SHIPPING DELAYS RESULTING IN CLAIMS

[shootoutliquidation]

Hello 

To All Sellers I hope your all taking good care of yourselves and loved ones . Is anyone shipping from canada to the usa getting alot of requests for refunds due to  items not arriving within the ebay stated time? 

[flyhooks4less]

I have no claims yet, but I have only sent a few in the last month.

[shootoutliquidation]

I’m just starting to get hit with buyers claiming item not received . 4 yesterday all from the states . 2 from NY .1 from Ca and 1 from Hawaii. I request patience but I feel buyers are going to start taking advantage

[ricarmic]

I shut my store on March 20th, which means the MIA stuff is starting to come in now.

I have more than normal lost items to both Canada and USA locations.

The weird thing is that they tend to be the stuff in #10 business envelopes as opposed to the larger stuff in bubble envelopes, which is the opposite of what one would expect.

Another weird thing is that ALL of them so far are from repeat customers, so the odds of criminality are very very small.

Interestingly the MIA #10 envelope to the USA was followed by a much larger bubble envelope 2 weeks later to the same buyer which arrived as per normal schedule! 

I think we will be in trying times for quite some time. I expect I will reopen my store on Friday, and I am expecting a significantly higher loss rate, good thing the cookie jar is well stocked! I think anyone selling at these times needs to expect a higher loss rate.

I have the fortune to sell in a relatively honest/safe environment to stamp collectors which helps!

(PS I have never in all my days had so many people contacting me about when my store will reopen, and I usually shut down for a month in the summertime! People are really looking for stuff to do that is for certain!)

[reallynicestamps]

I wonder if the tracked items are also getting delayed.

I don't often track my items, low value plus a very honest customer base allows this.

But eBay has said they are allowing more leeway for delivery-- is this showing as part of the estimated delivery window?

[ricarmic]

I'm not sure, since these are all "old" items sent, and my stuff is all hidden right now, I'm not sure what the buyer sees currently.....

[2nd-time-around-jewelry]

I am actually seeing very fast shipping times to the US & Canada.  I am sending both tracked & untracked items. So far it has been better than expected. But I have an item being shipped to Australia. Will see how long that one takes.

[ypdc_dennis · Accepted solution]

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@2nd-time-around-jewelry wrote:

... But I have an item being shipped to Australia. Will see how long that one takes.

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Australia Post indicates a possible 4-6 week delay for Canada mail.

https://auspost.com.au/about-us/news-media/important-updates/coronavirus/coronavirus-international-u...

They also announced (Apr 14) that

Australia Post regrets to inform customers that due to reductions in air freight capacity, there may be delays on the letters and parcels network that Australia Post operates around the country, particularly to regional and rural communities.  Delays of up to 7 days to some parts.

https://auspost.com.au/about-us/news-media/important-updates

[kotonline]

I am shipping from Canada and it seems after 3 or 4 days the request for a "tracking number" comes in from the US, we sell mainly $10-$20 games and tracking is just not feasible - then on the estimated day of arrival I get requests for a refund as it hasent arrived.  it seems more of an issue to the US than within Canada. Thinking maybe just shipping within Canada and holding off on the US.

[emad6095]

Hey I’m having no problem with shipping all my items are still getting to buyer before they are expected my only issue is with other sellers there’s are coming in weeks lates  I had one guy not even ship the item until after it was suppose to arrive saying his post office was shut down two the coved 19 luckily card finally came 2 weeks late I have two tracked items being sent out today though so will see how fast they go I also only mail Canada post letter mail so I would know times for bigger stuff sold

[emad6095]

I agree 2nd time around mines going very fast two it just other sellers taking advantage which i I understand them being alil late cause even I have stopped shipping every day and only ship twice a week but I getting stuff 2 or 3 weeks late from other sellers yet mines arriveing before eBays date I also had one seller not even ship item until after it was suppose to arrive

[shootoutliquidation]

Yes it appears that way I changed my shipping charges to USA to tracked only now . Thank you all for your feedback . Once. Again I hope your all staying safe and healthy

[reallynicestamps]

@kotonline 

Apparently Small Packet USA numbers show up as tracking with USPS, so if you have those numbers on file, send those to your impatient US customers.

Gamers are gonna game....

[ypdc_dennis]

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@reallynicestamps wrote:

@kotonline 

Apparently Small Packet USA numbers show up as tracking with USPS, ...

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Only on eBay's link for the purchase (number must be manually loaded to ebay, any USPS scans may take a day or so before showing) -- the scans will not display on the USPS website.

This a shipping hack only good on eBay.

[valuestore]

None so far surprisingly, but we shut down all  international shipping except for USA, UK Apr 1st.  

[shootoutliquidation]

thank you all for your responses . i appreciate all your feedback . 

[ricarmic]

Because I'm planning to reopen my store this Friday I figured some statistics would be helpful to me and maybe of use to others.

Remember that I live in the rather safe and happy world of stamp collectors.

From March 1 to 21, I shipped 170 packages all over the world (about 30% outside North America). I closed my store on March 21.

So far I have 4 MIA notified packages via messages or INRs for packages shipped in that timeframe.

1 to Canada, buyer has been refunded will repay if it eventually shows up (repeat buyer)

3 to USA (2 to repeat buyers). All at the moment are continuing to be patient.

So for ease of rounding (up) I've got about 2.5% of packages MIA so far, all to traditionally very safe countries (Canada and USA). I suspect the international folks will be more patient so some of them if any, will likely come in soon.

If  go by feedback, just over 100 left positive feedback which is a bit under 60% that I know received the items.

Note that whilst looking through the sales, I checked some of the tracked packages, and 2 showed as not delivered on eBay whilst on the Canadian and destination country post office sites they were delivered, so one has to be careful about what shows on ebay.

Hopefully some of the MIAs will show up.

Even if they don't this % is not high enough to stop me on its own, however the mail environment has worsened since March 21 so the % will likely go higher if I reopen.

I have had way more than usual people asking me when my store will reopen which is giving me the itch to reawaken as soon as makes sense! 

[visual-sound]

I got one today. Here is a portion of my response.

"I wouldn't be too concerned yet. It's coming from Canada via surface Media Mail, during a pandemic and over the Easter holidays!"

Most people just want some reassurance that it's on the way.I try to be nice in my replies to play on their conscience just in case they are filing a bogus claim.

Porch Pirates are always a risk though. If I added tracking on my DVDs to the USA I wouldn't have any US sales. Roll the dice!

[ricarmic]

As I like to do, I've begun creating "COVID" draft messages.

Here is the latest one I'm using for MIA stuff (anyone can use whatever works for them from this):

Hi! Thank you for your note! Your stamps were shipped as advised on Thursday March 19th. Unfortunately COVID-19 related delays are affecting a lot of shipments. Some items move at normal speed or even more quickly, some are slowed down significantly. A lot depends on which sorting centers are affected and for how long they are impacted. I am not sure how the postal distribution network is affected in your area (I am in Canada). 99% of the time parcels just take longer than they should to arrive, especially now. I would really appreciate it if you can wait another couple weeks or so before we decide the package is lost and I refund your money, but I will be ok whenever you decide. If it gets to the point that you think it has been long enough, please just open an item not received case and I will refund your money out of my own funds. Assuming the parcel does arrive after that, let me know and I’ll send another invoice so you can pay again (this is my full time job, small parcels like this are not insured so I am out 100% if they do not arrive). Thank you in advance for your continued patience and have a great day! RICARMIC (Ron)

[shootoutliquidation]

You guys are all awesome