Sold an item on eBay, Parcel has "disappeared"

phil1nj

Hi, Just wondering if anyone else has had any experience with this kind of problem:

Sold an item on eBay last month to a buyer in France. Item was big and heavy so shipping was expensive (8.5Kgs, 65 Euro postage). Buyer was happy to pay this. As the shipment was classified as a parcel I was issued with a tracking number. Contacted by the buyer yesterday to say that after almost three weeks the item still had not arrived.

Checked the track and trace feature on the AnPost website and it shows the parcel arriving at the LHR transit hub on the 16th of May (3 days after being posted)....and that's it. It does not show a delivery notification anywhere in France or any additional information.

just wondering if AnPost's systems will be able to track this package any further or if it's good and lost.

I have contacted AnPost and the buyer to keep him updated but so far I've nothing new to go on.

Any advice would be appreciated.

mistress_gi

Check the same tracking number on the French post website. If no information there it may actually be lost. If this is the case start a case with an post to get your money back through the parcel insurance, that is assuming you insured it.
It may take some time but you will get your money back from an post.
Same thing happened to me and I got a check from an post.
In the meantime you will have to refund your buyer in full via eBay or talk to him, show him proof that you have started the process with an post and maybe he is willing to wait for that refund.
Good luck and I hope you get it sorted.

phil1nj

mistress_gi wrote: »

Check the same tracking number on the French post website. If no information there it may actually be lost. If this is the case start a case with an post to get your money back through the parcel insurance, that is assuming you insured it.
It may take some time but you will get your money back from an post.
Same thing happened to me and I got a check from an post.
In the meantime you will have to refund your buyer in full via eBay or talk to him, show him proof that you have started the process with an post and maybe he is willing to wait for that refund.
Good luck and I hope you get it sorted.

Thanks for your reply. No insurance taken out on the parcel. Tracking number not recognised on the French postal website so it looks like it's gone AWOL for now. Will wait and see what happens when AnPost get back to me.....this just had to kick off on a long weekend:rolleyes:

ED E

Try aftership.com, their system will auto detect the carrier if possible.

phil1nj

Managed to speak to a customer service representative from AnPost this morning. Very helpful conversation, looks like the item was handed over to a French courier company on the 19th of May and went out for delivery. There was an issue with delivery so it was returned to their depot.

This is where things are going to get sticky though, the item was shipped back to me on Thursday, 24 hours before the customer contacted me about the missing item (a day earlier and this could have been resolved very easily by attempting another delivery..typical).

If the item is returned to me and the courier did not leave a note/delivery attempt docket...who is liable for postage if the customer wants a refund? (I've no problem refunding the cost of the item but the postage costs are a different matter). I sent the item, a delivery attempt was made, I double checked that the customers address was correct and now its on it's way back to me...etc etc.

Not being tight here but shipping was over 60Euro to get it to him in France.

my3cents

phil1nj wrote: »

Managed to speak to a customer service representative from AnPost this morning. Very helpful conversation, looks like the item was handed over to a French courier company on the 19th of May and went out for delivery. There was an issue with delivery so it was returned to their depot.

This is where things are going to get sticky though, the item was shipped back to me on Thursday, 24 hours before the customer contacted me about the missing item (a day earlier and this could have been resolved very easily by attempting another delivery..typical).

If the item is returned to me and the courier did not leave a note/delivery attempt docket...who is liable for postage if the customer wants a refund? (I've no problem refunding the cost of the item but the postage costs are a different matter). I sent the item, a delivery attempt was made, I double checked that the customers address was correct and now its on it's way back to me...etc etc.

Not being tight here but shipping was over 60Euro to get it to him in France.

An Post will refund the money but they don't do it unless you fill out a form and make a song and dance about it.

I've been in a similar situation and provided information to prove the address was correct and a note from the recipient to say they were in all day and no one bothered to deliver, but not sure if that helped or not - I did get a refund.