Question about Shipping and Responsibility

Odette

Odette

<3 life
O.G.
Aug 20, 2007
11,414
5
#1
I sold a bag on eBay for over $300. I shipped Priority Mail, with Insurance and Delivery Confirmation. I was told at the post office that signature is required when you buy insurance.

I shipped Wednesday the 23rd, they tried to deliver on Friday the 25th, and I got an email today from the buyer stating how disappointed she was that I didn't ship Priority. According to the tracking number, it stated that they tried to deliver on Friday the 25th, and a notice was left, and that it can be picked up at the post office. I told the buyer this via email, and the buyer stated that she did not receive a notice.

My question is, since I shipped with all of the requirements of eBay/Paypal, whose responsibility is it to make sure the item makes it to the buyer? Can she go to the post office with the tracking number and get the item? I don't know what I could possibly do at this point, the item is in a different state!

Any advice would be appreciated.
 
#3
Yes, she can go to the post office to pick up her package. I've also called my post office and requested another delivery to save me the trip so she could phone them and see if they will do that for her, too.
 
#4
Those notices they leave on the door can go astray. Canada Post will give you your parcel as long as you have ID confirming your name and address. In fact, even with the notice, you must provide ID. I expect USPS is the same.
 
#5
When you check the tracking, if the item reached the post office before 8 am normally her regular carrier will have it. If it did after 9pm then the post office had it all the time. she can go to the post office with the tracking # tomorrow to claim it but there's a big chance that they never really tried to deliver it on friday and scan it as notice left just to comply with the 2-3 days guaranteed when they really didn't tried delivering. this happened to me with an Express mail, I was in my house all day and didn't received anything and the tracking said received at post office at 10am, notice left at 10:03am :confused1:
I received it the next day.
 
#6
Well it sounds like I did everything right. As long as she shows up with the tracking number and ID then she should be able to get it. It just irks me because I sent her the tracking number thru Paypal and she just never bothered to check it, just sent me the email stating she was disappointed in my performance as a seller.

I just hope she won't nitpick the way I packed it or something...I have a feeling she's one of those very needy buyers. I guess we'll see!
 
#7
ImASadGiraffe said:
Well it sounds like I did everything right. As long as she shows up with the tracking number and ID then she should be able to get it. It just irks me because I sent her the tracking number thru Paypal and she just never bothered to check it, just sent me the email stating she was disappointed in my performance as a seller.

I just hope she won't nitpick the way I packed it or something...I have a feeling she's one of those very needy buyers. I guess we'll see!
Click to expand...

Here's hoping she's so thrilled when she opens your package the result is a fabulous positive feedback for you!
 
#8
Not your fault! I am surprised that she didn't get the notice. I often have fedEx/UPS notes that fly off my door in high wind, but USPS places the notice with your mail in your mailbox. That carrier must have been lazy that day!

Also, she has to go get it now. They will not attempt a redelivery as FedEx and UPS do three times. She can contact the post office and ask that a redelivery be attempted, but the default is to leave it at the post office for pickup.
 
#9
ImASadGiraffe said:
Well it sounds like I did everything right. As long as she shows up with the tracking number and ID then she should be able to get it. It just irks me because I sent her the tracking number thru Paypal and she just never bothered to check it, just sent me the email stating she was disappointed in my performance as a seller.

I just hope she won't nitpick the way I packed it or something...I have a feeling she's one of those very needy buyers. I guess we'll see!
Click to expand...

She shouldn't even need the tracking number--I just go to my post office and give them my name and address and they give me the packages. This is one danger of shipping in a manner that requires a signature, though--most of the time if it's delivered to a residence no one is home to sign for it and so it can't be delivered b/c they can't just leave it on the doorstep. I have been struggling with this issue lately because my family sends me things in this manner ALL THE TIME and it's IMPOSSIBLE for me to get to the post office to pick them up (because, like most normal people, I am at work from 9am to 10pm M-F and not up before noon on Saturday, and in any event do not EVER have 1-2 hours to wait in line to pick up a package). So I have told them to never send anything to my house, but rather to send everything to my office, where someone in the mail room will always be there to sign for things. BUT, sometimes people in the mail room STEAL packages! So WTH am I supposed to do about getting stuff shipped to me? Is getting stuff sent to you only for people who have stay-at-home spouses to sign for them, or butlers?

Sorry for the vent, but it is sort of related and I don't have any answers...
 
#10
geniepr said:
but there's a big chance that they never really tried to deliver it on friday and scan it as notice left just to comply with the 2-3 days guaranteed when they really didn't tried delivering..
Click to expand...

Just an FYI, priority mail is NOT a guaranteed 2-3 days service. Most packages do make it within that time frame but that is a guideline only.

Linda
 
#12
Yeah I hate the fact that Paypal requires you to have signature on expensive items, not just delivery confirmation - but I don't want to lose my money because of something like this! I've heard too many horror stories...I think I'm done with eBay for a while though, it's so stressful!
 
#13
In the end, even if USPS screws up, the seller is still responsible as far as Ebay/Paypal is concerned. I have a friend who shipped a bag from overseas to the US. The buyer refused to pick it up at the Post office after notice was left. After two weeks the buyer filed a dispute with paypal, saying the bag was never received. Paypal sided with the buyer. Then the buyer picked the bag up at the Post office!! The seller filed with paypal and, fortunately, paypal found in the seller's favor again. The bottom line is, if the buyer refuses to pick up the item, the seller is screwed!
 
#14
caannie said:
In the end, even if USPS screws up, the seller is still responsible as far as Ebay/Paypal is concerned. I have a friend who shipped a bag from overseas to the US. The buyer refused to pick it up at the Post office after notice was left. After two weeks the buyer filed a dispute with paypal, saying the bag was never received. Paypal sided with the buyer. Then the buyer picked the bag up at the Post office!! The seller filed with paypal and, fortunately, paypal found in the seller's favor again. The bottom line is, if the buyer refuses to pick up the item, the seller is screwed!
Click to expand...

I am really sorry to say this, but just for the record this is not a "eBay is mean and has bad policies" issue. I believe that in most states in the U.S. the LAW is that when a vendor sells an item to a buyer, the risk of loss is on the vendor until the buyer has TAKEN POSSESSION of the item, in most cases. So their policy is probably just following the law of the relevant state.
 
#15
I got an email from the buyer today stating she was going to go to the post office to pick up the item. Here's hoping that she actually got it! Tracking still says it is sitting at the post office, but I know that the tracking is not "real time."
 
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