E-bay problem

[GUEtechdiver1]

This is my first post

Hello all,

I buy and sell alot of dive gear on E-bay as I am sure many of the members of this forum do. I was e-mailed today by one of my buyers that the box I sent by flat rate priority mail from OKC to NY was empty when delivered. It was a Halcyon weighted single tank adapter that was sold for $100 plus shipping. I asked the buyer to send me a pic of the box. The image showed a hole in the side. One of the mail personel put tape over the hole but must have done so after the single tank adapter escaped. I did not suggest insurance on my listing and the buyer did not ask me to buy any to secure his interest. I am torn on what the correct thing to do is. I most likly am going to refund the buyers money after I stop by the local post and file a complaint. The reason I am leaning towards refunding the money is I have a 100% possitive feed back with 175 items sold and I sell expensive stuff frequently. I did wrap the box with clear packing tape and put crumpeled up newspaper inside to protect the item.

Any thoughts on what you might do if you where the seller or the buyer. I have read some of the e-bay's policy's on this and it sounds like I could refuse to do anything for this buyer due to buying the shipping through the e-bays system with delivery confirmation but when I put myself in the buyer's possition it makes me feel sick.

Thanks in advance for any advice,
Shawn

[Dsix36]

Talk to buyer and see what he thinks would be a fair resolution. Possibly he would agree to a partial refund.

In the interest of your feedback, be prepared to offer a full refund. I will always insure shipments or be prepared to eat the loss.

[hunabku]

Do the right thing and give him his money back. You'll have lost 57 cents for each sale you've made. That stinks, but you'll get rewarded in the long run.

[Raptor]

I would refund them 100%. I would look at it like you are a dive shop if they lost or broke some of your gear you paid for you would expect a full refund. Even if it was not the shops fault directly like a vender they may use caused the damage or lose.

[Half-Fast]

As a buyer, I don't consider that the sale has been completed until the product is delivered to me. It's the seller's responsibility to get the product to me safely. When I receive damaged or incorrect merchandise from a mail-order company, I expect them to make it right, just as I'd expect from a local company. I've never seen a mail-order business handle it any other way, but if I ever did I wouldn't do business with them again and I'd advise others to avoid the business, too.

Look at it the other way around (non-Ebay scenario). Suppose the product was delivered to the buyer, but the check he mailed to you was missing from the envelope you received. Wouldn't you still expect him to make payment?

Same thing. The buyer has paid you in good faith, and rightfully expects to receive the merchandise.

[rysparks182]

I sell on ebay myself and have had this very same thing happen. File a claim with USPS and you will be reimbursed. Meanwhile, give your customer a refund....protect your 100% feedback rating at all cost.

[Greenwood_60]

On eBay, unless you specify otherwise, the seller is responsible for the item being delivered. In the future, specify that the buyer is required to pay for tracking and insurance. If they want to save on shipping costs, they take responsibility for the item in transit.

[Skorpiov]

There is always the possibility that the receiver got the merchandise and then went to the post office and got some tape to cover a hole they created after delivery. I use their tape to seal all my packages. However, you are on the hook, and filing a case with UPS seems your best bet.

[rjack]

Crumpled newpaper and one layer of cardboard is not adequate packing for a ~8lb weighted STA. Its your responsibility to package your products adequately for shipping. And to insure & track them. If you inadequately pack them or offer shipping without insurance or tracking you need to be prepared to refund people's money when they get damaged or lost.

He paid you in good faith, there's nothing more he could have done as everything about the shipment was your responsibility. So why should he bear any costs for the lost STA?

[rjohns]

I'm a dive center owner for nearly 30 years. I've eaten a lot of things over that time. I can assure you that your reputation is invaluable--eat the loss. File a claim with the post office, but even if you don't get anything, you'll still be far ahead.