Help! With Ebay!

Chantelle · **Help! With Ebay!**

I have just started selling and I shipped out four items on 1/10. 3 of the 4 buyers recieved their items pretty fast although only 2 left me feedback... oh well. anyway one of them has not arrived yet! and in the usps tracking it still says it is in jacksonville, fl since 1/13. customer is demanding to know why she cannot track her package and i honestly have no clue what has happened? does anyone have any ideas? i'm nervous because i only have a 10 feedback score and 100% so 1 neg can really hurt me

what should i do?

freebiemom · 01-24-2008, 12:41 PM

I'm confused - USPS tracking says it's still in Jacksonville but buyer can't track it? Give her the tracking info and let her track it. I'd be upset too if I hadn't received what I had purchased and paid for but if you can show her it's been mailed, I would think it's now a problem to take up with the USPS. Call them and see what is going on and pass along the info to the buyer. I don't sell on eBay so maybe someone else who does will have some better advice.

Chantelle · 01-24-2008, 12:54 PM

I'm confused too. she wrote me another time on 1/19 and i tracked it for her and replied with this:

I am so sorry you have not received your package yet. I did drop
it off at the post office on the 10th with 3 other orders. 2 of
them received their packages already. I clicked on the tracking
link PayPal sent me and here is what it says:

Label/Receipt Number: 9102 1501 3471 1104 5379 93
Status: Processed

Your item was processed and left our JACKSONVILLE, FL 32099
facility on January 13, 2008. Information, if available, is updated
every evening. Please check again later.

Please let me know if you do not receive it soon. Again I
apologize for any incoveniences.

I have been calling USPS all morning and cannot get a real person

is this no longer my problem? i can understand her being upset i would be too if it were me but i did mail it out and it clearly states that i did mail it. i just dont know what to do at this point

MsJoyce · 01-24-2008, 01:23 PM

I have done online auctions for 10 years...provide her with the tracking info so she can pull it up herself. You did your part, now it is up to the post office. If you can't get a real person you are going to have to wait and see.

Label/Receipt Number: 9102 1501 3471 1104 5379 93
Detailed Results:

Processed, January 13, 2008, 3:04 pm, JACKSONVILLE, FL 32099
Electronic Shipping Info Received, January 10, 2008

That proves you shipped it. There is nothing else you can do.

Here are some of my disclosures you can use for future use if you wish...

I will combine shipping on multi wins so checkout my other auctions. I accept money orders, personal checks, and Paypal. If using a personal check you need to have an EXCELLENT feedback history of at least 25. I prefer Paypal. Payment is due within 7 days of auction close or item is relisted or offered to reserve bidder.

Insurance may not alway be required however, please be advised that if the post offices damages your package or if the item is lost or stolen during transit the only way you will be able to get a refund is thru the post office since I am not responsible for transit once the item leaves my hands. Be advised the only way the post office will refund your money is if you have your package insured. Thanks & happy Bidding!

Dealing with the public is the hardest thing about eBay. I have had VERY little problems with the Post Office during those last 10 years. I have noticed the ebay community are getting ruder and less patient. I have had 2 not so nice feedbacks and that was before Christmas. One was totally untrue and the other was a Post Office shipping problem. You can check my feedback out...ID from-my-home-2-yours. Though once was still a positive and the other a neutral I don't appreciate either of them. Since I have been licking my wounds but I am going to have to COWBOY UP! And get uploading because I need the money bad!

Keep me posted!

Chantelle · 01-24-2008, 01:39 PM

update- i finally got a hold of a live person at usps anf they told me to give it until 1/29 and if it doesnt arrive to call them back and make a report. so i emailed the customer back and for the third time provided the tracking number. i really dont know why she keeps stating she cannot track the item. i have provided her with the tracking number right after she paid, with the second email and now with this one again. now here's my new question... what happens if it doesnt arrive? do i give her a refund? if so is it for the full amount she paid? i'm torn because i do not feel this was my fault however if i were her i would probably expect a refund, what do you think? there was no insurance purchased though i didnt offer it. i honestly didnt think to. now i know to offer insurance on all items!

