Ebayer claims he never received the item

T

theboogeyman

CAG Veteran
On 5/11/06, I sold a strategy guide on ebay.

On 5/12/06, the item was shipped by media mail with delivery confirmation.

USPS confirms the item was delivered on 5/18/06.

A week ago the buyer emails me claiming that he never received the item.

I point out to him that I had delivery confirmation on the package and it shows that it was delivered to his house. He insists it was not.

Is it possible that the item was not delivered. And any advice on what I should do to protect myself form possible chargebacks?
 
Um... how were you paid for the item? Paypal? Because if you DC'ed it and it says received, you are covered on Paypal. I wouldn't worry.
 
[quote name='theboogeyman']Is it possible that the item was not delivered. And any advice on what I should do to protect myself form possible chargebacks?[/QUOTE]

If the USPS's system says the item was delivered, then it was definitely delivered somewhere. If the buyer has the wrong address in the system, or if the letter carrier screwed up, not to be overly blunt, but that's his problem, not yours.

If the buyer's address is a Confirmed address in the Paypal system, the item was shipped to that address, and DC was used (and shows the item in the USPS's system as delivered), you should have no problem telling the buyer to get stuffed. I don't know that he can still opens a dispute with Paypal this late (over 2 months after the initial transaction), but if he does, just provide the DC number and tell him you're sorry but there's nothing you can do. If he still complains, tell him to sod off; even if he escalates it to a full-blown claim, with the DC number, he can dance and yell until he's blue in the face, but it's an open-and-shut case.

(Can you tell I've had to deal with this sort of thing before? :) )
 
I had the exact thing (media mail with dc) that happened to me last week, except I'm the buyer. The seller didn't believe me and brushed me off. I swear I never received it. so yeah, it can happen
 
I had the same issue earlier this year. DC clearly showed it was delivered, but the buyer gave one story after another. I waited until the feedback/chargeback window closed on eBay and Paypal (just in case he tried to leave a neg at the last second and I wouldn't be able to return the injustice, and if he tried to do a chargeback when he'd think I'd forget and just before that period ended...like 60 or 90 days after? Not sure.)

In a nutshell, 3 or 4 months later he sent a message confirming that he received it and all is well. As long as the buyer pays, has a confirmed address and leaves a positive rating, and I've mailed out the product, I'm happy.
 
[quote name='zebbers']never ship media mail.[/QUOTE]

yep. might as well spend the extra $2 to make sure it gets there.
 
Yes, the guy paid with PayPal. The address was confirmed and it was correct since I used PayPal to print the shipping label. Glad to hear that I am protected in case he files a dispute. Thanks for your replies, everyone.
 
[quote name='theboogeyman']Yes, the guy paid with PayPal. The address was confirmed and it was correct since I used PayPal to print the shipping label. Glad to hear that I am protected in case he files a dispute. Thanks for your replies, everyone.[/quote]


Unless of course the buyer used a credit card to pay for the item via paypal at which point all he needs to do is call his credit card company and dispute the charge. The credit card company will most likely believe the buyer, issue a charge towards the buyers credit card and take the money back from paypal, who then in turn will put a neg. balance on your account. Yay paypal.

I have had to file my fair share of charge backs due to items not being received or destroyed in the mail and I have had my fair share of buyers do this also.
 
Finally! A thread about eBay buyers screwing the seller. I've been waiting for this for years... I'm glued to my seat... please, tell me more.
 
Actually if you ask at your local post office, our official position is that delivery confirmation is NOT proof of delivery. It may even say it on the actual delivery confirmation form. It's been a while since I looked at the receipt side of one. Paypal differs on that position however so you are covered there.

I work as a distribution clerk in a post office. We often scan things delivered as early as 4:30am. At that point they are still in the office but have not been delivered yet obviously. In addition to make his numbers look better our postmaster actually has one of the other clerks pull up the missed scans list every day and "correct" anything that was scanned arrived but not delivered. So there IS a slim possibility he really never did get it. But like others have said Paypal only cares about the DC which you had on it.
 
