Am I foolish not to send items recorded delivery?

[40notTrendy]

Just finished selling a few baby bits on eBay. All good apart from one. Wondered if I should use recorded next time, to protect myself as a buyer more effectively?

I never used to send recorded, but have just had a hellish experience from a buyer. I always put my name and address on the back of parcels, and obtain proof of postage... so the parcel didn't come back to me, but the buyer insisted she never received it. I offered to send her the receipt from when I posted it, but instead she opened a case about it and it was found in her favour! (So they took a refund from my account, and I could do nothing).

The moral of the story is, if you don't send it recorded delivery, you are taking a risk. Ebay sent me an email saying that all packages should be trackable. Well that means they should be sent recorded doesn't it, because otherwise you can't track it, not just with a proof of posting.... apparently it can just drop off the face of the earth.

So that puts the price of the postage up. I will only sell children's clothes on Mumsnet now. (bitter emoticon)

It is part of the user agreement that you do send trackable, but I don't bother for low value items. i have had a few buyers claim not to receive, so I just refund and you can claim with royal mail for lost items with your proof of postage. For anything say over a tenner i always send recorded, and over £46 special or courier.

Joinscotland, that's exactly what's just happened to me! Except I didn't get any messages from the buyer, she just opened a case against me (which I likewise lost). What made it worse was that she opened a case before she could have expected delivery. It was listed as delivery 6-8 days after payment, she opened the case 5 days after payment .
Lesson learnt I guess, will prob send recorded if I sell again. Didn't know things had to be trackable, made sure I read as much info as poss before I started selling-must have missed that .
I've now got a negative feedback, should I worry about it?

That 'trackable' must be new - in any case recorded dleivery isn't 'trackable' as it only records that the packet has been delivered somewhere to some human being; no trace of where it's been en route.

I'd appeal the negative feedback on the grounds that she complained before delivery was expected and didn't contact you at all so you could offer a refund - contacting the seller is required. And say obviously if you'd been contacted you would have refunded... and then claimed back from RM with the POP.

However, baby bits do seem to attract the worst buyers, ditto anything else that goes for 99p. I send recorded for anything I expect to make a fiver or more, and below that treat it as decluttering and expect to write off some of the money. Could you bundle future items so they sell for more and justify recorded?

no it's not new - online proof of delivery has always been part of the paypal agreement and recorded does give that proof of delivery - well it does if the postie bothers to get a signature.

As for the neg just reply with 'buyer states item was lost in the post, full refund given' and for the buyer leave them feedback say sorry your item vanished, full refund given. - or something like that anyway.

I send all mine recorded and it certainly helped when someone tried to screw me over when it had been returned to me as they didn't collect it.

Also think what dh has just been through was certainly helped by being recorded as think they would have gone for nonreceipt instead of not as described.

I sent a whole load of stuff this week, none recorded just got a proof of postage for each thing. Only had 2 people give feedback thus far, both positive. Hopefully it all arrived ok!

Such a shame some people abuse eBay. Didn't know I could claim from RM with the POP, will get me a few quid back. Item didn't sell for much at all, it was a really nice item tho-would rather have given it away to someone I know than some random who may, or may not (!) have pulled a fast one. Have replied to feedback as suggested, been honest. Hopefully all the other positives will make up for it

I send loads of stuff probably over 100 in past year has had all previous owners stuff in lot and some inherited china etc which am stil selling not one has not beeen received though one person could not find parcel for a few days as had been signed for by the man in corner shop!!!! but have had a couple of items arrive broken so just refunded in the case of china& breakables you can not claim from Royal mail as breakable and no courier covers them against damage but i reckon we make enough to be able to do that, I do not send recorded unless over £43 as covered upto that anyway.

I do not want to pay an extra 77p postage on low value item and possibly have to make special trip to sort office to pick up as i was not in just annoying; so say a pair of shorts won for £1.25 and £1.72 postage as upto 250g say an extra 20p for packing and its already £3.17 if you add 77p extra for recorded and then a trip to collect parcel its ove£4 and almost the cost of a new pair

some sellers says not responsible for losses in post but will help you claim that is rubbish it is sender who has to claim so you refund then hope you get something back, you only get price you paid for it not price you sold for in the case of old stuff its difficult but any business would factor in a few refunds just like a shop unfortunately has to factor in some shoplifting, but i do think some categories on ebay produce more problems than others

Yes don't worry - if you give a decent response to feedback it can show you in a good light.

most ebayers are fine if they were all crooks people would not be using it
reckon a small problem easily sorted like a delay or something not quite as expected being polite and reasonable normally sorts it, occurs maybe 1 in 50 cases bigger problems like someone claiming not received when it was or sending new items when they are obviuosly heavily used occurs less frequently

recorded isnt worth the paper its written on-half the time the postman doesnt knock to get a signature. If its only low value items then bung it in the box.

exactly they will get anyone to sign for next door neighbour house across road 2 flats above shop underneath your flat etc, a cheaper traceable method for items over 2 kg is collect+ you take to a shop locally about 3.99 as standard parcels is not signed for and 1st class recorded on small value items is a lot

I'm a business seller send anything that sells for over £10 recorded delivery, it's only 70p more and it covers you. Sending 2nd class recorded is the cheapest way