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Original poster

EBay help is buyer trying it on?

42 replies

Pixie2015 · 04/12/2022 11:17

I rarely use eBay now as tender to give stuff to local charities. I had an educational book that was £55 pound that I bought new (as second hand was pretty much same price) and read a couple of chapters.

when clearing out for Christmas I decided to put on eBay as it’s immaculate - went for half price bought and buy it now. Second class postage Royal Mail.

within 48h someone asked about edition - then bought it.
I posted it and was warned might be delayed said just basic 2nd class postage at our local office.

5 days later I got message “what’s happened “ book not arrive - replied been sent / strikes hopefully will arrive in next few days.
Been 10d and now they opened case saying not arrived.
I through receipt away as didn’t think it was tracked as 2nd class letter - I have the price payed on my bank statement.

I think the book has been received - I wondered if the buyer saw it and thought it could be resold higher and that it wasn’t recorded post.

does anyone have any opinions?
would it have been tracked if I kept receipt?
have I been scammed?

I am not going to use eBay again as I imagine I and going to loose the £28 (£25 book and £3 postage)

any advice appreciated- thanks in advance

OP posts:
Original poster
Pixie2015 · 04/12/2022 11:18

Sorry about grammar predictive text !!

OP posts:
CluelessHamster · 04/12/2022 11:28

Unfortunately this is a peril with eBay. If you'd kept your proof of postage, you could open a claim with royal mail using the buyers messages as evidence of it not being received - I think they will refund up to £30 not tracked (although don't quote me on that)

If you've not refunded them already, you could reply to their aim asking them to wait a while longer in case it's delayed by the strikes - I think eBay give you a few days to respond, but ultimately eBay will side with the buyer if you don't have proof of receipt.

I gave up selling on eBay years ago as it was just never worth the effort once they'd had their cut. I hated dealing with buyers quibbling over silly things clearly stated in the listings, asking to collect when I'd clearly said Paypal only etc etc. I always ended up feeling ripped off!

Stressybetty · 04/12/2022 11:29

Too late now but for eBay always always send stuff tracked for your own protection. The buyer may be trying it on or it could be held up in post. Either way even with a receipt without having paid for tracking you have no way of proving the buyer has received it.

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Feef83 · 04/12/2022 11:30

I think the book has been received -

on what grounds?

Feef83 · 04/12/2022 11:31

Without proof of postage OP

Open and shut case in the eyes of eBay resolution. In the buyer’s favour

bitfit · 04/12/2022 11:32

Why do you think it's been received? Without proof of postage you don't have a case.

Original poster
Pixie2015 · 04/12/2022 11:40

Feef83 · 04/12/2022 11:30

I think the book has been received -

on what grounds?

I have sold a few things over the years and nothing has gone missing (suppose I have been lucky).

Also the questions before / after seen a bit quick.

I think I am too trusting and hope people are genuine.
In one of the messages they say never leave the house so definitely hasn’t been a failed delivery.

they have so much feedback on eBay for both buying and selling it is very impressive the amount of stuff they buy and sell on.

I am happy to loose the money just sad that this might be calculated- as it was a book on speech therapy for disability, wish I just handed it in at school

thank you to everyone for help.

I am going to pop to post office tomorrow as my card gives exact date and time to see if they can get receipt copy.

OP posts:
Luckingfovely · 04/12/2022 11:42

I've been burnt by this but lost closer to £1000, I had Proof of Postage but not tracked/insured delivery. Yup, my fault, and yup, could do nothing about it.

Heartbreakingly awful to lose something so valuable and the monetary side at the same time. A very expensive lesson and a salutary reminder that eBay protects the buyer not the seller in 100% of cases.

Feef83 · 04/12/2022 11:44

That is a leap Op

Rota mail has been strike with strike action and… it’s the very busiest time of year for them by a huge amount.

So to think that it’s not been delivered on the basis of the bits you have sent in previous years being successfully delivered is… odd!

But without proof OP, ebay (and mine!) view will be to weigh in favour of the buyer

Feef83 · 04/12/2022 11:45

Luckingfovely · 04/12/2022 11:42

I've been burnt by this but lost closer to £1000, I had Proof of Postage but not tracked/insured delivery. Yup, my fault, and yup, could do nothing about it.

Heartbreakingly awful to lose something so valuable and the monetary side at the same time. A very expensive lesson and a salutary reminder that eBay protects the buyer not the seller in 100% of cases.

bloody hell… not tracked or insurance for £1k delivery?? That was brave!

Feef83 · 04/12/2022 11:45

eBay protects the buyer not the seller in 100% of cases.

wrong. I had a case against me. I was able to show my proof of postage. Case in my favour 🤷‍♀️

Original poster
Pixie2015 · 04/12/2022 11:46

Luckingfovely · 04/12/2022 11:42

I've been burnt by this but lost closer to £1000, I had Proof of Postage but not tracked/insured delivery. Yup, my fault, and yup, could do nothing about it.

Heartbreakingly awful to lose something so valuable and the monetary side at the same time. A very expensive lesson and a salutary reminder that eBay protects the buyer not the seller in 100% of cases.

Thanks for sharing that’s a terrible loss - I won’t interact with buyer and just let eBay do their thing and learn my lesson.

