Another case of too bad, so sad...

[daisydaisy999]

I sent out an item to a buyer only to have it disappear in Canada Post never-never land. The item was sent out May 24th and was supposed to arrive the 28th but was then re-routed due to a processing error to arrive the 31st - after that it sat in In Transit limbo from then until yesterday.

The buyer opened a claim last week which I refunded after it seemed that the package was gone forever until today when the tracking had a new re-routed due to processing error message - which makes me believe it was found and might actually get delivered to the buyer.

After I did the refund I sent a message to the buyer letting her know that there was still a chance that the package could show up and that I would appreciate it if she would let me know and repay me when it does - to which I got no answer - so I am not overly hopeful that it would happen.

At this point I would be better off with it being lost - it was insured. Since I've already refunded the buyer I was hopeful that maybe there was something that eBay would be able to do to help if the buyer indeed gets the package but after calling, the CS rep basically told me that they only thing they could do is send a message to the buyer asking her to return the item but there was nothing to stop her from keeping it and ignoring them.

There isn't really a question here - more just a rant - it seems to me that there should be more that eBay should be able/willing to do in this case but just another example that they don't give a **bleep** about their sellers!

[pjcdn2005]

You aren't sure if the item has been delivered and even if it shows as being delivered, ebay can't legally take the money out of the account so I don't know what ebay really could do.

The item was sent within Canada? If you sent the item with a service such as expedited parcel or Xpresspost which has a guaranteed delivery date, you can get your money back for postage from Canada Post.  That doesn't make you whole but might help.

[hlmacdon]

If the refund was seller initiated they generally won't do anything.

If the refund was ebay (or paypal) initiated you have an avenue to pursue, but ymmv there.

[reallynicestamps]

Since @daisydaisy999 has been able to track the disappearing package, it's my guess that a tracked service was used.

When the parcel does show as delivered, send the customer a cheery polite note saying that you notice she now has her purchase . Put the note on a Paypal invoice (Request Money on your PP account).

You have her email from the PP refund page.

I would appreciate it if she would let me know and repay me when it does - to which I got no answer - so I am not overly hopeful that it would happen. 

If she ignores it, you can't do much about it, but there is a good chance she will pay up, because most people are honest.

Note that you don't have to have her let you know about the delivery. Canada Post will tell you.

[daisydaisy999]

thanks @reallynicestamps that's a great idea - and yes, I did send it tracked and was going to claim the postage back regardless, even if it had been delivered after it was redirected it was already late! I was just annoyed at how unhelpful the eBay rep was - I suppose there isn't much they can do but they bend over backwards for the buyers so it would be nice if she could have at least pretended she cared a bit - they need us just as much as the sellers so there will be something for them to buy  🙂

[ricarmic]

Re caring, well yes but we don't know the experiences the buyer has had in the past. They may well have had sellers burn them. We all think of ourselves as angels, but I doubt most buyers do.

I would expect the "caring" would happen once the package is in their hands, then you have a much better chance of them contacting you and repaying.

This is a thread I put up with my form letters, they're a bit late for where you are in the process now, but if any of the wording works, use what you can!

http://community.ebay.ca/t5/Seller-Central/RICARMICs-INR-where-is-my-package-updated-2016-form-lette...

[daisydaisy999]

Thanks @ricarmic - I actually asked them the question about what could be done for when/if the buyer actually receives the package - I didn't expect them to do anything before the tracking shows it as delivered but because a case was opened and the money already refunded there is nothing further they are able/willing to do other then sending a message to the buyer requesting they return the item to me at that time.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

Not sure if you have done this already but if you haven't you could sign yourself(and your customer if you so choose) for email updates at Canadapost for this package. That way if it did mysteriously reappear you would have instant info to its actual status.

-CM

[pinetreecottage]

This was sent within Canada?  If so, for an additional $1.50 you could have gotten signature confirmation.  It was insured, so it must have had value,  it would have been wise to get the proof of delivery.  

[dutchman48]

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@pinetreecottage wrote:

This was sent within Canada?  If so, for an additional $1.50 you could have gotten signature confirmation.  It was insured, so it must have had value,  it would have been wise to get the proof of delivery.  

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What good does signature confirmation do if it has not been delivered and already refunded?

Ebay could care less after the fact!

[pjcdn2005]

How would a signature help?  Delivery confirmation is all you need for proof of delivery for lower cost items and in this case the item was not delivered so there would have been no signature anyway.

oops...didn’t see that Dutchman had already said basically the same thing.

[femmefan1946]

Wellllll-- on high fraud items, Signature Confirmation could be useful even if eBay/PP do not require it.

It makes the receiver think before he signs.

It means that if the item is taken to the wrong address, it will not be signed for.

