Buyer ordered before moving house and didn't tell me? Help appreciated!

[Water_Fire]

I hope someone can help me with this?

I sold an item to someone in the US, and they sent me a message a few days ago saying they hadn't received it yet. I sent a message back saying I can't claim for a lost parcel unless 15 working days have passed (I had a Google and I'm pretty sure that's right, but if anyone knows different please let me know!), so if it didn't show by Friday she needed to let me know and we'd work something out. Today she messages me saying it didn't come and she's moved house?!

I asked if she could check if it was at her old place, and she said she'd check with her landlord. A few minutes later, she says 'my landlord's already rented the place out, could you do something?' Er...

What's the etiquette here? I had no idea she was moving, so if she moved before it had a chance to get to her, am I liable? I know ebay is really hard on sellers, so I'm tempted to just refund her so I won't get a black mark against my name as I have a great track record. I sent the item at the end of March, by the way. I'm not sure whether she left long enough to get it before she moved.

I should just quit ebay, it causes me headaches!!

[lunar_scythe]

Your buyer can fill out a form at the local post office to forward her mail to the new address, it's free.  It won't help if her package was delivered already, but if it hasn't been, it'll send it to the new address.

[Water_Fire]

I just refunded her. I could have told her to sort out a redirect with her mail, but seeing as she only paid £3.70 I decided it just wasn't worth the hassle and refunded it. Just, who orders stuff from ebay when they're about to move house? The mind boggles.

[bluerose9978]

I'm not sure how it works in the UK, but if they tried to deliver it and it was undeliverable because no forwarding address was left, the package will be shipped back to you and will be marked undeliverable.

[Rhubarbpie]

I'm not sure how it works in the UK, but if they tried to deliver it and it was undeliverable because no forwarding address was left, the package will be shipped back to you and will be marked undeliverable.

Yeah its pretty similar to that over here, takes forever though, especially if its international!

[hathorcat]

Its 25 days for international mail [outside EU] for Royal Mail claims - and that's actually 25 days after the "delivery date" so for the US it works out approx 32 days after you have posted before Royal Mail will even look at a claim for loss. So far too close to paypal filing dates normally to wait unfortunately and unless its shipped International Tracked, Royal Mail will most likely process it as a claim rather than actually investigating what has happened.

I think if you had shipped the item tracked and your buyer moved properties, ebay would most likely have sided with you as you had done everything you were supposed to. You could prove that the address you shipped to was the one on the buyer's ebay account - therefore you have fulfilled your end of the contract. However, if you have not shipped tracked, then even though the buyer is more than a little naughty in this process and clearly unreasonable in expecting you to fix the problem, ebay would probably have sided with them.

As long as there is a return address on it and as long as the new tenant simply declines the parcel or returns it due to no forwarding, it should hopefully make its way back to you.

What a nuisance of a buyer!

[Water_Fire]

I hadn't tracked it as it was such a cheap item . That's the risk you take I suppose. Talking of nuisance buyers, my sister had someone complain as she didn't message them to check they'd got their package? Um, not her job?! They're all coming out of the woodwork..

[hathorcat]

Yeah, there are some high maintenance buyers on ebay unfortunately

I understand deciding not to track for low cost items. It was something I never ever worried about years ago and seldom did I ever offer it. Nowadays, unless I am shipping to someone on the Arena who I feel I can trust, I insist on Airsure which offers tracking - its the only way to protect yourself nowadays.