Am I screwed or is he screwed? (ebay!)

[miraclemet]

It's a story as old as time... guy sees book on ebay, guy buys book on ebay... guy pays for book via paypal... seller ships the book out with tracking...

 

guy waits for book....

 

guy waits for book...

 

guy checks tracking a week later and sees that it shows as "delivered" to the right zipcode.

 

guy checks all around the office for box

 

guy checks the main building mailroom

 

no book

 

seller confirms it was shipped to the correct address, but without insurance (even though his listing says insurance is included in shipping price, though he did return me part of my shipping cost after sending it)

 

the book has now been in the ether for a week since being "delivered"

 

I had it shippied to my work address, which is in an industrial park (3 15 story buildings) and Im in a building with lots of different companies in it, though we are 3 floors worth of offices) and the seller listed my Suite # which should have gotten it to the right floor.

 

So whats my recourse here? I paid for a book, I didn't receive it. USPS shows it as delivered (thought tracking doesn't show the exact address to which it was delivered, so it could have ended up at the wrong destination (possible?))

 

What's everyones advice? I've contacted the seller (who is a pretty high volume seller 700+ sales, with good feedback) and gotten confirmation on the address being correct, and asked him to let me know if it gets "returned to sender"

 

Should I open a case with ebay/paypal? Its not high $$ ($70 all together), so the seller decided not to insure it, but thats not my problem... (not to be callous)

 

first time I've been on the "I didnt get it" end of this, so Im not sure the way to proceed to be sure I dont end up paying for a book never delivered to me.

[musicmeta]

If was selling the book, I would "ask you to be patient" just for a few days and tell you if I couldn't recover the book from USPS that I would refund your money and apoligize for the mis-hap! After a few "days", I would refund your money, and shout to myself profanities at the Post Office and myself (for not insuring it) and be Thankful I'm only out $70.00.

That's just me.

[comicwiz]

It sounds like USPS is really on a streak lately.

 

I don't have any advice in your particular situation. However it is becoming fairly evident, especially in the past few weeks, that USPS is about as incompetent as it can possibly get when it comes to a carrier being entrusted with the responsibility to deliver a package from point A to B.

 

I refuse to believe the blame should fall on anyone but USPS in cases like this. As for the seller, after experiencing a single mishap like this, the only way they should accept any blame is if they ever used them again.

 

USPS should both fix their tracking system and ditch the misfit workers who aren't properly processing/delivering packages and/or doing their job.

 

God knows how many unemployed Americans would be ready, willing and would very likely be elated to have a job and could understand and appreciate the concept of being paid to do it properly.

[miraclemet]

yeah patience is what Im trying to practice, but my initial contacts with the seller have been cordial, but he hasnt done anything. All the legwork has been on my end.

 

I opened up a paypal dispute to encourage him to do some investigation on his side too... (also because there's only a window of time to open a dispute via paypal)

 

He basically thinks it made it to my office but either someone in the office snagged it, or they mis-delivered it in the office (ie it made it to the address, just not to me).

 

 

[miraclemet]

I never understood how they could call it "tracking" when they give you no information about where the thing was actually delivered to...

 

once its out for delivery all it reports is that the zip code of delivery.

 

how is that called "tracking" ?

 

[DR.X]

Any chance someone else got the package at the office?

[Enigma]

Soooo, it was delivered to the right zip code. Having been on both sides of this issue, you're screwed. The key word being "delivered". That's all paypal is concerned with. Since there's no way to tell what address it was delivered to. To air on the side of caution, they'll side with the seller. Again, be glad it was only $70

[gadzukes]

I think ebay only requires signature confirmation for items valued at over $250. I'm not positive who ebay would side with on this, but the fact of the matter is you didn't receive your package and the seller should have insured it. I insure everything over $30. I'd open a case with ebay.

 

USPS has been horrible lately. I had a $5200 comic sent to me "REGISTERED MAIL" and it was delivered to the wrong address!!! That's how bad USPS is these days. Your normal carriers are usually very dependable, but it's when the Subs take the routes that everything gets screwed up.

[miraclemet]

Any chance someone else got the package at the office?

 

I've made the rounds to all the possible locations... and we're small enough (only 200 or so in this office) that most everyone knows me...

[miraclemet]

Soooo, it was delivered to the right zip code. Having been on both sides of this issue, you're screwed. The key word being "delivered". That's all paypal is concerned with. Since there's no way to tell what address it was delivered to. To air on the side of caution, they'll side with the seller. Again, be glad it was only $70

 

If USPS could show that it was delivered to the right address I'd be ok with being on the hook for the book, but I cant see a way to have USPS confirm that they delivered it to the right address... just that it was delivered (somewhere)...

 

 

[sufunk]

I think ebay only requires signature confirmation for items valued at over $250. I'm not positive who ebay would side with on this, but the fact of the matter is you didn't receive your package and the seller should have insured it. I insure everything over $30. I'd open a case with ebay.

 

USPS has been horrible lately. I had a $5200 comic sent to me "REGISTERED MAIL" and it was delivered to the wrong address!!! That's how bad USPS is these days. Your normal carriers are usually very dependable, but it's when the Subs take the routes that everything gets screwed up.

 

+1

 

My normal carrier is a queen among women!!!

