Item dispatched 8 days ago, buyer saying don’t get it

[whataboutbob]

I sold an item of kids clothing and posted off 8 days ago. Got an email today from buyer saying it hasn’t arrived. Stupidly, I think I threw out the post office’s receipt. Is there anything I can do? Does Royal Mail ever really just lose stuff?

[whataboutbob]

No that’s fine. I’ve learnt a valuable lesson and luckily didn’t have to refund, but I know for other sellers it sometimes doesn’t work out so well. I’ll also be keeping receipts for a good long time for now on.

[RedWineAllMine]

Sorry OP, didn't mean to nag a little in my last post, but I am just sick of sellers getting screwed over, we must do everything we can to beat and prevent it! I just put all my receipts in one of those plastic wallets, had some for years, I am due a clear out of receipts mind tho

[GU24Mum]

I keep all my receipts for a year unless I get positive feedback that the item has arrived. I send everything signed for - buyers try it on even then though usually ones who don't know how signed for works and they drop the point when they realise.

[whataboutbob]

Ok red wine, I’m more than happy to do that.

[RedWineAllMine]

Whataboutbob still not learnt your lesson then, saying you will keep receipts for 4 weeks. Why not just keep them for half a year or so when the time period runs out of being able to claim? They hardly take up a lot of room do they? Your only covering yourself by doing this.

[Fontella]

I've just waited the longest time ever in my experience for a Royal Mail 2nd class delivery, and I completely trust the seller posted it when she said she did as we were in communication throughout.

It took 9 days to reach me.

I definitely think the snow has created a backlog.

[Andbabymakesthree]

You need to keep receipts for longer than 4 weeks. Think PayPal recentky extended claim period 186 days I think

[onemouseplace]

19lottie82 it also happened years ago and I was just reminded about it when I read SeeKnieves post above mine about post being opened and items taken out.

I'll remember never to post about anything not directly ebay related on here again or the thread police will be after me

[19lottie82]

onemouse this is an eBay forum. You might want to start your own thread in a customer service related page?

[onemouseplace]

Not ebay, but I will never deal with Carphone Warehouse again after the way they dealt with me when I bought an iphone through them and what arrived was a completely different (cheaper) phone in battered, opened packaging.

I did eventually get the right phone sent out to me, but only after their customer services initially refused to believe me and insisted it couldn't possibly be anyone their end or anything to do with the courier company . And because I was changing carrier, I ended up being without a phone for the best part of 3 weeks, had to send the phone they did send me back to them at my own cost and, was all in all, treated like thieving scum. Just awful.

[SeeKnievelHitThe17thBus]

I've had 3 things recently via eBay not turn up. Two arrived eventually - think 2+ weeks late, one eventually turned up but someone presumably at the parcel depot had ripped the jiffy bag open, removed the item from its box and sealed it back up, so of a 7-part item (think different heads etc.) I only got one part in a box in a jiffy bag that had been taped back together.

One of the late arriving items had been refunded by the time it turned up so I contacted them and paid again, the other I presumed was snow related and just flagged that it hadn't arrived but was happy to wait until X date (it was needed for a sepcific event so had to have arrived by X date or it was of no use) and the opened parcel they replaced but I sent in a series of photos showing the packaging and what I'd received.

[onemouseplace]

Yes, my buyer messaged me yesterday as well to say mine had arrived.

[whataboutbob]

My buyer emailed me to say the parcel arrived yesterday. Phew. Still lesson learnt, all receipts photographed and kept for 4 weeks from now on.

[lynmilne65]

ordered Tues arrived yesterday!

[Jayfee]

Took 8 days but my buyer just got her parcel. I definitely think the snow has affected gpo deliveries.

[19lottie82]

It’s not a case of who knows what they are doing better...... it’s just making sure you are aware of what you need to do to maintain your seller protection, it’s really not like its hard to do. It’s all detailed when you sign up for an eBay account.

I’m sorry if you feel patronised it’s just frustrating when people come on here all worked up because they’ve lost out purely because haven’t followed the rules and then feel hard done by.

[whopureedmypeas]

I personally thought the buyer would have contacted me before three weeks though to say they hadn't received it but maybe that's just me.

You clearly know what your doing on Ebay far better than I do, you're correct.

OP ignore my grumblings.

[19lottie82]

Really? I kept the proof of postage for three weeks!
That's more than an acceptable length of time for a buyer to contact me surely
and say "Hey the parcel hasn't arrived yet and I can send them the tracking ref

No, it isn’t. Buyers have 30 days after the delivery estimate to file a non receipt claim and 180 days with PayPal.

I've Ebayed for 11 years so I do know how it works. I found your post rather patronising.

With the greatest respect, from your comment above, you clearly don’t, otherwise you would have uploaded the reference number against the sale as soon it was sent and held on to the receipt for 180 days, not just three weeks.

there simply isn’t any seller protection anymore

Of course there is. If you’d have kept the details for the stated length of time, then you would have received that seller protection, but you chose to ignore the rules to maintain it.

[Grumpyoldpersonwithcats]

I send 3 to 4 ebay packages a day via post office first class. An item goes missing once a month or so (fewer than 1% of sales) Mostly lost in the post - sometimes I suspect I've been scammed. Regardless I replace or refund. If it's a UK based I replace/refund after about 10 days.
My items are all free UK p+p so I only send tracked if over £50 (or if I think the buyer or address looks dodgy).
I've found PO compensation to be so useless that I write off any losses.

[whopureedmypeas]

19lottie82 Really? I kept the proof of postage for three weeks!
That's more than an acceptable length of time for a buyer to contact me surely, and say "Hey the parcel hasn't arrived yet " and I can send them the tracking ref number.
I've Ebayed for 11 years so I do know how it works. I found your post rather patronising.

I personally won' be using Ebay to sell again as like a pp has stated there simply isn't any seller protection anymore, and the tone of some buyers messages I have had over the past 12 months or so are becoming more demanding imo., and it's just becoming a bit of a hassle.

I am finding the Facebook selling sites in my area a quicker and easier way to get rid of stuff, HTH

[BobbinThreadbare123]

What do you mean, why? The amount of fraud on eBay is phenomenal and quite a lot of it is postal. There is no seller protection and buyers are becoming increasingly rude. I've had loads of abusive messages because something someone paid 99p for didn't turn up next day after they'd paid 2nd class postage for it (I only ever put 2nd class as I can't get to the PO that often). It wasn't always like that; it used to be a friendly and easy way to get rid of your stuff, but now I've got people critiquing my postal media because the tape was 'ugly'. That's why.

[19lottie82]

Another one never using Ebay again to sell

Why?

If you’d kept the proof of postage then you could have checked to see if it had been delivered. If it had, you would have won a not received case, and if it hadn’t you could have claimed with Royal Mail so you wouldn’t have been out of pocket after refunding the buyer.

Things occassionally do go missing in the post you know.

It seems your problem is the fact that you threw away the PoP, not ebay!

[whopureedmypeas]

I have had a buyer claim not to have received an item, they contacted me 3 weeks after to say they havent had it! Thrown proof of postage now, so have to refund as no proof but it is leaving a bitter taste in my mouth as I absolutely know I.poated it.
Another one never using Ebay again to sell

[whataboutbob]

THanks guys, I a, a bit on an eBay beginner so this is really useful. Photo of the proof of postage is a great idea.

[goingslightlycrazy]

Ahhhh
Handy thank you!