Ebay item lost in the post

[Blandford1969]

Tracking does help though, I've experienced this both ways firstly posting items which have not arrived and then refunding the cost and having to claim through the post office and more recently as a buyer. I bought a kit from Canada which was before Christmas last year. To be honest i feel sorry for the seller, he sent a number of items to different people all around Europe and it appears none have appeared sill. He has taken the view of refund, then if it arrives i have agreed to pay him again.

 

Is it possible to do tracking to something sent to another country?

[Kenton]

Is it possible to do tracking to something sent to another country?

Yes UPS do it and I guess others do as well.

 

Internationally there have been considerable delays due to weather. We posted 2 parcels to friends in the US sent on the same day, nearly identical in shape/weight. Both sent to addresses in CA. One arrived early December the other late January. I still think we expect too much from the postal service. Made worse by the instant fix of the internet.

[John M Upton]

I was told that parcels heading inwards into the US are suffering severe delays (up to five weeks being quoted by one source) as apparently the CIA have turned up the 'Terrorists are everywhere paranoia-o-meter' up several notches and they no longer allow parcels to be carried by domestic and international passenger flights, instead they have to go by dedicated freight plane instead.

 

The recent heavy snowfall didn't help much either...

 

EDIT: The Royal Mail website has something useful on it:

 

USA

Start date: 18th November

End date: Ongoing

 

Update 28th January 2011:

 

The United States Department of Homeland Security is continuing to require increased security measures for items carried on passenger airlines. As a result, some mail entering the US from around the world, and including the UK, that would normally be sent via passenger aircraft must now travel by other means, including ships and cargo planes.

 

Most items, including personal letters and cards, magazines, CDs, DVDs and lightweight packets, will be delivered in the US within a few days of posting. However, there are delays of about two weeks for some heavier packets. These delays are currently affecting stamped items, franked items, and items posted under contract, with the exception of Destination Sort and/or M-Bag* items.

 

Royal Mail is very sorry for these unavoidable delays. We have implemented a number of contingency plans to ensure as much of our customers’ mail reaches the US as quickly as possible and are continuing to work to minimise disruption to our customers, whilst ensuring we comply fully with the US directives and regulations.

 

From: http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/content1;jsessionid=E00A0RMYN204OFB2IGDENZQUHRAYUQ2K?catId=400033&mediaId=3800088

 

Seems to be the US Department of Paranoia Homeland Security meddling yet again... (That should see my phone bugged within the hour!!)

[hayfield]

I forgot to add this to the original post. The Royal Mail ask for details of the Ebay transaction, they require both the transaction number and a copy of the listing.

 

Seems like Ebay is big business for the Royal Mail, also they want details of what was sold.

[Kenton]

also they want details of what was sold.

I suspect that is to determine if the item was shipped with insufficient insurance.

Just like with your house insurance policy - if you haven't covered the full cost of the items at risk they tend to be proportionate in their compensatory offer. Especially when new for old. I expect they could turn round and say "well you should have paid for additional insurance".

[hayfield]

I suspect that is to determine if the item was shipped with insufficient insurance.

Just like with your house insurance policy - if you haven't covered the full cost of the items at risk they tend to be proportionate in their compensatory offer. Especially when new for old. I expect they could turn round and say "well you should have paid for additional insurance".

 

I know that they require a value, but I found it strange that they singled out Ebay and not any of the other companies. Perhapps they want to see not only the sellers feedback but also the buyers (as per a couple of threads about buyers claiming not to have recieved goods)

 

On a couple of occasions had an item not come I would have tried claiming for a replacement as I got the items well beow their value, having said that looking at the terms & conditions its the purchace price.

[hollywoodfoundry]

Regarding parcels with a final destination of the US. Australia post now charges a $9.00 surcharge to cover the additional processing of packages going to the US, and warn that the packages will be delayed by 48 hours as well. They are not saying however that parcels are travelling by freight aircraft.

 

But this only applies to parcels that weigh 1 pound or greater. It would seem the US does not think you can make a decent bomb that weighs less than 1 pound.

 

With regard to tracking. No parcel sent anywhere in the world is able to be tracked unless you pay an extra fee to send it by a more expensive service. Normal packages are not traceable. And insurance is purely optional as well, again nothing is covered at all unless you elect to take out insurance.

