Buyer claims parcel hasn't arrived, Royal Mail tracking says delivered

bananasandwish · 2022-12-13T22:00:02+00:00

I am fairly new to Ebay and this is my first problem. I sold an item, low value, and posted Royal Mail second class. Buyer companed item hadn't arrived 8 days later, I checked the tracking number on Royal Mail website and it wasn't delivered. Checked again 2 days later and it said it had delivered so I forgot about it. Another week later the buyer back in touch saying it hasn't been delivered and wants a refund. What should I do? Do I start a claim against Royal Mail, get Ebay involved or just issue refund?

Grumpyoldpersonwithcats · 13/12/2022 22:15

Have you entered the tracking reference into ebay?
If not, do so now.
Since the oa

Grumpyoldpersonwithcats · 13/12/2022 22:16

Since the package is shown as delivered eBay will generally side with you.

Grumpyoldpersonwithcats · 13/12/2022 22:19

And email the buyer, through ebay, politely informing him that the parcel is shown as being delivered.

TheCallOfTheMild · 13/12/2022 22:27

There are lots of chancers on ebay - buyers and sellers, but to give your buyer the benefit of the doubt, packages addressed to me have occasionally been delivered to a different address and updated on the system as "delivered". Same street, same number but I'm (for example) number 8 Wilden House, Prescott Street and the package has been delivered to number 8 Prescott Street. Happened last week! Could something similar have happened?

SHNBV · 13/12/2022 22:32

Ive just opened a dispute with John Lewis as I have a parcel that hasn’t been delivered. The tracking says it was and that someone signed for it. I know no one was in and a card hasn’t been left nor as any of my neighbours dropped it round as usual. They may be being honest with you.

Motheroftweenagers · 13/12/2022 22:33

The same thing happened to me a couple of weeks ago. Tracking showed delivered and buyer said they haven't received it.
I contacted Royal Mail though an online form and they replied saying they delivered to the wrong address and will try to retrieve it. They also gave me a link to start a claim. I plan to give it a few days, then refund the buyer and start the claim process.

Clevs · 13/12/2022 22:36

I recently had a package that was 'delivered'. Except it wasn't to my house. I received a photo of it stuffed in a postbox that isn't mine. The sender (not on EBay) started an investigation with Royal Mail but they couldn't say where it had been delivered to.

I asked round the neighbours, posted on local Facebook groups and took a drive around the area looking at postboxes but it never turned up and I still don't know where it was delivered to.

So they could be telling the truth. Just because it says delivered it doesn't mean it was to the correct house.

Theunamedcat · 13/12/2022 22:41

My ebay parcel was "delivered" to my porch tucked away safely unfortunately they didn't tell me they put it there so I thought it was missing but for the fact that amazon delivered my parcel there too (and claimed they handed it too me) I would have thought it was lost too

ancientgran · 13/12/2022 22:46

Happened to us last week, turned out the seller had got the address wrong. I went to the local place where you collect parcels and they showed me the scanned picture of the label and it had been delivered to that address and I went and got it. It is annoying, not sure what happens if you don't get the parcel. The one we "lost" was over £300 so we were worried when it went AWOL.

Flumpmageddon · 13/12/2022 23:15

I would start by pointing out the order is showing as delivered, more often than not a family member has took delivery, or the postie has delivered it to a neighbour..
Beyond that providing you have sent it to the correct address once the parcel has been delivered, it's between the buyer and Royal Mail to sort, eBay just asks you to deliver to the buyer's given address and you have proof it's been delivered, once you point that out politely packages mysteriously turn up.

Motheroftweenagers · 14/12/2022 09:04

If your buyer says they haven't received it, you can ask them to have a last check around. At that point if they look legit in eBay (years of history and good reviews) you can probably assume they're telling the truth and it's Royal Mail's fault. Even if eBay side with the seller when they have proof of delivery, personally I prefer to refund and follow up with Royal Mail, as it's pretty harsh for the buyer imo.

Original poster

bananasandwish · 14/12/2022 09:04

Thanks for your help. I shall put tracking number in eBay and hope for the best. It is really too much stress for £5, think I'll give eBay a miss after this.

OP posts:

Flumpmageddon · 14/12/2022 10:56

bananasandwish · 14/12/2022 09:04

Thanks for your help. I shall put tracking number in eBay and hope for the best. It is really too much stress for £5, think I'll give eBay a miss after this.

Yes to adding the tracking number, but also message the buyer and explain that the order is showing as delivered and advise them to check with their neighbours, speak to local postie. More often than not the order will turn up when they do this. Sometimes a buyer is just unaware the order has been delivered.

Flumpmageddon · 14/12/2022 11:11

Motheroftweenagers · 14/12/2022 09:04

If your buyer says they haven't received it, you can ask them to have a last check around. At that point if they look legit in eBay (years of history and good reviews) you can probably assume they're telling the truth and it's Royal Mail's fault. Even if eBay side with the seller when they have proof of delivery, personally I prefer to refund and follow up with Royal Mail, as it's pretty harsh for the buyer imo.