 

She knows any priority box is likely a valuable comic and knows the 5-6 neighbors that its acceptable to leave it with instead of my doorstep. If none of them are home, she leaves it hidden very well out of the elements and even only does that after coming back from doing the rest of the neighborhood hoping maybe someone came home in the meantime. She is freaking AWESOME!!!

 

Last week, she had a sub one day and he just left my priority box with $500+ worth of slabs sitting halfway up my walkway in a TORRENTIAL rainstorm

 

I come home and start walking towards the door and see it laying soaking wet, like it was thrown halfway up the walk by the paperboy and was just like "WTF?!? Nice effort there buddy!"

[JiveTurkeyMoFo]

It sounds like USPS is really on a streak lately.

 

I don't have any advice in your particular situation. However it is becoming fairly evident, especially in the past few weeks, that USPS is about as incompetent as it can possibly get when it comes to a carrier being entrusted with the responsibility to deliver a package from point A to B.

 

I refuse to believe the blame should fall on anyone but USPS in cases like this. As for the seller, after experiencing a single mishap like this, the only way they should accept any blame is if they ever used them again.

 

USPS should both fix their tracking system and ditch the misfit workers who aren't properly processing/delivering packages and/or doing their job.

 

God knows how many unemployed Americans would be ready, willing and would very likely be elated to have a job and could understand and appreciate the concept of being paid to do it properly.

 

As its been explained to me, the real problem is that the Post Office is broke and getting deeper into debt every day. The surefire cure for that ailment is to replace modestly competent full time employees with not-so-competent part time contract workers. On Saturday mornings at my local post office (the only USPS facility still open on Saturdays in the entire county), the line to see the supervisor about complaints and misdelivered packages is a mile long. On a purely anecdotal level, the number of crushed Priority Mail boxes in the last year really seems to be up...luckily, it hasn't resulted in anything more then a couple of cracked cases.

 

There are those that would blame Congress for a lot of the problems the USPS is currently encountering, since they have chosen to sit on their hands and not approve the cost-cutting measures the Postmaster General has said are vital for the service to survive. I think the end of an era is near, probably within the next five years.

[InvstmntComcSuply]

As Enigma said, if tracking says it was "delivered", seller has met his obligation.

Insurance would have done nothing different, since it was under $200.

 

Short answer: You are screwed

[cd4ever]

You're so effed I can taste if from here.

[miraclemet]

As its been explained to me, the real problem is that the Post Office is broke and getting deeper into debt every day. The surefire cure for that ailment is to replace modestly competent full time employees with not-so-competent part time contract workers. On Saturday mornings at my local post office (the only USPS facility still open on Saturdays in the entire county), the line to see the supervisor about complaints and misdelivered packages is a mile long. On a purely anecdotal level, the number of crushed Priority Mail boxes in the last year really seems to be up...luckily, it hasn't resulted in anything more then a couple of cracked cases.

 

There are those that would blame Congress for a lot of the problems the USPS is currently encountering, since they have chosen to sit on their hands and not approve the cost-cutting measures the Postmaster General has said are vital for the service to survive. I think the end of an era is near, probably within the next five years.

 

meanwhile my local post office has a handwritten sign saying "The Post Office is not funded by your Taxes" which Im sure they made so they can point to it when people complain about their performance...

 

granted the US Government oked them "borrowing" up to 15 billion from the treasury, and they've already borrowed 12b as of last year.... so I wonder where that money comes from

[miraclemet]

As Enigma said, if tracking says it was "delivered", seller has met his obligation.

Insurance would have done nothing different, since it was under $200.

 

Short answer: You are screwed

 

what about the fact that insurance was listed as part of the shipping costs, but then the seller decided to not include insurance when he shipped the package?

 

(he did refund me part of the shipping costs since he did not buy insurance)

 

doesn't that put the onus back on the seller since there was the assumption of insurance coverage?

[BlowUpTheMoon]

Soooo, it was delivered to the right zip code. Having been on both sides of this issue, you're screwed. The key word being "delivered". That's all paypal is concerned with. Since there's no way to tell what address it was delivered to. To air on the side of caution, they'll side with the seller. Again, be glad it was only $70

 

Sorry, but I have to agree with this.

[miraclemet]

Soooo, it was delivered to the right zip code. Having been on both sides of this issue, you're screwed. The key word being "delivered". That's all paypal is concerned with. Since there's no way to tell what address it was delivered to. To air on the side of caution, they'll side with the seller. Again, be glad it was only $70

 

Sorry, but I have to agree with this.

 

yeah I feel like this is the way its headed...

 

if he HAD bought insurance as advertised, would it be ineligible for a claim since the USPS system shows it as delivered?

[Beige]

Should have had it sent to your house mate not a bunch of offices....

[brendanb438]

As Enigma said, if tracking says it was "delivered", seller has met his obligation.

Insurance would have done nothing different, since it was under $200.

 

Short answer: You are screwed

 

what about the fact that insurance was listed as part of the shipping costs, but then the seller decided to not include insurance when he shipped the package?

 

(he did refund me part of the shipping costs since he did not buy insurance)

 

doesn't that put the onus back on the seller since there was the assumption of insurance coverage?

 

 

Insurance means jack shiat in this situation even if he bought it. The USPS doesn't pay out insurance claims in this case if they can "show" it as delivered and then the person who should have received it claims they got nothing.

 

Seller did everything he had to do based on terms of PayPal Seller Protection. You are SOL.