Used Paypal to create postage label, buyer claiming non-receipt! Help!

[stinkymalinki]

I sent an item last Monday, 13th January, by 1st class recorded delivery having paid for postage and generated the label through Paypal. The buyer has now e-mailed me asking where the item is as they have not received it. I've just logged on to my Paypal account to check, as i thought the whole point of sending the item recorded delivery meant that it was trackable, but can't find out how to check it. Help!

You have to bring it up with Royal Mail, they are responsible for sending parcels, not paypal.

Thats fine, but i have no tracking number, so nothing to tell Royal Mail! Fairly new to all this, and DH seems to think that the seller is sent a copy of the tracking number in an e-mail, but all i've got in my confirmation e-mail from Paypal is a transaction number which is not the same thing as its about 5 digits too long! Thanks anyway.

But you took the parcel to the post office, right?
And you were given a receipt? Recorded delivery is usually an orange receipt where you have written both the sender and the recepient on, and it has a tracking number.

The buyer does nothing with the tracking number, you have to chase this up with royal mail, as you purchased the service from them, not the buyer.

Yes, i took the item to the Post Office, but no, i wasn't given a receipt, and no i did not fill out an orange form - I was led to believe (obviously wrongly!!) that the whole point of using the Paypal postage label system is to avoid that, and that yes, the buyer was sent a copy of the on-line postage label transaction complete with tracking number.

Needless to say, i won't be buying postage labels via Paypal any more, and i'll go back to sending items the conventional way through the Post office.

Thanks for your help.

I've never done it myself but the ebay info says you should be able to trace it via "my ebay"

I've always thought there is no point to using paypal for postage as you do have to go to the PO for the rec del anyway.
...and it's best to support the post offices too.

thinking about it - a tracking number can't be provided by paypal as the number is unique to the individual rec del form from the PO. Part of the rec del form has to be stuck on the package and it's bar code scanned.
I reckon (having never used paypal postage) that paypal will be willing to take your money for the rec del service, but as you have found out you still need the appropriate form from the PO. This could be done I suppose if you (as I do) have a supply of rec del forms at home and maybe.... is there a section on the paypal thingy where you can type in the tracking number? This could then be included in whatever they send to the buyer. This would be pointless really though, as already mentioned, it is the seller who has to chase it, not the buyer.

Thanks guys, lesson well and truely learnt for next time! (That's the last time i ask my DH for ebay advice) I'll just have to chalk this one up to experience, and refund the buyer as i have no way of chasing this particular parcel.

On that note, how long do i have to wait before issuing a refund? is there an 'official' time recommendation?

I'd ask them to check at their local sorting office to see if the parcel is there - sometimes the postie doesn't leave a card.
When they get back to you and if they say it still hasn't turned up tell them you will be claiming from Royal mail and that they should receive a form to fill in for them to sign to confirm non-receipt.
Wait 24 hours after this before issuing a refund - it may surprisingly turn up.

It's not officially lost until 15 days have past (I think its 15?) so tell them to give it time and investigate at sorting office, neighbours etc.

Did you put a return address on the packet?

Thanks for your useful advice. Yes i did put my return address on the postage label. I shall get in touch with the buyer and get him to check with sorting office etc then go from there.

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