Your thoughts on this Shipping Issue

[norbkman]

Over a month ago buyer from Florida purchases item from me. This Parcel, shipped by Canada Post with tracking is returned to my Ontario post office box as "insufficient address". I contact buyer who acknowledges they did not provide Apartment # in their ebay mailing information. Buyer corrects address and I re-ship ( albeit another shipping label at my expense ). Buyer now claims they did not receive parcel. Canada Post tracking number confirms delivery at address by USPS over a week ago. Any thoughts on the next steps on my part. Not sure if I can/should help buyer with this situation. Thanks.

[john_koenig99]

If the tracking shows that the second shipment was delivered, then the buyer has no recourse. Nothing to do from your part. 

Now, I am wondering why did you re-ship at your expense. It was the buyer's fault to begin with.

I would've cancelled the sale, refund the buyer, and ask them to purchase, this time with the updated address. 

[reallynicestamps]

EBay did not require you to reship.

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

https://www.ebay.ca/help/policies/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy?...
 
This is the part I'm referring to
 
Exclusions and special coverage when the buyer doesn't receive an item 
Items collected by a third party on behalf of the buyer

Not covered

The buyer arranged their own shipping method, such as a courier pickup

Not covered

The buyer provided an invalid or incorrect address at checkout

Not covered

Tell him to speak to the apartment supervisor about "porch pirates" in the mail room .

If he opens a Claim, you must enter the tracking number showing delivery yourself manually.

Do NOT trust eBay to do this for you.

They want your active participation.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@reallynicestamps wrote:

EBay did not require you to reship.

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

https://www.ebay.ca/help/policies/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy?...
 
This is the part I'm referring to
 
Exclusions and special coverage when the buyer doesn't receive an item 
Items collected by a third party on behalf of the buyer

Not covered

The buyer arranged their own shipping method, such as a courier pickup

Not covered

The buyer provided an invalid or incorrect address at checkout

Not covered

Tell him to speak to the apartment supervisor about "porch pirates" in the mail room .

If he opens a Claim, you must enter the tracking number showing delivery yourself manually.

Do NOT trust eBay to do this for you.

They want your active participation.

---

devon@ebay 

As a side note, RTS used to be reported in the past from time to time. Jump forward this appears be happening and  reported more often lately. Unsure if it is bad addresses, owed duties, custom issues or lack of required contact info being included. Valid phone numbers on Canadian/US/Intl orders or lack of email with intl orders. The reasoning has to have some blame connected!!!

When reshipping IS possible or wanted there NEEDS to be an easier process built into eBay without all the hoops buyers and sellers are now currently having to jump through to complete the process.

Currently dealing with a US customer that has had an 11 digit phone number on file forever. Basic phone number is 10 with possibility of including an extention. (Not factoring in country code requirements but it should be there too.) There was another recent report where area code was not included and seller needed trial and error to reach buyer. If this info is incorrect for a sellers use it is also incorrect for customs if they need to contact the customer. 

[ricarmic]

IMO There's more than one perspective to this:

Ebay's perspective, you put tracking, it arrived the 2nd time to the location, you are off the hook and only need to make sure you manually put the tracking number in the case if the buyer chooses to open one, the buyer will lose if they do.

Customer service perspective, given you've already shipped a 2nd time I'm of the belief you're leaning toward the customer service perspective. I believe the shipper has to open the case with the post office for the insurance to be put into play. If the buyer opens one on their end first, it makes the one you'd open here go faster. I have had this happen for a tracked parcel, all in Canada though. The buyer did go to CP first, when I opened the ticket with CP they immediately refunded me, so I was able to refund the buyer. I believe the buyer later advised thefts were happening out of the postal box location in their area. The timeframe between an ebay case being opened and CP resolving it are too tight anymore, you can advise the buyer that you're going to open a case with CP and not to open an eBay case until you have the funds back and then they can open the case and you'll refund. (suggest they open a case with the PO and not eBay and explain the above to them). Personally I'd likely call them, it would make things a lot faster and probably easier.

Depending on how they act during the resolution phase they may or may not need to be blocked.

PS I tend to lean the customer service way as well, because half of my sales are to repeat customers. In fact I had a similar situation happen where after the first problem transaction was resolved (I ALMOST blocked them) they purchased thousands of $$$ of stuff off me subsequently, I was so glad I gave them the benefit of doubt.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@ricarmic wrote:

IMO There's more than one perspective to this:

Ebay's perspective, you put tracking, it arrived the 2nd time to the location, you are off the hook and only need to make sure you manually put the tracking number in the case if the buyer chooses to open one, the buyer will lose if they do.

Customer service perspective, given you've already shipped a 2nd time I'm of the belief you're leaning toward the customer service perspective. I believe the shipper has to open the case with the post office for the insurance to be put into play. If the buyer opens one on their end first, it makes the one you'd open here go faster. I have had this happen for a tracked parcel, all in Canada though. The buyer did go to CP first, when I opened the ticket with CP they immediately refunded me, so I was able to refund the buyer. I believe the buyer later advised thefts were happening out of the postal box location in their area. The timeframe between an ebay case being opened and CP resolving it are too tight anymore, you can advise the buyer that you're going to open a case with CP and not to open an eBay case until you have the funds back and then they can open the case and you'll refund. (suggest they open a case with the PO and not eBay and explain the above to them). Personally I'd likely call them, it would make things a lot faster and probably easier.

Depending on how they act during the resolution phase they may or may not need to be blocked.

PS I tend to lean the customer service way as well, because half of my sales are to repeat customers. In fact I had a similar situation happen where after the first problem transaction was resolved (I ALMOST blocked them) they purchased thousands of $$$ of stuff off me subsequently, I was so glad I gave them the benefit of doubt.

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Definitely more than 1 perspective...Agreed. It all returns to accountability and processes we currently have to work with not being sufficient.  Unfortunately 1 size fits all never is the best option.