Help with possible lost package sent USPS.

de8212

Diamond Member
Jan 2, 2000
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I sent an item to someone that had purchased it from an add I placed on another messageboard. The item was shipped on 3/27 and the buyer claims it has not arrived. It was going from GA to CA USPS parcel post.
There was no tracking confirmation or insurance on this package and the funds used were paypal. Keep in mind, the original add stated insurance, tracking, paypal fees are all up to buyer.
First of all, is there any way the PO can possibly track this even though tracking/delivery conf. was not purchased? I am going down there tomorrow with my receipt but was curious if anyone knew the answer.

I have no reason to beleive the buyer has received the package but I definately sent it.
Has anyone ever been in this position being the buyer or seller? Waht finally happened?
tia
 
Jan 31, 2002
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Originally posted by: de8212
There was no tracking confirmation or insurance on this package

And why the hell not?

You = Owned.

Edit for further notes:
- If you can prove that insurance/tracking was offered and declined expressedly by the buyer, you should win
- Asking the buyer to cover Paypal fees is a violation of Paypal TOS
- Always ship tracked and insured

- M4H
 

de8212

Diamond Member
Jan 2, 2000
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Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
Originally posted by: de8212
There was no tracking confirmation or insurance on this package

And why the hell not?

You = Owned.

- M4H

Why should I? It was mentioned in the add that if the buyer wanted it he would have to pay for it.
Either way, that doesn't help now, does it?
 
Jan 31, 2002
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Originally posted by: de8212
Why should I? It was mentioned in the add that if the buyer wanted it he would have to pay for it.

To cover your ass in case of situations just like this.

Either way, that doesn't help now, does it?

Actually, it does. Paypal sides with the buyer by default, so you = owned unless you can prove the above "insurance & tracking declined"

- M4H
 

simms

Diamond Member
Sep 21, 2001
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You got owned. It is your responsibility to ALWAYS have it covered to the buyer. You are liable until it reaches the front door of the person's house.
 

simms

Diamond Member
Sep 21, 2001
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Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire

Actually, it does. Paypal sides with the buyer by default, so you = owned unless you can prove the above "insurance & tracking declined"

- M4H

QFT. Just ALWAYS track packages even if they don't pay for it. I can/will always decline insurance because if anything goes wrong, the seller is responsible.
 

de8212

Diamond Member
Jan 2, 2000
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What can paypal do? There are no funds in my paypal account?

Believe me, from now on I will get delivery confirmation but I have always made it clear in the past that the buyer is responsible for insurance if they want it. If I inflated my proce with these fees added in then everyone would just lowball me anyway. SO I put my price reasonably low and am upfront about the other charges.
 

de8212

Diamond Member
Jan 2, 2000
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Still want to know what paypal can do and if there is any way USPS can track this package now?
 

Albis

Platinum Member
May 29, 2004
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Even if your PayPal account is empty, they can pull money from your bank account. It has never happened to me but I've read stories about it online.
 

Trikat

Diamond Member
May 22, 2003
3,384
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Originally posted by: de8212
What can paypal do? There are no funds in my paypal account?

Believe me, from now on I will get delivery confirmation but I have always made it clear in the past that the buyer is responsible for insurance if they want it. If I inflated my proce with these fees added in then everyone would just lowball me anyway. SO I put my price reasonably low and am upfront about the other charges.

PayPal and make your account negative. It works to maybe of the buyer's advantages, because they always get their money back if PayPal does this.
For example someone pays via PayPal with their credit card. The seller ships out the item and the buyer does a chargeback. Well, lo and behold the chargeback WILL go through if it is not a confirmed address.
PayPal is stupid like that and I guess the only thing you can do is sick the law on the buyer in those cases.

In the past it used to be the buyer's fault for the lost package if he/she does not opt for insurance when the seller made it optional. However the person above stated PayPal defaults the win to the buyer when no insurance or tracking is provided.
 
Jan 31, 2002
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Originally posted by: de8212
Still want to know what paypal can do

1) Rip the money from your bank account if there's one attached
2) See above, replace with "credit card"
3) Refund the cash to the buyer and pursue legal action against you for funds owing / send you to debt collector

and if there is any way USPS can track this package now?

If they could track it without tracking, why would anyone pay extra? :p

- M4H
 

cubby1223

Lifer
May 24, 2004
13,518
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Originally posted by: de8212
USPS parcel post.

Give it another week. Depending on the box size and however slow the post office feels like being, they can take up to a month to deliver cross country parcel post.
 

Yossarian

Lifer
Dec 26, 2000
18,010
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Originally posted by: simms
You got owned. It is your responsibility to ALWAYS have it covered to the buyer. You are liable until it reaches the front door of the person's house.

