EBay - I've been caught out!

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Dovorian

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I've been a complete idiot! Somebody bought tack from me and then after the end of the auction asked for cheaper post service + different delivery address. Fell for the 'poor student' story..... until today when I discovered that Paypal have taken back the payment because the person 'didn't receive the package' (after 2 weeks?) and now discover that because I'd not used a) the address posted and b) a tracable delivery I am out of pocket. Fuming but it was my own fault, should have stuck to the original shiping arrangements!
Pointless post in some ways but also a cautionary tale!
 
Sorry to hear that
frown.gif
Thats why I dont use paypal, I wait until I have received the cheque and it is cleared b4 I send anything!

We learn by our mistakes though
smile.gif
 
Did you get a proof of posting? If so you can make a claim from the post office although it probably won't cover the full cost at least you might get something back.
 
Hope you gave them negative feedback as a beware to other sellers - I know it's no help to you now but warn others.
 
If you still have their email or message asking you to send it to a different address then you have proof, and can take it up with paypal. I would not let this drop.
 
That's a bit unfair, it may have been lost in transit, if no proof of posting can be produced then the seller will likely get negative feedback.
 
That's not proof. Paypal rules state that if someone pays by paypal you must send the goods on an online trackable service. If you do not and they claim they were not received then they automatically recall the payment.
 
Proof of what? Proof that the seller asked for the goods to be sent somewhere else but where is the proof they actually were sent?
 
There is nothing you can do - you can prove you posted it, but not that the customer received it.

You need to make sure everything you sell is posted with full insurance - so anything over £30 make the customer pay for insurance. That way its the Royal Mail's problem, not yours.

You haven't been stupid, as even if it went to their PayPal address unless you have a signature to prove they had received it (90p recorded delivery) PayPal is slow to help sellers, so insurance (£1 usually) is the better option!
 
I did get a proof of posting slip but apparently that means nowt if the package has gone abroad - I did think that this chap was odd insisting on the cheapest possible postage and changed address, after all he clearly saw the charge for registered post when he placed a bid and won the item. Sadly I think I have been conned rather and will just have to swallow it!
 
If you post a senders address on the back of the parcel you may find it comes back to you eventually. I posted a parcel to Spain, lady said she didn't get it, it arrived back with me a month later with a spanish label saying it wasn't picked up from the post office. So it was her fault.
 
That's why I always use Recorded Delivery on all my items. People can never claim they haven't received my items when it says on the track and trace they have! Also if it does go missing then Royal Mail are responsible and will reimburse sender and receiver.
 
Hiya who told you that the proof of posting slip was not applicable for overseas post?
I use a certificate of posting as I have a pad of them for multiple items which makes it easier on the assistant to just cross check and stamp etc. If single items then I get the PO to give me a slip which they usually write the building number on and also the postcode. I know with the conventional certs of postage it covers ordinary overseas items sent by air mail or surface mail. I would have thought the slip you got was the same as a cert as I was always told that by PO staff and that the certs of posting were being fased out to be replaced by the one's they print out at the counter.
I would imagine you will only get cover for £32 though unless you took out extra insurance.
Recorded post can be trackable on the royal mail website but it will just delivered or not delivered yet whereas special delivery items contain more detail online.
I don't know what else to suggest really other than ask the post office for help and ring their customer service number. You should be able to claim as long as the slip you have covers the item which it should do imo. You will have to claim it as an ebay item though and you have to provide details of the transaction although you would only receive £32 but you may get your postage back I'm not sure.
If I sell items for more than £32 and I have not used special delivery ( with additional compensation) I always get extra insurance put on it. I pick up the tabs not the buyer. It should be the seller who picks it up not the buyer imo since the seller has to claim for any loss etc and not the buyer. Essentially you are covering your own arse so to speak. If an item of £100 value went missing and you only had £32 compensation then you would expect to get nasty feedback from a buyer if you refused to refund their payment and only gave back £32 since that was all you could claim. Sadly it does seem like you've been 'had' by this guy but not every buyer is like that and some post can genuinely go missing. I would always err on the side of caution that if it did I was covered for the total value or whatever you were paid over £32 for it.
I wish you luck and hope you can claim as much back as you can and even better if you can get the parcel returned.
Cazx
 
[ QUOTE ]
Sorry to hear that
frown.gif
Thats why I dont use paypal, I wait until I have received the cheque and it is cleared b4 I send anything!

We learn by our mistakes though
smile.gif


[/ QUOTE ]


even when a cheque has cleared it can still bounce if it's a fraudulent cheque and the bank will take the money back
 
Was it actually signed for? What exact method did you use? I am 100% sure you can't use recorded delivery for abroard? PM me details and i will try to help as i'm sure we can get this sorted out
smile.gif
 
For help on this from experienced eBay problem solvers try the eBay Q&A board here BUT from my time on there some years ago I'm afraid that as you have sent to an unregistered address and unrecorded you are stuffed. Sorry. Try a claim from the Post Office to get part of your money back and if you can avoid mentioning that it was an eBay item you may find that it goes better for you.

ps I'm not saying that anyone on here isn't either correct or good at eBay problems it's just that there's a concentration of them on that link!
 
If you have a proof of posting the Post office are under no obligation to refund you, but when it has happened with me, they refunded me without a problem. however the maximum you can claim is either £28 or £30 (can't remember if this one has changed) if you sent the item without adding extra insurance on.

It is worth making a claim, but you may well need the co-operation of the person to whom the package was sent.

You can get the form on line from the Royal Mail website. I have always sent the ebay sliip as proof of the item cost etc, and they have never turned me down for compensation, although they have advised that next time I should use a different postage method to be properly covered. £30 would be better than nothing.
 
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