We really need a way to translate languages.

[Anonymous]

I am having a major issue with a buyer who  has not received his parcel yet. He speaks French, I do not.  It's something ebay Canada should consider since officially Canada is bilingual. Anyway I am at my wits end for how to communicate with this person who is perfectly in the right. His parcel has been lost by Canada Post, we both have the tracking information and I have messaged him but I cannot respond to his open request because I simply can't read it. eBay keeps warning me to respond to him or risk my rating that I have worked so hard to achieve but despite calling customer service to explain the situation I am still being hounded by ebay. This just plain sucks for everyone but I have no idea what else to do. I have contacted Canada Post, they are trying to find the parcel, the customer has initiated a charge back, I don't blame him, I just cannot respond directly to his message. I sent him a note through the regular channel where you contact the customer but I don't even know if he has someone to translate for him. This is causing me some major stress and probably the customer as well. I have no idea what to do next.

[marnotom!]

Have you considered composing a simply worded message in English and running it through Google Translate? If the translated message still mostly makes sense when you use GT to translate it back into English, the French will likely make enough sense for your buyer.

[femmefan1946]

Can you post a message in any language in the Dispute?

His email is on the PP invoice, just click on Refund (DON'T PANIC!) and it will appear.

Then using Google Translate you can send him a message giving the tracking number and last known location.

Should we assume the last estimated delivery date has passed?

If so, refund.

If you don't , since you cannot prove delivery (not shipping , delivery) eBay will refund for you.

Then you get a Defect on your seller account AND eBay will come after you for their money.

The refund is the easy way out.

Then keep an eye on the tracking.

While you are watching the tracking, open an Claim with Canada Post (on Monday) for the lost package.

If it shakes loose, and is delivered, you can send a new Send Money invoice through Paypal to the buyer, with a cheery note (Google Translate again) saying you are pleased that his purchase finally arrived and here is the easiest way to repay the refund.

[momcqueen]

I use Google Translate for all my international transactions and the only time it has failed me was when another member from within Canada was sending threats of harm to me that were misspelled. He was not a customer, but a competitor. 

[marnotom!]

So if I'm understanding you correctly, the buyer hasn't been in touch with you at all, even in his or her preferred language.

[Anonymous]

Update. Actually I did use Google Translate and it turns out the message is from eBay who sent me a note in French because that is the buyers's preferred language. Oh my goodness and then when I just now tried to respond it would not accept the tracking number, kept saying invalid when it is most certainly not. I made sure. I am not very happy at the moment. I am being pestered to respond when I cannot because it won't accept the tracking number.

bangs head slowly on desk.

[Anonymous]

Update: after contacting Canada Post, it seems the parcel in question was involved in a motor vehicle accident in Ontario. Canada Post has no information beyond that and both myself and the poor buyer are just in limbo. Ebay has a link for "seller Protection" and of course the link goes to page not found. Ugh. Does eBay actually provide Seller Protection?