Ebay/Paypal problem

[Muse]

16 days ago I won this item on eBay. I paid for the item with my credit card via Paypal, including shipping charges ($49.99 + $27.90 shipping) within minutes of the auction close. The item was to be shipped USPS Parcel Post. USPS indicates estimated shipment between 2 and 9 days on such parcels. Shipment is from Lima, OH to Berkeley, CA.

Two days ago, 14 days after the auction closed I emailed the seller to ask for confirmation that they sent the item and asked for a shipping date. Yesterday, I did the eBay "Ask seller a question" thing, asking the same question. No reply yet. Today, I followed the links and see that shipment was facilitated somehow through Paypal, and their information is that the item shipped 14 days ago, on 6/25/2007.

I called USPS on Saturday and their rep said I have to wait 14 days from the date of shipment before they can provide me with any information. He suggested I wait 3 more days and if still no shipment, call them back. He said that with parcel post, they don't scan the item until it's delivered! This amazes me because I got an email two weeks ago with a link to USPS tracking information for the package. All that link tells me is that the USPS was informed by the seller that a package was ready for pickup. Totally useless. It doesn't even confirm that it ever shipped.

How should I best proceed with this? If I have to grievance this thing, do I go through eBay, Paypal, my credit card company (Mastercard), the USPS, what? What happens in cases like this? I have done a fair amount of business on eBay but can't remember an instance when I didn't receive the item.

 

[Ns1]

check the other 12 threads posted within the last week regarding the same problem.

 

[FoBoT]

no worries:
"PayPal is the safe way to pay online. Your financial information is never shared with sellers. Plus, you get free PayPal Buyer Protection on qualified listings."

just contact paypal buyer protection

 

[jupiter57]

Typical e-Bay sellers shipping practice.
Take your money, print a shipping label, then maybe get aroud to actually shipping it out within a week or 2!

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: jupiter57
Typical e-Bay sellers shipping practice.
Take your money, print a shipping label, then maybe get aroud to actually shipping it out within a week or 2!

That could be it! That would explain everything, including why the seller hasn't answered my messages. In the future I'm going to have to give serious preference to private/trackable shipping over Parcel Post.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: NeuroSynapsis
check the other 12 threads posted within the last week regarding the same problem.

I haven't been able to locate any. Did a search on "ebay" in ATOT.

 

[50cent1228]

it was probly a usps tracking delivery conformations number... and 14 days...usps can take longer just wait a lil while more

 

[50cent1228]

and next time read some of their feed back, some of it says that the sellers item took 1 month to reach the buyer!

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: 50cent1228
and next time read some of their feed back, some of it says that the sellers item took 1 month to reach the buyer!

I often if not usually (not always) do read some of the feedback, especially if I sense any uncertainty about the auction. In this case, I don't believe I did, but I liked the posting, saw the high feedback score (99.7), and didn't bother reading feedback. In my experience, positive feedback proves little on eBay because members are afraid to say anything negative because they don't want negative feedback left for them. I learned this the hard way when I spoke the truth about a certain seller and his sleazy tactics (not leaving "negative" feedback, even) and he dumped all over me with invective and negative feedback on all of my purchases with him (around 8). [He had sent me used items that were listed "new." He had sent me two DVD's that wouldn't play because they'd been "cleaned" in a low-grade disk cleaning machine that left a pattern of scratches that left the disks unreadable in my DVD player. Most of the disks were rentals, but his listings gave no clue, saying they were "mint." He made one peremptory reply to an early email and then failed to respond to several subsequent emails and replied to none of my phone calls.]

He then twisted my arm to do a mutual removal of feedback, but of course the commentary from both parties stuck. EBay feedback is very much a joke, but it is worth a look in many cases. I believe that gut feeling about a posting (and I do evaluate them carefully, well as carefully as I feel I must/should) is the best guidance when buying off eBay. Yes, feedback is part of that, but it's an extremely flawed system. In fact, eBay is unwilling to remove uncalled for retaliatory feedback in general. Like I say, I found that out the hard way. Yes, my score is still 100% (after the seller's "retraction"), but slanderous comments remain against me, and they are wholly dishonest. "Slanderous" is what the comments were, essentially. If it's not a court matter, eBay couldn't give a damn. That was the only time I've ever left anyone negative feedback and I don't know that I will bother doing it again. It wasn't worth the trouble, believe me. So, how much stock can I put in reading eBay feedback? You scrutinize the postings and use your best judgment!

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: 50cent1228
it was probly a usps tracking delivery conformations number... and 14 days...usps can take longer just wait a lil while more

You are almost certainly correct. The seller just sent me an email reply:

------------------------
Sorry I didn't reply sooner. I was away from my desk for a few days...

