Buyer claims package empty

[gorbasho]

Hi guys, I wanted to ask for your opinion on a claim one of my eBay buyers is making. I am a newer seller so I don't have a lot of experience with problematic sales. I got a message from them this morning asking when the item would arrive. I replied with a link to the tracking, showing it had been delivered on Saturday. They then replied with this message:

 

I just received the package today in the mail along with a letter from the post office, seems the lego got damaged during shipping. The package is empty and I believe they sent the damaged item back to you so you should be receiving it sometime this week. I don't know what that means for me. Do I get a refund since I never received the item or do I get a new item shipped in place of that one?

 

And after asking them for some pictures they sent me these (addresses blacked out by me):

http://imgur.com/a/WIWZy

 

 

My question is does anyone know about these USPS letters and what might cause them to issue them? Does "damage" indicate the item has fallen out, or just that the packaging is damaged but item still inside? I'm wondering if the buyer is just trying to use the letter and is lying about the item not being inside, especially since their photos don't really try to show where the hole is.

 

Am I being overly suspicious? The item is just an average value minifig, so it doesn't seem like it's worth lying over, but then again the small things are the ones easier to get away with and that sellers will more easily refund. Regardless, I am most likely going to just refund them to avoid trouble, but it would be nice to know in case of any future situations.

[Young_Gun21]

Just wait. Tell them when you receive it back you will refund. You have to be Firm but not a jerk.

-I don't always go shopping, but when I do I buy Lego-

[justafrog]

Refund or replace. There's no reason at all to expect that anything is on its way back to you without the packaging. If you do end up getting it back, great, but there's no reason the buyer should be waiting for his money or his item, whichever you're able to provide.

[justafrog]

P.S. I am using up the last of my paper bubble mailers this week and sticking with the plastic tyvek type ones from now on. Those things are well nigh indestructible even when the post office tries. Just a suggestion. 

[chinothegeeko]

Send another or refund. If you feel up to it, talk to your post office about it, but good luck with that.

[chinothegeeko]

P.S. I am using up the last of my paper bubble mailers this week and sticking with the plastic tyvek type ones from now on. Those things are well nigh indestructible even when the post office tries. Just a suggestion. 

The gray ones? Yeah they rock. Worth the little extra cost.

[@rtisan]

Not intending to hijack the thread but,

Refund or replace. There's no reason at all to expect that anything is on its way back to you without the packaging. If you do end up getting it back, great, but there's no reason the buyer should be waiting for his money or his item, whichever you're able to provide.

I`m not an experienced ebay seller, and things like this just sound like a nightmare to me. Question though, what if you encounter a buyer who is lying? For all you know they took the Lego out of the packaging and then made a false claim. Why do they deserve a refund? Just scares me hearing about this kind of thing because people do all kinds of stuff now a days. Is it best just to take the hit for the sake of your (hopefully) positive ebay feedback? What if the item is highly valuable?

[justafrog]

Not intending to hijack the thread but,

I`m not an experienced ebay seller, and things like this just sound like a nightmare to me. Question though, what if you encounter a buyer who is lying? For all you know they took the Lego out of the packaging and then made a false claim. Why do they deserve a refund? Just scares me hearing about this kind of thing because people do all kinds of stuff now a days. Is it best just to take the hit for the sake of your (hopefully) positive ebay feedback? What if the item is highly valuable?

 

All business owners risk loss from theft. If you were running a brick and mortar, you'd have shoplifters.

 

You protect yourself as best you can, and you build a certain amount of loss into your business expense projections.

 

Most problems aren't scams. eBay and PayPal protect against some of the worst of these, but in a case like this, eBay and PayPal will both side with the buyer, who is probably telling the truth.

 

For a high value item, you (the seller) insure it against loss or damage.

[@rtisan]

All business owners risk loss from theft. If you were running a brick and mortar, you'd have shoplifters.

 

You protect yourself as best you can, and you build a certain amount of loss into your business expense projections.

 

Most problems aren't scams. eBay and PayPal protect against some of the worst of these, but in a case like this, eBay and PayPal will both side with the buyer, who is probably telling the truth.

 

For a high value item, you (the seller) insure it against loss or damage.

That makes sense, thanks! Mandatory insurance for expensive stuff (eBay is $200 or $250 right?) is the way to go then, even if it costs extra.

[Migration]

That makes sense, thanks! Mandatory insurance for expensive stuff (eBay is $200 or $250 right?) is the way to go then, even if it costs extra.

I insure anything over $100, or if I have a "feeling" about the buyer I'll insure even a smaller value. That's just me though, once you start selling you'll need to come up with your own way to handle risk.

[justafrog]

I insure anything over $100, or if I have a "feeling" about the buyer I'll insure even a smaller value. That's just me though, once you start selling you'll need to come up with your own way to handle risk.

 

Exactly. You insure what you can't afford (in angst or money) to lose, and cover the rest out of your own pocket if there's a problem.

[@rtisan]

I insure anything over $100, or if I have a "feeling" about the buyer I'll insure even a smaller value. That's just me though, once you start selling you'll need to come up with your own way to handle risk.

