Ebay Problem.

[windywillow]

eBay buyer has opened an 'item not received' case against me. They did, however, leave me positive feedback for the item in question, just a few days after the sale.

I've sent a message pointing this out but she hasn't responded to my message.

Has this kind of thing happened to anyone else on AB? I'm wondering what I should do next (probably try to get hold of eBay on the phone?)

Thanks for any replies.

[barry1010]

Regardless of the feedback, if you can't provide the tracking to prove it was delivered she will get a refund 

[windywillow]

Thanks Barry, that's what I thought.

[roslyn251254]

did you get a certificate of posting when you sent it....if yes,you'll be able to claim from royal mail after 10 days

[barry1010]

£20 maximum compensation with COP.

[barry1010]

And compensation will only be paid if the buyer co-operates

[windywillow]

Thanks for replies, all.

I did get proof of posting but was hoping not to have to go down that route. I'm hoping the buyer will remember that she did indeed receive the goods (I've had that happen before).

[barry1010]

Fingers crossed, most buyers are honest

[windywillow]

 I hope so, Barry.

[windywillow]

Just an update in case anyone is interested.

I've spoken to eBay this afternoon and explained that I've messaged the buyer 3 times and received no reply.

eBay's response was that I need to wait another 24 hours and then ring them again if still no contact from the buyer.

They will then close the case in my favour as the buyer left positive feedback for me.

[barry1010]

That's good news, must be a new policy, about time too

[windywillow]

I wonder if they judge each case individually, Barry.

The advisor started off by telling me I'd been an eBayer for 18 years, then thanked me for being loyal to eBay.

He read out a bit of my glowing feedback (including the feedback from the buyer in question) and complimented me on my feedback score.

I made my point that feedback had already been left for the missing item and he agreed that it's a good indication that an item arrived. He didn't mention a tracking number, so neither did I.

To be honest, for me it's not about the money. It's more annoying that the buyer won't show me the basic courtesy of a reply.

 

[gingejbee]

I've never sold on ebay, but if I did, I would use the tracked service to get confirmation of delivery (rather than the less-than-useful certificate of posting). More expensive, maybe...but avoids this sort of hassle.

[windywillow]

I know where you're coming from, but that doesn't work when you're selling low-value items, and to send them tracked would mean the postage costs more than the item.

 

[barry1010]

I used to sell a lot of stuff on eBay and only sent higher valued items by tracked methods.  I had very few buyers that claimed the item was not received and of course it is possible they were telling the truth - but eBay does get suspicious if a buyer tries that too often.

Overall, I saved a lot of money not sending by tracked mail.  

I sell very rarely now - I've run out of things to sell  

[windywillow]

Same here, Barry. Over the last year I've had 3 INRs but prior to that I went for years trouble-free, thankfully (except for one case where a buyer asked for a refund, saying the item must've been broken in transit).

In that particular case the Royal Mail rejected the claim, and put it down to 'insufficient packaging'. To smash a genuine bone-folder you'd have to take a sledge hammer to it, so understandably the RM didn't accept the 'smashed in transit' theory.

I honestly think that in the case in question the buyer did receive the item but she's bought such a lot of stuff, she's lost track of it all, and did in fact receive it.

It's the blight of paper crafting - you start with a few bits of cardstock and before you know it, it's taken over your spare room, your dining table, kitchen table and all your drawers and cupboards. :0)

[barry1010]

I like crafty prople, I can neither draw nor cut in a straight line

[windywillow]

In case anyone is interested, I received this message from eBay last night:

"Thanks for working to resolve this issue, the buyer has closed the request. You don't need to do anything else."

The buyer had left the following message:

"I've clicked the wrong item by mistake, the picture looks the same."

Not much of an explanation, IMO, but at least eBay managed to get a response from her.

[barry1010]

That's good.  eBay does nag buyers for feedback far too soon after the purchase, I can see how that happened

[windywillow]

Barry, you must be reading it different to me. I took it to mean she'd opened a case for the wrong item, rather than reference to feedback.

I still don't know if she received the item I'd sent or not, but my thought is that is she didn't receive it, she wouldn't have closed the case.