What should i do with this one ?

[rockp5233]

Hi,

I have a nice person from Amsterdam made a purchase end of August. The package was shipped with Canada Post service '’Int'l Air-Surface'’ at a cost of $ 67. The tracking says they tried to deliver the package twice and a notice was left the buyer who unfortunately was on vacation.

After 3 weeks the package was returned to me and I received it this week. All communication with this buyer was always polite and positive.

Now the buyer sent me an email yesterday apologizing and wondering what is going on, obviously his post office could not provide good explanations.

So what to do now ??? ...

Thanks for your suggestions

[73rhc]

I have a similar issue. My buyer is in Canada. The item went out and has been sitting at the post office. I checked the tracking today. The final notice has been sent to him. It also says that it will be returned the sending in 10 days. The address is correct, as per Paypal. Who pays for the return shipping? Me, no doubt?! Will I require to issue a refund? Defect? What about the original shipping cost, as the item was listed with free shipping?

I'm thinking that he had buyers remorse. I had to send several invoices. I then filed Non Paying Bidder and then he paid.

[ricarmic]

Rock: Hmm that is an interesting one. If it were me, maybe I'd start by asking him if he minds paying full price for the lot again, as well as for the shipping that was lost (you may want to reduce it a bit to $60 or something - in my case I could eat more because the stamps I use on the package itself have good retail value - I could sell them for 50-75% of their original price anyway). A lot depends on how much he wants the lot and how much you'd like to eat as part of the "retry".

73rh: Yes I hate it when people pay after they get the nudge. I wait just over 30 days (I  just use the automagic one after 32 days or whatever) and I hope that they don't pay at all. In the situations when they do, the odds are high that there will be other problems.......

[rose-dee]

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@ricarmic wrote:

73rh: Yes I hate it when people pay after they get the nudge. I wait just over 30 days (I  just use the automagic one after 32 days or whatever) and I hope that they don't pay at all. In the situations when they do, the odds are high that there will be other problems.......

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Generally now if I have a non-payer (which is relatively rare for my categories, but does happen), I wait a week then send a message asking if they want to cancel.  I find they're extremely happy to be given the option of being let off the hook and most will say "yes, please!".  This then puts the seller in the position of being able to cancel without a defect (buyer made a mistake) -- and perhaps also make a happy customer who might come back again when they do have money.  Others will say they can pay, but in "X" days, which we then work out if the buyer still wants the item. 

I used to file an UID after 10 days if there was no communication or payment from the buyer, but with the current defect system, I think the risk of getting a defect over such a transaction is actually higher now if payment is being enforced through an UID.  

It's also quicker and easier to re-sell something after a cancellation than after having to disentangle a transaction where the item has already been shipped and perhaps refused (as in the instance mentioned by '73rh' ).  Or perhaps a buyer will claim INAD or ask for a refund for other reasons, legitimate or not, to try to get their money back for something they would rather not have paid for in the first place.  

Remember that the Money Back Guarantee programme is soon going to apply to Canadian sellers, which will make UIDs even less appealing to sellers.  

No, my view is that if a buyer selects something, then changes their mind for any reason (or realizes he/she can't pay for it), why force them to pay?  I feel that's "old school eBay" thinking now that the onus has shifted to sellers to make every transaction a perfect one (and perfectly happy for both parties) or receive a defect.  Another perspective adjustment, as usual...

[73rhc]

I could agree and disagree. However, in my case the item was an auction listing. The buyer bid at three different intervals. In a BIN situation, I can see a buyer having buyers remorse. The initial excitement wears off and then regret sets in.

[reallynicestamps]

Ask the buyer if he is willing to pay the return shipping. If he says yes, invoice him through Paypal Send Money and when you are paid, ship.

If he says no, offer the Mutual Cancellation. This will free both of you from the transaction.

[cumos55]

I just had something happen with a parcel mailed to Norway.

Tracking showed that....  Item redirected to recipient's new address.

and then ... International item has left originating country and is en route to Canada.

Buyer opens a case  and states.... Hey Norwegian post office has send it back to you?  sorry sent it back to me and I Pay for transport...

The most logical option was to refund... which I did...  

Defect... yes....

Case not resolved by  seller.... No  ... and nothing in relation to that 0.3 % value ... which would hurt more than the defect ... a cancellation due to a refund was less painful....

and the parcel is very quickly back in Montreal... according to Tracking data

Mailed to Norway... surface mail.... Coming back to me the seller as airmail...

My biggest problem....  Two mistakes by postal services over the past 6 months 

(1) Canada Post did not show a parcel left Canada.....   Paid for tracking  but not recorded.

(2) Norwegian Postal Service  could not read the address properly and find buyer's residence....

End result... Two defects......  

What did I do wrong?   Not sure...

But it will be ... No more .... International sales.....

[73rhc]

Other than asking him if he intends to pick it up. I can only wait.

[mr.elmwood]

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@cumos55 wrote:

I just had something happen with a parcel mailed to Norway.

Tracking showed that....  Item redirected to recipient's new address.

and then ... International item has left originating country and is en route to Canada.

Buyer opens a case  and states.... Hey Norwegian post office has send it back to you?  sorry sent it back to me and I Pay for transport...

