Bought camera body on Ebay lost in the mail (Page 4): All's well that ends well! USPS is still "da bomb" with my household.....

olemikey Loc: 6 mile creek, Spacecoast Florida

robertcbyrd wrote:

The camera was hand delivered to my front door this morning in tip top shape. The USPS tracker history is still not up to date.

I am grateful that we have the USPS and I sympathize with the hardships they have faced. I am even more grateful for the Ebay seller who has been communicating with me the whole time.

Take heart! Sometimes the system works.

All's well that ends well! USPS is still "da bomb" with my household.....

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Gene51 wrote:

Either the shipper or the recipient can file a claim for lost/damaged shipments and collect.

I don't know if USPS regards priority shipping as FOB Origin (seller transfers ownership to buyer as soon as merchandise leaves the sellers' premises), or FOB destination - where the ownership is assumed by the buyer upon receipt. In the former situation, it would be the seller's responsibility to make the claim, and the seller will be reimbursed...

That’s exactly my question. If it’s considered FOB origin, then it belongs to the buyer when the PO takes control of the package and he should file the claim and receive the insurance - the seller’s responsibility ends when he gives it to the carrier, assuming he insured it. If it’s FOB destination, then it’s the seller’s responsibility until it’s successfully delivered to the buyer.

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

olemikey wrote:

All's well that ends well! USPS is still "da bomb" with my household.....

The Post Office is far from perfect; but many of those that criticize it know very little about the how it works, and give little thought to the millions of mail pieces timely delivered every day in remote and not so remote areas. When it is gone, those people will miss it.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

djb663 wrote:

Wow, there certainly are plenty of postal service haters out there (I'm not implying the the op is one of them). Most, if not all seem to be ill-informed and are certainly using a broad brush. I would hope that an admin would monitor such baseless attacks on the postal service and realize that there are members of UHH that are postal employees and are offended by such attacks.

That being said, you do realize it is December? It is what is called peak season at the Post Office. You do also realize that there is still a pandemic going on and that effects manpower at the postal service? Here's what you may not realize.

FedEx and UPS are at capacity and they have chosen to "shut off" service to some retailers. The USPS does not have the luxury to tell customers that "we won't take your mail". Because FedEx and UPS are at capacity, they are not allowing the postal service to contract any space on their aircraft. For years, FedEx and UPS aircraft have been an integral part of the postal service's distribution system and without that space to transport parcels, the usps ability to move parcels is greatly hampered. Further, due to the pandemic, commercial air travel schedules have been greatly reduced. In case you weren't aware, the postal service also contracts with commercial airlines to move parcels with them on regular passenger flights. Fewer passenger flights = less capacity to transport cargo for the USPS. It's simple supply and demand.

Although I sympathize with the op I'm not quite sure exactly what "lost in the mail" means in this instance. It could quite possibly be on a tractor trailer, backed up and waiting for the manpower to get it moving again. The point being, with everyone doing online holiday shopping, now may not be the best time to make a purchase that could just as easily be made after the new year. Some ebay sellers realize this and have decided to "close shop" until the new year. Sometimes, we do have to rely on common sense.

Again, no disrespect meant to the op. However, to all the other "haters" that have posted, you may want to realize that the postal service moves more mail in one day than the other services move in a year. Don't take my word for it, check the facts. By shear numbers, the postal service is going to have more late deliveries, missed deliveries or otherwise unhappy customers. But hey, it's the holiday season, continue to pile on and criticize the postal service and it's employees. If that's how the haters have to compensate for their inadequacies, we have broad shoulders, we can take it.

Wow, there certainly are plenty of postal service ... (show quote)

👍👍 After I finish the digest, I’m going out to my mailbox and leave an envelope with a Christmas present for my mail carrier, as I do every year. He’s a great guy and provides great service, including bringing packages to my garage, unlike UPS and FedX who have both left packages at my driveway, 600 feet from my house, in the rain.

Due to Covid, I’m unwilling to go to either the PO or UPS/FedX offices to send packages, but I can arrange a package pickup at my home, pay for the postage/insurance and track the package all on-line via USPS, and in my experiences, it works perfectly and costs approximately half of the shipping cost via UPS or FedX.

Picture Taker Loc: Michigan Thumb

No sweat You can trust our government agency to fix it. Sooner or later.