Makes perfect sense. No reasonable person would think something called Delivery Confirmation should actually be used to confirm delivery.

I know it's a USPS wide policy and no reflection on you or your PO branch, but man that is so lame.

Anyway this thread pretty much already sums it up well. I'd politely tell the guy that the USPS says the item was delivered so if he did not actually receive it, he should go to his local post office and file a complaint.

Waiting this long to complain doesn't really pass the smell test with me, but I guess he could have been preoccupied or something.
 
This is all well and good, but it still doesn't help when it comes to getting negative feedback from a dissatisfied customer...
 
[quote name='Blustrk98']This is all well and good, but it still doesn't help when it comes to getting negative feedback from a dissatisfied customer...[/QUOTE]

Then you leave him a negative back for having poor communication and being a liar, and you follow up to the negative you received and say "DC shows package was delivered".

I've had buyers try this same thing a few times, but once I tell them that DC says it was delivered, it's out of my hands, and give them suggestions on what to do, they usually find the package.

OP, is the buyer in an apt. complex? That's where the majority of my "I never received the package" complaints come from, and they usually tell me "Oh, the apt. manager had it" or something like that.
 
[quote name='wubb']Makes perfect sense. No reasonable person would think something called Delivery Confirmation should actually be used to confirm delivery.[/quote]:applause:

Bravo wubb. You win the internet.
 
I won something for $16 on ebay and paid by paypal (using a credit card). Seller did not respond or send product at all. I filed a dispute and a claim and seller did not respond again. Paypal sided with me but recovered $0 (zero) only because his account was empty. Am I SOL? The original payment was made 2 months ago. Is it too late to do a chargeback with my CC company? If I do a chargeback, what paypal would do to me? The least I want is to get blacklisted by paypal!
 
Many credit card companies give you 90 days to file a dispute, some even longer. Though I have heard some don't do chargebacks on PP payments. Basically just call the number on the back of your card and tell them you want to open a dispute.

I'm not sure what if anything PayPal would do to you about it. You gave them a chance to recover your funds, they didn't, now you have to go over their head. Seems as if you are being perfectly reasonable to me. Just don't file the chargeback as an unauthorized charge, that really pisses them off. Maybe somebody who's actually done a CC chargeback on a PayPal payment could give you some first hand advice. This really might be better as a new topic, let me know (PM me) if you want me to split it off.
 
[quote name='battleroyal33']Unless of course the buyer used a credit card to pay for the item via paypal at which point all he needs to do is call his credit card company and dispute the charge. The credit card company will most likely believe the buyer, issue a charge towards the buyers credit card and take the money back from paypal, who then in turn will put a neg. balance on your account. Yay paypal.

I have had to file my fair share of charge backs due to items not being received or destroyed in the mail and I have had my fair share of buyers do this also.[/quote]

From what I understand, if you use a credit card through paypal, you forfeit the option to dispute through your credit card. It has to be directly purchased with the credit card, and not through a secondary service like paypal.
 
[quote name='wubb']Many credit card companies give you 90 days to file a dispute, some even longer. Though I have heard some don't do chargebacks on PP payments. Basically just call the number on the back of your card and tell them you want to open a dispute.

I'm not sure what if anything PayPal would do to you about it. You gave them a chance to recover your funds, they didn't, now you have to go over their head. Seems as if you are being perfectly reasonable to me. Just don't file the chargeback as an unauthorized charge, that really pisses them off. Maybe somebody who's actually done a CC chargeback on a PayPal payment could give you some first hand advice. This really might be better as a new topic, let me know (PM me) if you want me to split it off.[/quote]

Paypal will send you a email asking you the next time you have a dispute to please contact them and file a dispute through paypal instead of directly going through your credit card company, which by the way you have already done and what did that get you, nothing, you got a decision in your favor but no money back and still no item. I have had to do this a few times as already stated, I mainly have issues when dealing with international sellers since I buy a lot of Transformers and Macross items, I buy out of Hong Kong and Japan all of the time with mostly great results but every now and then it happens. If no items are receieved in the given time period and the emails stop, I just by pass paypal and dispute the charge directly with my credit card company, easy as that.
 
