Had to raise a PayPal dispute against my Taobao agent - any experiences?

[DaffyDilly]

I've had two very successful orders with this agent, but my third most recent order has gone MIA. It arrived in the UK on the 9th June and hasn't been seen anywhere since. I am hopeful that it will turn up eventually, but I needed the ponies for the PonyCon custom fundraising (luckily two friends were able to help me out with baits) and my 45 day PayPal deadlines were looming.

I had messaged the seller last week to say that it hadn't arrived, could they advise how long that shipping service could take? That's when they told me the tracking said it was in the UK so I rang Royal Mail and they said it was probably lost and that the sender needed to raise a claim. I sent this to the agent and asked them to confirm the shipping address (as my 2nd order was sent elsewhere, and I'd changed the address back halfway through placing this one). They confirmed my home address and I went to the delivery office yesterday; parcel never made it there.

I messaged the agent and said that it was confirmed missing, I didn't want a replacement but would like other items if they would refund my PayPal account so I could place a new order. They've basically come back and said that because the money was used to purchase the items, they can't refund me until Hong Kong Post have paid them, and that can take up to 6 months.

So, given my 45 days are up next week for both the item and shipping payments, I've raised disputes on both in PayPal. I feel really bad for the agent because I know it's not their fault, but I can't risk having to wait 6 months and potentially never get my money back.

Has anybody else had to do this? What was the outcome?

[lovesbabysquirmy]

Why should you feel worse about it than having to open a case with any other seller, any other place in the world?  It shouldn't make a difference where they're from; they're responsible for the service they provide.

*pony hugs*  Hope this all gets sorted for you!

[hathorcat]

Daffy - can I ask which seller and which shipping method they used?

If its coming into the country with EPS its probably going to have ended up with ParcelForce rather than the Royal Mail proper. I have had this happen quite a few times. I know because of your background you are pretty clued up on the joys of RM, etc. But have you tried to see if its stuck at your local ParcelForce depot at all? Also has your agent given you the tracker number?

I agree with LBS that they are a seller like any other and they accepted Paypal as a method of payment, that way you should certainly feel in a position to escalate to a claim. Taobao agents are wont to come and go; you don't want to sit back and wait in case your agent is not about in 6 months time.

[DaffyDilly]

It is Taobao Now, and Hong Kong Post (not airmail though because it does have limited tracking, I think either Airsure or Int Signed For equivalent) was the method I chose this time. I don't want people to be put off from ordering with them because this really isn't their fault. The tracking number works on both Parcelforce and Royal Mail but it would've come through the Post Office.

I guess I feel bad because working for a mailorder company, we do take quite a bit of flack for mistakes/issues which are totally down to the couriers and not us at all.

[hathorcat]

Its Taobaonow I use as an agent as well - they can be slow but like you I agree they seem trustworthy enough. And yes having worked for a short stint at the sending end of an online retailer, I ll admit like you sometimes I feel the sender's pain when they have done everything they can and yet been let down by the mail or a courier.

Unfortunately as the seller they need to be the ones out their money and the parcel - they will have to be the ones to wait for the refund to balance back the money they have returned to you. I know a couple of people who have had to put in place paypal claims against Taobao agents in the past but both times it was because the agents stopped communicating and there seemed to be no forthcoming parcel. So its a bit of a different situation as you clearly know the parcel was on route.

Once the claim is through, you could always message the agent to assure them you will supply as much information as they need in order to get their money back from HK Post?

[DaffyDilly]

Hiya dear Katie,

Since you are forcing us to take the loss for something that's not entirely our fault, then I'm very sorry to say that your account in here will be suspended until the parcel is officially declared lost, or we receive payment for this order in full again. Thank you for your understanding.

With kind regards
Charles

Hi Charles

Unfortunately you cannot expect me to take the loss for something that is not in any way my fault either. I have also gone above and beyond in trying to locate the parcel within the UK when actually that is your responsibility. Whilst I would be sorry to lose you as an agent, I think that it is unreasonable to expect a customer to wait 6 months for an outcome and their money back. I am thankful that this is only a very small order and not the one that I placed previously, as that order had items for other people on it and I would have had to refund them immediately, and obviously I would not have seen the money back from yourselves. I work for a mail order business myself and that is certainly a way to lose customers very quickly.

Hopefully the parcel will turn up and that will be the end of it, but given there is only a week left until the PayPal deadline and there have been no updated scans on the parcel that seems unlikely.

Katie

Looks like I will be searching for a new agent then. I am escalating the claim next Thursday; I said that I would allow until then for the parcel to arrive and that is what I will do, but I am disappointed in their customer service.

[ponylady]

I am sorry that your outcome was not good. It seems pretty petty on their part to cancel your account over something that is clearly not your fault. 

I had to open a dispute against an agent I used last year. I got my money back and then when I went to go to their page, it was gone. So I think it was a blessing I hadn't waited any longer to file, as it seems they were having more issues than just mine.

I am sure you will have no trouble finding a new agent. But it's disappointing, I know 

[Ringlets]

I'm not impressed with their reaction either   I think its not a bad thing finding another agent if this is how they react at the first problem you've had with them (and it isnt even your fault). Plus asking a customer to wait 6 months for a refund is sooo not right!

[NoDivision]

Wow, that's so unprofessional of them. I cannot believe that response. Did they really expect you to just take a loss and not do anything about it? I really do not believe in the addage that thecustomer is always right, there are plenty of times when the customer is to blame, but this is certainly not one of them. I know it's not pleasant for them, but in situations like this they absolutely should take the loss. It's the right thing to do! So uncalled for for them to punish you for wanting your money back for an item you didn't recieve.

[PitterPatter]

It might still be worth checking your local Parcel Force depot. All my china packages get distributed from customs to Parcel Force and arrive to me after that within 48hrs. Even though the tracking does work on both sites there are different depots for each.
My last package for example I had to collect from the Parcel Force depot because it had a VAT charge on >.< The Royal Mail sorting office would have known nothing about it as it wasn't with them.
Just as a "cover every avenue" kinda thing I would look up where the PF depot is for your area and call and ask them, can't hurt

Even if you do find it though, I would be looking for a new agent after that communication!

[DaffyDilly]

That might be worth a shot PitterPatter, I am fairly sure that the parcel would be coming Royal Mail but if it got misrouted into the depths of Parcelforce that could explain the lack of tracking!