eBay problems, resolutions, shenanigans, questions and info (not bike finds)

Ranting on the internet has done its usual magic and my order arrived this morning.

Going to the post office does seem like a waste of time tbh.

True. I just hate passively waiting whilst time passes and nothing happens.

You could probably fudge a redelivery.

Go on the website, it’ll ask what date was on the ‘something for you card’, just make one up. Pretty sure I’ve done that when I didn’t get a card (if no one answers their buzzer and the post person can’t get in our close we don’t get the card) but the tracking showed a delivery attempt.

Neither of my parcels are showing a delivery attempt unfortunately.

If they were experiencing unprecedented demand on their services and a shortage of staff I could understand it, but really...

Every other class of Royal Mail post has made it on time, over the last month or so, so that two parcels alone are stuck or lost seems to be the problem. I went to the sorting office this morning and they couldn't really help, but did wonder whether the parcels have even left their originating post offices yet. But couldn't check to see. Come this weekend both parcels will be officially lost, so I'll get my money back on Saturday/ish. Which I don't want - I would like the groupset and the seat post as both are rare and unavailable to purchase new.

eBay? I find the prepaid eBay shipping is always much slower than if you'd gone to the post office and used the same class. Not sure if it goes through a separate system or is deprioritised.

I had something similar when I bought my CDF frame last summer. Tracking was showing it having been dropped off locally (by the seller to the post office) and it just stayed like that for ages. I spoke to my local depot and the seller spoke to his local depot and no one seemed to really know where it was. Seller was great luckily - was just about to refund me and proceed with refund from RM when it just turned up at my house, with the tracking still saying it was at sellers local depot. Hopefully the same happens with you!

I had exactly this with 3 parcels I sent out of a batch of about 15. Two eventually arrived quite late but tracking never updated from "it's been dropped off at the post office". The last one, the buyer claimed it never arrived but I have no way of knowing whether he was telling the truth or not.

My seller seems to be a really nice chap, lightning fast to answer questions, recommended a suitable bottom bracket and cable set (which I bought and arrived weeks ago...), but - I'm going to have to ask him for a refund on Saturday, which I know he's not covered for as RM signed for 2nd class covers "up to £50". I'm going to have to ask for the refund as I need to move on, find another groupset and purchase it. Which of course leaves me in the situation that if the group then turns up later I have to refund the refund and I'll be out of pocket to the tune of one Campagnolo group set and one vintage Syncros seatpost. No good options here sadly, someone is going to be left holding the baby and it's probably going to be me, but the only other route is to sit on my hands for an indeterminate length of time hoping that RM pull their finger out - which they can't give any indication as to the likelihood of actually happening.

I'm going to have to ask him for a refund on Saturday, which I know he's not covered for as RM signed for 2nd class covers "up to £50".

Not really your problem. Nice as a seller may be, they choose to send with inadequate insurance and that's on them.

If you get a refund and buy something else then it turns up you can always just post it back to the seller, using something better than 2nd class signed, and only be out for postage. Though, if they have been refunded by RM, is it really their property? Bit of a grey area as per the whole PistaMercato fiasco.

The Record groupset was £525, so the seller is going to have to find £475 of that, therefore I reckon it would be their property if it turns up.

This discussion has come up several times in the last few weeks, mainly from people selling, the courier not delivering and them having to dish out refunds. Followed by tracking showing it as delivered.
You would think that since you've had your money back, you haven't paid for the item and it still belongs to the seller but it doesn't seem to actually work that way in practise.
Buyer can keep it and their money and there's not a lot the seller can do legally.

Not saying that you would do that.

How a seller posts something of £500 value second class signed for is beyond comprehension. Like seriously why, when for double you’re covered for everything and more

I'm waiting for two parcels, both posted second class signed for - parcel one, Record 11 speed group, £525 purchase price, parcel two a Syncros seatpost, £127 purchase price.

So of the £652 (possibly) lost the RM cover will be £100 of it. I agree, this doesn't make sense.

The Record groupset was £525, so the seller is going to have to find £475 of that, therefore I reckon it would be their property if it turns up.

That’s a shame but ultimately not your fault, and 100% theirs for not insuring properly. If they haven’t confirmed they sent it RM 2nd class, then it’s possible they made the correct decision behind the scenes and paid for the better insured postage, no?

You’re not asking, but I’d say the right thing to do is to get all of your money back from the seller, and help the seller out when/if the groupset turns up. When/if the groupo does turn up, which isn’t guaranteed, you’re not obligated to purchase it anew from the seller, so you wouldn’t have to pay back the refund: once they’ve issued the refund, that initial specific sales agreement is done. You could choose to purchase it again, or send it back, or come to some other arrangement with the seller. You could even make this arrangement in the same message you send when you start your refund request process.

If you shift enough volume sending everything by the cheapest method is probably a worthwhile gamble, especially as claiming back through Royal Mail isn't guaranteed.

Unless a pandemic is causing a lot more stuff to disappear than normal, obviously.

I've often wondered how RM would actually handle a claim for ebay stuff. Would they just take the transaction value and compensate based on that or would they want to do their own 'valuation'? You know what ebay is like, things sell above and below market value.

Transaction value was good enough when I had to claim off them

I'm having a bit of a sketchy conversation with a seller. They have said collection of an item is on one location, now saying it's elsewhere.
I've seen people mention a lower level of protection when buying now that eBay aren't using PayPal.

If I pay for the item and the person is a no show, will it be a nightmare getting my money back through eBay?

Think you can just say item not received. eBay always sides with the buyer unless the seller has proof. Which they wouldn’t.

Also, I'd like to review/cancel my offer but not seeing that option on my app or browser.
The help section of the site directed me to go to my list of offers and review/cancel from there, just can't see that option

You on the full, desktop site or the mobile version? I did it not long ago but think I had to do on it from the desktop as I couldn’t find it on my phone.

Mobile site. It's all good now as the seller got arsey anyway and has thankfully stopped messaging me.
They advertised something in London then came out and said "oh we've moved can you take a train to Kent to collect" 🙄

Good shout though. I'll have to boot up the old laptop next time.

Ok, I just want to check I’m not going loopy here. How many callipers would you expect to receive here? (One calliper turned up)

3 Attachments