Item send back to sender for wrong address, and eBay wont refund

[tk594379]

To make story short, i did a purchase from a US seller through the GSP and never received the item. In shipping detail page it says delivered but when I click another tracking number start with a # in the same page, it redriect me to a USPS tracking page shows my item was send back to seller for incorrect address. I opened up a case but eBay replied me that I can not receive a refund since the item was "delivered". I paid 80 dollars for a product I dont even receive. What can I do? Please help.

[momcqueen]

Can you prove the address that you supplied was correct? If it was, in fact, an incorrect address that you gave the seller and he or she sent it there in good faith, you may not be eligible for a refund. If the seller mad the mistake by sending it to the wrong location instead of the Global Shipping Centre hub in Kentucky, that's obviously not your fault.

Nonetheless, you will have to call ebay Customer Service about this matter. The automated bots that open and close cases won't be able to help you with it as there are extenuating circumstances. Sometimes the Customer Service Reps are a little slow to understand complicated cases such as this, be patient but persistent.

Write back if you have updates, please.  

[marnotom!]

Did the item even make it as far as the Global Shipping Center in Kentucky before being returned to the seller?

If this really was a USPS tracking page you were directed to, the only leg of a GSP's item journey that could possibly be sent through USPS would be from the seller to the Global Shipping Center.  USPS wouldn't have any tracking information beyond that point because the item wouldn't have been shipped by USPS beyond Kentucky.

So I'm wondering if the seller somehow messed up sending the item to the Global Shipping Center.

[tk594379]

The address is correct. I have been using this address on eBay for two years. The item was sent back after it arrived my city so I assume the item was successfully delivered to the GSC but staff there filled out the wrong address. I have opened an appeal.
The thing is I couldn't even find the phone number to eBay's customer service. Everytime I click Help&Contact I have to choose a topic which points me to a page telling me to open a case.

[tk594379]

There are three tracking numbers I can find on eBay. One said the item was delivered at Kentucky, another one start with UPAAA can only be tracked on eBay so I assume it was only an eBay inner code. And the third one can be found on tracking detail page tells me my item was sent back. Actually, the GSC used USPS to ship my item to Canada and it was Canada Post who carried the package domestically. So the same tracking number can be tracked on both Canada Post and USPS websites.

[momcqueen]

Sometimes you may be forced to pick a slightly different option in order to ovverride that advice.

If the GSP was responsible for putting the incorrect address on the package, it should be clear-cut. Everyone required will be able to view that label. Ebay will have to take responsibility for it since the fault was neither yours or the seller's. If, however, Canada Post who made an error in thinking it was a non-deliverable address, this may become more difficult for you to prove. Have a photo of something official like your driver's license with that address handy. 

Is there anything at all weird about your address? I once had a unit numeral+letter-of-the-alphbet in building letter-of-the-alphabet on a small street spelled like (but not) a large popular one nearby that caused me many headaches with mis-deliveries. 

Good luck with it. 

[sylviebee]

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@tk594379 wrote:

The thing is I couldn't even find the phone number to eBay's customer service. Everytime I click Help&Contact I have to choose a topic which points me to a page telling me to open a case.

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Don't give up and you'll get the number eventually.

Keep clicking until you get a phone number and pin number and call CS.

[marnotom!]

I think eBay customer service will be rubbish at trying to resolve this.

I suggest contacting Pitney Bowes (administrators of the GSP) directly.  There have been other posts to this board suggesting that their reps are friendly and pretty easy to deal with.

Toll-free number here:

http://www.pitneybowes.com/us/support/account/global-ecommerce-cross-border-shipping-support.html

[momcqueen]

Does Pitney Bowes have the authority to issue refunds for eBay sales?

[femmefan1946]

It was PB's error (apparently) so it is PB's responsibility.

"Authority" doesn't come into it.

[maggiebvintage2010]

Start is by calling eBay, in "Helo & Contact" under "buying" choose "returning an Item" - this will lead to a phone number for customer service.  Call during the weekday and ask for a GSP specialist.  Other customer service agents have not been trained to deal with GSP problems.  Have all the information in front of you, and make your complete explanation.  If this does not turn out satisfactorily, ask to speak to a manager.  If this doesn't work out, then advise them you will be calling Pitney-Bowes GSP centre directly.

[momcqueen]

I agree with sylviebee's advice. I'm not convinced Pitney Bowes can or will issue those refunds. I've seen nothing to convince me that's the case. We have certainly never been allowed to contact them as sellers with Canadian shipping label problems, for example.