[quote name='h2dk']From what I understand, if you use a credit card through paypal, you forfeit the option to dispute through your credit card. It has to be directly purchased with the credit card, and not through a secondary service like paypal.[/quote]

Not true at all, paypal might try to tell you that but I just did a credit card charge back in mid May of this year on an ebay item I paid for via my Providian Visa credit card. I won the item, paid the same day and 3 weeks pass with no item. The seller said he sent the item but did not put delivery confirmation on it like he said he would so I filed my dispute and within 2 weeks the charge was reversed off my credit card and I ended up with the same email that paypal sends stating that if I have a problem to contact them and file a claim through paypal before going to my credit card company. As already stated, I have been using paypal since they first started up and I have had to do this several times over the years. As wubb stated some credit cards might have clause were they wont allow charge backs but I sure as hell know my Providian lets me dispute any and all charges that come across it, I have had this credit card since I was 27 and Im about to turn 31, that almost 4 years and I have never been denied a paypal dispute.
 
I would think that if paypal decided that you deserved the money back and just didnt give it to you the credit card company will gladly do a charge back.

But then again this is why I never use paypal (and subsequently never use ebay) I'd rather spend a few extra dollars on amazon marketplace where I have never had a problem and shipping charges are standard.
 
[quote name='Roufuss']Then you leave him a negative back for having poor communication and being a liar, and you follow up to the negative you received and say "DC shows package was delivered".

I've had buyers try this same thing a few times, but once I tell them that DC says it was delivered, it's out of my hands, and give them suggestions on what to do, they usually find the package.

OP, is the buyer in an apt. complex? That's where the majority of my "I never received the package" complaints come from, and they usually tell me "Oh, the apt. manager had it" or something like that.[/quote]

His address did not contain an apartment or room number so I think its a house. He says that he's never had an a package lost in the mail there and that hes lived there for 10 years. I suggested that he should talk to his family or neighbors who might have received the package but forgot to tell him about it. I also told he needs to take the DC number I gave him and check with the post office. He emails me back saying saying I'm just playing him for a fool, accusing me of cheating him, and that I need to send him the book or else. I'm not going to give him a refund because I don't think its fair that I should pay because USPS screwed up. And also I am worried that if I give him a refund through paypal, he will still call his credit card company and dispute the charges, and then I get hit twice.
 
[quote name='theboogeyman']His address did not contain an apartment or room number so I think its a house. He says that he's never had an a package lost in the mail there and that hes lived there for 10 years. I suggested that he should talk to his family or neighbors who might have received the package but forgot to tell him about it. I also told he needs to take the DC number I gave him and check with the post office. He emails me back saying saying I'm just playing him for a fool and accusing me of cheating him and that I need to send him the book or else. I'm not going to give him a refund because I don't think its fair that I should lose money becaause USPS screwed up. And also I am worried that if I give him a refund through paypal, he will still call his credit card company and dispute the charges, and then I get hit twice.[/QUOTE]

I don't know... I did what you did against people who "never received their packages" and they always found it the next day, almost like magic.

I guess if he files a CC chargeback, you could always contact his credit card company to prove it was delivered and they could get him for CC fraud? I mean, it was delivered, that's all the proof you need, I can't imagine his CC company wouldn't even look into it a little bit.

You need to end communication with the guy ASAP, you've done your part, it just seems like he's trying to pull a scam or someone else grabbed his package. You can't be responsible for his post offce or theft.

DO NOT give him a refund.
 
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