 

And that raises the issue of whether the purchaser wants to PAY for the tracking and insurance. Most don't, and I often get people asking for a tracking number on a normal parcel or asking if it was insured. The answer is no, you won't pay for the insurance cost, so why should I?

 

Here are a couple of examples. A small parcel air mailed to the UK from Australia is going to cost you 9.33 pounds, if it is worth 100 pounds and I insure it, it will cost you 16.44 pounds.

 

If I send it via the cheapest traceable service and insure it, then it will cost you 41.31 pounds. Are you willing to pay that?

 

If you did not choose and pay for an express traceable parcel method or pay for insurance, then don't expect the seller to do it free of charge.

[Ascension]

Just an update on my missing parcel from ebay - despite being posted on Jan 25th and the tracking number showing item still in the network not delivered I've had absolutely no help from the seller so have had to resort to a paypal claim to claw my money back. No idea how long the process will take to reach a conclusion but I'm amazed the seller would rather risk a negative feedback than refund me when there is proof it's been lost!

[hayfield]

I think the seller has 7 days to answer, but the onus is on the seller to get it to you and to prove you have recieved it!!!

 

If the seller has any grey matter he will refund you without delay and claim the money back from the Royal Mail, if he mucks you about then he deserves negative feed back.

 

As for my claim, nothing from the Royal Mail, not even an acknowlagement. I guess they will keep me waiting till the last minute.

 

On another note from the Post Office, I tried to post some yard lengths of track. The local post office to my work refused it saying it was too long, Royal Mail clearly state that the max length is 1.5m. There was a torn bit of sticky label on the counter and anything which is longer when put against the wall is refused. I asked them to show me in writing where it states there is a 900mm limit. They showed me a letter from the sorting office complaiming about them accepting oversize parcels (no measurements mentioned)but nothing in writing to back up their story.

 

Needless to say I dropped into the next post office on the way home and this week another local Post office accepted another 900+mm parcel.

 

I complained to the Post Office head office about this and the standard of service at the place. Today I got a letter of appology and a dozen 1st class stamps.

 

Still have not got my money back from the Royal Mail yet, thats next weeks battle.

[spamcan61]

If you did not choose and pay for an express traceable parcel method or pay for insurance, then don't expect the seller to do it free of charge.

 

In the UK title and risk remain with the seller until the buyer accepts delivery, so it is up to the seller to provide insurance as they see fit.

 

See paragraph 3.20 of this publication by the Office of Fair Trading:-

 

http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/business_leaflets/general/oft698.pdf

 

"Can I charge the consumer the cost of insuring items that

I send out?

 

3.20 No. These items belong to you until they have been accepted by your

consumer. So you cannot charge your consumers for carrying risks

that you should bear. See paragraph 3.36 for more information."

 

There's a whole load of businesses large and small in the UK that are unaware or choose to ignore this law.

[Kenton]

"Can I charge the consumer the cost of insuring items that I send out?

 

3.20 No. These items belong to you until they have been accepted by your

consumer. So you cannot charge your consumers for carrying risks

that you should bear. See paragraph 3.36 for more information."

 

Although, fully aware it is the seller's responsibility to prove delivery (although that is not easy when the item is "signed for" by someone other than the true buyer).

 

I was not aware of the insurance being also the responsibility of the seller.

 

Doesn't this put into question the requirement made by so many ebay sellers that the item will be posted "Special Delivery" or "Recorded" and paid for by the buyer? If this is truly the case then only 1st class postage should be charged and if the seller wishes to insure then they should pay for it. It seems that ebay themselves are not aware of this, or they would clamp down harder on the high postage charges.

 

I have always thought that postage should be "free" and the starting offer price made to include the postage and packing. That would soon eliminate the silly P&P costs. We might well then start to have more sensible bids and less rubbish posted for sale.

[spamcan61]

Although, fully aware it is the seller's responsibility to prove delivery (although that is not easy when the item is "signed for" by someone other than the true buyer).

