39 replies to this topic

[bachamn]

So here's the situation:

• I paid for some eBay auctions from a reputable Mexican seller on Feb 20th
• Seller shipped on Feb 23rd, but for some ungodly reason it took 28 effing days for the parcel to go from the post office to the intl airport a few miles away. This was on March 18th and is the last tracking update.
• As of today it's been 39 days since I sent payment, and both tracking from Correos and USPS show it's still at the airport in Mexico city.
• I've had multiple packages from Mexico and they always take a long time, but this is by far the longest, especially considering it's still not been scanned in stateside.

Anyone have a similar experience or have recommendations on how I should proceed?I know the seller is reputable and have bought from him before so I'd rather avoid filing a claim, but wondering if I will just be SOL if I let 45 days pass (Paypal's dispute limit) and the package never shows up? I contacted them to ask if they could check on it for me, but I can't imagine filing a lost package claim with Correos would end up going anywhere. :/

[Sixthwizard]

I had the same thing happen with sending Deano a box.  Took a little more than 2 months from here to England for some reason.  It went from here US to New Zealand (?), then sat there for almost 2 months and didn't update any tracking status. Then it went back here to the US, then on to England.  

 

By far the oddest shipping route I have ever seen.....  and I ship to that guy often.  Never had something like that happen.

Edited by Sixthwizard, 31 March 2015 - 07:47 AM.

[thenerdieststore]

I would contact paypal just so they have a record of this. Put the dispute in now and cancel it if the package shows up. Either way, the seller should never have let it sit for that long.

[ironmask]

 the seller should never have let it sit for that long.

 

Well, once the seller turned it over to the postal service, it was out of his hands. The onus is on the postal service.

[bachamn]

the tracking info shows that it was accepted on Feb 23rd, it just took the post office that long to move it less than 2 miles. Which is absurd, but not the seller's fault. So I wasn't sure if I could just leave a dispute open and wait for it to arrive, or if this would complicate things unnecessarily.

 

Like I said I'd rather avoid any kind of strike against the seller as I know he's legit and hasn't done anything wrong. I'm more concerned with how Paypal is going to view it, or if my only real recourse is to go through the postal service and leave Paypal out of it (since it's really a shipping issue) 

 

just new territory for me as I've never filed a PP claim before.

Edited by bachamn, 31 March 2015 - 08:17 AM.

[Sixthwizard]

A pp claim hahahaha....

[Sixthwizard]

Well, once the seller turned it over to the postal service, it was out of his hands. The onus is on the postal service.

Yep, I don't think the seller can do anything but make phone calls.....I did with Deano's box and got a different answer each time.  I called the New Zealand hub as well- They didn't have a solid answer as to why it even went there in the first place...

[8bitblood]

this is happening to me as i type this. 

 

the seller sent my item via parcel post on the 14th. i tracked it everyday to find nothing. then a few days ago i click the tracking and it says my package is in Hawaii! 

 

USPS told me they forwarded it, but even though it's a mistake they made wouldn't upgrade the package and it could take another 2-4 weeks to get to me. it's already been two weeks! 

 

the lady i talked to Friday said i'd get it Monday (yesterday), the lady i talked to today said i'd get it "in a few days", i don't know anymore. 

Edited by 8bitblood, 31 March 2015 - 08:29 AM.

[fkro6784]

International packages are taking forever these days. A package I ordered from England took 3-4 weeks where it almost always took 1 in the past, and a package I ordered from Spain on 2/28 I am still waiting for:

 

- Paid for item from Spain February 28

- Seller added tracking info March 3

- No tracking update after initial Correos scan until March 26, when it showed "Processed Through Sort Facility" at ISC New York

- Still waiting on item and further scans since the 26th

 

I am pretty confident I am eventually going to receive the item because I at least got the USPS ISC scan, even though it took forever. I'd be really nervous too if 45 days was approaching and I never got the USPS scan. Are you still waiting for the seller to respond? 

[Behemoth]

My last one from Mexico took about 5 weeks to get here. It said it was delivered to me, but wasn't. Then the PO left a notice for it a few days later and I picked it up. It was a strange situation. 

[TheRiddler]

ive had stuff from japan take 10 days and ive had it take 6-8 weeks...there is no telling what is going on once it's in their hands....

[Draznar]

Well, once the seller turned it over to the postal service, it was out of his hands. The onus is on the postal service.

Not true. A sender can contact the postal service to get their shit together on a package. You should never put the responsibility on the courier, as stupid as that sounds.

 

 

You definitely need to start filing for a paypal claim. If the item shows up after your refund you should be a good person and re-send your payment though.