And I believe it means that the item will be returned to the sender if it is not accepted.

Which, again in high fraud categories, could be worth a buck fifty.

[pjcdn2005]

I was asking in regard to the op’s situations . The package had not been marked as delivered when the buyer was refunded (and still hasn’t as far as I know) so there is no indication that it was delivered anywhere including to a wrong address.   So how would a signature confirmation help in this case if the package is eventually delivered to the buyer?  

Plus I don’t necessarily agree that a signature requirement means that the package will be refused if delivered to the wrong address.  I know that I have signed for packages even though I don’t remember at the time if I’m even expecting a package.  If it ever turned out that it wasn’t my package I would return to sender regardless of whether it not I had signed for it. If someone is dishonest enough to keep a package wrongly delivered to them then they are unlikely to hesitate accepting one just because they have to sign for it.  

[femmefan1946]

Yes - we were on different pages there.

But people do accept packages and letters all the time, purely by accident.

DH was speaking with Andre Ouellet, the then Postmaster General, once, and he was complaining that CPC got the blame for a lot of slow deliveries that were actually 'mantlepiece mail'. Items incorrectly delivered that the recipient put aside until they remembered that  they should drop them back in the mailbox, whether on the corner, or at the neighbour's house. (And yes, it was the carrier who made the original mistake.)

I was thinking like WalMart. Those creepy greeters are not there to make you feel welcome. They are there to indicate, very politely,  to potential shoplifters that WM saw them come in and will be watching them. Then WM lets their guilty mind work on that thought.

[retroman_studios]

Any way to get Canada Post to investigate and recall the package back to you and get your postage fees back? I would push for this.

Also, no insurance on the package? Expedited has $100 default coverage....if you use any of the discount shipping/VentureOne programs...

[daisydaisy999]

Hi  @retroman_studios - yes expedited and insured so I will get the postage back - I was actually happy initially when it was misdirected because the new delivery date meant it would be late and I was going to get my shipping amount back! 🙂 Until they lost it altogether of course... I have filed for a refund and CP is making me jump through hoops for it - I sent them screen shots of the refund request from the buyer through eBay and the conversation going back and forth confirming she didn't receive - and they still want to contact her to confirm she didn't receive it which is stupid - it's not showing as delivered on their tracking and I've had to refund the buyer shouldn't that be all the confirmation needed?!

[hlmacdon]

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@daisydaisy999 wrote:

I have filed for a refund and CP is making me jump through hoops for it - I sent them screen shots of the refund request from the buyer through eBay and the conversation going back and forth confirming she didn't receive - and they still want to contact her to confirm she didn't receive it which is stupid - it's not showing as delivered on their tracking and I've had to refund the buyer shouldn't that be all the confirmation needed?!

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It is common practice for any insurer/when insurance is involved to ask for that. In my own experience when the buyer doesn't reply or isn't willing to reply they'll often be happy enough with the tracking status and proof of refund unless it is a high value item. Sometimes it will get dragged out so they can see if the tracking status does update. I had a refund case with Canada Post a few years back where the buyer didn't respond and they were fine cutting me a cheque .

[daisydaisy999]

And the saga continues... the CP site finally updated as showing it to be out for delivery yesterday but never actually changed to show it was delivered. My understanding is that things can often get delivered without actually being scanned but that doesn't help my case any. Without that magic final delivered message eBay will do nothing - not even send a message to the seller asking them to pony up if that's how I decided to go.

Canada Post claims actually even called today to confirm that it went out for delivery and to ask if it actually came. I told them not to my knowledge so she is supposed to check with the local post office and see if they know what's going on. I'm calling this sale cursed! She did agree that I was absolutely entitled to my shipping fee back and possibly even my item value too depending on what she can find out about the delivery - she is supposed to call me back tomorrow and let me know.

Just thought I would update, I hate not knowing how other people's stories end! 

[mercenaryforhire]

Your best hope here is that the package is lost and you can file an insurance claim with Canada Post, because eBay won't care about or help you.

[daisydaisy999]

So my sad story of the mysterious missing package finally comes to an end...sort of. I still have no idea what happened - if you will recall I sent a package on what should have been a 2 day journey max and it bounced around who knows where for a month. After refunding the buyer I filed a case with Canada Post and I actually had someone from CP call and apologize saying they had never seen such a utter fail before and as things ended apparently the package showed up at the undeliverable mail depot... empty - so I hope someone is enjoying it. They did promptly refund my money and my postage and eBay refunded my fees so I guess we can call the whole thing a wash.

And since it's been total crickets for a couple of weeks now - I haven't sold anything or even had so much as a stupidly insulting offer I guess I'll just be thankful for the cheque!