Davethehiker Loc: South West Pennsylvania

I bought a used Minolta Flash head on eBay that got lost in the mail. I got my money back and was told "If ever shows up, just keep it, do not bother to return it. It showed up months later! By then I bought Godox flashes that I like better anyway. It all worked out.

IDguy Loc: Idaho

jerryc41 wrote:

Wait for the PO to investigate. If it was insured, they should pay. I think the seller who did the insuring will collect. Obviously, you don't have an insurance receipt. I don't think this will be settled quickly.

I always text the tracking and insurance receipts to buyers. But PO will pay sender. So sender should reimburse buyer.

Cookie223 Loc: New Jersey

djb663 wrote:

Wow, there certainly are plenty of postal service haters out there (I'm not implying the the op is one of them). Most, if not all seem to be ill-informed and are certainly using a broad brush. I would hope that an admin would monitor such baseless attacks on the postal service and realize that there are members of UHH that are postal employees and are offended by such attacks.

That being said, you do realize it is December? It is what is called peak season at the Post Office. You do also realize that there is still a pandemic going on and that effects manpower at the postal service? Here's what you may not realize.

FedEx and UPS are at capacity and they have chosen to "shut off" service to some retailers. The USPS does not have the luxury to tell customers that "we won't take your mail". Because FedEx and UPS are at capacity, they are not allowing the postal service to contract any space on their aircraft. For years, FedEx and UPS aircraft have been an integral part of the postal service's distribution system and without that space to transport parcels, the usps ability to move parcels is greatly hampered. Further, due to the pandemic, commercial air travel schedules have been greatly reduced. In case you weren't aware, the postal service also contracts with commercial airlines to move parcels with them on regular passenger flights. Fewer passenger flights = less capacity to transport cargo for the USPS. It's simple supply and demand.

Although I sympathize with the op I'm not quite sure exactly what "lost in the mail" means in this instance. It could quite possibly be on a tractor trailer, backed up and waiting for the manpower to get it moving again. The point being, with everyone doing online holiday shopping, now may not be the best time to make a purchase that could just as easily be made after the new year. Some ebay sellers realize this and have decided to "close shop" until the new year. Sometimes, we do have to rely on common sense.

Again, no disrespect meant to the op. However, to all the other "haters" that have posted, you may want to realize that the postal service moves more mail in one day than the other services move in a year. Don't take my word for it, check the facts. By shear numbers, the postal service is going to have more late deliveries, missed deliveries or otherwise unhappy customers. But hey, it's the holiday season, continue to pile on and criticize the postal service and it's employees. If that's how the haters have to compensate for their inadequacies, we have broad shoulders, we can take it.

Wow, there certainly are plenty of postal service ... (show quote)

My opinion is not hate based, but on actual numerous experiences. Packages will get lost or misplaced, but when it becomes a common problem, then it is a problem. if anyone is using a broad brush calling people haters who have had many negative issues with the Postal Service it’s you.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

The best approach is to research the LAWS pertaining to BILLS OF LADING. These laws spell out the obligation of the sender- the shipper, the carrier and the consigned when merchandise is shipped by a common carrier. The is an important issue in commercial law that is often overlooked.

There may be an article in this law that supersedes the limitations on or lack of insurance.

You will need the original paperwork that verifies that the item was indeed entrusted to the postal service for delivery.

I am surprised that the shipper/consignee did no insist on insurance or that a certain amount of insurance is not included in a certain level of postal services. I assume that the shipper did no toss the parcel into a mailbox with no documentation.

dwmoar Loc: Oregon, Willamette Valley

doclrb wrote:

Yes. Sellers play shipping roulette if/when they fail to insure a shipment. Enter a claim with eBay.

doclrb

USPS covers up to $50.00 per package, after that you pay to insure. If I send a package it is always insured for the value of the item. USPS doesn't refund your cost for shipping it. I send lots of packages and so far have been lucky and have had very few lost or damaged. The worse case I had was, I sent a package to Texas it was doubled boxed and when it arrived it had a gaping hole in the side of the box and was strapped holding the box together, but the inner box that contained a costumed made computer was missing. It took 21 days to get a full refund for the loss.

what the customer received
what the customer received...

(Download)

what the customer received
what the customer received...

(Download)

Yeah, the computer is missing
Yeah, the computer is missing...