[bachamn]

I am pretty confident I am eventually going to receive the item because I at least got the USPS ISC scan, even though it took forever. 

yeah the lack of the ISC scan is what's concerning to me. regardless of the super slow intra-Mexico shipping, the fact that it was scanned at the Mexico City airport over two weeks ago, assuming at departure, and has not been scanned in at any destination yet makes me uncomfortable. 

 

I've not heard back from the seller yet since sending a message this morning, but this is actually the second time I've contacted him about it, The first was around the 20th because at that time the tracking on Mexico Post had not updated at all, and when I looked it up on USPS it was reporting duplicate results for the same tracking number. Seller replied confirming this was the correct tracking and included a photo of the receipt, showing they had in fact shipped last month. A few days after the first contact is when it finally showed the movement on 2/23, and the duplicate entry warning on USPS went away.

 

Not true. A sender can contact the postal service to get their shit together on a package. You should never put the responsibility on the courier, as stupid as that sounds.

 

 

You definitely need to start filing for a paypal claim. If the item shows up after your refund you should be a good person and re-send your payment though.

yeah, I'd absolutely resend payment if it came down to that, I'm not about screwing anyone over and the seller is a friendly guy. I guess I'll just give it until day 45 for it to get to customs and if it hasn't by then, file a claim. Just seems that if the seller provided a tracking number that shows he shipped, wouldn't Paypal see this and just deny my claim blaming the courier for the delay? Or is that not their typical approach in this circumstance?

[jkaris]

You should contact the seller and ask him to bug his postal service to see if they can locate the package.

You should ABSOLUTELY NOT file a Paypal claim on the seller, that is just wrong.
He did his part, his due diligence and sent the package. It's not his fault that the post office has delayed (or at worst, lost) your stuff.
Filing a claim will penalize him for something that is not his fault or even his liability.

Take a moment and put yourself in his shoes. Say you sell GJ a Kickback and gun. You pack them and send them, but then they get lost by either the US post office or the Netherlands post office. Is it right that he should file a claim against you to get his money back? No, absolutely not.

Unless the seller packed it shitty and it got damaged because of shitty packing or sent you the wrong stuff, filing a claim is a shitty thing to do and shouldn't even be a consideration.

[FANtomCore]

It's shitty situation period. But as the buyer you can control whether you take the lose or not unlike the seller. IMO I would file a claim, maybe that might encourage the seller to do some investigating and get to the bottom of this delay from his end. But to play nice guy and say well it looks like the package is lost and accept the financial hit, does you no favors, you used Paypal, there was a reason for it, to at least protect your loses if worse case scenario happened of lost mail. It is you right to file a claim because it is legitimate. The seller will know from the tracking status, your not screwing him over, it is what it is, you paid, if it never comes, you have a right to a refund, any reputable seller will accept this.

 

P.S. When I say file a claim, make sure its toward the last few days of the cutoff date to do so, that way your atleast giving the seller some time.

Edited by FANtomCore, 31 March 2015 - 03:40 PM.

[8bitblood]

You should contact the seller and ask him to bug his postal service to see if they can locate the package.You should ABSOLUTELY NOT file a Paypal claim on the seller, that is just wrong.He did his part, his due diligence and sent the package. It's not his fault that the post office has delayed (or at worst, lost) your stuff.Filing a claim will penalize him for something that is not his fault or even his liability.Take a moment and put yourself in his shoes. Say you sell GJ a Kickback and gun. You pack them and send them, but then they get lost by either the US post office or the Netherlands post office. Is it right that he should file a claim against you to get his money back? No, absolutely not.Unless the seller packed it shitty and it got damaged because of shitty packing or sent you the wrong stuff, filing a claim is a shitty thing to do and shouldn't even be a consideration.

Being a seller you have the option to insure all of your packages. If it's not financially viable you have to expect you're going to take a hit here and there. That's your choice being in the business.

Just as if i was the seller, it would be my burden. It states in each auction that the seller is responsible. Right or wrong it's their responsibilty to get the goods to your hands. It's no different than buying something from the store. Sorry but this the benefit of using paypal. Protecting yourself in situations like these.

It's not your responsibilty or fault they they didnt insure themselves.

Edited by 8bitblood, 31 March 2015 - 03:55 PM.

[fkro6784]

Does filing a claim have a negative impact on a seller other than them likely having to issue a refund? I didn't think so, but some of the comments here make it sound like a feedback strike or something happens.

[plasticfiend]

Does filing a claim have a negative impact on a seller other than them likely having to issue a refund? I didn't think so, but some of the comments here make it sound like a feedback strike or something happens.

 

Yes it does... but not in an obvious way.  It affects the seller's "status" with Ebay.  Power Seller etc... which affect's their money.  Depending on your level or status Ebay gives you discounts on shipping rates, free listings etc.

 

But either way, if there is a problem it's kind of the only way to get it resolved.

 

In this case, I don't feel that it was necessarily the seller's fault so I wouldn't file a claim.  I would just try and amicably work it out with the seller.

