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AIBU?

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Original poster

To be upset with Royal Mail? I've lost £350!

233 replies

ALittleCrisp · 05/01/2019 09:21

I purchase a phone on eBay but it hasn't arrived. I know the seller is a good one because he has 1000 of positive reviews and it's PayPal so my money is secure if things go wrong.

However, Royal Mail say they've delivered my phone when they have not. They sent an email to say they'd be delivering, and then they never delivered. But, I got another email that same evening saying it had been delivered Confused

What do I do?

Royal Mail website says to contact the seller but this is obviously not the sellers fault. I don't want to cause a rift with someone on eBay for £350, it's a lot of money and I feel terrible since it wasn't there fault.

AIBU to be annoyed at Royal Mail?

OP posts:
Celebelly · 05/01/2019 09:23

Well something of that value should have been sent tracked and insured. The sender should have proof of postage, etc. fo follow it up. Have you checked with neighbours?

Your next port of call is to contact seller. If he's a professional seller, which it sounds like with that much feedback, then it won't be the first time this has happened.

Neverunderfed · 05/01/2019 09:23

I would speak to your local depot or wait another day, I've sometimes had things say they have been delivered when they haven't and they turn up the next day

MereDintofPandiculation · 05/01/2019 09:24

You need to contact the seller because your contract is with the seller not with Royal Mail. Royal Mail is their subcontractor.

MaxTeyon · 05/01/2019 09:25

You have no contract with RM only the seller does. You need to get them on the case.

PlayingForKittens · 05/01/2019 09:26

You contact the seller because it is them who have the insurance from postage so they refund you and claim from royal mail themselves.

Sonneedshelp · 05/01/2019 09:27

So who does the RM website say signed for it? I assuming it was a signed for service at that value?

Dimsumlosesum · 05/01/2019 09:27

For that amount it should've had the proper insurance postage. Contact the seller.

ZeroFuchsGiven · 05/01/2019 09:28

You need to contact the seller who can chase it up. I am an eBay business seller and if something goes missing it is my responsibility to find out where it is.

userschmoozer · 05/01/2019 09:29

Contact the seller and if you get no joy raise a case. If the seller can't provide a tracking number you'll be refunded by Ebay.

ZeroFuchsGiven · 05/01/2019 09:29

Tbh though I would never use rm for a £350 item.

Whatsnewpussyhat · 05/01/2019 09:30

Check one of your neighbours hasn't accepted it for you. Sometimes they don't bother sticking a card through the door to let you know.
For such an expensive item it should've posted tracked and signed for. Do you not have s tracking number? On royal mail site it shows who signed.

Racecardriver · 05/01/2019 09:30

Check with neighbours/in your replying. Often they just dump it somewhere and say it’s delivered.

crazycatgal · 05/01/2019 09:32

You have to get a refund from the seller.

If the seller has sent the parcel tracked and insured they can claim it back, if they haven't then they can't.

Original poster
ALittleCrisp · 05/01/2019 09:32

Thanks all for the replies! I do have a tracking number. But it isn't signed for.

And on the first email I got, it said it didn't require a signature upon delivery. It wasn't signed for, if someone did take it in.

I'll ask around at the neighbours today. I was in hospital with baby DS at the time so no clue what happened with them that day

To be upset with Royal Mail? I've lost £350!
OP posts:
WhatNow40 · 05/01/2019 09:33

Sorry OP but this is the senders problem. There is a reason why major mobile networks will not use mail or courier services any more for general phone purchases. I used to work for Vodafone years ago when they had just started selling iPhone. Thousands of them we stolen by courier drivers and postal workers. VF started using irregular packaging, larger boxes, different branding etc

Only if they can prove delivery to you does it become your problem.

ichifanny · 05/01/2019 09:34

I bought an item of baby equipment and it cane Royal Mail parcel force , or rather didn’t , turned out they lost it . So I contacted seller they eventually tracked it down in the lost mail dept. seller should have it insured if it’s an expensive item .

PoutySprout · 05/01/2019 09:36

Highly likely your “great seller”’a eBay account has been hijacked by scammers and there is no phone.

It’s been going on for years.

Legally speaking, your contract is with whoever you bought from, not Royal Mail. What happens when you put your tracking number into the Royal Mail website?

userschmoozer · 05/01/2019 09:46

I had a scammer supply a fake tracking number, and Ebay refunded me and deleted their account.
This is the Royal Mail track and trace website so check your tracking number - most scammers can spoof an email.

www.royalmail.com/track-your-item#/

regmover · 05/01/2019 09:46

Just follow the process. Raise an undelivered item query with Paypal and email the seller separately to tell them what's happened. I do a lot of selling on EBay, it's up to the seller to track this down and find out what's happened. With no proof of delivery the odds are that Paypal would find in your favour if it doesn't turn up.

PurpleFlower1983 · 05/01/2019 09:49

Talk to your local sorting office, they will ask the post man. An item was mistakenly delivered to my house and I put it back in the post box. The day after the post man asked me about it as he remembered delivering it wrong.

PattiStanger · 05/01/2019 09:53

Like everyone else says if an eBay item doesnt arrive you must follow the Ebay process and get the seller on the case.

Did the listing say it would be sent by signed for delivery? Too late for this one now but for a valuable item you should always choose that option.

PoutySprout · 05/01/2019 09:55

Did the listing say it would be sent by signed for delivery? Too late for this one now but for a valuable item you should always choose that option.

It’s the seller’s responsibility to get the item there safely and insure appropriately. Not the buyer’s.

Lovemusic33 · 05/01/2019 09:59

It wasn’t sent signed for?

So you paid £350 for a phone and it was send standard delivery? This means it probably wasn’t covered for £350 so even if RM admit it wasn’t delivered you will not get your money back. It should have been sent special delivery which requires a signature and can cover it for £350 if it goes missing. No way would I buy a phone on not request special delivery (recorded delivery at least).

The seller can put in a claim for RM but they will likely not get the cost of the phone back.

regmover · 05/01/2019 10:08

It is the seller's responsibility to get the item delivered safely and refund if it isn't. They have to prove this to Paypal or Paypal will refund the buyer. Don't blame the op. Paypal and EBay will expect the seller to have sent the phone tracked and signed for.

regmover · 05/01/2019 10:09

"The seller can put in a claim for RM but they will likely not get the cost of the phone back."

This is bollocks as well. As a frequent seller I'd have insured the package for it's value, therefore I would get my money back. But that is the seller's problem, not Op's.

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