VBD2 is closed. Please go to https://vbd3.co.uk instead.

I'm glad you got some closure in your favour Joe ,this goes to show the importance of tracking packages and keeping a record
The problem with company's like eBay Microsoft etc is they can buy out any competition before it becomes a real threat to their market (don't eBay own Gumtree too?)
Capitalism I suppose.

Yes, totally agree about the value of sending an item tracked and signed for.

In the Paypal account there is now a function that allows the tracking number to be added. When a payment has been received this function then appears in clickable blue writing underneath the payment notice. I reckon it is good practice to enter the tracking number in both Paypal and Ebay and then you cover yourself twice over.

If the tracking number is entered in both Paypal and Ebay before notifying the buyer, and before marking in Ebay that the item has been sent, then in theory this should eliminate a claim being made.

USA ebay and USA paypal automatically post the tracking number on both sites. All a buyer has to do is click on the number or the "tracking info" line.

What remains a complete mystery is why ebay does not automatically have this info as well and requests that sellers enter it (tracking numbers) onto a form generated when a buyer makes an "item not received" claim. Having to manually add this info, on request, seems a ridiculous waste of time on ebay's part and obviously stacks the deck in favor of the buyer and the fraudulent buyer as well.

I filled out that form and provided the tracking information within the same hour that it arrived. Yet, ebay initially claimed I had failed to provide such information (something I was able to prove as untrue). With collectors of items in many categories still complaining about ebay's most recent software upgrades, they seem incapable of enhancing areas that badly need real attention.

At this point, I wonder if anyone has added this buyer to their blocked bidders list ... or if the majority continue to labor under the "it won't happen to me" mindset. Like T.J., I too have an ever growing list of blocked bidders. As a result, I have little trouble with a relatively high volume of sales.

Just out of interest what would happen if someone tried to claim for an undelivered package sent through the Global Shipping programme , would eBay be responsible as it is their service ,who would the loser be??

fixer wrote:Just out of interest what would happen if someone tried to claim for an undelivered package sent through the Global Shipping programme , would eBay be responsible as it is their service ,who would the loser be??

As far as I know, the seller (in the UK) isn't responsible for a lost item that happens after the item is accepted/forwarded by the UK Shipping Centre. However, I think if the item isn't tracked on its way to the shipping centre, then the seller is not protected if it doesn't reach first base.

USA ebay requires delivery tracking/confirmation on domestic packages (without that, you're screwed). For international packages, you have to produce proof the item was signed for. That's why Ebay's Global Shipping Exists, it's easier & cheaper to send a package via Ebay Global Shipping than it is to send an international package with tracking and signature confirmation. Another serious thing to factor in is that only a handful of countries ever return the signature proof back to the USA. That makes the extra expense and caution of using that method (meaning a USPS signed for package) worthless to the seller and expensive for the buyer. The only universally safe way for USA based ebay sellers to send overseas is through ebay's Global Shipping Program. While many sellers and nearly all buyers hate this program, it's the least expensive way to ship something and avoid buyer fraud.

My rule of thumb for international packages: If the item has any serious value, I will send it via FedX. The expense of that shipping usually keeps overseas bidders from ever bidding on my items. For intermediate priced items, I only sell to USA and Canadian buyers. Anything under $100 USD, I gamble and send via United States Postal Service International First Class Parcel. It's a gamble because a fraudulent international buyer holds all the cards and I could easily lose out on my item and the shipping cost in a heartbeat. In fact, I think I'm going to lower my personal amount limits do to some recent increase in buyer fraud activity.

Similar story to Joe's here.