I sold an item on Ebay via buy it now for over $2,000.00 to a buyer with great feedback for purchasing tons of similar items. They bought it within minutes of it hitting Ebay. The next day they said they would pay in a few days, but when 7 days passed and they didn't respond to my messages, I filed a NPB adding a note that I would be happy to complete the transaction if they still wanted the item. Sometimes people get busy and forget about things, right?! To my surprise, they actually paid and the case was closed. I sent the item out the same day via USPS Express Mail insured. The next day it arrived at the unit, but didn't go out for delivery like it was guaranteed to. The next day it was finally sorted and went out for delivery. After that it just read "delivery status not updated". It has said that for the past six days now. I contacted the post office repeatedly and they finally said they were not able to locate it. The buyer says they never received the item. Perhaps completely unrelated, the day I checked with them to see if they had by chance received the package and it just wasn't registering, they changed their feedback to private.
I have never been in this situation and now I don't know what to do. USPS will eventually give me my money back if the item can't be located, but the woman said I would have to wait 30 days to even start the insurance claim. In the meantime I am sure the buyer will be refunded through Paypal. My only concern is that USPS will find some way to get out of paying me and I will be left without the bag or my money...like if they try to claim the buyer did receive the bag and change the tracking retroactively long after the paypal payment has been reversed. I like to think the best of everyone, but it is possible the buyer did receive the package and is now hoping they might get the item and the money due to USPS's fault. Will they have to sign any sort of legal documents before I get reimbursed? Or what if the item is eventually found but is damaged because it spent weeks crushed under other packages, will they refund me? I feel so helpless here. Any advice, especially from someone who has dealt with a USPS refund, would be greatly appreciated.
I have never been in this situation and now I don't know what to do. USPS will eventually give me my money back if the item can't be located, but the woman said I would have to wait 30 days to even start the insurance claim. In the meantime I am sure the buyer will be refunded through Paypal. My only concern is that USPS will find some way to get out of paying me and I will be left without the bag or my money...like if they try to claim the buyer did receive the bag and change the tracking retroactively long after the paypal payment has been reversed. I like to think the best of everyone, but it is possible the buyer did receive the package and is now hoping they might get the item and the money due to USPS's fault. Will they have to sign any sort of legal documents before I get reimbursed? Or what if the item is eventually found but is damaged because it spent weeks crushed under other packages, will they refund me? I feel so helpless here. Any advice, especially from someone who has dealt with a USPS refund, would be greatly appreciated.