[tk594379]

Just got a response from eBay customer service. Here it is:

Based on the tracking information, I'm sorry to say that we will not be able to grant an appeal for this case as you have provided an incorrect address. Seller already did his part sending the item to your registered address on file so we can not hold the seller accountable if the item was not received due to a wrong address.

Let me clarify first. The address I entered when purchasing is the address I have been using for online shopping for 2 years and I get item delivered every time. So there is absolutely nothing wrong with the address I "provided". Also, I told eBay twice that I entered a correct address and they just ignore it and assume it is my fault to gave a wrong address? I am shocked by eBay's attitude. I don't think I can shop on eBay with confidence anymore. 

I have contacted the seller to see if they can reship or refund once they receive returned item. If this doesn't work, can I ask PayPal for help? 

[maggiebvintage2010]

I still suggest that you call eBay - try using the contact flow I suggested in my previous reply.  You will get no further unless you speak to a live person.

[momcqueen]

You must call eBay. And keep calling. Like I said earlier, have a photo of official government ID with your address and name handy. Allowing this to be settled by bots will get you nowhere.

[marnotom!]

It has been demonstrated time and again on this discussion board that eBay customer service reps know little to nothing about the Global Shipping Program.  As far as they're concerned, the item was shipped to Kentucky and shows up as having been delivered there.

From all accounts, the seller has fulfilled their responsibilities by successfully sending the item to Kentucky.  eBay cannot force a refund from the seller for a GSP shipment that the seller didn't screw up.  This is why Pitney Bowes needs to be involved, because the failure to deliver the item occurred on the section of the item's delivery that involved a Pitney Bowes subcontractor.

I think it simply makes more sense to contact Pitney Bowes next as not only will the buyer need what they spent on the item refunded, but they'll also need their import charges and Pitney Bowes shipping charge refunded.  A call to Pitney Bowes will at least get the ball rolling to ensure that the buyer gets a full refund, even if Pitney Bowes can't issue a refund for the item and the seller's shipping charge.  And I can't see why Pitney Bowes can't issue a refund for the item.  After all, they do insure GSP shipments.

[momcqueen]

If the Global Shipping Program made the error, the Global Shipping Program is responsible for rectifying it. The Global Shipping Program is run by eBay. eBay subcontracts the work to Pitney Bowes. Going straight to PB is akin to telling you want the waitress who brought you salmon instead of steak for dinner to pay you back with her colllege savings instead of expecting the restaurant you're sitting in to fix it.

The buyer needs to start with eBay. Calling eBay. All he or she needs to do is tell a REAL LIVE PERSON at eBay that the address provided is real and valid and provide evidence of that. What goes on behind the scenes is not our problem.

[marnotom!]

Real live people at eBay know next to nothing about the Global Shipping Program.  If the OP wants to put up with waiting in the cue to have their query handled, they should be asking to be patched through to a Global Shipping Specialist, whom I suspect is a Pitney Bowes rep.

When buyers purchase an item forwarded through the Global Shipping Program, they enter an agreement with Pitney Bowes, not eBay.  They need to deal with Pitney Bowes, the server, if there's a problem with their order, not eBay the restaurant.

[momcqueen]

This is what the Original Poster needs to say when they call ebay:

1. I need to speak to a Global Shipping Program specialist.

2. I can prove the so-called 'address error' was not an error with my address; I have government ID on hand to send you which verifies any mistake made with the address on my account is not mine. 

It's not my role to convince you, marnitomi!, of what the OP should do.

All I can do is pro]vide the OP the best advice that I have, the advice I would follow myself. Therefore, I am finished engaging in this debate. The OP will do as he or she sees fit. It is pure speculation at this point that Pitney Bowes had anything to do with the error. All that we know is that the buyer placed an order, and didn't get it, and that order was handled by the Global Shipping Program. 

Goodbye to you, marnitomi!. Good luck to the OP. 

[maggiebvintage2010]

I completely agree with your advice to call eBay and ask for a GSP specialist.  If done during Mountain Standard Time working hours (for Utah service centre) on Monday to Friday, this increases the chances of getting through to the US customer service.  There are GSP specialists available to take phone calls, we know this from previous posts on these boards.  It makes absolutely no difference if the call is patched through to Pitney-Bowes or handled by eBay through their own CS specialists.  They have dealt with hundreds of other GSP problems, and others have certainly had complete refunds of all charges, including GSP import charges and shipping, when dealing with a GSP purchase gone wrong.  They have not had to bypass eBay and go directly to the GSP centre.  eBay obviously is equipped to deal with this.

That does not guarantee that the OP will have an easy time of it.  But others have had previous adverse decisions reversed when they persevered, and the OP has a convincing story if the evidence can prove it.

Perhaps "afantiques" will bring her GSP expertise to this discussion.