 

Doesn't this put into question the requirement made by so many ebay sellers that the item will be posted "Special Delivery" or "Recorded" and paid for by the buyer? If this is truly the case then only 1st class postage should be charged and if the seller wishes to insure then they should pay for it. It seems that ebay themselves are not aware of this, or they would clamp down harder on the high postage charges.

 

 

I've never been sure to what extent the Distance Selling Regulations apply to eBay sales, the DSR are aimed at business to consumer transactions, arguably many eBay sales are effectively consumer to consumer. Transactions through eBay shops are perhaps business to consumer though I would think.

[M Graff]

What really grinds my gears is that if you don´t receive your eBay purchase, then you get a refund, but when you receive an item that is so faulty/wrong/defective/damaged (or whatever...), then you have to return it to the seller ON YOUR OWN EXPENSE!!!

And then HOPE that the seller replaces it or return your money.... Talk about the SELLERS market.....

To be sure to get e refund, eBay recommends a trackable shipment, and that isn´t cheap!

If they keep up with that bogus, soon all will say that they haven´t received their items when they´re damaged or faulty.......

[Kenton]

If they keep up with that bogus, soon all will say that they haven´t received their items when they´re damaged or faulty.......

but the seller will have the proof it was delivered to you with RD or SD so therefore it muxt have been damaged in the post (possibly due to inadequate packaging) Thw seller needs the item back to make a claim on his insurance. He should request it to be returned insured at his cost and add the returning cost to his claim. But this is a bit Catch-22.

 

One wonders what the point of it all is for items with low value and if all the trouble is worth the hassle.

I must say that the vast majority of transactions I have had as a buyer have been just fine, a bit slow sometimes and with joke packaging but only one item was damaged. The seller asked for photos and then simply swallowed the cost refunding me the price paid. There are still some real gentlemen in the hobby and not just in ebay for the rip off.

[AndrewC]

SWMBO handles all the post for her company (amongst a thousand other tasks) Basically her take on things is, recorded delivery is a waste of time and money because less than half the items sent this way actually get a signature or confirmation of delivery. She sends everything by special delivery where she can track its progress better and will nearly always get a confirmation of delivery. Anything time sensitive or high risk will go through a courier. (HMRC especially as she ends up with a physical copy of the signature document as proof)

 

Blandford, I'm not surprised about the Canadian problems. Canada Post is far worse than Royal Mail. The Montreal airmail depot especially seems prone to parcel tampering and theft. If the kits he shipped were routed through Montreal before being shipped out of country there is a good chance they ended up being nicked or damaged to the point where it was more convenient for the depot to 'dispose' of the package rather then ship it onwards. I wrote in another thread about an incident where we received a completely wrong package with the delivery address crossed out and the customs label from the package we should have received taped on to the box. It was only after MiL started a formal complaint that our real package arrived with a different customs label attached.

[Blandford1969]

I am pleased to report a happy end to my lost item, it arrived. Throughout the seller was excellent, he refunded me the full amount on the agreement i then repay if and when it arrived. He put his trust in me and it was really nice to him the money back when it arrived not long ago.

[Lady_Ava_Hay]

I read this thread with interest as I am awaiting delivery of an E Bay item. I asked the seller for info and he sent me the Post Office receipt /POP dated the day he said he sent it. I will wait the 15 days then contact him again and he has accepted that he should claim from his end.

 

I think the Royal Mail is falling to bits. Shame really as it was the envy of the world at one stage and a model for many others.

 

A symptom of decline, I fear but let us not go there......again.

 

It has become very noticeable of late, though, hasn't it?

[DLPG]

From my own personal experiences at selling on Ebay I only use recorded delivery, at the end of the day you pass this cost on to the buyer and is in both parties interests. I was experiencing a few not received items and thought surely the Royal Mail can't loose this many items. At least if it really does go missing you have the proof to claim off the royal mail.

[Kenton]

you pass this cost on to the buyer and is in both parties interests

It is no interest to the buyer and why should the buyer have to pay for what is your insurance? The buyer cannot make claim if it is lost, and how is the buyer able to justify its value for insurance - probably less than what was paid?

 

AFAIC as a buyer I would simply claim my payment back and leave it with the seller to sort out the failed contract with Royal Mail.

