Ebay question (what again!?!)

[Osi Osgood]

Yup! I mailed a package to a buyer about a month and a half ago, strangely to a global shipping hub, which seemed strange as the destination was in Glendale Heights, Illinois, hardly an international destination, but I ship where I'm told to. A month and a half later, the buyer is saying that they didn't receive it, but ebay says that it was delivered, at 7:37 am on Friday, August the 2nd. If ebay says that it was delivered, but the buyer says it never arrived, am I on the hook to give him his money back? He says he lives in Canada, but his address stated Glendale Heights, Illinois. I'm totally confused!

[Jim Seaburg]

If the buyer lives in Canada and you sent it to Illinois I’d say he’s using a go between to save money on extra postage fees. Therefore since eBay has tracking proof the package was delivered to Illinois then the buyer has to hold his go between responsible as to what became of it and I’d say that you did what you were told and not your responsibility as to what happened after it was delivered. Just my opinion but it makes sense as this go between situation happens quite often especially with Canadian sales and purchases.

[Osi Osgood]

Then, if this guy puts in a claim for his money back, ebay best not go after my account and suction that money off of me! I've held up my side of the bargain! I just sold and shipped a second package to this global shipping hub, which, you guessed it, is in Glendale Heights, Illinois. I had to write the buyer, after the fact, to find out that this lad is in Australia! Why won't ebay show me the buyers actual international address?! The film would get to the buyer much quicker without a go between.

[Ozzie Williams]

I once had a buyer in France report an item as not arrived and actually negged us for it while the item was still in transit with Global Shipping! They had bought the thing a week earlier, we sent it out straight away and it had arrived at the Global Shipping centre a day or two later, and was currently showing as on its way to France.

The buyer wasn't very experienced with ebay, and had just responded to an automated nudge to give feedback (probably sent because its arrival at the Global Shipping Depot was mistaken by some algorythm as the final destination).

Anyway, it arrived with the buyer a day so later. Ebay removed the neg and rejected the case once we got talking to a human being that could make a decision (and getting to that person was the very hard part). I believe Ebay takes your delivery responsibility as ending when the item arrives at the Global Shipping depot, not the final destination...that is their job!

I think your buyer has 60 days to open a case and/or leave feedback and/or return an item. It sounds like this is nearing a time out anyway. Never the less, if I were in this position I would show the buyer evidence of the item arrival with Global Shipping (I recall we could do this but I don't recall how), and the evidence of its arrival at the given final address. I understand the buyer's frustration, but I would have to invite them to contact Global Shipping themselves as I can't see what more you can do now, and explain that foward delivery is Global Shipping's responsibility once the item is in their hands.

I don't think you would lose an "Item Not Arrived" case if opened, and if a neg is given which mentions delivery that too would likely be removed (one of the rare cases where they may do this). The problem is as ever that once ebay does something automatically, it can be a real pain sorting these issues out without being able to talk to a real human. I think they would side with you, but sometimes sorting that is not easy.

Finally, there is a remote possiblity that the item arrived but the buyer is simply trying for a refund...sadly a very small minority of people try this as there is no cost for doing so if they just send an email complaining (ebay keeps count of howmany cases a buyer opens and will look dimly of those that seem to be making repeated claims for refunds so a direct email is safer). I fear there is little you can do about this, but when this happens you tend not to hear twice from the person, and you may find you don't hear from them again if this is the case.

I guess ebay doesn't release the final address to seller's because they are afraid that some would post directly if the information was to hand, and hence their business model would be less profitable.

I hope all goes well and apologies if you have done these things anyway...ebay can be a pain at times.

[Osi Osgood]

I was reading the regulations for Global international shipping program, and it states that once it is in the possession of the global shipping program, I am no longer held liable, nor can the buyer leave negative feedback. I guess I will have to see if, when this buyer puts in a claim, whether my bank account will be tapped. If it is, I'm going after ebay. Still in the end, I feel really bad for the buyer, as, even if he gets his money back, and even though it's not my fault, I'll probably not be a person that he would want to buy from again, at no fault of my own 😔

[Brian Harrington]

For eBay's Global Shipping program, you send to a hub in the U.S. and eBay takes it from there. If it says "delivered" it will usually be clear that it has been delivered to the hub. You have contracted with the shipper, e.g. USPS, and they have done there job. So have you.

If the buyer never gets the item, eBay will refund the buyer at no cost to you. You will keep your money.

Sometimes the buyer will eventually get the item. I don't know if eBay then asks for the money back from the buyer. In any case, you still keep your money.

I've seen it happen first-hand.

[John Halfacre]

Hi Osi. On the order details on Ebay, you can see the Recipients actual address by clicking on the option underneath the 'Shipping programme' details. However if the 'Shipping Programme' is shown as Global Shippiing Programme then the item HAS to be sent to the Ebay shipping address NOT the recipient. Ebay has collected the international shipping costs and taxes. You buyer is probably confused that the item is shown as 'Delivered' when he has not received it - however 'Delivered' means delivered to GSP. The Ebay UK site has been amended to show tracking in 2 parts - Seller to Hub, and Hub to Buyer. This has stopped all the 'where is my item' messages we used to receive previously and it is now clear that shipping using Ebay GSP is a 2 stage process. All the guys above are correct that your responsibility ends when the item is delivered to the Ebay GSP depot - If the item does not arrive by the due date shown by Ebay on the order then the buyer should be advised to open an 'Item Not Recieved' case - you dont need to do anything, Ebay GSP will handl it from there and you get to keep the money even if the item is lost. Hope that helps. John

[Brian Harrington]

Exactly. No need to worry.

[William Ferry]

I have been dealing lately with a good eBay customer from France who uses this method. I ship to a Midwest US location that has a special code in the address, and it certainly saves $$$ in shipping. And the advice everyone is quoting is absolutely correct; you're only responsible for getting it to the "way station".

[Phil Moors]

Oh Osi why does this always happen to you 😂

[Osi Osgood]

I've had issues with ebay on a number of other issues, but this is the first time that ebay's global shipping program lost a package.😀

[Phil Moors]

Don’t refund him, if he chooses to use this complicated method to obtain his purchases and it falls flat after your item was delivered, that’s tough for him. Your responsibility ended when the item was delivered to Illinois.

[Joerg Polzfusz]

he chooses

I fear that it wasn’t the buyer’s choice but EBay’s default/recommended/enforced shipping method.

[Kilian Henin]

As far as I know, the Gobal Shipping program is not optional for the buyer.

[Brian Harrington]

As a seller, you may opt out of the eBay International shipping program. A year or so ago they informed everyone about it, and gave you the option to opt out before it became the default. You can opt out at any time.

The buyer has the option to opt out by simply not bidding on items outside of his/her country if the only shipping method the buyer offers is eBay's International shipping program.

I have avoided it as a buyer simply because the charges are usually higher than someone handling the shipping themselves. And I'm talking a lot higher!