 

PF

[fkro6784]

Yes it does... but not in an obvious way.  It affects the seller's "status" with Ebay.  Power Seller etc... which affect's their money.  Depending on your level or status Ebay gives you discounts on shipping rates, free listings etc.

 

But either way, if there is a problem it's kind of the only way to get it resolved.

 

In this case, I don't feel that it was necessarily the seller's fault so I wouldn't file a claim.  I would just try and amicably work it out with the seller.

 

PF

 

Ah, okay. Thanks for that info.

 

In this situation, whether I'd file a claim or not would probably depend on the cost of the item. If it were something inexpensive, I'd probably take my chances of being able to work it out with the seller without a claim.

[jkaris]

Being a seller you have the option to insure all of your packages. If it's not financially viable you have to expect you're going to take a hit here and there. That's your choice being in the business.

Just as if i was the seller, it would be my burden. It states in each auction that the seller is responsible. Right or wrong it's their responsibilty to get the goods to your hands. It's no different than buying something from the store. Sorry but this the benefit of using paypal. Protecting yourself in situations like these.

It's not your responsibilty or fault they they didnt insure themselves.

And if you flip that around:

---
Being a buyer you have the option to insure all of your packages. If it's not financially viable you have to expect you're going to take a hit here and there. That's your choice buying stuff that has to be shipped.

Just as if i were the buyer , it would be my burden.
---

You are certainly correct that the way the ebay Buyer Protection works, a seller is screwed if the post office loses the package. The only real way to counter that is to either charge higher prices to cover the spread or to require insurance on all sales.
In reality, neither of which will help you sell more or be competitive. Higher prices and people pass you by. Higher shipping costs and you get the same.

But I disagree that is the reason (lost packages) you would use Paypal/credit card when buying something. Outside the convenience and the protection from shady sellers, using it to charge back a seller who did their due dilligence and shipped the package securely is just flat immoral. And just because ebay allows that to happen doesn't make it the right choice. In cases of a lost package, when a chargeback is done, it screws the seller out of their product and money.
As a buyer, if you want to protect yourself from lost packages, you should request insurance.

If the post office screwed the buyer by losing their package, then the right response is certainly NOT to screw the seller out of their payment. What is the old saying? "Two wrongs don't make a right?"

I buy a lot more stuff than I sell. As a buyer, I have had a couple packages go missing. I have never charged back a seller if they did their part. It's just wrong.
As a seller, when a package has been late, I have called and checked on it for the customer numerous times. I've had a couple lost packages over the years and have done refunds or replacements as a customer service issue. But that is going above and beyond to keep your customers happy and make them fans, not because it was my responsibility that the post office lost the package.

[8bitblood]

And if you flip that around:---Being a buyer you have the option to insure all of your packages. If it's not financially viable you have to expect you're going to take a hit here and there. That's your choice buying stuff that has to be shipped.Just as if i were the buyer , it would be my burden.---You are certainly correct that the way the ebay Buyer Protection works, a seller is screwed if the post office loses the package. The only real way to counter that is to either charge higher prices to cover the spread or to require insurance on all sales.In reality, neither of which will help you sell more or be competitive. Higher prices and people pass you by. Higher shipping costs and you get the same.But I disagree that is the reason (lost packages) you would use Paypal/credit card when buying something. Outside the convenience and the protection from shady sellers, using it to charge back a seller who did their due dilligence and shipped the package securely is just flat immoral. And just because ebay allows that to happen doesn't make it the right choice. In cases of a lost package, when a chargeback is done, it screws the seller out of their product and money.As a buyer, if you want to protect yourself from lost packages, you should request insurance.If the post office screwed the buyer by losing their package, then the right response is certainly NOT to screw the seller out of their payment. What is the old saying? "Two wrongs don't make a right?"I buy a lot more stuff than I sell. As a buyer, I have had a couple packages go missing. I have never charged back a seller if they did their part. It's just wrong.As a seller, when a package has been late, I have called and checked on it for the customer numerous times. I've had a couple lost packages over the years and have done refunds or replacements as a customer service issue. But that is going above and beyond to keep your customers happy and make them fans, not because it was my responsibility that the post office lost the package.

Sorry but i just completely disagree. Nothing against you obviously i just come from a different place.

If you sell something it's your responsibility to get it to that person. If i sold something and didnt hold up my end i would expect the same treatment. That's just the person i am. I was always taught you make a deal you stick to it. Of course i send all of my items priority and wouldnt ship anything using parcel select. Just another choice we as sellers have to further protect ourselves.

Edited by 8bitblood, 31 March 2015 - 05:27 PM.