(Download)

d3200prime

robertcbyrd wrote:

The USPS has opened an investigation into the loss. It was shipped from Charlotte, NC to Mars Hill, NC.

My question is, how do these things get resolved when the item does not arrive for an extended period of time? I haven't been able to find any information on the inter-tubes.

I know I can contest the payment via Paypal or my credit card company. Is that my best option?

Your best option is to open a case with the PO, Paypal, and your CC company. I have found the more pro-active one can be the better. Good luck!

47greyfox Loc: on the edge of the Colorado front range

Cookie223 wrote:

Contact PayPal, they will wait a certain amount of time for the package to be delivered. If it remains lost they, or the seller will make good on the sale.
I have had quite a few packages lost, by USPS, FedX, and UPS. Anything that was purchased on EBay, or paid via PP, was resolved in my favor.
Good luck.

I've had only one experience where I disputed an mid-April this year PayPal purchase that was not eBay and the product was coming from China (which I didn't know at time of purchase). They had advertised 5-10 day delivery. When a month went by with very little communication from the vendor, I sought resolution through PayPal and attempted to cancel the order. The vendor ignored me, "give it a little more time" was their comeback. PayPal set up a dialog between myself and the vendor and also set a deadline for us to reach resolution. At the end of May, PayPal sent me an email saying they would cancel my dispute unless I escalated the dispute. Since nothing had happened and I hadn't received my goods, I did just that. For two months, PayPal kept sliding out the resolution date and would not respond to my queries. I contacted the credit card company that's my default payment method on PayPal. Another two weeks goes by (we're now in June) and per instructions, reconnected the credit card customer service folks. The lady said something to the effect that I had been more than patient and as a result, Discover issued a courtesy refund of my entire purchase price. To this day, I can still log into PayPal and see the dispute. They continued to ask me if I had received the order through July, then quietly closed the disputer despite my objection.

Lucian Loc: From Wales, living in Ohio

I bought a camera on 30 Nov. It shipped the next day on ebay and it was supposed to be here by 4th of Decmber. The stupid tracking number is a waste of time. Over the last 16 days it has given me three different list of tracking inof and all different once it left the ebay shipper.

It now shows it was in Akron Ohio on the 4th which is 50 mins from me. It also shows it was sent out of Cleveland to Lakewood, about 8 miles distance on the 14th but still it is nowhere to be found. The shipper has twice opened a search investigation on it and we are currently in the seond one now, but still no news as to where it is.

Apparently as long as there is a tracking number and the package has not yet been delivered, ebay and Paypal will not do anything about the payment to the seller, so I am stuck just waiting for it to hopefully arrive soon. 16 days and counting now is a bit long to have to wait for a tracked package to arrive that was sent from New Jersey to Ohio as a 2-3 day shipment.

Just hang in there, that is all we can do, and pray it eventually turns up.

gessman Loc: Colorado

I would hate to have to prove what I'm about to say, and seek no reward for sounding negative, but I don't think a lot of what's going on with USPS is simple loss of packages. USPS has lowered its aim when it comes to hiring new employees and the level of theft has risen and it's nearly impossible to get anything done about it, at least here. I've had six parcels go missing and the tracking info in two cases said they were delivered to my box. I live in a townhouse complex and we have a bank of 10 boxes with three parcel vaults. If I get a parcel too big for my box they put it in a parcel vault and put the key in my box, all pretty standard for shared properties. Fortunately, there's been nothing very valuable involved but I finally told my Postmaster that if I lost another parcel I was going to request the postal inspectors to find out what the problem is and would initiate an investigation with local police authorities. It gets old. There's also a lot of problems with Chinese "drop shippers" never shipping parcels. Buying from Shopify merchants who are all drop shippers, is a surefire way to start some confusion. USPS won't take responsibility for import parcels and has no sway over Chinese postal and you get caught in middle. I've even had PayPal refuse to cover lost articles even when I have absolutely proven that parcels never got shipped, twice. I have yelled at them and gotten them to reverse their decisions and pay me but it takes weeks and is a pain. I'm not buying anything from adverts on Instagram or Marketplace any longer. I'll just do without before I'll keep stickin' my finger in that fan.

Bobspez Loc: Southern NJ, USA

dpfoto wrote:

I would file a claim with eBay. If the seller didn't insure the item, it is unfortunately his fault.

This. Report online to eBay that you never received the package. The rest is irrelevant, and will only confuse the issue.