I think I've got the scammer buyer.

[e.j.kim]

So I've shipped the item by Letter-Mail to the buyer in the states a month ago but the buyer now claims that he didn't receive the item. It's really strange that I've shipped many items to US including Puerto Rico with the same shipping method but I've never heard anyone who claimed that they didn't receive the item except this one(Cle Elum, Washington). Another strange thing is that the buyer doesn't have any feedback except the one from me even though he's been a member for 3 years.

I don't ship multiple items a day and the items shipping to US I always drop them off at the Post Office, so I get receipts with postal codes.

Last week, the buyer sent me a message saying he didn't receive the item and now he opened the request. I just sent the message to the buyer to give more the time. It seems like the guy knows the process to get the money. Funny thing is it's only worth $14. Do scammers trick sellers only to get $14? How pathetic.

I'm gonna lose it, am I? It's too bad because I just became a top rated seller.

I was going to contact to ebay but then from the information I googled it seems like it's just waste of time. I mean if they are going to support buyers 100%, then why bother.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

It's possible what you suggest, but also possible your mail got lost in transit. Label fell off, munched by a sorting machine, miss-sorted or disappeared in transit or out of their mailbox before they got to it.  Sadly, those things happen. Unfortunately, with no tracking, you're on the hook for the package and 14.00 refund. As far as I know, eBay doesn't accept proof of drop off as proof. You could try, but not likely you will win your argument. As for the feedback, it looks like they changed users names a few months ago so maybe where their feedback went. Hope that's a start for your answer?

-CM

[momcqueen]

Unless you ship with tracking that says Delivered, you will lose all Item Not Received claims.

For the record, Canada Post told me the lost letter/Parcel rate is four per cent.

[e.j.kim]

How did you find out the buyer changed its names a few months ago?

[momcqueen]

That information is in the link that will be removed shortly due to violating the Discussion Board's name-and-shame policies. 

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

Not sure how accurate 4% would be? Really depends how much actually is getting reported. And that does not cover mail dropped off at the wrong address and not returned or items where the label has come off in transit. How many people call Canadapost about a missing letter? Now if Canadapost would be kind enough to lose my ePost bills, I would be so grateful!!!  Hey, if it doesn't arrive, you don't have to pay them! Correct?

-CM

[e.j.kim]

"Tracking and Delivered" doesn't guarantee 100% if a buyer claims that they didn't receive the item no matter what.

[e.j.kim]

Oh I got it. I didn't even know there's ID history. I also didn't know there's an option to change ID. lol

[momcqueen]

“"Tracking and Delivered" doesn't guarantee 100% if a buyer claims that they didn't receive the item no matter what.”

Please elaborate on the reason you believe that to be the case.

[e.j.kim]

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2016/apr/25/ebay-seller-beware-buyer-guarantee-exploited-scammers

[e.j.kim]

Well, I'm kinda **bleep** off right now because I just earned "Top rated seller" but it's gone now. I was a little bit excited to have 10% discount on ebay fees. 

[lachnrd]

I think you are overreacting a bit here. Stuff goes missing from time to time and not every buyer is a thief. If a single refund is going to break you this business is not for you.

[momcqueen]

“Well, I'm kinda **bleep** off right now because I just earned "Top rated seller" but it's gone now. I was a little bit excited to have 10% discount on ebay fees.”

That will get you booted from eBay as a seller right quickly. It violates the user agreement in a dozen ways.

[momcqueen]

That’s a Not as Described (SNAD) dispute. It’s completely different from a Item Not Received (INR) dispute. Tracking that says Delivered is all a seller needs to win ANY INR. Winning a SNAD is left to integrity of the accounts of the users in question. Which is the reason no user is smart to file bogus claims or fight them in a way that borders on criminal harassment.

[e.j.kim]

I don't think you read any my comments right. The reason for little anger in the comment above is not about refund either. Also I said it never happened before which is far from "not every buyer is a thief" You should at least read the comments before you leave over generalized comments.

[femmefan1946]

Take a deep breath.

If you did not track (Confirmation of Delivery actually, which is different) then if the buyer opens an Item Not Received Dispute, you will lose.

Refund the buyer immediately.

FWIW- you didn't lose $14.00. You lost your cost for the item, the listing fee (zero if this was one of your 50 Free Listings) and the shipping cost (maximum$10.30 if it weight 400grams, probably less).

When you refund you will get your FVF  ($1.40 ) .

If you don't refund you will get a Defect and that is what will lose you your TRS.

And you can, if you want, email the buyer in a couple of weeks asking politely if the item showed up and if it did reminding him he can return the refund using Paypal's Send Money service.

If it really was undeliverable, it will eventually wend its way back to you.

Eventually.

Don't send anything LetterPost unless you can afford to lose it. The $14 is less important than the discounts you get as a TRS.

And now let me tell you the Good News about Cookie Jar Insurance.

This is just putting a few pennies from every sale into a virtual Cookie Jar to cover your costs when a problem arises.

Maybe an untracked shipment went missing.

Maybe you put the wrong thing into the box.

Maybe the item arrived in pieces.

You pull enough out of the Cookie Jar to reimburse the buyer and possibly return shipping.

Most sellers who use CJI report that it is actually a profit centre, just like a real insurance company.

[silverpinups]

As for the feedback, it looks like they changed users names a few months ago so maybe where their feedback went.

Changing user names doesn't change your feedback score. The feedback score remains the same, only the name gets updated.

[e.j.kim]

I thought the damage is done already? You mean, there are more damages to be done depending on when or how soon I give the buyer refund? I wonder how severe it would be.

Another reason that makes me think this buyer is scammer is that he doesn't respond to the messages I've sent. I also asked him to confirm his home address but still no answer.

[femmefan1946]

Give him 48 hours to reply. Buyers, even real ones are not hanging over their screens 24/7.

I've got one from the UK hanging now. Ah well.

But it is, in my opinion, better to refund before a Dispute, than to have a Dispute that you can't win opened against you.

And if the Dispute is opened to refund as graciously as possible.

This may be useful:

You supply your own pins.

We are constantly weighing the probabilities.

Thus Cookie Jar Insurance.

[marnotom!]

---

@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:

As far as I know, eBay doesn't accept proof of drop off as proof.

---

What would proof of dispatch accomplish anyway?  The seller needs to refute the buyer's claim that they did not receive the item by providing evidence that the buyer, in fact, did receive the item.  The buyer isn't complaining that the seller didn't send the item.  (Although there are many posts from buyers who, for some reason, are upset that their sellers didn't provide them with tracking numbers.)