I need to vent...

mizsunshyne

mizsunshyne

Member
Mar 8, 2010
1,367
0
#1
So I learned my lesson about shipping with insurance or signature for big $$$ items but for small $ items? So I shipped this item out a couple weeks ago, the buyer states that he never got the item and well, at my loss, I gave him back his money sans shipping costs that I kept for, well, shipping and handling costs. The price was only 6.01 so I figured it didn't need insurance or confirmation. I just pack it and ship it out first class. That was a week or two ago. Then today, he escalates to a claim, saying that he wanted a full refund for something he didn't get. So now I'm thinking, great I don't want to deal with this buyer anymore and I don't want to deal with $4 dollars for S&H so I just get the problem over with and give that back too. But now I'm sitting here without my item back and a loss of $. He talked to the post office over there and said that they couldn't do anything. I don't get it. My other similar item got shipped out and made it to the buyer on the same day I shipped this one. Why wouldn't this one? Should it really be my responsibility to pay for shipping costs?

Well, I learned my lesson. Now I'm insuring everything, even 99 cent items!
 
#2
Wow, totally lame! I'm so sorry this happened to you. Instead of insurance, I'd just have delivery confirmation (19 cents!). That way, if buyers say it's lost and try to file a claim...it showed it was delivered.

Personally, I don't think he should have asked for shipping back because that money didn't go into your pocket, it went to USPS and it's NOT your job to refund money that didn't go to you.

Did you listing have terms and conditions listed for returns? Typically when I see a 3 or 7 day return policy, it's ALWAYS buyer pays for shipping and refund sans shipping costs.

To be honest, I think this item got to this buyer just fine or someone stole it from his mailbox or stoop. Either way, YOU are not responsible for the item once it leaves your custody...period. If USPS goofed up, this buyer should have went to usps to file for his losses, not you.
 
#3
Sorry, Mizsunshyne. Unfortunately, that happens. At the very least, you need tracking/delivery confirmation. I insure everything over $50 (my loss threshhold), ship to apartment buildings, flakey buyers. The last two also get Sig.Conf. Even with Del. Conf., packages go missing. There have been a number of threads about USPS losing or misdelivering packages.
It is the seller's responsiblilty if packages don't arrive, so whatever you can do to protect yourself, the better. The good news is...you learned on a $6.00 item. Best wishes to you.
 
#4
I insure everything over $30, but put delivery confirmation on everything. When shipping 1st class, just put in something that will make 3/4" thick and ship as 1st class package and that way you can put DC on it.
 
#5
Wow, totally lame! I'm so sorry this happened to you. Instead of insurance, I'd just have delivery confirmation (19 cents!). That way, if buyers say it's lost and try to file a claim...it showed it was delivered.

Personally, I don't think he should have asked for shipping back because that money didn't go into your pocket, it went to USPS and it's NOT your job to refund money that didn't go to you.

Did you listing have terms and conditions listed for returns? Typically when I see a 3 or 7 day return policy, it's ALWAYS buyer pays for shipping and refund sans shipping costs.

To be honest, I think this item got to this buyer just fine or someone stole it from his mailbox or stoop. Either way, YOU are not responsible for the item once it leaves your custody...period. If USPS goofed up, this buyer should have went to usps to file for his losses, not you.
Click to expand...

Sorry, Nancy, but I disagree. This is not a return, and it is not the buyer's loss. It is the seller's. The buyer can't file anything with USPS, only the person who shipped the item, and if there is no insurance, tracking or delivery confirmation, there is no recourse if the buyer says he didn't receive the item when he really did.
Ebay considers it the seller's responsibility, and that is why they did away with insurance as a buyer's option. If a seller wants to insure their shipments, it's up to them, not the buyer.
 
#6
Yes, thank you all for your advice. I now will be slapping on delivery confirmation to all my future packages and avoid myself of these problems. And this buyer. I just blocked him. At least I'm happy about that but I'm still kinda :rant::rant::rant:
 
#7
The buyer can file for item not received with eBay, don't remember if they get price + shipping back but think they do so she was right it would be easier for her to just refund.
 
#8
nancyxwu said:
Wow, totally lame! I'm so sorry this happened to you. Instead of insurance, I'd just have delivery confirmation (19 cents!). That way, if buyers say it's lost and try to file a claim...it showed it was delivered.

Personally, I don't think he should have asked for shipping back because that money didn't go into your pocket, it went to USPS and it's NOT your job to refund money that didn't go to you.

Did you listing have terms and conditions listed for returns? Typically when I see a 3 or 7 day return policy, it's ALWAYS buyer pays for shipping and refund sans shipping costs.

To be honest, I think this item got to this buyer just fine or someone stole it from his mailbox or stoop. Either way, YOU are not responsible for the item once it leaves your custody...period. If USPS goofed up, this buyer should have went to usps to file for his losses, not you.
Click to expand...

I think I'm going to use delivery confirmation on everything also!
How do you get it for 19 cents?
 
#13
pjrufus said:
Sorry, Nancy, but I disagree. This is not a return, and it is not the buyer's loss. It is the seller's. The buyer can't file anything with USPS, only the person who shipped the item, and if there is no insurance, tracking or delivery confirmation, there is no recourse if the buyer says he didn't receive the item when he really did.
Ebay considers it the seller's responsibility, and that is why they did away with insurance as a buyer's option. If a seller wants to insure their shipments, it's up to them, not the buyer.
Click to expand...

Okay, I can see how it's the seller's loss. However, I don't think it was fair for the buyer to ask for shipping money back because that money went to USPS, not the seller. It's not fair for the seller to have to refund money she didn't get, know what I mean?

I would NOT have refunded the shipping, even if it was only 4.00. To me, it's the principle of the matter.
 
#14
Nancy, I don't mean to argue, think of this as food for thought: The buyer has no control over whether the seller purchases insurance or not. If the seller had purchased insurance, seller would have been reimbursed for the value and postage. So, it's not fair to the buyer that the seller didn't protect her shipment. (The value of the item in question here, $6, notwithstanding, most of us would not have insured for $6. But delivery confirmation would have at least proved whether or not it was delivered.)
In fact, ebays new buyer protection policy refunds the buyer in full (including postage). Whether or not it all comes out of the seller's PP account, I have no experience there, perhaps someone else might chime in.
 
#15
I just don't think it's fair for sellers to refund money that they didn't get like postage fees.

It's not fair either that buyers don't have to shell out a dime to protect themselves yet seller have to purchase insurance in order to protect themselves, which can be costly and will only be covered by USPS over 100.00 if there's a receipt.

But I agree, with a 6 dollar item, I would NEVER have thought to insure that either...I mean, who does?
 
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