Buyer hasn't claimed signature confirmation package, now what?

NANI1972

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Jul 2, 2009
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I sold a Balenciaga Envelope Clutch on ebay. It sold to a buyer in Puerto Rico. She paid the day after the auction ended. So I felt comfortable that the transaction would go smoothly even though I have never shipped to PR. The item arrived in San Juan on Nov. 21st and a attempted delivery was made. The buyer still has not claimed the item and I have emailed her several times to make her aware of the attempted delivery, just in case she was not tracking the item herself. She has NOT responded!
So now it's getting close to the fifteen day mark for her to claim the item from the USPS. What happens if/when the item is sent back to me?
The Clutch sold for $799, so I would really be upset if I had to return her money, relist it, etc. :pout:
Do I refuse to sign for it if it comes back? Would it be resent to her? Do I request that she pay for shipping back to her again?

I would appreciate any suggestions.

Thanks all!
 
I sold a Balenciaga Envelope Clutch on ebay. It sold to a buyer in Puerto Rico. She paid the day after the auction ended. So I felt comfortable that the transaction would go smoothly even though I have never shipped to PR. The item arrived in San Juan on Nov. 21st and a attempted delivery was made. The buyer still has not claimed the item and I have emailed her several times to make her aware of the attempted delivery, just in case she was not tracking the item herself. She has NOT responded!
So now it's getting close to the fifteen day mark for her to claim the item from the USPS. What happens if/when the item is sent back to me?
The Clutch sold for $799, so I would really be upset if I had to return her money, relist it, etc. :pout:
Do I refuse to sign for it if it comes back? Would it be resent to her? Do I request that she pay for shipping back to her again?

I would appreciate any suggestions.

Thanks all!
Do NOT refuse it if it comes back! You will have to refund her though.

If it's RTS, take the bag back, email her that it was returned to you because she didn't pick the package up and because of that, you will deduct your costs from the refund.

If you charged a shipping fee, deduct that and deduct any listing fees and paypal fees that aren't refundable. (You will get your FVF back when you apply for it and you'll get most of the paypal fees back when on the portion of the refund you issue.)

In this case, with her lack of response, I'd BBL her and not try to resend the package. IMO, it's looking for trouble and a possible chargeback isn't something you'll want to deal with.

As unpleasant as it is to issue the refund, you'll have to do that. You can't have the bag back plus keep the money.
 
So she can just decide that she doesn't want it know and not claim the package?

In cases such as this is really pisses me off that ebay does not allow negative feedback for buyers.
 
So she can just decide that she doesn't want it know and not claim the package?

In cases such as this is really pisses me off that ebay does not allow negative feedback for buyers.
You're preaching to the choir. It's frustrating and unfair, both that she can buy and not claim and you can't leave feedback indicating she's a PITA.
 
Could it be that maybe an emergency came up? Perhaps she unexpectedly left town? A death in the family? Who knows babe. What's her feedback like? Do you have any past experience with this buyer?
 
I thought maybe something has come up, but it is just making me nervous that she is not responding at all. I have not sold to her before and her feedback is good but it doesn't appear that she usually buys designer items.
 
this is totally beside the point, but why on earth does eBay not allow buyers to receive negative or at least neutral feedback? I suppose you could do as another seller did and post positive but where you're allowed comment say buyer paid quickly but never claimed package and you 'hope' all was okay! That way you are leaving 'positive' feedback but you're getting to say what happened as a caution to other sellers. Would eBay consider that wrong?
 
Ebay doesn't allow negative feedback for buyers because too many sellers were using feedback extortion to raise their own ratings. For example, a lot of the larger sellers had 'automatic' feedback - they would only leave you feedback if you left THEM feedback, and they would leave the same rating you left them. So if a buyer purchased a bag, paid immediately, and then got a box of dog poo and left a negative for the seller, the seller would leave a negative for them in return. So Ebay changed the system to prevent a seller holding a buyer's feedback hostage. The theory was that if the seller can't leave a negative, the seller's ratings will be more honest, since buyers won't be afraid to leave a neutral/negative it was deserved. Of course, the downside to that is that the only thing a seller can do about a bad buyer is NOT leave feedback at all.
 
this is totally beside the point, but why on earth does eBay not allow buyers to receive negative or at least neutral feedback? I suppose you could do as another seller did and post positive but where you're allowed comment say buyer paid quickly but never claimed package and you 'hope' all was okay! That way you are leaving 'positive' feedback but you're getting to say what happened as a caution to other sellers. Would eBay consider that wrong?

they would but that's not even the main problem. as BB pointed out, you're building their feedback score. Most people don't read all the positives so your message would blend in with all the real positives and you improved their score.
 
have you tried to contact her via phone? if the package will get returned to
you, accept it and just deduct the shipping from her refund....sorry that you
have to deal with this...

