EBay Question
 

Who is responsible when the post office doesn?t deliver?

I was the winning bid for a low price item with high shipping charges. Paid instantly with Paypal and seller email within the hour that the product would be shipped the next day and gave the tracking # (shipping is within two states).

10 days go by and no item so I email the seller?three days go by with no response so I track the item and it was ?acceptance? on the date she said but no delivery confirmation. I email the seller again being very polite and also use paypal services to email her too (who knows maybe she has heavy duty spam filters).

Within minutes of using paypal services, I receive an email from her saying that it wasn?t her fault and it was the post office fault and how dare I make her look bad to paypal and ebay. And, I should remove any complaints to paypal and eBay before she looks into it.

What would you do? I am thinking to wait a few days and file the complaint with paypal if the item doesn?t come because the seller is so rude :upsidedow

not sure if i understand, but it is possible to produce a tracking number wthout actually shipping the item.

I think so when you buy postage online they give you a number. Not sure if it a tracking number :)

Was it "signature on delivery post" because then the post people should be able to be held responsible (if it was indeed posted)...

If it was through USPS then yes they definitely provide a delivery confirmation number (though not a tracking number). The delivery confirmation number usually only updates when you get the item or it arrives at its final destination, usually it is not scanned in before that. Delivery confirmation is fairly worthless to the buyer (it mainly exists for the seller to actually see that his or her package got delivered at the final destination/PO).

Most of the time if a package is lost in the mail you are going to be shit out of luck if you didn't purchase mailing insurance. Most sellers on higher priced items will purchase insurance no matter what even if the buyers do not; this is to cover themselves in case the item is lost in transit. Insurance imo exists primarily for the seller of the item, not the buyer. If the seller cannot afford to absorb the hit from a lost package they need not be selling items on eBay.

Best thing you can do is give it a bit more time, just make sure to not go over the limit (30 days? Or is it 45 now?) to file in your complaint with PP. If she has at least 50 feedback and 98% positive feedback you will be eligible to get a full refund if they side with you. Remain civil at all times… you don’t want to go out with guns blazing so to speak (unless you don’t care about your feedback).

SureFire, not sure if I understand correctly but did you lodge a complaint about her because she didn't respond to your messages via ebay?

Give her a reasonable chance to rectify the problem before lodging your complaint as thats kinda an unspoken ebay courtesy (unless she ignored emails) ... technically, the seller isn't responsible for postage so if it geniunely did get lost in the mail you don't really have a leg to stand on unfortunately.

A good seller who wants to protect their rep will refund or send you a new item ... i've done that several times even though I had doubts the person was being truthful.

I hope it shows up or you get a replacement.

THE POSTAL SYSTEM SUCKS ASS. Until ebay buys fedex, it will continue to suck.

The tracking number says 'acceptance' and no delivery :Oh crap

The number... is it an electronic notification of acceptance (that is, does it say 'we have gotten payment from blah blah blah but this doesn't mean it's actually been shipped out yet') Or has it said the item has been physically delivered? Bit confused :P

If the number says the item has been delivered then you are pretty much SOL. If it's just an 'electronic notification' then that means most likely it's either A.) - Stuck in the mail stream somewhere or B.) - Woman has not yet sent it out yet.

No I didn't lodge a complaint, I used paypal services so she would get my email and it was very polite. I sell stuff on eBay and I always follow up and take out insurance on the stuff I sell and don't charge the buyer.

I know there a lot great sellers and buyers on eBay and I am kind-of shocked that a seller would say this :)

If you got a US postal or UPS or FEDX "tracking" number then the item was sent. They don't give tracking numbers to people then let them walk away with the package, that would be completely stupid beyond belief.

Could have the wrong address, could have been dropped at wrong location.

1. You can print postage through stamps.com or usps.com and a few others. When you do you can get a confirmation of delivery number but that does not mean it was shipped.
2. Email the seller and politely tell them to provide proof of shipment and explain that a confirmation of delivery number does not prove they have shipped it.
3. If the seller will not do so file with paypal to get your money back. They will contact the seller and tell him that the confirmation of delivery # does not prove shipment and refund your money.

Definitely complain.
She's not providing any kind of customer service to you. It would be one thing if she responded promptly to your initial email, but she didn't. And she probably never would have, had she not felt you were going to leave her bad feedback. Ebay sellers are supposed to treat Ebay buyers like customers. These are legitimate business transactions after all. She's clearly not living up to her end of the bargain.

yep happened to me got my money back

I doubt I would give the wrong address:)

I hope you get your money back.

Do you doubt that an idiot on the other end could write it on the package wrong? :)

Good call:) Thanks :upsidedow