from abroad as a good way to shop for Christmas, is irrelevant.

Shipsurance.com offers insurance on a one-off basis for times when postal insurance is not available or is wildly expensive. They also have a list of countries they will not insure for. The list is a useful tool for eBay sellers.

 

Maybe you got scammed. Maybe the parcel is just late. Unless you are willing to accept a negative and a black mark on your selling record and keeping in mind that when (not if, when) you lose the dispute Paypal pay the unhappy buyer and come after you for the money, refund.

 

Now.

You can try to schmooze him into waiting a little longer. Give an date 42 days after purchase. If he agrees, great. Keep an eye on the calendar. If he has not notified you of arrival by Day 41, contact him and be prepared to refund. Notice that you contact him early and before he contacts you. This is to show you are a caring and responsible seller.

 

But frankly, you are not likely to be happy with the outcome of this.

Message 2 of 3
latest reply

Re: Refund the buyer. There is no way of learning if the item...

Is there no seller protection I can take with Canada Post or Paypal? In my listing I made sure to note that there was no refunds offered. Based on his feedback alone, he doesn't seem totally untrustworthy which is what inclined me to ship it (13 ratings, 100% feedback).

However I have sold more expensive items on eBay, and I do have 100% feedback already. When it comes down to my word versus his word, don't I look like I'm not the problem?

I do have a picture of the serial number on the iPhone as well, maybe I can see if he has turned it on. If so, is that enough evidence to suggest he's lying?
Message 3 of 3
latest reply