Thread: Ebay Etiquette - Is there such a thing.

Originally Posted by 101RRS

I bought an item from am Ebay seller early in the month and it has not arrived.

I bought this item from a private ebay seller, 100% feedback and a high volume of sales and been on ebay for a few years. The item has been marked as being sent via Aust Post and the ebay tracking number indicated it was to be delivered two weeks ago but is still marked as being in transit.

I contacted the seller on Friday and told him the item had not arrived - he acted straight away and lodged a query with ebay and this query popped straight up on the ebay tracking data - today the ebay tracking data changed to a Aust Post tracking number and it shows was supposed to be delivered 2 weeks ago but is still in transit.

I assume it will turn up sooner or later but - what if it doesn't.



I am sure the seller has acted in good faith and if it is lost, I think Aust Post only covers uninsured items for $50. So not the sellers fault, not my fault, Aust Post only covers for $50 - so what is the etiquette?

Does the seller cover the cost, do I cover the cost or do we split it 50/50 - yes I know I can claim it back through paypal or via my credit card in which case the seller meets the cost less anything they can recover from Aust Post. I would like to do the right thing for both parties.

Thanks

Garry

It's a tough one. I have only had 2 issues. One was a $1100 item that sold for $600. Too good to be true, and it was. ebay refunded me every cent, but I don't know what the vanishing seller paid, if anything. The other was a $20 item a few weeks ago. The tracking number didn't compute, the item never came, and ebay's resolution resulted in the seller paying a refund.

My view is, if the seller is an orginization then it's up to them to do the right thing, and they can afford the loss better than I can. I act in good faith as a buyer, and I expect the same from the seller. They have my money already, so the onus is on them, AusPost notwithstanding.

However, you say "private" seller. High volume. So, a home business, most likely. I'd feel the same way, frankly. People make good incomes on ebay. I think all the 'etiquette' should rest with the seller. You've done all you can.

I purchase a lot... and a mean a lot.... from eBay.

In recent times Auspost seem to mess it up very well.

The few times I have had problems with non delivery I have just put in a dispute with Ebay & they sorted it out & have either received replacement goods or my money back. As Tombie said AP is usually the problem but they will never admit it.

I would bet its gone through the Sydney sorting centre and is circulating. If there is a problem, I assume it doesnt scan properly or something, it just keeps circulating in that place every 2-3 days and then about a month later it seems to get spat out. I've had a couple of things do this. It wont matter what you do from your end with Auspost, they wont help you. They have enquiries/complaints etc you log, but the system is circular there also and always leads back to the sender having to lodge the lost item complaint. My experiences are that business are familiar with it and they just resend a replacement item and then one day, out of the blue, when you least expect it, the lost item will turn up.

Thanks for those comments - as I said a private seller not a business so if lost there will be no followup item sent out as there was only the one item.

I guess I just have to wait and see what happens.

Cheers

Garry

Ask the seller to instigate action from AP. Also lodge a dispute with eBay, you only have limited time to start this but can rescind at any time.

Originally Posted by Tombie

I purchase a lot... and a mean a lot.... from eBay.

In recent times Auspost seem to mess it up very well.

AP's purchase of StarTrack did NOT help, IMO. They were supposed to be LEARNING from ST. Instead they instilled their own practices.

I have an item, a scroll in a cardboard tube, that I wanted to get a postage quote on. AP point blank refused to ship it as it was over a metre long. E-Commerce Partner indeed.

My advice would be to stay in contact with the seller and follow Ebay's processes to the letter as things get much worse if you break their process. I ordered a set of brake rotors that had been opened in transit, the rotors removed and another opened package stuffed inside the box. Even with an extremely cooperative post office rep it completely broke the process because the parcel had still been delivered and Ebay would not let me lodge a complaint for the parcel disappearing. That took about two months to sort out and I still think the Vendor was out of pocket for the rotors. AP took the parcel that was stuffed inside mine and redirected it to the original addressee (hopefully)

Regards,
Tote