Here is the situation. It is a long discussion, so beware of that. I ordered an item from Ebay like I have done more than a hundred times before. The item is addressed to be delivered to a Florida freight forwarder. The seller uses USPS and has a signature requirement on delivery.
The USPS mail carrier tries to deliver to the freight forwarder on a Saturday, they are closed and he leaves a notice of delivery. The carrier should know better than to try and deliver on a Saturday, but I think it is a substitute for the normal person. He is, by USPS policy, supposed to return automatically on Monday to a business to deliver the item. That does not happen.
I start a Buyer Protection case with Ebay and am assured I will not lose my money by the Ebay representative.
I check further into why the item has not been delivered. I call USPS with the tracking number. They cannot tell me where the package is, but give me the local post office to call. They give me the wrong number. Online I set up a redelivery for the package. Nothing happens. I call back. I set up another redelivery while on the phone. Nothing happens. I call USPS again and get the correct phone number of the post office and the item cannot be found. I am told to call Consumer Affairs and get a case number which I do. Nothing happens, but I finally get the correct phone number of the local post office and they try to find the item, but cannot.
I call Ebay again and am assured I will get my money back. Ebay buyer protection policy says that I should receive my product or I get my money back. But read on....
Meanwhile the seller tells me he won't accept giving me my money back for an item not delivered. I understand he sent it, but I never got it. The case proceeds in Ebay and he wins. I am out my money. I appeal that decision because I never got my item. I am denied and I am out my money, no further appeal is possible. The explanation from Ebay is that the attempted delivery is good enough for the seller to get off the hook and Ebay is done with the case. No refund to me. Quite the loophole in the stated policy that I get the item or a refund.
There is some slight chance the the phone was returned to the seller by USPS, but there is no tracking information to indicate that was done. The more probable situation is that the package was "lost" in the USPS system. All I know is that the package was never delivered to me and I am out my money. So much for Ebay buyer protection in such a situation.
The USPS mail carrier tries to deliver to the freight forwarder on a Saturday, they are closed and he leaves a notice of delivery. The carrier should know better than to try and deliver on a Saturday, but I think it is a substitute for the normal person. He is, by USPS policy, supposed to return automatically on Monday to a business to deliver the item. That does not happen.
I start a Buyer Protection case with Ebay and am assured I will not lose my money by the Ebay representative.
I check further into why the item has not been delivered. I call USPS with the tracking number. They cannot tell me where the package is, but give me the local post office to call. They give me the wrong number. Online I set up a redelivery for the package. Nothing happens. I call back. I set up another redelivery while on the phone. Nothing happens. I call USPS again and get the correct phone number of the post office and the item cannot be found. I am told to call Consumer Affairs and get a case number which I do. Nothing happens, but I finally get the correct phone number of the local post office and they try to find the item, but cannot.
I call Ebay again and am assured I will get my money back. Ebay buyer protection policy says that I should receive my product or I get my money back. But read on....
Meanwhile the seller tells me he won't accept giving me my money back for an item not delivered. I understand he sent it, but I never got it. The case proceeds in Ebay and he wins. I am out my money. I appeal that decision because I never got my item. I am denied and I am out my money, no further appeal is possible. The explanation from Ebay is that the attempted delivery is good enough for the seller to get off the hook and Ebay is done with the case. No refund to me. Quite the loophole in the stated policy that I get the item or a refund.
There is some slight chance the the phone was returned to the seller by USPS, but there is no tracking information to indicate that was done. The more probable situation is that the package was "lost" in the USPS system. All I know is that the package was never delivered to me and I am out my money. So much for Ebay buyer protection in such a situation.