Ahhhhhhh I've just found out there is a cultural and legal difference between the UK and Germany (where we are) which makes his stance a bit more understandable. 👇
TLDR: if the buyer has the choice between the tracked or untracked and chooses the cheaper one, risk of loss transfers to the buyer. The seller usually proves they sent it with a photo of the envelope or a video of them posting it.
I'm from the UK but left 20 years ago and don't remember ever sending anything.
Longer explanation
Germany (eBay Kleinanzeigen / private sales):
In private sales ("Privatverkauf"), the seller can generally exclude liability for loss and damage if this is clearly stated in the listing (e.g. "Keine Garantie, keine Rücknahme").
When it comes to shipping, sellers often offer two options:
Untracked/Uninsured (e.g. Warensendung, Bücher- und Warensendung, Briefpost) – cheaper, but with no tracking or insurance.
Tracked/Insured (e.g. DHL Paket) – more expensive, includes liability.
If the buyer explicitly chooses the cheaper, untracked method, risk of loss transfers to the buyer once the seller hands the item over to Deutsche Post/DHL. That means the buyer cannot legally demand a refund from a private seller if it goes missing, provided the seller can prove they shipped it.
UK (eBay UK, often PayPal or eBay-protected sales):
The situation is different because eBay UK transactions are usually covered by eBay Money Back Guarantee or PayPal’s buyer protection.
Even if the buyer chooses an untracked option, the seller is still responsible for the item arriving. If it doesn’t, eBay/PayPal will usually side with the buyer.
This creates a strong incentive for UK sellers to always ship with tracking, because otherwise they risk losing both the item and the money.
So:
In Germany (private sales), responsibility shifts to the buyer if they choose cheap shipping.
In the UK, responsibility usually stays with the seller because of eBay’s platform rules.