The most logical option was to refund... which I did...  

Defect... yes....

Case not resolved by  seller.... No  ... and nothing in relation to that 0.3 % value ... which would hurt more than the defect ... a cancellation due to a refund was less painful....

and the parcel is very quickly back in Montreal... according to Tracking data

Mailed to Norway... surface mail.... Coming back to me the seller as airmail...

My biggest problem....  Two mistakes by postal services over the past 6 months 

(1) Canada Post did not show a parcel left Canada.....   Paid for tracking  but not recorded.

(2) Norwegian Postal Service  could not read the address properly and find buyer's residence....

End result... Two defects......  

What did I do wrong?   Not sure...

But it will be ... No more .... International sales.....

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Why?

Resolution Centre - I sold an item - I need to cancel a transaction - go through the steps and choose the second option .... problem with buyer's address ....

Why would you get a defect?

[pjcdn2005 · Accepted solution]

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@rockp5233 wrote:

Hi,

I have a nice person from Amsterdam made a purchase end of August. The package was shipped with Canada Post service '’Int'l Air-Surface'’ at a cost of $ 67. The tracking says they tried to deliver the package twice and a notice was left the buyer who unfortunately was on vacation.

After 3 weeks the package was returned to me and I received it this week. All communication with this buyer was always polite and positive.

Now the buyer sent me an email yesterday apologizing and wondering what is going on, obviously his post office could not provide good explanations.

So what to do now ??? ...

Thanks for your suggestions

---

If the buyer was on vacation and the post office could not deliver the package what sort of explanation is his post office supposed to provide? Unless there is more to the story it sounds fairly self explanatory.

Assuming that the buyer purchased an item and the post office was unable to deliver it and the buyer was at fault, you could either offer to resend the package if the buyer paid the postage again or refund the buyer less the cost of original postage.   Or, if you are feeling bad for the buyer, you could offer to split the costs of sending the package again.

[pjcdn2005]

Buyer opens a case  and states.... Hey Norwegian post office has send it back to you?  sorry sent it back to me and I Pay for transport...

The most logical option was to refund... which I did...  

The buyer was willing to pay for postage if you sent the item again so how is the most logical option to refund? If you refunded the whole amount you would be out the original postage.

Have you had a lot of problems with international sales over the years? It seems odd that you would stop selling internationally just because of 2 recent problems.

[mdf_jersey]

The facts are you did nothing wrong. You sent the item and the item reached its destination. Unless you were delinquent in sending the item on time, It has to be the buyers obligation to be present to except it. In your case the buyer went on vacation. If you set emotions aside and as nice as the buyer is, if the buyer wants it resent there is no reason why the buyer should not be asked to repay. It seems to me that the buyer has already realized that it was his/her fault. 

[rockp5233]

Thank you all for your help and suggestions... I will reply to my client tonight and see from there how he suggest to solve this.

Will let you know the final chapter of this story !

Cheers,

[gifts_of_elegance]

I went through all of these cases scenarios at one time or another with purchasers all over the globe.  None of them ever worked out in my favor, regardless of what  I did and actually cost me more money.  On the positive side, I was never charged for return shipping but I did rake up a negative from a person in USA who said he was on "vacation" but actually refused the parcel.  He bid on the same item from two different sellers, the other one was cheaper than mine.  International buyers often have a change of heart when they find out how much duties & taxes are payable.  They either refuse shipment or claim "non-receipt" so they can get their purchase price back.  

[cumos55]

My problem has been with postal services.

Canada Post did not provide tracking beyond Montreal....  so Item did not show as having left Canada....

That was one defect  when buyer opened a case..... Buyer eventually received the purchase  and did pay full value after the fact.

The second defect was the parcel not delivered in Norway....  Buyer opened a case.....  No way to stop it or counteract it.

Buyer said he would pay the cost of shipping back to Norway....  But then  what about shipping from Norway to Canada....

All this cost of shipping...  Canada to Norway  and then back to Canada... kills the value of the item in the parcel..... I cannot see the buyer paying the extra cost of shipping to Norway....

There was no way I can stop a defect in both cases.....  and in order to protect my ... cases opened without resolution value... a quick refund was made...  0.3 % is a reality I do not want to face.

At first cancellation of the transaction was the defect for the sale to Norway..... I talked to someone at eBay this morning.....  and the adjustment was to a defect for an opened case....  I was not prepared to wait and see what the buyer wanted....

That Norway parcel is already back in Montreal..... airmail delivery... and wonder what the cost would be when it gets back to me.  I may refuse to pay....

Postal services create an error  and the end result is an opened case  and a defect....

-----------------------------------

Over July to September a total of nine sales were to European buyers.....  Five of the sales  did not have tracking  beyond Montreal.... One resulted in a defect....  case opened for item not received and tracking did not protect me.... Tracking was imperfect.

There was a potential for five defects .... item not received.....based on a Canada Post error for tracking.

I can live with sales only to the US and Canada.  I only have a few more years of selling ..... as I am  beyond retirement age....  A stress of international shipping   ....that can create a defect ... is not needed.  

The cost of shipping... of returns   the potential for refunds  and then imperfect tracking are a killer for international shipping...

Imperfect tracking was the big killer....