Signed For Dilemma

[Treacy]

Hi folks,

I sold an item via eBay to a buyer last Thursday and sent out the item via 1st Class Signed For on the Friday (16th).

I received a message from the buyer a few days ago stating that the item had not arrived. I used the Royal Mail website and input the barcode to find the dreaded:

"Item XXXXXXXXXXXXX was posted at 7 High Street TS20 1AH on 16/08/13 and is being progressed through our network for delivery."

Now, i'm already kicking myself for not using Special Delivery, but that's besides the point.

I have been onto Royal Mail every day since the buyer messaged, and they all have the same answer, which is that they can't do anything and to wait, which is fair enough. However, this buyer is getting more and more antsy and is threatening to file an eBay dispute as apparently he 'shouldn't be messed about like this'. He doesn't seem to understand that as he paid for the item, he accepted the terms of the auction and it's delivery, and the item is now out of my hands. I sent the item on the specified day and with the specified method, and short of causing a riot in RM's head office, there's little more I can do.

I'm aware that even with proof that I sent it, I will be forced to refund the buyer and pursue Royal Mail for compensation if it fails to arrive. I've been browsing the internet and have come across all these horror stories such as 'the buyer received it and didn't have to sign for it', stretching all the way up to outright theft committed by the buyer or potentially someone at the sorting office (which I doubt). With this, I know there's a possibility that the buyer has the item but is trying to squeeze his payment out of me as well (he has the barcode too) to get the best of both worlds, and his seemingly intense desire to start an eBay claim has me worried somewhat. He has so far seemingly ignored my requests to visit his sorting/delivery office to check there, and my calls to said office over several days and times are literally going ignored.

I suppose my question is.. what are my chances of having this item disappear in the mail, or delivered without a signature? Is there a good chance it's going to appear after a week, or should I resign myself to having to chase RM?

Thank you for your time.

[swpostie]

You are eligible for compensation (6 x 1st class stamps) as the item has been delayed - it wasn't delivered within 3 working days of it's due date (17th).

If it hasn't been delivered by the 4th September (15 working days after it's due date) it is considered lost.

[NewPostieUK]

He doesn't seem to understand that as he paid for the item, he accepted the terms of the auction and it's delivery, and the item is now out of my hands.

Which terms are you referring to? Some sellers have ridiculous terms, which mean nothing (I will supply proof of posting to buyer etc).

It's not out of your hands, it's actually your responsibility to get the item to the buyer. If he doesn't receive it in a reasonable time, you should refund him, and then it's up to you to claim from Royal Mail.

[Treacy]

He doesn't seem to understand that as he paid for the item, he accepted the terms of the auction and it's delivery, and the item is now out of my hands.

Which terms are you referring to? Some sellers have ridiculous terms, which mean nothing (I will supply proof of posting to buyer etc).

It's not out of your hands, it's actually your responsibility to get the item to the buyer. If he doesn't receive it in a reasonable time, you should refund him, and then it's up to you to claim from Royal Mail.

The item is out of my hands. As in physically out of my hands. All I can do is deal with Royal Mail.

I have literally called Royal Mail customer services over a dozen times to try and sort this issue. I called the buyer's sorting office no less than 83 times in one day on constant redial, to be met with constant ringing, so i'm taking 'responsibility'. What's the point of having a phone if you won't even use it? Customer Services even tried reaching them several times to no avail.

The buyer has opened a dispute claim for 'Item not received' five working days after the item was posted, using the excuse that eBay (and therefore me, despite eBay's guesswork) essentially guaranteed him delivery in two days, and refuses to accept that Royal Mail can deliver items late.

Exasperated isn't even the word!

[harry84]

He doesn't seem to understand that as he paid for the item, he accepted the terms of the auction and it's delivery, and the item is now out of my hands.

Which terms are you referring to? Some sellers have ridiculous terms, which mean nothing (I will supply proof of posting to buyer etc).

It's not out of your hands, it's actually your responsibility to get the item to the buyer. If he doesn't receive it in a reasonable time, you should refund him, and then it's up to you to claim from Royal Mail.

The item is out of my hands. As in physically out of my hands. All I can do is deal with Royal Mail.

I have literally called Royal Mail customer services over a dozen times to try and sort this issue. I called the buyer's sorting office no less than 83 times in one day on constant redial, to be met with constant ringing, so i'm taking 'responsibility'. What's the point of having a phone if you won't even use it? Customer Services even tried reaching them several times to no avail.

The buyer has opened a dispute claim for 'Item not received' five working days after the item was posted, using the excuse that eBay (and therefore me, despite eBay's guesswork) essentially guaranteed him delivery in two days, and refuses to accept that Royal Mail can deliver items late.

Exasperated isn't even the word!

Whilst I understand your frustration (I am an online seller myself) you are responsible for the item until it reaches the buyer via whatever delivery method or agent you choose. In this case, you've chosen Royal Mail. The bottom line is, should the buyer dispute, nothing except an official POD from your delivery agent (Royal Mail in this case), will defend you against losing the case.

Yes, it may have been delivered without a signature but this will be of little help to you in a dispute situation. The only consolation is that under new rules you are entitled to a slightly higher level of compensation than if you had just sent as a regular item.

As NewPostie states, if you cannot prove via a POD that the item has been delivered then you should refund and recoupe your losses via the Royal Mail claims process. Whether you get the full value of your item back will depend upon the service used and the value of your item.

Others may beg to differ, but making 83 phone call to the delivery office is probably a waste of time at this point. I can only assume that you've sent a high value item on Recorded, when perhaps Special Delivery would have been more appropriate...

[Buttner]

I'm not sure if this is the case any longer but sometimes when posties don't have a PDA on them, the cards they take signatures on are usually scanned and updated online which can sometimes take a week or upwards.

If your buyer has opened a dispute on eBay, simply reply to the dispute with the tracking number and ask them to allow more time. If the case eventually gets decided in the buyers favour and the item later gets delivered, you can always re-open a case by using the appeal button after it is closed.

If after 15 days there is no update on the tracking, file a claim with Royal Mail and let them deal with getting in touch with the DO.