I always have some kind of tracking on packages, even if it's only delivery confirmation. But insurance is up to the buyer. If I ship something and the post office loses or damages it, the buyer is out of luck if he declined insurance. Caveat emptor.
 

mcvickj

Diamond Member
Dec 13, 2001
4,602
0
76
Originally posted by: de8212
I sent an item to someone that had purchased it from an add I placed on another messageboard. The item was shipped on 3/27 and the buyer claims it has not arrived. It was going from GA to CA USPS parcel post.
There was no tracking confirmation or insurance on this package and the funds used were paypal. Keep in mind, the original add stated insurance, tracking, paypal fees are all up to buyer.
First of all, is there any way the PO can possibly track this even though tracking/delivery conf. was not purchased? I am going down there tomorrow with my receipt but was curious if anyone knew the answer.

I have no reason to beleive the buyer has received the package but I definately sent it.
Has anyone ever been in this position being the buyer or seller? Waht finally happened?
tia

*shakes head* Why anyone would ship anything parcel post is beyond me. Priority is only like a dollar more and DC is either $.50 in the PO or free online.

Saving a couple of bucks isn't worth the hassle you get with parcel post. You have no poof the package was shipped. In this case they would most likely side with the buyer.
 

Jesta

Senior member
Jun 9, 2001
346
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Just FYI, parcel post from Tx to saudi arabia took 6 months for me, never again.
 

EagleKeeper

Discussion Club Moderator<br>Elite Member
Staff member
Oct 30, 2000
42,589
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Originally posted by: de8212
What can paypal do? There are no funds in my paypal account?

Believe me, from now on I will get delivery confirmation but I have always made it clear in the past that the buyer is responsible for insurance if they want it. If I inflated my proce with these fees added in then everyone would just lowball me anyway. SO I put my price reasonably low and am upfront about the other charges.
Buyer may be considered to be responsible for insurance, however, the seller is responsible for getting the package there safely.

Therefore it the buyer declines the insurance; you are out on the limb to make sure the item arrives. The buyer has no control over that.


The cost of insurance $2-3 should not break you vs losing the item. It was your choice; hopefully, you did not lose.

 

de8212

Diamond Member
Jan 2, 2000
4,021
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Thanks everyone. Like I said, it won't happen again. I will always at least do tracking and I will make the buyer post/email me a written statement declining insurance.

I kow a dollar or two doesn't sound like alot but a few weeks prior I underestimated shipping on something and came out on the losing end so I wanted to make sure the buyer knows that nothing is included in the proce (ie. fees, insurance, etc).

And I have never used parcel post before. I just told the USPS person I wanted it shipped the cheapest way possible. Won't do that gain either.
 

Gillbot

Lifer
Jan 11, 2001
28,830
17
81
Originally posted by: simms
You got owned. It is your responsibility to ALWAYS have it covered to the buyer. You are liable until it reaches the front door of the person's house.

 

MrBond

Diamond Member
Feb 5, 2000
9,911
0
76
FYI, delivery confirmation isn't enough for paypal to consider the package "Delivered" because all the USPS does is scan it as they drop it wherever they want.

You need to get a signature on delivery and have a method that you can actually track if you expect to win any disputes with Paypal.
 

de8212

Diamond Member
Jan 2, 2000
4,021
0
76
Originally posted by: intogamer
Buyer did not opt for DC and Insurance

Scan the receipt for proof of mailing.

I have the receipt here. I have scanned it and sent the buyer a copy. It hasn't turned ugly on either side. I am just preparing for it because I have been in his spot once in the past when a package took about 3 weeks to get to me.
I have no reason to believe he has the package and trying to scam me but I am 100% certain I shipped the item to him.
The only problem is that the receipt only shows that a package was sent to his city/zip code on the date in question. Plenty of proof IMO but maybe not paypal, etc.
He's been really cool so far but if it doesn't get to him soon then I am not looking forward to it.
 

keeleysam

Diamond Member
Feb 8, 2005
8,131
0
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Originally posted by: MrBond
FYI, delivery confirmation isn't enough for paypal to consider the package "Delivered" because all the USPS does is scan it as they drop it wherever they want.

You need to get a signature on delivery and have a method that you can actually track if you expect to win any disputes with Paypal.

You only need a signature on items over $250
 

Ricemarine

Lifer
Sep 10, 2004
10,507
0
0
Give it 2 more weeks... If the package is no show ur screwed...

Before I ordered some tennis strings from a company, and it was shipped USPS Priority with no dc or insurance. It arrived 2-3 weeks later... When it should be 2 days..