Ebay issues...help?

[KeeNoooo]

So i have been selling off some older stuff to make room for new.

Im having an issue where i mailed out a few coins on the 29th of march.

Tracking shows that it has been dispatched to geneva sorting facility, where i live. Its been over 7 business days and still says this. Now the customer is wondering whete his coin is.

I have spoke to post office and they say that because its certified it wouldnt get lost! I know thats bull....

Anyway, my question is, what else can i do?

Unfortunatly its not insured, but i did send it with tracking info and certified.

What happens if it dissapears...?

Im new to selling on ebay so any advice would be much appreciated!

Thanks everyone!

Nick

[MarkFeld]

Often, on-line tracking is not updated until the package is delivered and certified mail is generally quite safe. So, at this point, I wouldn't be too worried.

 

That said, why did you choose not to insure?

 

If you haven't already done so, I'd suggest that you forward the tracking information to the buyer. And let let him know that if you receive further updates, you will make him aware of them.

 

Lastly, if the package doesn't get to the buyer, you will need to issue a refund (and unfortunately, you will be out the value of the coins).

 

Best of luck.

[Conder101]

What happens if it disappears? The buyer gets his money back and you get nothing. Except maybe bad feedback.

 

Spending money for certified is worthless. It does nothing except get a record that somebody, anybody signed for it. And Paypal won't accept it.

 

Delivery confirmation protects you against a buyer receiving the item and saying he didn't. He might be telling the truth, but if delivery confirmation shows that it WAS delivered somewhere then paypal won't honor a not received claim. If the item is over $250 you have to have Signature Confirmation, which is about the same thing as Certified but Paypal will accept it and you have to do it over $250 or you lose any dispute.

 

Insurance protects you in case it does get lost in the mail because the buyer will get his money back from paypal and you get yours from the post office. (Unless it is a high amount, then expect the Post Office to give you the run around.)

 

Registered is the absolute safest way to ship but it is too costly on low value items. It is actually cheaper once the value gets over about $800. Unfortunately you still have to pay for the delivery or signature confirmation because paypal will not accept the signature for Registered because they can't verify it on line.

 

By the way Certified is how they send Jury duty notices, subpoenas, summonses, letters from lawyers etc. Basically all kinds of paperwork from the courts etc. Frankly I would NEVER pick up anything that comes Certified.

[TomB]

Mark and Conder have told you lots of things that are absolutely true. I will add, however, that many of us who carry our own insurance policies have clauses in those policies that require, or at least add as an option, sending coins via Certified Mail with our insurance coverage intact.

[KeeNoooo]

I appreciate all of the advice. I will keep in mind if i decide to continue using ebay. I may have to since most of this stuff is common and there is no interest in it elsewhere.

although i hope they turn up still. I mailed 3 different packages the exact same time and all 3 say "dispatched to sort facility" still. im hoping they just havent left because what are thr odds 3 packagges dont make their destinations...?

 

[copper toning]

I recently had a package which took 10 days for the buyer to recieve. On the 7th day I offered a refund and the buyer did ask me to wait. He said his mail always took 7 plus days. He did recieve and all was good. Perhaps your buyer has a slow service.

 

With that said you should always insure and use delivery confirmation. Just factor it in.

 

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[e1cnr]

how did you ship?

did you go to the post office and buy something?

 

Certfied is waste of money and worthless for eBay sales

 

Use eBay or PAYPAL shipping with free delivery confirmation

 

 

package very well - so if you shake it, nothing flops around

-especially big coins that if loose will tear open end

 

skip insurance unless it gets more valuable than you feel like losing

 

 

certified by itself does not include tracking,

you need delivery confirmation for eBay

 

tell the guy to be patient

 

 

the last couple shipments I got worried about involved

1- heavy box from CA to HI (they fill a barge in Long Beach - once full leaves) and could take 2 months to fill plus boat travel to HI

 

2-item coming to me arrived ripped in half ( cut in machine somewhere) and contents empty

 

[Raisethis2]

I sell a lot of common date coins on E-Bay at times and here's how I do things :

 

Under $30 value goes out @ .44 + .20 for being non-machinable (envelope with card stock used to protect the coin).

 

Over $30 value First Class mail (yellow bubble envelope with delivery confirmation ($2.80 total). The trick here is that the bubble envelope HAS TO BE 3/4 inch thick. I fill them with bubble wrap to satisfy this stupid US MAIL rule. Since the delivering Mail Carrier signs for delivery, PayPal accepts your commitment as completed.

 

Over $100 value I use a Priority box with insurance.

 

In all cases I now charge an exact mailing fee on E-Bay sales.

[JIM F.]

When I ship coins, I ALWAYS have a confirmation number so that the shipment can be tracked. I typically also pay for insurance for items over a hundred dollars. One mistake (in my opinion) is having insurance and not a confirmation (tracking number). Insurance does NOT give you a tracking number.

 

I don't think shipping Certified mail is a good option, but then again maybe it is appropriate under certain circumstances.

 

And to avoid any controversy, I ALWAYS sell my coins with free shipping/insurance.

 

That's my 2 cents. Hope that helps.

 

 

 

[copper toning]

 

Use eBay or PAYPAL shipping with free delivery confirmation

 

skip insurance unless it gets more valuable than you feel like losing

 

 

Agreed

[Kenneth F]

In addition to all the great information above, make sure you keep in good contact with the buyer. It will ease his mind a bit and will show him your level of concern is just as high as his. I had an experience like this before.. seller mailed package and the package went on vacation around the east coast. The package finally arrived 21 days later (I could have walked to his house and back in that time). The seller kept in good contact with me through out the whole process.

[Oldtrader3]

The only place that I have lived where Certified Mail was stolen at the Post Office was in the Bay area in California. The local (less than helpful) Heckel and Jeckel, comedy hour clerks at my USPS thought it was very hilarious when I asked for a trace, probably because they had stolen it.

 

Hopefully, it is in a sort facility over the weekend and will reappear. Sending it Certified slows it down for some reason? I always use Registered for anything worth $500 or more and receive signatures of receipt. Registered requires that every Postal Employee who handles it, logs it in and out. I assume that you did not insure it?

 

I sometimes use overnight Fedex which is expensive but it gets there 100% of the time. Sorry that you had issues.

[Ed J]

Next time use PayPal shipping labels that come with a protection to seller and buyer. I had an ASE that I won and when it arrived the package was ripped and the ASE was gone. I got my money back and the seller got her money back too. Because of Paypal's seller protection.