Help! Case opened because eBay themselves lost item!!!! (from shipping centre)

[alltoomuchrightnow]

Sent an item a few weeks ago . It was going to Germany and buyer is in the GPS scheme. I had only started accepting this scheme because I thought it would protect me as a seller too!
That the onus was on me to get it to the shipping centre in Derbyshire (I'm also in England) then I thought from there eBay took care of it all.
Anyway I sent the item to Derbyshire by courier (that I've used many times.. without problems.. not myHermes, I use a friend's business courier, she has a mail order company and never lost an item)..
It got signed for there at the GPS centre in Derbyshire so I know it got THERE.. I have proof of this online from the courier.

A case now opened as german buyer saying where's my item!?
I can't respond to the case as it's all in german! I don't know a word of german!
And I can't ring eBay , I live middle of nowhere and the phone masts were meddled with recently.. still not fixed.. weeks on no signal. I just tried but no good..

Yes 19Lottie sorry! Yes I have done that

.. and they say it proves it's 'a parcel' not 'that parcel'
They don't check the unique id when the parcels first arrive. that comes later. So it could have got stolen or lost within the G S P centre is my thinking.
Or they sent it out but it got lost in post .. but then there's no record of them sending it on to Germany either
They are passing the buck that it never even got to G S P so you can see .. am going round and round in circles.
I spoke to three people yesterday, all americans. I had to keep explaining the geography..yes I am in England..yes Derbyshire is in England.. then in theory the parcel leaves England to go to Germany.. One woman I spoke to thought that Derbyshire was a country not a county!
It is not their fault of course.. call centre staff trying to follow a script and struggling when they deviate from it. But v frustrating for me especially continuity wise

It all sounds awful, how frustrating. You don't need this stress just before Christmas too when money is tight as it is. I know the unique number your talking about yeah.
This is why I don't take part in the global shipping programme, I opted no, and people in countries that I don't post to i.e. UK are blocked from bidding on any of my items.
Because it's all too complicated and so much can go wrong, and in the end the seller would suffer when it does. Ebay make it sound so effortless & easy, but it really isn't.
Opt out of the global shipping programme once this is resolved & block sellers from other countries. You can do all this in the account settings tab, site preferences.
I get enough business from the UK, don't need the extra hassle of posting half way around the world too. I get messages from people in other countries asking if I would post to them, my reply is no.
Sorry if we all come across as nagging etc, it's only because we care for our fellow ebayer and want to help! I love eBay. And am experienced in selling on there, so do let us know what eBay come back with about this Will try to help as much as possible.

That's nonsense of course it proves it's your parcel. How would you have tracking of another random parcel that has been sent to the GSP?

As long as the tracking is updated against the sales record, and upload it against the dispute. There should be an option like this.....

ima yes some buyers do try it on, but you can't just say in this case it sounds like the buyer is lying / trying it on....... there is no evidence of that! Things go missing all the time, especially with international mail.

OP if you have uploaded the tracking number you need to phone eBay back and be polite but firm. Tell them you have uploaded the tracking details which show you have met your obligations in this case, and if they take your money then you WILL be taking them to the small claims court to get it back.

PS just out of curiosity, the eBay people you're talking to...... are they based in the U.K.?

Take eBay to small claims court of they take your money. How ridiculous. of you only sold two items, why would you be sending a third parcel to them

I'm just finding it very difficult to believe that you won't win the case as long as the tracking details are listed against the sales record and the dispute (not verbally, or as a photo tho).

As long as you cover yourself (sending the item tracked) and jump through their hoops (uploading tracking details) then you should be fine.

The only thing I can think of that is happening here is that the OP is speaking to someone non U.K. Based that doesn't have a clue what they're on about (which is quite common!). If so she MUST persevere until someone in the U.K. Based contact centre will discuss her problem.

Lottie I'm not saying the buyer is defo lying in this case/or trying it on. Stuff does go missing your right. Most times it is genuinely missing and the buyer is telling the truth, but it is a possibility that they can be trying it on/lying. It's always a possibility. I rule out that first, do all my tracking checks etc then I believe the buyer, as bad as that may sound. That's why we post tracked if it's expensive, to cover our arse & to ensure the buyer receives the item. If we believed every single buyer that something has gone missing then we would be put of pocket. You have to see if it's true, can only do that via the tracking info.
This transaction is defo all about the essential tracking info. From my experience of 10+ years selling with my business on eBay, you can't loose if you have the tracking. You've done ur bit, posted it OP. Its been sent. What happens after that isn't your fault OP. Something isn't right here, and they defo should not be penalising you by taking the refund of out your pocket. Should be from theirs.

Ima, yes that's correct, but you said it sounds like the buyer is trying it on, and it isn't very fair to make an accusation like that without any proof.

I'm a business seller so appreciate that, yes there are plenty of sellers who "try it on", but it also really grates me when people post saying that a seller has complained that an item hasn't arrived and they assumption is "they must be lying". Delivery companies lose things ALL the time...... a lot more than they would like to admit!

Yes as I said…I spoke to three different americans.
The first one had a very deep south accent. She could not understand me at all and so passed me on after struggling for 20 minutes or so. The other two could understand me and did acknowledge my problem.
They said when the case was closed (Dec 4th) whether it was received or not..I would get refund.
Then the next day I got the email saying I would not as the item never got to G S P .
I know it did. I sent them evidence.
So here we go again.
I did ask them want they wanted me to do next. They said nothing, just wait until the case is closed.
But now I hear I won't be refunded.
I need to ring them again but I have no signal at all here. It's such a pain. Going to have to drive ten miles to a mates tomorrow I think and do it from there. I need to have a computer in front of me when I do it.

Have you tried live chat OP? As I said just follow the different problem paths until the option appears.