Happymummy · 01-24-2008, 02:35 PM

No you do not have to refund her. My husband buys and sells WWII items on Ebay and once it is in the mail your responsability is over (to a point). If it doesn't arrive and she didn't choose insurance... that is her problem. we lost a $900.00 helment this way, we are 99.9% sure it was stolen at the post office (we recieved the box with a big hole in the bottom). The seller provided us with the shipping reciept (scanned) and the reciept from the post office so we knew it had been shipped. This is why we now only buy via paypal. When hubby sold a porcelien dish it had broken in the mail, we had taken photos of it before we sent it as I don't trust breakables in the mail and we could prove to ebay that we had packaged it correctly so we were not forced to refund by ebay (if you do not package something properly then you are responsible ie if we had just put the plate in a box with no wrapping we would have had to refund the customer). Oh the other thing he does in regards to feedback is do not leave them feedback until they leave you feedback. Have something on the checkout or in the box that says "thanks for buying from me please leave feedback to recieve a feedback from." This is has saved him a couple of times from people claiming item is not authentic (in the antquing world a trick is to say the item is not authentic and want a partial refund or they will leave you a negative feedback).
in regards to your customer and her tracking info maybe instead of sending her just the tracking number send her the weblink in the email (you know the page where you have to put the tracking number in). Maybe she isn't going to the right area. Remember the web is a public place and sometimes people just ain't that smart out there.

Hope it helps.

Missystuy · 01-24-2008, 03:14 PM

Yup I was gonna agree with everyone else. All the tracking info does is say it was prepared for shipping. Its NOT scanned at the PO till it arrives at its destination. So youhave proof you shipped it, now its up to the buyer to finish tracking the item and take it up with the PO if its not recieved.

snowhite1234 · 01-24-2008, 10:32 PM

Also, you can post a response to defend yourself if someone leaves negative feedback.

satsukirebel · 01-25-2008, 02:51 PM

I would give it time before a refund. Let her know that you are calling and have been given the runaround. I'd call usps back (even if it is a bit early) and try to find out what's going on. I would contact the postmaster of that office directly with your tracking number handy. As a seller I would never charge a buyer for an item they didn't receive and would expect the same from anyone I buy from. However, in this situation she should receive it eventually. This means all you do is apologize and keep on the PO to fix the situation. Don't refund unless the package is damaged. I'd give it time.

As far as receiving damaged merchandise (and those who think its okay), as a seller it is YOUR JOB to properly package your merchandise. Expect the box to be thrown around and beaten a bit before it gets there. Package accordingly. If something does happen you should refund your buyer and make a claim with those who damaged it. It is unacceptable to make your buyer responsible for damages. Everyone has a right to expect their merchandise IN ONE PIECE. This is why many online services (including paypal and ebay) will refund the buyer if they receive damaged merchandise.

Greekbaby6605 · 01-29-2008, 02:59 AM

I am a seller on ebay 24 hours a day it seems. I also am part of the ebay boards, etc.

According to paypal the seller is responsible for the item until it reaches the buyer in the condition stated. Insurance and delievery confirmation is not for the buyer but for the sellers protection. If you look through paypals policys you will see this. You will also see this information on the ebay boards. I always purchase delivery confirmation and I purchase insurance for anything over a certain $$ amount-- to protect MYSELF.

The buyer can file with paypal and get their money back if the item has not been recieved. It is the sellers responsibility to get the item to the buyer.

I do think the buyer needs to wait 30 days before asking for a refund. Mail can get lost somewhere and end up showing up a few weeks early. After the 30 days you can also file something with the post office for a lost package. That does not mean you will get your money back but you can still file for a lost package.

Most sellers are not aware that they are responsible for the package until it reaches the buyer in the stated condition but if you read the paypal policy and even call paypal and ask they will tell you the same thing.

I hope your package arrives soon and everything works out okay. I dont want this post to sound mean or anything. I just want to inform you that it is the sellers responsibility so that you are aware of it. Most sellers do not learn that they are still responsible until they lose money because they did not insure something.

Update us on how it goes!

Nicolette