HELP....I NEED ADVICE FROM FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS ABOUT AN EBAY SALE GONE BAD
CoinGuy42
Posts: 307 ✭✭✭
Hello all,
When I check my email this evening, I received this from an ebay buyer.....
JUST REC'D AN EMPTY 5 1/2 X 8 1/2 USPS PRIORITY MAIL BOX. THE GREEN TUBE DOESN’T FIT IN THIS
1 1/2 INCH DEEP BOX AND AM WONDERING IF THERE WAS SOME KIND OF SHIPPING MISTAKE. I DID NOT RECEIVE THE TUBE OF 2005 EAGLES!!!!
HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU SOONEST.
MARK
First of all, I find his claim very hard to believe. This is my proposed response.......I would appreciate any advice as to how to handle this. Thanks....Pat.
My proposed reply.......
Mark,
I find this hard to believe, are you sure you are referring to my package?
Here are the facts....
1. I shipped your item on Saturday, February 19, 2005 at 9:33AM using USPS PRIORITY service with DELIVERY CONFIRMATION (as committed in my ebay auction). I had offered insurance with this auction, you declined.
2. Your USPS PRIORITY delivery confirmation number is 0303 3430 0000 6601 5392. I just checked status on the USPS.COM website and it reads, " Your item was accepted at 9:33 am on February 19, 2005 in CHESAPEAKE, VA 23320. Information, if available, is updated every evening. Please check again later." So, current USPS status shows it hasnt been delivered yet. So, again, I question if you are referring to the package I sent.......could it have been another? Of course if the package had arrived at your home this afternoon, updated status might not yet be available. Of course I use a pre-printed return address label with my name and address for the return address, so, please check that.
3. As you can see from my ebay feedback, it is flawless, over 300 positive feedbacks, never a problem, I am a solid ebay'er.
4. When I ship a package using USPS priority service, I always place USPS PRIORITY shipping tape around the box before affixing the label, I did this with your package.
5. Additionally, I of course have the receipt from shipping to you and the shipping cost was a total of $6.20 (of course I can provide you with a copy of that receipt and a copy of the delivery confirmation label). The receipt states the package was shipped to RANCHOS PALOS VERDES, CA (your location) and the delivery confirmation label coincides with your package. Most importantly, the shipping receipt states that the shipping charge was $6.20.......it would be impossible for the post office to charge me $6.20 for an empty priority box. This fact proves that the box was in fact NOT empty when I shipped.
6. Additionally sir, a roll of US SILVER EAGLES will in fact fit in that size box and I even wrap them in clean white paper towel for added padding. I have thus far sent a few other rolls in the same USPS box.....they do in fact fit sir.
So Mark, I am 100% positive I did all the right things in shipping your package. If it is in fact my package, please check the postage charge and see that I paid 6.20.....again, if the box were shipped empty, the charge would have been 3.85 plus the .45 delivery confirmation charge.
Please verify the package was in fact from me. I look forward to your reply.
Again, fellow board members, I would appreciate any and all advice. Basically, I feel this person is trying to get over on me, or, a USPS employee removed the tube before delivery. Please advise. Pat
When I check my email this evening, I received this from an ebay buyer.....
JUST REC'D AN EMPTY 5 1/2 X 8 1/2 USPS PRIORITY MAIL BOX. THE GREEN TUBE DOESN’T FIT IN THIS
1 1/2 INCH DEEP BOX AND AM WONDERING IF THERE WAS SOME KIND OF SHIPPING MISTAKE. I DID NOT RECEIVE THE TUBE OF 2005 EAGLES!!!!
HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU SOONEST.
MARK
First of all, I find his claim very hard to believe. This is my proposed response.......I would appreciate any advice as to how to handle this. Thanks....Pat.
My proposed reply.......
Mark,
I find this hard to believe, are you sure you are referring to my package?
Here are the facts....
1. I shipped your item on Saturday, February 19, 2005 at 9:33AM using USPS PRIORITY service with DELIVERY CONFIRMATION (as committed in my ebay auction). I had offered insurance with this auction, you declined.
2. Your USPS PRIORITY delivery confirmation number is 0303 3430 0000 6601 5392. I just checked status on the USPS.COM website and it reads, " Your item was accepted at 9:33 am on February 19, 2005 in CHESAPEAKE, VA 23320. Information, if available, is updated every evening. Please check again later." So, current USPS status shows it hasnt been delivered yet. So, again, I question if you are referring to the package I sent.......could it have been another? Of course if the package had arrived at your home this afternoon, updated status might not yet be available. Of course I use a pre-printed return address label with my name and address for the return address, so, please check that.
3. As you can see from my ebay feedback, it is flawless, over 300 positive feedbacks, never a problem, I am a solid ebay'er.
4. When I ship a package using USPS priority service, I always place USPS PRIORITY shipping tape around the box before affixing the label, I did this with your package.
5. Additionally, I of course have the receipt from shipping to you and the shipping cost was a total of $6.20 (of course I can provide you with a copy of that receipt and a copy of the delivery confirmation label). The receipt states the package was shipped to RANCHOS PALOS VERDES, CA (your location) and the delivery confirmation label coincides with your package. Most importantly, the shipping receipt states that the shipping charge was $6.20.......it would be impossible for the post office to charge me $6.20 for an empty priority box. This fact proves that the box was in fact NOT empty when I shipped.
