Buyer says item hasn't arrived - what do I do next?

[Greymalkin]

I sold a piece of clothing that the buyer says has not arrived. I sent it standard second class and got a proof of postage certificate, but that is all.

The buyer and I have been in touch several times, they have checked with their neighbours, no card through the door from the post person.

I can't make any sense of the ebay resolution centre and can't find a simple way to contact them.

Would it be a good or bad idea to ask the buyer to contact eBay to say the item hasn't arrived so I can actually get to talk to eBay?

I'm expecting to have to refund, but I have already paid my eBay and PayPal fees - will I be expected to refund these too, effectively paying the buyer for the post office losing the item?!?

This hasn't happened to me before and I don't have a clue he proper and safe way to resolve this, for me and the buyer.

Thanks

Yes, you refund. You must send recorded when you post. You may get your money back with the proof of postage certificate from the post office.

If it's any help OP the Post Office do not consider an item lost until 15 working days have elapsed since the item should have been delivered.

Has your buyer actually checked with her local sorting office to make sure that the parcel isn't sitting there waiting for her? Sadly the postman doesn't always remember to put a card through the door.

The one and only time I had a problem as a buyer this is what happened to me. My buyer refunded me and then a few weeks later messaged me to let me know that it had been returned to her as I had never picked it up from the Sorting Office. I can't remember off-hand how long the Sorting Office has to keep an item, but I know that if it's not collected it gets sent to a central depot (? in Ireland), and if there is an address it is then returned to sender.

Laurie why must you send Recorded when you post? is this a new rule. I always did POP and all parcels arrived.

To protect the seller or the buyer can keep the item and claim it's not arrived

Thanks for your replies.

Should I refund the full amount? Bearing in mind my fees have already been taken?

Do we sort it out ourselves or shall I ask her to open a case with eBay so it is all done through official channels?

Yes she should open a case. That way you will get eBay fees refunded. But when was it posted? Some people are very impatient. I have claimed a couple of times from Royal Mail for parcels which didn't arrive and been successful in getting money back. But that was a number of years ago.

You pay back everything she paid.

EBay have no changed the process soit is no longer done via a case in the resolution centre.
The seller has to go to their seller dashboard and beside the relevant item is the option to cancel the order.
This new system is much more efficient as it refunds the buyer, cancels the sale, and refunds the seller fees all in one process.
I believe it also prevents the buyer leaving negative feedback too.

I had to use this process last week for the same reason and it was so much easier that the old way of getting the buyer to open a case to refund and then having to request them to cancel the sale to get fees back, which they could refuse.

otherwise you could refund her and then she could open a case and claim again.

That can't happen, once an payment is refunded it is marked refunded on the both PayPal and ebays systems so a case can't be opened.

You don't have to always send recorded, but you do need to be aware of the risks of not doing so. The main one being the buyer claims the item hasn't arrived, when it has, because you won't be able to prove otherwise and will have to refund.

The important thing to remember is, you can claim up to £20 for a lost parcel with POP. So as a rule, if anything is worth much more than that I send recorded.

Thanks so much everyone. She's being really nice about it and is happy to wait for a good while longer in case of delays.

I'm going to reconsider how I post stuff in future now though