Weird issue with shipping address - need advice!

[Caspin22]

Hello eBay experts!!

I've been buying and selling on eBay since 1998 mostly without issue, but this one has me stumped. Here's the timeline:

Wed 5/25: A Coach wallet I had listed ended with one bid. Winning bidder has zero feedback. Invoice sent.

Fri 5/27: I send payment reminder message, buyer responds that they are traveling and will pay within 24H.

Sat 5/28: Payment received. The address in the PayPal account is a Holiday Inn in Chicago. Buyer confirms via message that she wants it shipped there, asks me to wait until 6/3 to ship as that's when she will be at the hotel. I explain that eBay rules don't allow me to wait that long to ship. Buyer says that's fine. I ship the package that day and write "Hold for guest arriving 6/3" on the package. I've worked in hotels for 25+ years and this is standard practice.

Today, 6/1: I check tracking, and see that the package arrived at the hotel and was refused, and is currently on it's way back to me. I call the hotel and they say they have no one by that name with a reservation this week, which is why they refused the package. The reservation is probably under a travel companion's name.

I followed eBay's "rules" and sent to the address in PayPal. Zero feedback buyer, so she's inexperienced. The package likely won't get back to me in time to re-send it to her while she's still at that hotel. She's "traveling back to her home country" from there. I'm not shipping this wallet to Vietnam.

So now what do I do?

 

[BeenBurned]

Yikes, this is complicated.

I have shipped items to hotels without issue and the guests picked them up once they arrived at the hotel so shipping to that address as long as they'd used it as the "ship to" address in paypal isn't an issue.

I'm making an assumption here based on what you've posted. Tell me if I'm mistaken in my interpretation.

It seems that you followed tracking to see delivery.
It seems that you watched and waited for pickup and/or it immediately showed as "refused."

It should have been the buyer's responsibility to inform the hotel that she'd be expecting a package and to please hold it at the front desk. But it appears she either didn't do so or if she did, they didn't notify the front desk to expect and watch for it.

What I'd do is let the buyer know (and send her the link to tracking) that the package was refused by the hotel. Nicely tell her that she should have made the hotel aware of the expected parcel. Let her know that on receipt of the refused and returned package (which could take a while), you'll issue a refund for the purchase price. (Send all messages through ebay so they're on record with the transaction.)

You aren't obligated to reimburse shipping since you paid for the service and it was performed. The return is a result of the buyer's own negligence and you shouldn't be responsible for that.

I also suggest calling ebay and getting this information on record in conjunction with the ebay message.

 

[Caspin22]

Update - the buyer let me know there was an issue with the name on her reservation and it has been resolved. She has offered to PayPal me funds to cover re-shipping back to the hotel. This time I will call to confirm first. If it doesn't make it in time she said she will be back there later this month. Hopefully this all works out.

 

[Caspin22]

Update #2:

I received the return package yesterday (Saturday) and messaged her asking what I should do. She had previously mentioned that she would be back to that same hotel later this month. She messaged me today (Sunday) asking me to ship it to her overnight so she gets it before she leaves the hotel tomorrow. Obviously, I can't ship it today because it's Sunday, and I explained that to her. In frustration, I offered to refund and cancel the transaction, and she accepted with a snotty message about how "it's a pity she couldn't receive my beautiful wallet because she has received several other eBay purchases to the hotel this week" as if it's somehow my fault.

If I cancel the transaction and refund her, can she somehow leave me negative feedback? I've been selling on eBay since 1998 and I have 444 feedback, 100% positive. I haven't been anything but polite and accommodating with this chick and I don't want it to come back and bite me somehow....

 

[BeenBurned]

Update #2:

I received the return package yesterday (Saturday) and messaged her asking what I should do. She had previously mentioned that she would be back to that same hotel later this month. She messaged me today (Sunday) asking me to ship it to her overnight so she gets it before she leaves the hotel tomorrow. Obviously, I can't ship it today because it's Sunday, and I explained that to her. In frustration, I offered to refund and cancel the transaction, and she accepted with a snotty message about how "it's a pity she couldn't receive my beautiful wallet because she has received several other eBay purchases to the hotel this week" as if it's somehow my fault.

If I cancel the transaction and refund her, can she somehow leave me negative feedback? I've been selling on eBay since 1998 and I have 444 feedback, 100% positive. I haven't been anything but polite and accommodating with this chick and I don't want it to come back and bite me somehow....

I'm glad you got the package back as quickly as you did. Often, RTS items can take weeks!

I have a problem with her request.

What she's requesting as "overnight shipping" is priority express and depending on the zip code/location, the guarantee for express mail is one of 3 options.
When shipped before 5 pm -- DIFFERENT AREAS HAVE DIFFERENT DELIVERY TIMEFRAMES.
1. delivery by noon next day
2. delivery by 3 pm next day
3. delivery by noon 2 days

So even if you could ship today (which is probably not possible), if she's leaving tomorrow, her hotel might be in the 3 pm or 2-day delivery zone and she still wouldn't get it.

PLUS the cheapest express mail for your item would cost $22.95. Is that a price she's willing to pay?

She's sounds like a PITA!

 

[Caspin22]

I'm glad you got the package back as quickly as you did. Often, RTS items can take weeks!

I have a problem with her request.

What she's requesting as "overnight shipping" is priority express and depending on the zip code/location, the guarantee for express mail is one of 3 options.
When shipped before 5 pm:
1. delivery by noon next day
2. delivery by 3 pm next day
3. delivery by noon 2 days

So even if you could ship today (which is probably not possible), if she's leaving tomorrow, her hotel might be in the 3 pm or 2-day delivery zone and she still wouldn't get it.

PLUS the cheapest express mail for your item would cost $22.95. Is that a price she's willing to pay?

She's sounds like a PITA!

Everything you said, yes, especially the PITA part. . I ended up calling eBay this morning and explaining the situation. They were able to read all the messages back and forth and agreed that I've done everything I could to complete the transaction. If for whatever reason the buyer leaves negative feedback, they told me it would be removed.

At least I have my wallet and I can relist. What a pain.

 

[BeenBurned]

Hopefully they didn't just tell you what you wanted to hear to get you off the phone.

Add the buyer's ID to your BBL.

 

[northerndancer]

Everything you said, yes, especially the PITA part. . I ended up calling eBay this morning and explaining the situation. They were able to read all the messages back and forth and agreed that I've done everything I could to complete the transaction. If for whatever reason the buyer leaves negative feedback, they told me it would be removed.

At least I have my wallet and I can relist. What a pain.

After all you did to try and accommodate her, she would have to be beyond PITA to neg you for this. I can't imagine she would but good to have the back up from eBay.

 

[caannie]

Refund her and wash your hands of this.