6. Additionally sir, a roll of US SILVER EAGLES will in fact fit in that size box and I even wrap them in clean white paper towel for added padding. I have thus far sent a few other rolls in the same USPS box.....they do in fact fit sir.
So Mark, I am 100% positive I did all the right things in shipping your package. If it is in fact my package, please check the postage charge and see that I paid 6.20.....again, if the box were shipped empty, the charge would have been 3.85 plus the .45 delivery confirmation charge.
Please verify the package was in fact from me. I look forward to your reply.
Again, fellow board members, I would appreciate any and all advice. Basically, I feel this person is trying to get over on me, or, a USPS employee removed the tube before delivery. Please advise. Pat
0
Comments
Edit: Just noticed this:
<< <i>I had offered insurance with this auction, you declined. >>
Frankly, the fact that he declined insurance changes the flavor and makes me very suspicious.
Russ, NCNE
<< <i>It sounds to me like you're covered- but I would make insurance mandatory on all coin shipments... seeing as how it protects you if something goes wrong... >>
I agree, I put insurance on everything, even the cheap stuff. I feel it serves a deterrent for this kind thing. As for your problem your response is good but you'll most likely have to make a decision between a refund or losing your perfect feedback score.
It is a tough situation. I would mention that your shipping receipt has the weight on it if you have the reciept and it does have the weight on it. You may need to simplify your mail. After all he declined insurance and you have proof of shipping so you can make him eat the loss. This is why I insure everything I am not willing to eat myself, I wouldn't want to have to send the letter you are going to have to send.
Do NOT send anything over $50 uninsured. The insurance protects the seller, not the buyer. If you had insured this, even under insured at $99, the buyer would have had to sign for it and you would not be in this situation. Always use insurance, and include it in your S&H charge.
If you took a mailed payment for this item, you will probably be OK. If you accepted PayPal, you're going to be out the money no matter what you do.
Approach it first based on the seller being honest but I definitely would not send him anything else. It's his problem. If you prove you sent it, then he needs to prove he didn't get it.
<< <i>I don't see how his declining insurance changes the matter. >>
Because, unfortunately, there are dishonest buyers who deliberately decline insurance so they can falsely claim they did not receive the merchandise. This is why I don't give my buyers the choice. Everything is shipped insured.
Russ, NCNE
More importantly, he states that the roll would not fit in the box....that is BS, and since I know it is BS, I know he is most likely trying to get over on me. How would he know the roll did not fit in the box? That statement can, IMHO, only be predicated on a dishonest intent.
E PLVRIBVS VNVM
Looks to me like the buyer is sol. I too think he may be trying to get over, just my wag.
BTW..Did you find anything at the coin show to your liking ??
Herb
End of deal.
That is my point -- if a seller wants protection, seller must require insurance, no matter whether it comes from the seller's pocket or is a required charge put to the buyer. So while I understand why a dishonest buyer will decline insurance, the fact that insurance was declined does not alter the analysis, i.e. declining insurance does not shift responsibility for loss.
<< <i>First of all, I find his claim very hard to believe >>
If you want to include that in your reply (and personally, I don't think it's a good idea), I would recommend placing it at the end, not the beginning.
If the buyer is honest, it will put him on the defensive and offend him, causing him to ignore most of the rest of your message. And, if he is dishonest, it wont do any good to tell him that anyway.
It's best to deal with the facts, not accusations.
Explaining the care you took to package, the postage cost, etc. to show that it is plain that you did in fact ship the item and not an empty box is OK. Then I'd say that if it arrived tampered then you cannot help since insurance was not purchased, as offered.
In the future I suggest you require insurance on ebay. I am a frequent buyer on ebay. On anything of value I want insurance.
All in all, I think your response is okay, although I'd turn down the accusatorial tone. I suspect you're being scammed, but the guy might just be confused or may indeed be a victim of a scam by the post office. God only knows how much stuff gets stolen in the mail every day.
Regardless of what happens, I suspect you're about to get a neg wether of not you deserve it. Sorry about that.
more. I always insure for at least $60 and this forces the recipient to sign for the
item. The cost for $60 of insurance is only about $1.50 as I recall. If it's a cheepie
item, I still get a tracking # for an additional .45. If its a really cheapie item (like
less than $5), I'll stick it in an envelope and slap .49 of stamps on it. If it get's lost
I eat the cost.
In all my years on ebay (about 1000 transactions) I've never had a package get lost.
Hard to believe.
Please check out my eBay auctions!
My WLH Short Set Registry Collection
of the buyer given he didn't buy insurance.
Second you could tell by the feel of the box that the roll of ASE wasn't in it
due to the lack of weight.
The post office even with insurance would not take the buyer's word alone
that the item was missing unless he could show tampering or the loss of
weight before he opened it.
Nope. Insurance protects a shipper, not a recipient. When it comes time to submit claim forms for a lost package, to whom does the money go? The buyer? No -- the insurance proceeds go to the shipper/seller.