NEVER ship eBay goods without tracking!!

I just had a buyer beat me for an $80 LP with a simple: "I didn't get it..." whine to paypal. I can't believe it. I produced a copy of the stamped customs reciept (I'll NEVER ship overseas again), and an email from the buyer saying it sometimes takes months for him to get records to arrive - and still Paypal's brainless dispute team rules in his favor - just because I didn't have tracking delivery proof.

So, word of wisdom to ebay seller. NEVER SHIP A GODDM@# THING WITHOUT A TRACKING SLIP. without that, ANY seller ANY time can screw you just by wiping his eye and say "I didn't get it...." What bull. Now I need to buy something from the Ebay Co. itself so I can say, "I didn't get it...."

 

Lesson learned...I bought a Beatle's Butcher Cover off of e-bay, which turned out not to be. I sent it back with tracking and signature required and the seller had the gall to say that I pulled a bait and switch on her, when she was the one baiting and switching. E-bay ruled in my favor.

 

Exactly why I never ship overseas on Ebay. I do here though because I believe the chances of getting ripped of are much less.

I hope whoever reads this stops beating up on sellers who do not ship out the USA.

 

That's easier said than done internationally. It'll be at least $40. that's a big chunk of an $80 sale. Last thing I sent that way was $700. There's risk and there's business.

 

It just requires common sense, if it's a regular buyer and a country with a reliable postal service then I don't worry, unless it's an expensive record, if it's someone with low feedback or a country like Italy or France then I send everything tracked, I also send everything tracked in the UK, though that only costs an extra 72 Pence.

Just today, one shipment of records to Japan cost me over £25, and the postage was paid by me.

As an aside even if the above record had been sent tracked, Paypal would still have found for the buyer unless you had online proof of delivery, other than to a couple of reliable Brazilian buyers I don't ship to any country that can take more than a month to deliver.

 

Also a buyer could say you sent tham a brick or something like. This can happen anywhere with tracking. I am not sure if signature confimration would help this or not. Anyone had experience or know for sure?

 

I usually stick to the same sellers I've done business with before.
If it's someone new to be, I definitely ask questions first and keep all my correspondences until I get the item and I'm satisfied.
I don't need to do this after I'm convinced the seller is honest.

Darryl

 

I thought this topic is about buyers that are not honest?

 

As I can see it, if a seller wants to sell on e-bay, he accepts the risks to be screwed by the postal system: when the goods are lost in shipping process, neither seller nor buyer are gulty, but the seller pays for it according to eBay rules

Also consider that actual loss of the seller is usually less than the sale amount.

 

I fail to see the logic here - I can assure you that Americans are not above the "I didn't get it" whine.

Should I therefore not send to any of you?

Mind you, none of this is as bad as the "I demand a refund because this DVD I bought from you only plays in special players".

 

I would like to thank all those sellers who *do* ship internationally from the USA. I've bought many items that way, not tracked (too expensive), and the vast majority have worked out fine.

Tim

 

Same here.

Why would that be? Do you imply higher moral standards in the US???

 

I ship overseas. As someone said, its just part of the risk and I don't blame Paypal. As a buyer I get the same protection as the people who buy from me - so its a two way street. I made some good money on collectibles I shipped overseas - money I would never have made selling the same items in the US only - in fact very few of the bidders were in the US.

As has already been pointed out... the only way to be 100% protected is to buy signed for delivery confirmation. When shipping from the US to any other country the only service that offers this is Express Mail (FedEx and UPS have similar services but for a lot more money than the USPS). There are NO substitutes for Express Mail.

For an $80 item I'd stick with First Class and take my chances. The Catch 22 is that if you list the item with Express Mail it will deter people from bidding. But if you don't offer to ship overseas the likelihood of even getting the item to $80 is probably slim. The marketplace is worldwide for music, fortunately or unfortunately. Its a tough call and I feel for the OP but its just the name of the game. Love or hate Paypal its the only service of its kind and will likely be the only one for a very long time.

 

The real bitch of it is, that you can't leave negative feedback for the buyer anymore.

 

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But you can leave it for the seller?
Can you only leave positive feedback for the buyer.
Then what is the point of feedback?

Darryl

 

Simple, if I ship inside the US, I can get delivery confirmation for $.19. If I ship outside the US, it is either impossible or too expensive to be practical. I do agree that buyers in the US are no better but controls for the seller are a hundred times better.

Chris

 

Do you happen to have a list of those countries? I just took a $60.00 loss.

 

Correct, but not by much.

 

This is a very rational post.

I see the cost to send a 5 oz. CD via Express Mail International is about $50. How is it that Japan can have a great service like EMS for, what, $10-$15, and it costs so much for the USA? Am I missing something?

 

Did I say that?

What I meant is tracking cost an arm and a leg and if you ship without tracking you are taking a bigger risk that having it.

Falsely accusing someone of something like that in public is VERY uncool.

 

I'm sure you shipped it, but who are you to imply that you know for a fact that it was indeed received? Sounds like Paypal ruled correctly to me; the customer is always right.

 

always? no

It is obvious to me you never sold anything. I have thousands of transaction on Ebay and I can assure you not everyone is always honest.

It also proves my point that tracking is very important and seeing as it is VERY costly to track out of the USA, good reason not ship outside.

 

I have bought and sold tons of items on eBay, some for hundreds of dollars. I never said everyone was honest; I was simply quoting an old adage based on the theory that treating the customer as if he is always right is the best way to gain repeat business.

Yes, tracking is important and would have saved the seller some grief. But given the facts in the OP, I still think Paypal ruled correctly.

 

ok what does that have to do with what is being discussed here then? The talk is about to track or not to track...that is the question.

 

I agree with the OP, not to ship w/o tracking. The OP lost $80+ in trying to save a few bucks, and learned an important lesson. As someone who buys and sells, I take offense on the OP implying that he was "beat" by someone who may have very well been an honest customer.

I have paid for items which have never been received, or arrived damaged. It does happen. But I never jump to the conclusion that the buyer or seller is being maliciously dishonest.