Ebay issue, please help

[Muse]

I ordered 2 audio cables on March 26 (18 days ago now) from an Ebay seller in Brooklyn. Tracking for the single package shows delivery through DHL, "tendered to service provider" 2 weeks ago, March 30 (i.e. USPS) and estimated delivery of Apr. 4. IOW, doesn't show as delivered. I sent two emails to seller ~ 5 days ago saying it hasn't arrived and got messages to be patient, sometimes takes 14 days. The package was supposedly handed off to USPS by DHL. Ebay's system when I indicated no receipt said they'd intercede for me by Apr. 13 if resolution hadn't been made. That's today.

Should I use Ebay for the intercession or should I wait? If I don't get the package in, say, another week, will Ebay or Paypal go to bat for me or am I SOL if I wait another day? I think if I indicate to ebay now that I haven't received the package they will lean on the seller to refund me. What do you make of this? Thanks for info!

 

[Muse]

I just checked it out and it's 14 days since the item was passed over to USPS for delivery. Time to complain, obviously, it's the last day to ask ebay to step in, so I just did. Actually since it's 2 items, I made similar complaint for both items separately.

Edit: Whoops. Ebay's message 5 days ago was this:

Hang tight, you should hear back from the seller soon
If you don't hear back or can't work something out with the seller, you can ask us to step in beginning Apr. 13.

So, today's the first day I can ask them to step in. Wish I'd waited longer, I'm in no hurry, just wanted to make sure I was covered on this. Too late now, I already asked them to step in. I assume they'll force a refund. If I get it, I suppose I could repay the seller some how???

 

[darkswordsman17]

You might contact their support, they might be able to stop any automated stuff and/or delay any action (so that hopefully maybe the seller might not even be made aware of it). Just be honest that you misunderstood it as though you'd need to contact them or else not be able to get help in case something happened.

 

[sdifox]

I ordered something from Compton, CA and it was delivered (same DHL to USPS) to NYC ten days later, this is the whole process including handling time on vendor side, I think that was two days.

14 days in transit is definitely long for CONUS.

 

[Muse]

You might contact their support, they might be able to stop any automated stuff and/or delay any action (so that hopefully maybe the seller might not even be made aware of it). Just be honest that you misunderstood it as though you'd need to contact them or else not be able to get help in case something happened.

Good idea. I just contacted Ebay by phone and got a CSR. She said it's too late to reverse the action I initiated yesterday and they have issued me a refund. She said if I do get the package I can (and will) contact the seller, who can then contact Ebay and they will provide the seller payment. Evidently in that case I will get the package for free (?).