Aibu to ask for advice regarding lost package

[redvelvetcake21]

I bought a handbag online in November out of money I'd got for my birthday. The bag was just shy of £1000.

When it arrived the next day from Italy it was darker than the image online so I contacted the company and shipped it back the next day. Received proof of postage.

The bag has not turned up and despite numerous phone calls to and from the company and shipping company where I have remained calm and polite and understanding that we are in a pandemic and brexit ect today I rang and was hung up on because I asked to speak to someone higher as I've been told different things by customer service. The scanning still shows the location where I posted it. I was told this would take a week from when I shipped it.

Aibu to think that if I shipped something back to mainland Europe it shouldn't take almost two months? I shipped stuff to America around the same time and that took less than a week to arrive and that was mid December.

Any advice would be great thanks

As you have proof of postage back, I’d raise a charge back with the credit card company or whomever provided the payment processing. Under EU regulations, I think you’re entitled to a refund of the cost of the item. Not sure about the postage to you or back to the seller. Be sure to provide the payment processor with your proof of postage and copies of your communication with the seller.

Did you use a carrier that had insurance for the value of the bag and is trackable? Your contract is with whoever you used to ship it back to the company

A proof of postage may not be enough if the shipping method does not include insurance for the value of the bag

The main question is who paid for the postage: you or the retailer?

If the retailer arranged it, they’re the courier’s client so are responsible for refunding you for a lost return package.

However if you arranged it, then you’re the courier’s client. You would have had to insure it for loss to begin with to reclaim the £1000 back from the courier

Did you use Royal Mail? Poste Italiane is notoriously shit (check Twitter) and declared a state of emergency from December.

I hope you took insurance or paid the appropriate amount of postage to cover the value of the bag.

Italy is notorious for parcels going missing (stolen) - I only ever post stuff there 100% insured and tracked. Indeed for something of this value I would anywhere! Can you claim in your credit card?

Do you have proof of postage - or did you send it tracked (and for the right insurance amount) ? My understanding is that proof of postage isn't really much use and that you've got to send it properly tracked then you've got some recompense with Royal Mail. The only thing which is OK is if the Post Office scans a bar code from the seller (the same as when you return things to places like John Lewis) and give you the tracking number from that?

As it was valued more than £25 I assume you also took out insurance that the Post Office offers when they ask you the value of the item. I would enter a claim on that.

You could look into doing a chargeback on your card? What do you shipping is showing where you posted it from? So it’s still in the UK? It could be stuck in Customs.

How did you ship it? If it's insured to the full value your first recourse would be with the courier. If not you could approach your bank. As you received the bag, if the retailer can provide proof of delivery you may some unstuck.

It was a prepaid label from the company. Does that include insurance? I'm not in the UK so the card chargeback wouldn't apply for us unfortunately.

Oh, in that case it depends on the law in whatever country you’re in. Do you mind naming the retailer or posting their return policy here?