OP posts:
AdventuringAway · 04/12/2022 11:47

Seems unlikely that it’s been delivered yet, given strikes, so both you and buyer are being unreasonable. But without proof of postage there’s not much you can do. Ask them to give it time as everything is taking a while at the moment, but if they choose to open a case with eBay you can’t do much about it.

MidnightMeltdown · 04/12/2022 11:51

I won't send anything that isn't tracked on eBay. Must be either Royal Mail or Evri signed for.

It's a shame as it puts postage costs up for everyone, but unfortunately there are too many people dishonest people. I've had a couple of people try to claim that items hadn't arrived, but they lost the case because I had a tracking number which showed that items had been delivered.

Original poster
Pixie2015 · 04/12/2022 11:51

Feef83 · 04/12/2022 11:44

That is a leap Op

Rota mail has been strike with strike action and… it’s the very busiest time of year for them by a huge amount.

So to think that it’s not been delivered on the basis of the bits you have sent in previous years being successfully delivered is… odd!

But without proof OP, ebay (and mine!) view will be to weigh in favour of the buyer

That totally fine lesson learnt / it’s just sad that these things happen.

i just wondered if 2nd class letters are even tracked as couldn’t work it out by googling.

hopefully someone in need will profit or benefit from the book.

even I would side with buyer - ironically I took pictures of the quality of book before I sent it 🙈

OP posts:
Feef83 · 04/12/2022 11:55

is the buyer new or lots of reviews?

you can filter by buyer

Original poster
Pixie2015 · 04/12/2022 12:01

Not new over 2y over 300 feedback for buying - some reference books but others are the common outlets.

OP posts:
LovedFedAndNoonesDead · 04/12/2022 12:07

Someone posted a book to me 10 days ago - 4 of those days have been strike days, and a Sunday (not including today also being a Sunday!) and I’ve not received it. It’s quite likely that it’s just caught up in all the delays caused by the repeated industrial action, the time of year and increased amount of stuff in the system.

The only bit of your post that would have me being a little suspicious is that they’ve already opened a case for not receiving the delivery with eBay without accepting that there are numerous reasons why it could be late!!

LovedFedAndNoonesDead · 04/12/2022 12:10

Pixie2015 · 04/12/2022 11:51

That totally fine lesson learnt / it’s just sad that these things happen.

i just wondered if 2nd class letters are even tracked as couldn’t work it out by googling.

hopefully someone in need will profit or benefit from the book.

even I would side with buyer - ironically I took pictures of the quality of book before I sent it 🙈

Show quote history

Second class can be tracked but only if you specifically paid for it (Signed For) - and, even then, it’s only scanned when they deliver. If you want fully tracked service, with it scanned at each point of its journey, you have to use Special Delivery which is a lot more expensive and 1st class only.

Cancelledtwiceover · 04/12/2022 12:21

Did you get a receipt from the post office. They usually give you a certificate of posting with it and you can use that to recover your losses with them, upto £20.
But the customer is being a bit unreasonable, I would reiterate there's been strike action and ask them to give it a while longer to arrive.
Royal mail only counts and item lost after 15 days.
Sometimes good feedback means nothing. You can't leave buyers negative feedback and often sellers will pander to bad buyers by offering no quibble refunds etc, because they don't want negative feedback.
Lesson would be to always cover yourself as much as possible by tracking the thing to death you are sending, especially is reasonably valuable.

Feef83 · 04/12/2022 12:27

Pixie2015 · 04/12/2022 12:01

Not new over 2y over 300 feedback for buying - some reference books but others are the common outlets.

and zero mention of scam my buyer pretending not to receive?

Original poster
Pixie2015 · 04/12/2022 12:35

Zero ! Hopefully they will get it in next couple of days - either way my lesson learnt

thanks to everyone for guidance

OP posts:
IAmTi · 04/12/2022 12:35

I would ask them to give it another week due to strikes then ask them to open item not recieved case.

Unfortunately you do need keep that proof of postage. I always factor in if I'm selling something cheap that I might end up out of pocket if someone doesn't receive it so see it as a whole rather than each individual item. It stings less then.

IAmTi · 04/12/2022 12:36

Send anything particularly valuable via signed for

Sallydimebar · 04/12/2022 12:50

I doubt the post office will be of any help to you now unfortunately, they can’t do much when you have proof, just tell you to contact Royal Mail online .
unless you pay for tacked or special, you will still have to refund the prof of posting 1st and 2nd gives you no protection.

We use Royal Mail regularly with work sent a part special delivery next day last Monday it arrived to customer on Friday afternoon . Found out on Wednesday when I asked they have suspended guaranteed delivery’s while industrial action is on , so we couldn’t claim for late delivery or postage only if it went missing.

The strikes have caused a massive backlog but people will try it on . Brother sent something he used tracked even thou buyer only paid for 1st so buyer wasn’t aware it was tracked. . He opened dispute saying not received . Brother put track num in , it had be signed for 2 days before ! Came back next day saying oh sorry it was with neighbour . Db was new to eBay and had no feedback so I think he was trying it on . Item was

worth £80 .

Tracked 48 is taking over 5 days to arrive so 2nd I’ve no ideas . I believe eBay are taking strikes into consideration so no back feedback can be left for late arrival.