What happens if the buyer provides the wrong postal code?

What happens if the buyer provides the wrong postal code?  Parcel shipped to buyer on the 24th and still hasn't received it and filed a INR.  When I sent him a copy of the receipt showing the postal code and purchase of postage, buyer stated the postal code was incorrect.  It is correct according to the address on file.  The person lives in Niagara Falls, will they redirect or will it come back to me?  What is my responsiblity to the buyer?

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Re: What happens if the buyer provides the wrong postal code?

The buyer needs to contact eBay to rectify the address. And to pay for the additional shipping costs. 

Message 2 of 13
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Re: What happens if the buyer provides the wrong postal code?

It looks as though he made several purchases using the correct address but wrong postal code.  He even gave a seller a negative because his purchases had not arrived.  

 

"Several of my purchases have gone well beyond the delivery date not only this one I am trying to be patient but I am anxious"

 

I sent him several messages one containing the full address on his file. 

 

This one too.   If you send mail with the wrong postal code but the correct street address, Canada Post usually corrects it and delivers it, but with delays as it gets rerouted, potentially taking days to weeks longer; if the address itself is also wrong or unreadable, it might be returned to sender, especially if it's an international shipment. The key is that Canada Post prioritizes the written address, and sorting machines or clerks might fix minor errors, but major discrepancies (e.g., wrong province in the code) cause significant delays. 

 

This is the last message I sent to him.   

 It looks as though the address on ebay file for you is incorrect and that is why you haven't been getting your purchases.. If you purchased anything else in the past few weeks, they probably have not arrived. They may or may not show up. I'm not sure what to advise you to do. You might want to contact ebay and speak to someone about what you should do. Not the sellers fault as they sent it to the address that was on ebay for you.

 

What is my responsiblity here?  

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Re: What happens if the buyer provides the wrong postal code?


@musicyouneed wrote:

What is my responsiblity here?  


What service did you use to ship?

 

 



"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915
- answering Trolls is voluntary, my policy is not to participate.
Message 4 of 13
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Re: What happens if the buyer provides the wrong postal code?

Canada Post Oversize letter mail.   It was a Doobie Brothers CD.

Message 5 of 13
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Re: What happens if the buyer provides the wrong postal code?

You will probably have to refund at some point given you don't even have proof of shipping never mind tracking showing a delay, redirection or RTS.

 

FYI - My lettermail which goes through Gateway/Mississauga was kind of slow during and immediately after the rotating strikes (even though there were none for the GTA). Still seeing a couple of extra days compared to the past (like before the 2024 strike).

 

 



"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915
- answering Trolls is voluntary, my policy is not to participate.
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Re: What happens if the buyer provides the wrong postal code?


@musicyouneed wrote:

Canada Post Oversize letter mail.   It was a Doobie Brothers CD.


Since you have no tracking you will have to refund, however I once was able to get on the chat with someone and they actually gave me a refund as a one time courtesy since the buyer admitted to using the wrong address

 

Otherwise it will likely take a month or more to get back to you as a RTS (I got one back this week I mailed October 24ish where a buyer did not  put their apartment number lol) They had not opened a case so I was able to keep the shipping and refund only the purchase price, they repurchased the item and I have mailed it out again.

Good Luck!

Message 7 of 13
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Re: What happens if the buyer provides the wrong postal code?

If you sent it out untracked you have to refund. It's possible it may return eventually. I've had them come back up to a year later.

 

When sending out via lettermail, I'd suggest using Canada Post's address complete (canadapost.ca/ac) to verify the address. Note that their website only seems to be working correctly via Chrome (at least for me).

Message 8 of 13
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Re: What happens if the buyer provides the wrong postal code?

For all Lettermail shipments I always confirm the postal code is correct using the Canada Post website's "Find a postal code" tool. I will change it from what's provided by the buyer, if necessary. With no tracking there is no disadvantage to doing this.

 

You have no idea how many people do not know their own postal code. I would say 1 in 10 packages shipped through the post office I work at have the wrong postal code written on them. I will inform the customer that the postal code as presented on the parcel does not match the one in Canada Post's database. They will say something along the lines of "well that's exactly how it was given to me!", or "well I looked it up on Google and that's what Google said it should be!" (Google is not an accurate source for postal codes).

 

As for your specific situation, there's not much you can do. They already filed an INR so you'll have to refund them. Explain the situation and ask them nicely to reach out to you if the letter ever arrives so you can arrange repayment (or ask them to simply cross out their address, write "Return to Sender", and toss it back in a mailbox). Best case scenario they agree to that, or, Canada Post can't figure out where it's supposed to go and eventually returns it to you. Such are the risks we take when shipping Lettermail, unfortunately.

Message 9 of 13
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Re: What happens if the buyer provides the wrong postal code?

" It is correct according to the address on file."...but is it correct according to Canada Post?

I do random checks on postal codes to make sure the buyer's submitted postal code matches with Canada Post.

Message 10 of 13
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Re: What happens if the buyer provides the wrong postal code?

 

You will probably have to refund at some point given you don't even have proof of shipping never mind tracking showing a delay, redirection or RTS.

Because the shipping service is untracked, there is  no Proof of Shipping, never mind Proof of Delivery

 

If a tracked service had been used the item would be considered Undeliverable and the seller gets to keep the payment and the item when and if it returns to them 


https://www.ebay.ca/help/policies/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy?...
 

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Re: What happens if the buyer provides the wrong postal code?

 

You will probably have to refund at some point given you don't even have proof of shipping never mind tracking showing a delay, redirection or RTS.

Because the shipping service is untracked, there is  no Proof of Shipping, never mind Proof of Delivery

 

If a tracked service had been used the item would be considered Undeliverable and the seller gets to keep the payment and the item when and if it returns to them 


https://www.ebay.ca/help/policies/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy?...
 

 

And Block the buyer for being inconsiderate. They have allowed this to hurt other sellers without correcting their error.

Message 12 of 13
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Re: What happens if the buyer provides the wrong postal code?

Well, I have been communicating several times with the buyer.  He closed the case, I didn't have to refund and is going to wait it out.  I think that he felt bad because he had given the wrong postal code and he was happy for me to discover why he had not been receiving all his orders. 

 

According to Canada Post they will probably redirect it but it will be awhile.  Also I told him that if I receive it back, I will refund the cost of the CD.  

What a great buyer this person was.  

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