 

I get pretty fed up with seller's bumping up postage and packaging to elevated heights just to "get out" of paying eBay fees. If you want to at least cover postage then make that a starting price. I don't mind a reasonable fee for packaging, especially when I see that when I receive it a great deal of care has been taken by the seller, plastic boxes, bubble wrap and plenty of brown paper. Or a Jiffy bag with a cardboard stiffener. That costs the seller and am prepared to pay for that shipping. But I have received some flimsy packets falling or even fallen apart in transit.

 

One of my other dislikes of ebay sellers is a "No returns policy" - Sure, if a seller describes something as broken - I get what was described - I can't complain. But I have received what was described as a started but complete kit only to find most of it missing. Too many people abuse ebay to make money from junk instead of accepting responsibility as a seller and at least being honest in descriptions.

[hayfield]

There is no need to send the item recorded delivery unless you have reason not to trust the buyer, as the compensation is the same as normal post, just get proof of postage.

 

Distance selling rules / Ebay rules state its the sellers responsibility for delivering the item. I would allways expect a refund from the seller and its up to him to claim compensation from the Royal Mail.

 

I posted the claim off to the Royal mail on the 1st of Feb, the end of their 30 days to resolve the problem period is fast approaching, so far I have heard nothing from them !!!

[Kenton]

I posted the claim off to the Royal mail on the 1st of Feb, the end of their 30 days to resolve the problem period is fast approaching, so far I have heard nothing from them !!!

It probably got lost in the post

.. don't laugh - I am serious !

[birdseyecircus]

I suspect that is to determine if the item was shipped with insufficient insurance.

Just like with your house insurance policy - if you haven't covered the full cost of the items at risk they tend to be proportionate in their compensatory offer. Especially when new for old. I expect they could turn round and say "well you should have paid for additional insurance".

 

I know its not like this in the real world, but why should you have to insure in the first place. You have a contract with RM to deliver your item in the form of buying postage. If RM loose it then RM must pay simple as!

 

Paul

[hayfield]

Paul

 

I guess for a starting price of 41p the compensation has to stop somewhere, otherwise it would be open to abuse and cost a lot more. I think for standard postage £40 ish is about right. Until last year you could buy additional insurance from £100 upwards. Now you have to get special delivery which covers up to £500.

 

I take the view that if I sell something on Ebay for £50+ then I do not mind adding a bit extra out of my pocket to top up the postage cost as I have made a bit extra

[RFS]

I've sold a couple of items on Ebay recently for around £40 each, stating that they would be sent first-class by recorded delivery. I e-mailed the buyers as soon as they were posted and gave them the tracking number. I feel this gives the buyers the confidence that I'm going to be professional and perhaps encourages them to bid that little bit higher. In both cases the buyers responded within a couple of days to thank me and to confirm their package had arrived.

 

However, in both cases the packages were either not signed for or were not subsequently recorded by the postman. I feel RM have taken my 74p extra and not delivered the service: using signed-for gives the seller proof that the item has been safely delivered.

 

Compensation for lost items is 100 x 1st class stamp cost, whatever that was at the time of posting. Proof of posting at least is required: if you've used recorded, and there's no signature, then RM have no argument. However, if you have just proof of posting then I think the buyer may need to verify that it was not received.

[churchlangley17]

I always make a point of checking online that Recorded Delivery items are shown as being delivered even if I have already heard from the recipient that they have received the item.

 

If the item is not shown as recorded then I make a claim on form P58 on the basis that a service has been paid for and not been recieved. Whilst very occasionally Royal Mail are able to produce a signature that they have not recorded online in 99% of cases I do receive compensation.

 

The compensation appears to be graded in relation to the total postage paid. It has been a cheque or a book of 12 1st Class Stamps. The minimum is a book of 6 1st Class Stamps. Bearing in mind that the item has been delivered and the claim is therefore only for the extra sum paid for Recorded Delivery of 74p such compensation does appear to be reasonable and well worth the effort made to claim it.

 

I would say that I am able to claim for about 10% of my recorded delivery items and that despite the promises made in the letters received over the last 3 years there has been no improvement in Royal Mail recording practices. They appear to be happy to pay the compensation rather than insisting on all sorting offices following the correct procedures.

John