Buyer not received item. EBay customer service are crap

[pud1]

i sent some goods to Lithuania on the 19/12. Buyer contacted me after Xmas to tell me they had not received. I told them that I sent them and I would assume that they are delayed due to Xmas and the time it takes via air mail. They have just contacted me to tell me they are still opnot there and they have opened a case. Like a complete idiot I did not send tracked or recorded so I only have the receipt from po as proof of postage.
I have just called eBay to ask how I can send them the copy of the receipt as I don't have a scanner. It was like pulling teeth. It must be a foreign call centre as she accused me of lying as I told her that I had sent them via royal mail and she said that I had already told her I have sent them via the post office. She had no idea that this is the same. She then told me to go to the po and ask for a tracking number. I just could not get through to her.

They have told me to call back in 8 days and the case will be escalated, I don't have a clue what this means but no doubt they till find in favour of the buyer and I will be £40 put of pocket.

They will find in favour of the buyer, definitely.

Sending your proof of posting to anyone will achieve nothing.
YOU need to make a claim with the post office, using your proof of postage, to get back the value of the item they have lost.

If you have sent by a method that is not trackable and the buyer claims the item is not delivered then you have to refund the buyer.

The reciept means nothing, as a seller you are responsible for getting the item to the buyer.

Just give the buyer a refund and chalk it up to experience.

Does anyone know how long you get to claim via royal mail. I sent it over a month ago

For you to claim the money back it is ages, a year or something, look on their website.

You do need an actual POP (with the buyers address on) from the PO to claim, not just a reciept of payment.

I'm sure it must be the same for items sent to foreign countries as well but if I were to send something via RM and it never arrived you can make a claim against RM for the package (compensation is different for each service so you'd have to check what yours was) You can download a form from the RM site or pick on up at your local post office.

I've noticed on eBay people write (receipt for postage kept, in the event of loss you can have it to make a claim) but in this case with the problems you've had already I'd be tempted to do it yourself as chances are paypal (sorry, presuming that's how they paid you) will find in the buyers favour as you can't provide a tracking reference.

Good luck :)

It isn't right for people to offer to pass the POP onto the buyer to make a claim.

The seller has to get it to the buyer, this is exacly the same as any shop or business that sells by mail order, if the goods do not arrive then they must replace or refund the customer.

I had 2 parcels go missing last year that were sent abroad via ordinary Airmail. One, to the Netherlands, I claimed back from Royal Mail. It was reasonably easy - Proof of Posting and Paypal receipts etc required. With the other one, to Malaysia, the buyer only complained after 45 days had passed, so I ignored him... rather guiltily. Like UK mail you are covered up to £46 with your proof of posting - assuming your "receipt" is a Proof of Posting and not just a cash receipt.

Sorry, but I think you will need to refund them. Ebay will find in favour of them and deduct the payment anyway, imo.

I always list that I obtain proof of postage...this is for the buyer's peace of mind. It is my responsibility to make a claim if any items do not make it to their destination. I merely state that I have proof so that the buyer knows they will get refunded in the unlikely event of an item going missing.

I am assuming your receipt is for the overall payment at the PO and not POP - sadly this would not be enough to claim the money back from the PO.
Sorry, but I think this comes under the 'lesson learnt' category.

it does not matter what seller says they are responsible for getting item to buyer and in one piece writing " I am not responsible for items lost or damaged in the post" is against ebay rules and you will have to refuind anyhow

It may not have arrived in lithuthania you can claim from post office royal mail though earliest is 15 working days after sending you have 6 months you need proof of posting and proof of value good luck

Last time I claimed for a lost eBay parcel from Royal Mail, they said that I had no proof of value and gave me a book of stamps as "compensation". Not quite sure what they mean by "proof of value" as second hand goods are worth only what someone on ebay is prepared to pay for them surely?

RM must get sick of "lost" parcels from eBay because I would imagine thousands of buyers are trying it on.

I also think you need to chalk this one up to experience, OP. I don't send abroad anymore because of the hassle you describe and I always send anything that I have sold for more than a tenner by recorded even if it costs me more than I charged in P&P.