[FANtomCore]

I look at it this way as a buyer, you did your part by paying the seller his price, his terms, etc. At this point the buyer did all that was asked of him. I just cant see how a buyer could be made to be at fault for not paying insurance if it was not asked of him. Should a buyer pay extra when their are free safeguards for them already? Maybe, but on the other end of the spectrum, sellers should counter this by padding their shipping cost to account for insurance, tracking etc. That way when a seller sells something to a buyer who agrees to his terms, the seller essentially got the buyer to pay for insurance to protect both of their investments. The seller has the freedom to set the terms of their shipping cost, the buyer has the freedom to file a claim if the product is never delivered. Both sides get their level of freedom here. Either that, or ebay should develop a mutual insurance fee/cost for ebay auctions, where both sides have to mandatory pay an insurance fee together. The amount would be depend on the final price of the auction. Auctions under $100 would not have the mandate. something like that. Just an idea.

Edited by FANtomCore, 31 March 2015 - 05:35 PM.

[jkaris]

Sorry but i just completely disagree. Nothing against you obviously i just come from a different place.

If you sell something it's your responsibility to get it to that person. If i sold something and didnt hold up my end i would expect the same treatment. That's just the person i am. I was always taught you make a deal you stick to it. Of course i send all of my items priority and wouldnt ship anything using parcel select. Just another choice we as sellers have to further protect ourselves.

Likewise. I agree with your sentiment, that if I sell something, it's my responsibility to get it there. I just don't feel that it is an across the board responsibility for all sellers to have to be hosed because of the post office. I'm willing (as a seller) to take the lumps for a customer's sake, but it is a choice I make, not because I feel responsible for the post office's screw up.

Anyways, I think you guys have heard my opinion enough, ha ha. I'll stop soap boxing. Time for me to go buy some stuff from Matt...
http://www.onelldesign.com/store/

[Ericnilla]

I bought something on ebay from Mexico on the 18th and it just entered the US and is in customs today. it shouldnt take That long. 

 

I ALWAYS open a claim on the last day that you can before the 45 days is up. ive lost out on money at least 3 times from the seller keep saying dont worry it will show up. If you file the claim it will protect you and get your money back, at least if it shows up after that time you can always close the claim a be done with it, and if it doesnt show up then you get your money back.

 

I did that late last year with a package from Portugal, opened the claim on the 43rd day, told the seller first that I was as a precaution. Package showed up on the 55th day and never showed up on USPS tracking system, I closed the claim and we were both happy.

[bachamn]

wow, I didn't expect this thread to get so much attention. The seller sent a reply yesterday afternoon. It was obviously run through a translator so it's in very broken English, but here's my translation:
 

"Today I contacted Mexico Post and asked what has happened to the package. The postal worker said that they have been experiencing higher than normal shipment volumes and are delayed because of this. He said that the package is now out of Mexico and is in the USA, but maybe is being held up at customs there and that is why there has been no scan to update tracking. He said that expected delivery time is 25-30 days and that sometimes it can take up to 60 days. Since it was sent 29 days ago (counting only Monday- Friday business days) they are still technically within the expected delivery time, so you should continue to be patient. I understand that this is frustrating and it has been a long time already, but I cannot make them ship any faster. Please update me when tracking shows progress; the good news is that you have access to the tracking number so you can watch it yourself."

 
Karis, this is obviously something you feel strongly about so I hope you were able to glean from my posts that filing a claim isn't what I actually want to do, I just really didn't know what was involved in the process or if it did count against them in some way if a claim was filed as a precaution but no refund is issued. I at least partially agree with all of the points you were making, which is why I'm torn about what to do. However I do get some of the others' points as well, specifically:
 

I bought something on ebay from Mexico on the 18th and it just entered the US and is in customs today. it shouldnt take That long.

This makes me think that perhaps the seller did buy the shipping in a timely manner but forget to take the package to the post office. Otherwise why on earth would it take so long to go a few miles? The seller's conversation with the postal worker doesn't address this at all. Eric, did your shipment originate from Mexico City, or somewhere else?
 
 mexico-post-sucks.png   350.98K   1 downloads
 
We've all experienced this before on eBay; a seller immediately purchases shipping after a sale, but your package tracking doesn't update for days because they hadn't dropped it off at the PO yet. This would be a pretty extreme case of that but it's not that unusual, so I guess it's plausible.

To address some other points, insurance was not offered, and by my estimates I paid about $5-6 more than the seller paid to ship. Even if insurance was offered, my experience with Mexico post so far makes me believe that it would be a nightmare trying to file a claim with them, but I digress. Also, the total purchase price was over $100; if it were less I'd just count my losses but it's a considerable purchase so I want to explore my options.

Anyway, for now I'm just going hold tight and hope something updates on USPS before the 45 day mark next week. Thanks for the input everyone, I'll update once something happens.

Edited by bachamn, 01 April 2015 - 06:33 AM.