EBay expert help please! Item appears to have been stolen

[PickledOwl1]

I sold a bracelet last week for £80 and sent it via tracked mail.

The parcel arrived with the recipient today but she's told me it was all ripped open and a sticker over it, from Royal Mail, saying 'sorry about the damage'

Do I have a claim with Royal Mail? Or is that it?

Thanks in advance

Royal Mail Tracked 24 gives £150 cover for loss or damage. However Tracked doesn’t cover valuables such as money and jewellery. You have to use Special Delivery Guaranteed for valuable items.

So if you didn’t use Special Delivery Guaranteed, I’m afraid you don’t have a claim with Royal Mail.

Quickly get a picture of the envelope and the sticker that Royal Mail have put on - as this is them acknowledging that it’s been damaged by them

however it’s the buyer that needs to take it up with Royal Mail I do believe- that’s why expensive stuff needs to be sent special and she can send receipt and they will compensate her up to the max value for the standard postage- it used to be x100 of the price of the stamp - but it was 10 years since I worked in the post office!

don’t refund her anything yet at all - she could be pulling a fast one

Actually I would just upload my proof of posting as evidence to any eBay dispute and let them decide 😬

It was sent via tracked 48 which does say .... Every Tracked 48 item is covered against loss or damage up to £150 or the value of the item, whichever is lower.

The item isn't hugely valuable but still... valuable enough. It's a links of linden silver bracelet sold for £80

I've asked her to send me photos of the packaging, the damage and the note from Royal Mail

Thanks all

@Grumpyoldthing I may just do this tbh. It was well packaged at my end so has either been deliberately ripped open and taken or err she's pulling a fast one

The person who paid for the postage needs to claim ie the seller.

A buyer/recipient cannot claim against Royal Mail.

‘Every’ Tracked item except valuables including jewellery. Sorry, I don’t mean to be pedantic. But RM won’t cover your bracelet.

Was the parcel damaged on the proof of delivery photo?

Seller enters a contract to get item to buyer.

sadly I think you may be out of luck here

Don't panic - I have sold on eBay for 20+ years and have always found them to be fair in cases like this.

It's up to the buyer to prove what she's saying is true - so by uploading a pic of the damaged sticker from RM, etc. if she can't provide that then eBay will likely side with you.

If the parcel is damaged on the delivery photo (check the tracking on the RM website) then they'll refund from your account unfortunately.

Even though you won't be covered by RM because it's jewellery i'd still log a complaint for mail theft!

Did you put it in a padded envelope?

Well I've seen the photos and my packaging is indeed in a bag from Royal Mail apologising for the damage etc

I've claimed and called it a costume piece but as I've had to upload a photo is quite clearly is a silver bracelet so like others have said - doubt I'm covered

Ah well I hope whoever stole it is enjoying their nice vintage charm bracelet!

Was it in a bag on the tracking photo?

I think you should be covered by Royal Mail. Usually if you look at the buyer’s feedback you would get an idea of whether they were likely to be honest or not.