Nope I haven't tried calling her, I may have to think about that. I sent her another email and still no response.
Thank you
 
The buyer finally got back to me this morning after I sent her a pleading email to respond to my message.

She got the clutch on the 21st of Nov.! But this is unbelievable......I paid for signature confirmation and she was never required to sign anything, which would explain why the tracking has never updated. It still states that a notice was left:

Label/Receipt Number: 9121 7850 9140 1350 xxxx xx
Expected Delivery Date: November 18, 2011
Class: Priority Mail®
Service(s): Signature Confirmation™
Status: Notice Left

We attempted to deliver your item at 10:49 am on November 21, 2011 in SAN JUAN, PR 00926 and a notice was left. No further information is available for this item.



Track and Confirm

Enter Label/Receipt Number.




Detailed Results:

Bullet Notice Left, November 21, 2011, 10:49 am, SAN JUAN, PR 00926
Bullet Out for Delivery, November 21, 2011, 9:13 am, SAN JUAN, PR 00926
Bullet Sorting Complete, November 21, 2011, 9:03 am, SAN JUAN, PR 00926
Bullet Arrival at Post Office, November 21, 2011, 6:40 am, SAN JUAN, PR 00926
Bullet Processed through USPS Sort Facility, November 20, 2011, 1:18 pm, CATANO, PR 00962
Bullet Processed through USPS Sort Facility, November 16, 2011, 1:09 am, OPA LOCKA, FL 33054
Bullet Electronic Shipping Info Received, November 15, 2011
Bullet Acceptance, November 15, 2011, 3:34 pm, PORT SALERNO, FL 34992
Bullet Dispatched to Sort Facility, November 14, 2011, 5:32 pm, STUART, FL 34997

This really angers me that they did not require the signature and just handed a $800 package over to her. I can't wait to call the PO and give them an ear full. This could have really screwed me. :cursing::mad:
 
The buyer finally got back to me this morning after I sent her a pleading email to respond to my message.

She got the clutch on the 21st of Nov.! But this is unbelievable......I paid for signature confirmation and she was never required to sign anything, which would explain why the tracking has never updated. It still states that a notice was left:

Label/Receipt Number: 9121 7850 9140 1350 xxxx xx
Expected Delivery Date: November 18, 2011
Class: Priority Mail®
Service(s): Signature Confirmation™
Status: Notice Left

We attempted to deliver your item at 10:49 am on November 21, 2011 in SAN JUAN, PR 00926 and a notice was left. No further information is available for this item.



Track and Confirm

Enter Label/Receipt Number.




Detailed Results:

Bullet Notice Left, November 21, 2011, 10:49 am, SAN JUAN, PR 00926
Bullet Out for Delivery, November 21, 2011, 9:13 am, SAN JUAN, PR 00926
Bullet Sorting Complete, November 21, 2011, 9:03 am, SAN JUAN, PR 00926
Bullet Arrival at Post Office, November 21, 2011, 6:40 am, SAN JUAN, PR 00926
Bullet Processed through USPS Sort Facility, November 20, 2011, 1:18 pm, CATANO, PR 00962
Bullet Processed through USPS Sort Facility, November 16, 2011, 1:09 am, OPA LOCKA, FL 33054
Bullet Electronic Shipping Info Received, November 15, 2011
Bullet Acceptance, November 15, 2011, 3:34 pm, PORT SALERNO, FL 34992
Bullet Dispatched to Sort Facility, November 14, 2011, 5:32 pm, STUART, FL 34997

This really angers me that they did not require the signature and just handed a $800 package over to her. I can't wait to call the PO and give them an ear full. This could have really screwed me. :cursing::mad:


Same thing happened to me, tracking still says notice left but the buyer has left feedback saying she's happy with the bag. So much for signature confirmation, I plan to call the PO in question and ask them why they did not obtain a signature. I work for USPS and there is no way anyone would hand over a signature required package in our office without it. We are a small office though, if that makes a difference, it shouldn't. :rant: