USPS Problem (PWCC Vault)

[Bugsy]

Originally Posted by Hot Springs Bathers

I had two out-going...both shipped items from me the buyers requested refunds after two weeks which I did. Only one has repaid me when they arrived.

This is what concerns me. The buyer can file with eBay or Paypal and request a refund on "lost" mail. If you have a tracking number, but an item is taking a few extra weeks, will eBay/Paypal just side with the buyer and force the refund? I assume that USPS isn't going to pay out insurance claims on delayed mail either. I can see buyers winning a claim with eBay/Paypal, getting a refund, but the package eventually makes its way to the destination, so the seller can't file an insurance claim either. Anyone run into this yet?

[thecatspajamas]

Originally Posted by Bugsy

This is what concerns me. The buyer can file with eBay or Paypal and request a refund on "lost" mail. If you have a tracking number, but an item is taking a few extra weeks, will eBay/Paypal just side with the buyer and force the refund? I assume that USPS isn't going to pay out insurance claims on delayed mail either. I can see buyers winning a claim with eBay/Paypal, getting a refund, but the package eventually makes its way to the destination, so the seller can't file an insurance claim either. Anyone run into this yet?

Just had this happen on an international shipment that left the country mid-March and didn't register any tracking updates for two months. Buyer finally reached out to ebay for a resolution, and ebay responded within minutes with a refund, which they funded because they found me not at fault. Two days later the buyer messages me to say the package finally arrived. There is an option to appeal a decision by eBay for which they give "tracking indicates package was delivered" as a potential justification for an appeal, but even though I feel it's wrong for the buyer to get the item and the refund too, I'm hesitant to appeal it lest ebay somehow decide to refund them out of my pocket instead.

In another recent instance, a shipment to Canada has been MIA for about two months, and the buyer asked ebay to step in. I was hoping for a similar result, but this time ebay refunded the buyer out of my pocket instead because I "failed to provide tracking that showed the package as delivered." Again, the decision came back within minutes of the buyer escalating the issue. I'm hoping it turns up in the 30 day appeal window so that I can try that avenue, but I have a feeling I'll end up eating this one.

I've had a good track record since everything broke, but it's not been a good week for me internationally.

[ajenks3378]

I have had big trouble shipping going through Michigan...at least 1-2 weeks delay lately with anything going in or out of the state.

[Bugsy]

Originally Posted by ajenks3378

I have had big trouble shipping going through Michigan...at least 1-2 weeks delay lately with anything going in or out of the state.

Same here. I guess 3 USPS processing plants in MI were hit with a Covid outbreak a month ago and they haven't caught up.

[irv]

I just received 2 cards that were 5 weeks late past their due to arrive date. I waited patiently until I finally requested 1 refund through EBay. (The other seller already refunded me)

Of course, both cards arrived just days apart last week after I had already been refunded.
I have since repaid those sellers back and apologized for the inconvenience, if there was any?

Curious, since both refund requests were through EBay, does this paint the sellers in a bad light?
Should I let EBay know the cards were received or is refunding the sellers good enough?

[jchcollins]

It's been very hit or miss with the USPS since about mid-March. Luckily I've had all of my stuff come through - but there was a Marichal rookie back in April that just went into the ether for about 5 days and I thought it was lost. It finally got scanned at my local hub about a day before I was going to start the process with eBay, and arrived the next day. Who knows.

[samosa4u]

***UPDATE***

The tracking status has not changed. PWCC still never received it, and after making the buyer wait two months, I have decided to refund him. That means $300 USD loss for me - ouch!

I just want to add a few more things here: the buyer was very nice to me. He never opened a case against me. He just left everything up to me. I really took advantage of his kindness by making him wait that long!

Secondly, the folks at PWCC have also been very kind to me as well. No matter who I spoke with, he would always check for me, and try to give me some advice on what I should do. Again, there was only so much they could do here.

According to USPS, the parcel "might have been transferred to the manual section." It could have been delivered without a scan or is still sitting in the plant and "will definitely get delivered as soon as they are done with the manual sortation."

I don't even know what a "manual section" is, first of all. And secondly, why was my parcel transferred there in the first place? The address was correct and an invoice was inside as well.

Anyways, I just wanted to let all of you folks know what happened. It sucks, but I still consider myself lucky. What if it had been a $2,500 USD card instead?

[chalupacollects]

Originally Posted by Bugsy

This is what concerns me. The buyer can file with eBay or Paypal and request a refund on "lost" mail. If you have a tracking number, but an item is taking a few extra weeks, will eBay/Paypal just side with the buyer and force the refund? I assume that USPS isn't going to pay out insurance claims on delayed mail either. I can see buyers winning a claim with eBay/Paypal, getting a refund, but the package eventually makes its way to the destination, so the seller can't file an insurance claim either. Anyone run into this yet?

This has been happening with ebay, buyer complains about slow shipping and ebay approves the refund. Worst part is if you as a seller do not fight for your money after item shows as delivered, buyer gets item for free...ebay has really gone down the tubes for sellers...

[thecatspajamas]

Originally Posted by chalupacollects

This has been happening with ebay, buyer complains about slow shipping and ebay approves the refund. Worst part is if you as a seller do not fight for your money after item shows as delivered, buyer gets item for free...ebay has really gone down the tubes for sellers...

Even worse is if the impatient buyer files for and receives a refund, the item is ultimately delivered, but the delivery scan is not logged in the USPS system (international shipments are hit-and-miss in the best of times whether they show as "Delivered" or simply stop registering tracking updates once leaving the U.S.). Not much you can do to fight the refund if the tracking NEVER shows as delivered.

Thankfully, most of my international shipments during the pandemic seem to have been to patient and/or understanding buyers. For those that went out in March, it was a solid 3 months for delivery for the ones that I checked up on, with several relieved buyers reporting those having arrived by mid-to-late June. I don't know if that represents a rolling window on the backlog moving through the system, or if late June was the log jam finally being cleared and more-normal delivery times are now resuming.