I have an online retail business, on several different platforms. It drives me mad that some sellers do what you are advising, as buyers come to expect refunds for the tiniest thing. I am a small retailer, not John Lewis I don't have their budget to be issuing refunds like that.
The order is showing as delivered, the buyer needs to make a bit of effort here, as the issue is now between the buyer and their local Royal mail delivery service. The seller won't be able to get a refund through Royal mail either, because they are saying it's been delivered.
And years of positive feedback, doesn't mean they are a good Ebayer - you can't actually leave a buyer neg feedback. More often than not, I have found Ebayers with years of positive feedback, just know how to work the system better.

lemmein · 14/12/2022 11:18

Agree totally @Flumpmageddon

Although parcels can be delivered to the wrong address as PP's have said IME it's usually somebody who thinks the parcel isn't tracked and wants to claim a freebie. Once you add the tracking number they'll probably go away.

I hardly ever have any issues on eBay, but etsy is plagued with these type of 'customers'. More often than not if I look on their social media they'll be a photo of their kids wearing the item they claimed was 'missing'.

OP, go through the usual 'please check with your neighbours, etc' - if they still insist it's not there tell them to start an item not received case with eBay. Don't automatically refund - if it goes to a case and eBay finds in your favour (which they will!) any feedback the buyer leaves will be removed.

Original poster

bananasandwish · 14/12/2022 11:44

Thanks for all your help. I've contacted the buyer to confirm I had the correct address and suggest they check with neighbours. Don't know if they have or not. They have opened a not received case with eBay and I have added the tracking number which shows delivered. I have also filled in a claim form with Royal Mail, not sure if it would be better for the buyer to do that but hey ho. So I think I've done all I can for now.

OP posts:

Cottagecheeseisnotcheese · 14/12/2022 11:49

if they open a not received case and tracking shows as delivered ebay will find in your favour, for future reference upload the tracking number immediately after you post
when you buy postage the contract is with royal mail and the purchaser of the postage ie the seller, there is no point in opening claim with Royal mail as it will say delivered , the buyer can't start a claim against royal mail as they have no contract or proof of postage

Flumpmageddon · 14/12/2022 12:14

@lemmein Yes you need to check the address is correct and its been delivered to the right place, but if the order is showing as delivered to the address given, then sellers needs to push back and get the buyer to make a few checks, but ultimately once its showing as delivered, then you are not obliged to do anything else.
My Etsy buyers are lovely, it's Ebay that are a pain.

Flumpmageddon · 14/12/2022 12:18

when you buy postage the contract is with royal mail and the purchaser of the postage ie the seller, there is no point in opening claim with Royal mail as it will say delivered , the buyer can't start a claim against royal mail as they have no contract or proof of postage

To clarify when I said that it is the buyer that now has an issue with their local Royal Mail delivery service, I meant they need to speak with their local depot to report that their mail is not being delivered and let them investigate. I didn't mean they should try to recover their costs by making a claim.

MaverickSnoopy · 14/12/2022 12:28

I had this a few weeks ago but as the buyer - courier though. Email said parcel was delivered and no card through the door. I went door knocking and it had been delivered 6 doors away from me! I was very lucky but it can and does happen. It's hard to know though when people are being truthful so I think you just have to go through the motions.

Flumpmageddon · 14/12/2022 12:51

@MaverickSnoopy Absolutely it does happen and I would always give someone the benefit of the doubt and advise them to check with neighbours and around their property. If the customer doesn't have the tracking number to check it's been delivered (as in the ops case) then they wouldn't necessarily know it has been 'delivered'.

I wouldn't automatically assume someone's trying it on, although the chancers are usually easy to spot, because they are so DISAPPOINTED and UPSET an item has not been delivered and I have usually ruined their life in some way.

lemmein · 14/12/2022 17:48

I wouldn't automatically assume someone's trying it on, although the chancers are usually easy to spot, because they are so DISAPPOINTED and UPSET an item has not been delivered and I have usually ruined their life in some way.

this really made me laugh - so very true!

onlymyselftoanswerto1 · 14/12/2022 17:54

It may still turn up - with the RM strikes I had an eBay parcel that said it was delivered, except it wasn't, they'd marked it delivered but it was sitting in a sorting centre. Eventually turned up a week later and I closed down my claim (the tracking updated too). Same thing happened to my son this week (different address)

Thelnebriati · 15/12/2022 12:28

You really need to upload the tracking number when you mark the item as posted. Its ridiculous to expect buyers to sit at home every day waiting for a parcel.
I've had parcels marked as delivered when the GPS shows the van was nowhere near us, and one time the photo wasn't my front door. I've had parcels left in my non existent porch and the imaginary garage.
There's nothing I can do about it, the seller is the one who has to raise a claim - if their attitude is that I'm a 'thieving shit', I just give up and take my business elsewhere.