Exactly. You insure what you can't afford (in angst or money) to lose, and cover the rest out of your own pocket if there's a problem.

That`s smart, you never know what could happen. Crazy people. Act of God. Who knows right? Better safe than sorry, always.

[Huskers1236]

I insure anything over $100, or if I have a "feeling" about the buyer I'll insure even a smaller value. That's just me though, once you start selling you'll need to come up with your own way to handle risk.

I do this as well.  Any buyers that I don't trust or have low feedback I will insure to cover my butt.  I haven't had a claim in quite a while, but it gives peace of mind knowing they can't screw you too much.

[Migration]

With shipping, insurance is there to protect the seller, it's cheap and I factor it in to my shipping costs.

[dbost01]

If you are worried about the package being lost or damaged you can definitely insure the package for that. There are a lot of good 3rd party insurance companies that handle that well. Or you can just save the money that you would put toward insurance and just self insure.

[vincevaughn]

I had an ebay bulk lot come damaged like that. Majority of the bricks were there and no way to tell what was missing. But the post office did include that exact letter with it, so that part appears to be on the level.

[legoman12323123]

Not intending to hijack the thread but,

I`m not an experienced ebay seller, and things like this just sound like a nightmare to me. Question though, what if you encounter a buyer who is lying? For all you know they took the Lego out of the packaging and then made a false claim. Why do they deserve a refund? Just scares me hearing about this kind of thing because people do all kinds of stuff now a days. Is it best just to take the hit for the sake of your (hopefully) positive ebay feedback? What if the item is highly valuable?

 Doesnt matter .. all the buyer has to do is open item not described case and the seller almost always loses the case. Its a risk you have to be willing to take.

[Alpinemaps]

P.S. I am using up the last of my paper bubble mailers this week and sticking with the plastic tyvek type ones from now on. Those things are well nigh indestructible even when the post office tries. Just a suggestion.

Can you give a link to ones that you recommend please. I'm using bubble mailers, but always interested in something that's a little more high quality and that others have had good experience with.

Sent from my iPad using Brickpicker

[justafrog]

Can you give a link to ones that you recommend please. I'm using bubble mailers, but always interested in something that's a little more high quality and that others have had good experience with.

Sent from my iPad using Brickpicker

I actually don't know where I'll be buying them yet. I had two huge boxes (one of paper bubble mailers, one of Tyvek bubble mailers) that I had on hand when I started with the LEGO. I'm about out of the paper ones, still have a couple hundred of the Tyvek, so maybe some of the folks here will share a good source with both of us!

[Young_Gun21]

Sam's Club has the paper ones for around $0.20 a piece I'm pretty sure if you buy the 20 Count for $10. Never seen the plastic ones though.

-I don't always go shopping, but when I do I buy Lego-

[adewar]

Getting photos for proof is always a good idea.  With those photos one can file a claim with the USPS online.  Priority is automatically insured up to $100.  For First class, unless you add insurance, I think you're out of luck.  I have filed claims and it is quite straightforward.  Unfortunately it comes with the territory, I got a "mine is missing bag #1" just the other day even though i know the weight and seals were good before sending.  I basically proceed as if the buyer is telling the truth and politely ask for photos where appropriate.  Often times you just won't hear back from the 'presumably' dishonest ones.  

[mcortez]

My question is does anyone know about these USPS letters and what might cause them to issue them? 

 

I received one of those letters once, attached to a torn piece of plastic with an address label on it that a magazine I subscribe to normally comes in.  Basically one of their machines must have decided to eat the bag and magazine...  Their motto "neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night" clearly doesn't include angry mail sorting machines.  At least they still delivered the address label to me with an apology note...

 

So the notes are real enough -- now whether or not your mailer got torn enough for the contents to fall out, I dunno.  I'd be inclined to just give them the benefit of the doubt and refund or replace.

[nickguay]

I recently shipped $800 worth of Lego kits in one box and needless to say, I paid the extra $14 for insurance 

[newbie77]

after numerous orders processed first buyer claim stating item has a torn manual and not as described

[JRandall]

I recently sold over a $1,000 LEGOs to a foreign buyer from South Korea with hidden feedback but 100% rating.He purchased them through a "business" address located in California.  He ended up trying to claim the items were damaged which I expected could occur before I shipped them out. To protect myself I purchased insurance and did a few other things. I called both Ebay and Paypal to verify that it was ok to ship and they both were on record giving approval. I just told him to file a claim with Fedex and provide pictures.  Simple as that. No response after that, and yes I purchased Insurance beforehand and took multiple pictures of the items and the boxes with addresses before shipping them out.  Cover yourself really well when selling anything large,  pay for the direct signature confirmation, take pictures of all the boxes you're shipping out with the addresses already on them, print your shipping label directly through Ebay if possible, and purchase the insurance so you can file a claim and get your money back if need be.   There are definitely some professional fraudsters on Ebay, and most of them come out of the woodwork around Christmas shopping season.

Edited December 1, 2014 by JRandall