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Item not received dispute
I have just had a customer open a case on a dispute after their item failed to be delivered to the address they provided in Paypal. I know what the next steps are on that end, but what actions can be taken through the Brickowl side? We have already left good feedback over a month ago when the customer made prompt payment, so I am not sure if reporting is possible at this point.
After over 3,500 items shipped in over 4 years, we have had exactly one package go missing before, which we of course offered a full refund (although we did not have to), so this is an extreme rarity for us. I am a bit perplexed that the buyer would escalate a case to Paypal without even contacting us whatsoever.
After over 3,500 items shipped in over 4 years, we have had exactly one package go missing before, which we of course offered a full refund (although we did not have to), so this is an extreme rarity for us. I am a bit perplexed that the buyer would escalate a case to Paypal without even contacting us whatsoever.
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1. You can retract your feedback, but what's the point, you won't be able to post a new one and not certainly a neutral or a negative.
2. Use the options in the overview of the order (report an issue). If the buyer made a chargeback, then this will show on his record for other sellers, when they get an order from the buyer, so they'll know to be cautious or at least take steps to make it safer for themselves. It is important this tool is used by all sellers in such cases.
3. Warn Admin Lawrence, particulary if this an unwarranted claim, the buyer might be doing that to other sellers as well, he'll look into it.
I'm not talking about blacklists (that would be a sellers perogative), I'm talking about a report that would show the buyer used a chargeback to deal with it. Most sellers expect their buyers to contact them, so the seller can deal with the issue in a decent and appropriate way. If a buyers fail to communicate and jumps to disputes and claims, then I think it's only natural sellers warn other sellers by using the 'report an issue', this has no effect on the buyers priveledges, the only thing it does is put a little marker on the buyers account so other sellers can see it. Now you guys have cheap tracking options, a lot of countries don't, so sellers of certain countries (including mine) do not always have tracking on all of their shipments... If a buyer is using an instant PP dispute or claim on a tracked package, without the slightest form of communication up front, then imagine what such a buyer would do with a non traceable shipment, so a little warning sign for the sake of other sellers is warranted in such cases IMHO.
I also had 3 tracked orders gone missing last year, the buyers contacted me, I dealt with it, one showed up 3 months after shippingdate, 2 others have been refunded by postal services and in both cases I shipped the same goods again (I luckely had spares). None of these 3 buyers opened a dispute or claim, they patiently awaited for me and postal services to deal with it, in one case the buyer even placed a new order to get what he needed long before he was refunded for the first order (our postal services are real slow with their 'investigations')
And Rob is correct - Brickowl requires us to send parcels to the shipping address, which leaves us without PayPal protection when the PayPal address is different. In this case we have a judgement call to make, either send it to the shipping address and hope for the best, or otherwise speak to the customer and query why the addresses differ. Notice of a chargeback helps us make that judgement call.
It's Eric, not Rob but whatever :-)
No, the procedure hasn't changed, but you need a buyer that is reasonable and willing to listen.
I just had such a case on BL, and I did respond right away, and the buyer upgraded to claim within 10 hours after opening the dispute (while he had 20 days to do so if he would have been reasonable and honest). Paypal will side in most cases, not on all ;-)
I thought the shipping address and billing address we see are retrieved from Paypal through the API ?
@Lawrence can you confirm te latter?
Cheers, Eric
As a side note USPS has been terrible for me during the month of august with 3 packages that went missing (1 did reach destination a week late) and one returned to me for no reason. There seems to be some training going on in my local dispatch center maybe this is the reason.
That way, be receiving orders, they realise they can contact sellers through the order (and not necessarily the one who send the note, but at least they know it's possible for other cases when they really need to).
Obviously the site attracts quite a lot of new customers, a bit of guidance by the sellers might be nice to help them have a good start ;-)
I have sent a message to the buyer to this effect but he has not responded. At this point I am very frustrated with the situation as 1: the buyer never contacted me whatsoever before filing a dispute, and 2: it seems that it is due to the buyer's own inaction. Still, I will give him the benefit of the doubt for a short time longer, and see what happens.
And Eric, I knew that
Thanks for the additional information.
Yes, such cases happen regulary elsewhere as well, buyer is unaware they might be charged with importaxes and duties (and handlingcharges), receives the note from the postaloffice which normally mentions they will need to pay xxx on pickup... So what do they do: they don't pick it up, order will be send back, and they open a claim for non receipt :-(
I never had such case, but I'm on the opposite side, most of the time I send to countries where there is either no limit, either a high enough one to not cause such problems...
Not sure how PP is going to act in such a case, but it is not delivered offcourse.
I would offer to refund order without shippingcost and see how he reacts (if indeed the package is back on it's way to you and not still sitting at his postal office) and would try to have him admit it was because of the importduties he didn't pick it up (if that really was the reason), it might serve on PP... And do try to have him communicate on BO in stead of Paypal, he might say more here then on Paypal.
Oh, and from my point of view this does warrant a chargeback report on the buyer, as there is no excuse by any means: if indeed the buyer had to pay importduties and therefor didn't pick up the package or if he didn't pick it up because he was lazy, sick or whatever, in both cases the dispute is unwarranted, I do assume he was provided with the trackingnumber, either on BO or on Paypal, he could have checked the status of the package himself during the whole period he was expecting it...
As far as Paypal goes, it was actually sent to his Paypal verified address, and shows "Seller Protection Available" on the transaction. I used USPS to send it to him, but sent it to the EXACT address on his Paypal account (and uploaded tracking to Paypal--and tracking in Israel is almost as spot on as it would be in the states it seems). Don't know if this means I'll be actually protected or not, as I've never been in this situation before.
The good news: The buyer got my message, and apparently did not even know it was at the post office. I let him know about the situation, and he closed the dispute this afternoon, and said he will check tomorrow (I assume by the time zone he meant Monday) to see if it is there. I let him know that as long as things are handled professionally (the buyer and I talking with each other, rather than going through the official and sometimes archaic Paypal dispute center), I will be more than happy to go the extra mile to make sure he gets his package. He is a customer, after all--and they are the reason I don't have to go work a boring job.
Thanks for the update, puts things in another perspective with this buyer.
Also solves the problem for you (a second dispute wouldn't be possible).
And he does mean sunday, as in Israel sunday is a normal business day ;-)
Glad things worked out.