Second INR claim this month

[katlover1952]

Just got my second INR claim this month. Both were shipped letter mail in padded envelopes within Canada. Both bracelets-  one to Ont & one to BC. The one this am is somewhat curious. A member since 2016 but only 2 FB (i left 2nd one). I looked at her FB left for others & only 1 neg saying something like worst eBay experience ever paid item never rec'd. In looking at the transaction it was for a bracelet pretty much the same as mine. Rather curious that 2 were purchased & neither arrived. What are the odds. Am I just being paranoid about feeling scammed. 

Am thinking perhaps I should only use expedited in Canada but for smaller ticket items this is rather expensive.

[momcqueen]

Report the buyer that has triggered your spider senses. If ebay counts these things as ratios, then she will be more closely scrutinized. 

Two INRS in a month would upset me. I get maybe two in two to three years now, although most of my stuff ships via parcel with tracking. 

Was there any other similarity between the missing orders other than that they were both bracelets? Same mail date, same mailing location? Was it for sure well-packed and not immediately identifiable as a nice bracelet? 

[katlover1952]

Two different post offices, one mailed Feb 15th to Ont; the other Mar 13th to BC. Both in padded envelopes & usually I tape them to cardboard &'wrap in bubble so don't think could tell what they were. It is this last one that has me wondering as 2 items purchased, 2 items lost. Seems like kind of a coincidence in my mind. I have asked her to wait till next week. Wondered with the snowstorms out west if there might have been a delay. I expect I will hear back that it has not arrived & I will have to refund. It is only my spider senses on this; is that enough to report a buyer?

[momcqueen]

Is it being communicated to you via message or through an open Item Not Received claim?

[pinetreecottage]

If no signature required packages may be left at the door.  Last night news showed  theft from the stoops of  homes with CCTV.  The story was, that with so much internet shopping, there will be more and more theft.  It was suggested to arrange to have the delivery person place the package in a pre determined location if possible.  A story around Christmas, showed a person following a UPS truck, then simply picking up the packages left at the door.  We must decide if the cost of signature, outweighs the cost of loosing the item.

[femmefan1946]

It may be a good idea to mark packages DO NOT SAFE DROP although I am not sure that is available  for LetterMail. Probably not.

That package  sounds as if it would fit in a mailbox or doorslot. This doesn't mean porch theft is impossible,just less likely.

Perhaps when contacting the second buyer you could ask if she has a community mailbox? The postie may have put her parcel in the wrong box.(But I have doubts about her too.)

[katlover1952]

Thanks femme. It did have to fit through the lettermail slot at the PO so was 2 cm or less. Maybe it will come back to me. I would not have been suspicious if it wasn't for the other item not arriving either.

[katlover1952]

She opened a claim through eBay so must be dealt with by I think April 2nd. Am sure I will be doing a refund. So frustrating & to have 2 within a month even more so.

does eBay do any monitoring of INR claims? Either she is plain unlucky or is taking advantage of knowing it came by lettermail with no tracking. 

[momcqueen]

“... does eBay do any monitoring of INR claims?“

They do but none of us know at what point they decide it was one too many or that something has triggered a suspicious pattern of behaviours. To explicitly state what eBay looks for and at would be writing guidelines for scammers so that they knew how to fly under the radar, so ebay keeps those details top secret.

It does say somewhere in the user agreement that users (buyers) aren’t allowed to abuse eBay by opening false claims et cetera. And also that users (sellers) are obligated to fulfill the orders placed.

[mcrlmn]

Just a side note...

Since mid January, I've had 5 orders from Ontario-Quebec arrive 1-1 1/2 months after purchase.

Obviously, quite late, based on my location in Ladner, B.C., and the orders all being postmarked a day or two after purchase.

A February 16 order just arrived 3 days ago.

There are 4 others from the 1st week of March that I'm still waiting for.

Very inconsistent, as the numerous remaining orders have arrived within a few days.

[ricarmic]

I had the pleasure of talking on the phone with my most recent INR and it was enlightening and interesting to see it from the buyers perspective.

They're irritated with the situation, not me, because they've had a couple (or so) MIA items, and they're hearing neighbours are as well on their street. 

So the buyer is irritated that the item they wanted won't arrive, sure they're getting their $$$ back but in my case the item isn't replaceable so in the end they lose in that way.

I as the seller lose the $$$.

Sadly I can't remember if I sent their package in a #10 business envelope or one of the "free" ebay padded envelopes. Given it got grabbed, I'm leaning that I happened to use the ebay padded and it was noticeable sticking out of the buyers mailbox....

I recall a couple of our compadres on this board a couple years ago? realized that they were both losing items they were putting them in the same neighbourhood mailbox and lo and behold I think the PO tracked down the problem... it is possible with 2 losses out of the same posting box(?) you may have a similar situation. I think that you might be able to mention to your local postmaster??

[katlover1952]

Shipped out if 2 different post offices in different towns.

[katlover1952]

Wow that is not good. Did you have INR claims? Were they lettermail or parcel? Assume if you had INR claims buyers must have contacted you when received which is great. Not everyone does that.

[katlover1952]

Sorry read that wrong. These were items you received not sold. Still pretty poor service.

[pinetreecottage]

Aside,  I wonder why the resistance here to signature confirmation.  Within Canada, it is $1.50 regardless of the size of the package.  If $1.50 is going to break the bank,  maybe that can be added to the "cookie jar insurance fund".  As I sell strictly preowned items, I don't have to deal with prices set in cement, so have a little wriggleroom.  I always add the confirmation for ease of mind.

[mcrlmn]

Yes, the delayed orders, I mentioned above, were all items I bought.

All the items I've shipped have been delivered promptly.

[katlover1952]

Think that only works for parcels not lettermail.  As I ship expedited parcels in Canada I have proof of delivery which is all I should need unless a high dollar amount item. It is the lettermail ones that are causing me grief.

[katlover1952]

The INR was opened today March 27th. Just got an email from eBay saying if I did not have tracking information to provide I needed to settle this with the buyer in 2 business days? I thought they gave us more time than that. Is this new? I had replied to her first thing this am & asked her to give it a bit more time in case it had gotten delayed in route by weather. Was surprised by this email.

[momcqueen]

I’m afraid I don’t know.

I did, however, recently change my free flat-rate lettermail settings from Canada Post Lettermail to Economy Shipping which gives me WAY LONGER of an estimated date for delivery.

[momcqueen]

The March 13 buyer is being a bit impatient; the February one not so much.