posted on October 15, 2001 11:01:22 AM
I have a buyer who wants me to send him another item at my cost as it is apparently lost in the mail. His e-mail infers that I may not have sent it to him in the first place. I'm really angry about the tone of his e-mail and would really like to tell him where to go!
The item didn't have insurance. I didn't offer it and he didn't ask for it. It's valued at $30.00. So what do I do? He paid promptly by PayPal. If I sent him another then I am out the $30.00. Is it my fault that it got lost in the mail?
Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.
posted on October 15, 2001 11:10:04 AM
I think most sellers here will tell you that you should be nice and refund the money or send another widget. I, however, do not agree.
I have had two packages go lost in the mail since I have been selling (2 years). I did not refund on either one, but stated matter-of-factly that since they didn't purchase insurance, there wasn't much I could do. I felt bad for them. Neither one negged me, and I think they were understanding that it was not my fault that the PO lost their packages.
Your guy, however, sounds like he blames you. I personally wouldn't refund, anyway. I would just state that sorry, you didn't purchase insurance... (I'm sure this is the unpopular opinion.)
First of all... when was the item sent? It takes 30 days before the post-office will even consider the package to be "lost". If that time has not yet expired, I would explain to your customer that they must wait that period of time before you can proceed with any inquiries.
Unfortunately... having your item paid for by Paypal leaves you open to the possibility of a charge-back. Did you use some sort of delivery confirmation that Paypal requires for seller-protection? If not... you are likely to have the money taken from your account. One of the main reasons why I do not use Paypal! (many of my items are low-ticket and can't justify the cost of delivery confirmation)
Finally, if the time expires and you want to negotiate with the customer, you could offer a compromise. Explain to him EXACTLY what your profit margin was on the item you sold, deduct that from the cost of the item, and ask him to pay the balance. That way... you break even, and they're not out all their money. (I've used this method before with several customers and have had fantastic results!)
Bottom line... don't even offer to negotiate if the tone and e-mails become threating or abusive. If they do, you know several things:
1) You're likely to get a charge-back
2) You're probably already going to get neg feedback
3) They're never going to do business with you again anyway
Sometimes, it's just better to cut your losses. Sorry to hear you're in this situation. Hope this helps!
posted on October 15, 2001 11:38:03 AM
Delivery confirmation, whether paid DC or free e-DC can really help a lot with these kind of situations. I add 40 cents to my media mail shipping to cover it, so it costs me nothing, and if it is Priority Mail I can get a free DC online.
Today I had a customer ask where their package was, if it was shipped. I went to usps.com and entered the dc and found that it was in their po, a notice left to pick it up, and advised the customer. End of problem.
And if the customer is possibly trying to pull a fast one, this level of detail usually stops them in their tracks.
Edited to fix syntax...
[ edited by litlux on Oct 15, 2001 11:40 AM ]
posted on October 15, 2001 02:22:33 PM
litlux is absolutely right. DC is invaluable as far as I am concerned. I have had more than one package held at the post office until I notified the buyer that it was there. I have never had a buyer argue about the extra charge for the dc.
IMHO, since you did not offer insurance and the customer did not request it, you should replace or give a refund.
posted on October 15, 2001 02:36:22 PM
First rule don't get angry or make your buyer angry no matter what they say or make you feel.
It's far easyer to deal when there is little to no angry words or stress.
What I do is refund, it's the most stress free and cost effective way out.
When the 30 days has gone by have the lost item traced, If it turns up at your buyer house you can always call the police department in there area and start a fraud claim..... http://www.Dman-N-Company.com
Email [email protected]
posted on October 15, 2001 03:51:13 PM
What does the Buyer's feedback look like? There's a starting point. Get a sense of the buyer. Delivery confirmation is one of the best things since sliced bread. I always add it in to my shipping costs. If you did not, all is not lost. Did you save your receipt from the Post Office? Hope so. If you did, it will give you the zip code to where the package was shipped. No, it's not absolute proof that you shipped it, but it's pretty darn good evidence, and a buyer might concede that you shipped the item. Perhaps from there, both of you can work out a mutually agreeable solution.