I did send it on 6/25/07 from my home (carrier pickup). I was home when he
came, so I know it wasn't stolen. I checked the online tracking too, and
it just says that they have received info on it. I have had this happen
with California (west coast in general) packages and they DO end up being
delivered. Please keep me informed over the next few days.

Kathi

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: 50cent1228
it was probly a usps tracking delivery conformations number... and 14 days...usps can take longer just wait a lil while more

USPS just dropped off the package. :Q I heard the knock, saw the driver getting back in the vehicle. This, just a hair under 24 hours from the OP, 17 days after paying for item, 15 days after it was sent.

 

[echow87]

wow. figures nothing was wrong since the seller has a very good feedback score. But sometimes things do happen...such as the seller (got into an accident, something happened, etc) which leads to not being able to get package out. That is one of the downsides of purchasing goods through Ebay.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: echow87 That is one of the downsides of purchasing goods through Ebay.

I've been lucky so far, except for the escapade with the guy who sold rental DVD's (and hid the fact). I underestimated what a PITA it can be having USPS Parcel Post delivery. I didn't imagine it would bother me as much as it did. Of course, when they said 2-9 days, I figured it would be 2-9 days. :frown:

I'm wondering if the slow USPS delivery to the west coast has anything to do with the fact that I'm in a blue state. The Republicans figure they don't need to carry CA. If they need to carry CA they're going to lose the presidency. I'm so in favor of eliminating the electoral college aspect of the presidential election and going to a most votes method.

 

[chowderhead]

parcel post gets low priority in the USPS delivery system. That item looked pretty heavy so it was going to take a while to make its way to you from her. She had an option for 2-3 Priority, so if you wanted the item right away, you would have to pay more. Glad to hear you got your item though.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: chowderhead
parcel post gets low priority in the USPS delivery system. That item looked pretty heavy so it was going to take a while to make its way to you from her. She had an option for 2-3 Priority, so if you wanted the item right away, you would have to pay more. Glad to hear you got your item though.

I will think twice about ordering such an item and its having Parcel Post delivery. The item not only took 15 days from pickup to get to me, it showed some of the worst evidence of mishandling (maybe the worst) I've ever seen in a shipped item. The styrofoam inserts were bashed and broken mostly very badly (there are bits and pieces of broken up styrofoam all over, including within the pages of the owner's manual), and the outer (and inner!) box were punctured significantly in two (IIRC) places. The item, I haven't tested yet, although it does beep like it's supposed to when you plug it in. The stainless steel surround has a minor dent, something I won't complain about - it is very small and not particularly noticeable. It's the kind of dent it's sure to sustain in normal use soon enough. Hopefully, it works.

I wonder one thing: I am about to register the product online. I have to enter the purchase date. Should I enter the date of delivery or the date I won the eBay auction? I've often wondered this. When you purchase from a store, you bring it right home. It would seem more appropriate to me in terms of warranty coverage to have a warranty period begin on the day you actually have the product.

 

[Paulson]

Parcel Post is a joke... Parcel post simply means they'll get around to delivering it whenever they feel like it. If I'm not in a hurry I sometimes do parcel post but yet it amazes me how the service changes when there's a $2 difference in shipping costs.

As for the delivery confirmation... a lot of sellers use clicknship (I use it with my business) for printing out priority mail labels. The USPS does not scan into their system packages that have pre-printed labels (Only ones you purchase from the P.O. which costs more money... online delivery confirmation is free.) The way I do things is I print out a scan form and once I drop off all of my packages at the post office they scan my sheet and all of the packages status go from that stupid message stating the package was ready for electronic mailing to picked up/dropped off at the post office I dropped them off at and the time and date I dropped them off at.

Honestly the post office does do a decent job in terms of getting priority mail out when it should.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: Paulson

Honestly the post office does do a decent job in terms of getting priority mail out when it should.

Thanks for the run down. I have some ebay selling to do, so this info may come in handy. I guess to do the scan form thing you have to be sending Priority?

I have had pretty good experiences with Priority and First Class mail. Parcel Post, a number of bummer experiences. This one, the worst I guess.

 

[lupi]

I think parcel is probably about as fast as media mail, which can easily take 2 weeks to cross country for a letter sized package.

 

[echow87]

I have ordered hundreds of items through ebay and online merchants and never did I have any problem with shipping. But then again, I only used parcel post like twice. From what I see, many sellers don't ship with parcel post. There are however, cases with slightly delayed packages. For cross-country shipping, priority mail is the best. When I ship or receive expensive goods, I always use priority mail. That's how reliable it is.