Christmas Cheer dampened :(

[mainlypostcards]

I have had an issue as well (first on ebid) as detailed on another thread. Talk about the season of try-ons!

I think the season of try-ons is an all year round season. I sell on 3 different sites and every now and again I get one. As most of my items are low value, I don't bother with signed for delivery for most of the time. Therefore, if I do get a complaint, all I can do is refund, or PP will file against me.

[darklisruthven]

it's just there seem to have been more than the usual occasional level. (imho)

[allsortsofephemera]

I have also had a "not arrived" claim from a high feedback buyer on the other side. My own fault really.
I looked at his high feedback, saw he was a fellow book seller, so I though I would trust him and sent it parcel.
Within three days he is complaining that it has not arrived. I communincate with him "Christmas mail" etc. He goes straight to the ebay customer seller protection thingy. I refund instantly (I would have refunded anyway) £69.00.
So not only has he got the money back but I have a needless strike against my top seller logo, and the book has now in all likelyhood arrived after the Christmas lag. God! I could crush a grape......

That sounds very suspicious to me, Royal Mail Parcels usually takes about a week, especially at Christmas, your customer being a seller would know that perfectly well
For a large item of that value I would have sent it by courier, if you go to parcel2go or parcel2ship they are usually a lot cheaper than Royal Mail, and you get a proof of delivery signature which would have protected you with Paypal, if that how they paid
As parcel are loaded onto a van and delivered personally I would contact Royal Mail , they must have some paperwork to say whether it was delivered, if not, as long as you had your return address on the back you should get it returned. Of course they could have left it with a neighbour and they decided to keep it

[kazeran]

Thanks "Interesting Treasures." I know, I do feel a chump, I made a major misjudgment. If nothing else I have learnt an important lesson; "Trust no one."
I will be making a claim through Royal Mail, so they will find out for themselves the persons details, I am also trying a first. I will send Royal Mail a printout of the non arrival claim, so they can see that I am not making it up.
With any luck it will turn up but, I have a suspision, it has arrived at the buyers address.
Happy new year....

[mainlypostcards]

Thanks "Interesting Treasures." I know, I do feel a chump, I made a major misjudgment. If nothing else I have learnt an important lesson; "Trust no one."
I will be making a claim through Royal Mail, so they will find out for themselves the persons details, I am also trying a first. I will send Royal Mail a printout of the non arrival claim, so they can see that I am not making it up.
With any luck it will turn up but, I have a suspision, it has arrived at the buyers address.
Happy new year....

Set yourself a limit of £x up to which amount you are prepared to take the risk of sending by "regular mail". Anything above that amount only send it by a trackable/signed for service regardless of who your buyer is. It is, of course, not the case that you don't trust your buyer, but you don't trust the delivery company!

I have operated in this way for at least 5 years now and my regular buyers accept the fact that they incur the extra delivery cost for items above the limit I have set. I've never had a complaint. What is more, occasional I am asked to send (and charge) for a signed for service even if the amount is much lower.

[abyorkie]

I agree with darklisruthven, you always try and be honest and do your best, unfortunately it is not enuf for some.

You do occasionally miss something in a listing, it happens, and usually if explained to the buyer it is accepted as a genuine error, but some you just can't please- hopefully not many over here!

Happy New Year everyone

Cheers Alan
Please have a look at my shops, you may find something you like!!
http://abyorkies-old-manuscripts-ancestry.ebid.net
http://archibald-thorburns-birds-prints.ebid.net
http://abyorkies-stamps-cigarette-cards.ebid.net
http://antique-prints.ebid.net
http://collectables-and-everything-else.ebid.net

[doggiemad]

the minute i noticed on the boards on the other site that this was starting to be a problem i sent everything signed for no matter how low the price, yeah i might not get high sales because of the postage price and i have stopped most items going abroad because of this. But at the beginning and since i have not had one missing parcel. items are either sent recorded signed or special delivery no matter what the cost.

to many people claiming lost post which is a shame because they are causing the rise in postage and the added cost of recorded or special delivery to get their items. in the end it won't pay to pinch.

unfortunatley the few who are honest and have genuinely lost their items are hidden because of the people who think it's great to get an item for free at the cost of mostly a person on little money who really needs the cash otherwise wouldn't be selling in the first place.

I do believe in what goes around comes around and when it's their turn to sell it will come back and bit them on the u know whats.