Hi Chaps,

I been sending stuff out through the Classifieds for ages, and never a problem with RM. Until now, I popped something in the post – First class recorded – on Monday last week. The item has failed to arrive, and the tracking info confirms that it hasn’t been delivered.

Royal Mail state that I have to wait 15 working days before making a claim.

The problem is, the buyer needs a new post for holiday next week. It’s unlikely the post will turn up now, so he’d like me to pay him the money back so he can buy a post instead of the one lost in the post.

What would you do?

Cheers

Ricks

Refund him.

Pay him, then wait for royal mail to pay you.
‘Tis the way it works I’m afraid.

DrP

(also, I don’t get why eBay users say in their advert “I’m not responsible for lost post if you don’t buy recorded etc”. Yes you are – the onus is on you to get me the item!)

Sadly druidh is right, Refund.

so when/if the original turns up, what happens?

I guess he’s obliged to send it back to the OP, at whose expense I wonder. fraught with problems..

^ That’s my only concern.

I’ll refund the chap though, rather have a happy chap with a seatpost who can go on holiday.

That’s just the way it works. It’s the sellers responsibility to get it there. You can argue that there is no time limit put on how long that should take and that it’s not the sellers fault that the buyer needs it within the 15-day RM reporting window, but reality is that few of us would expect to wait that long.

Royal Mail state that I have to wait 15 working days before making a claim.

Is that not for “standard” post that’s gone missing “somewhere”

This is recoreded, and presumably they have a signature to prove its been delivered haven’t they ?

So it’s not “lost in the system” really.

There are only Two Possibilities really.

It’s either been delivered to the wrong address.

Or the buyer has signed for it (not saying that’s likely in this case, but it’s certainly happened before)

My Wiggle order posted on 23rd May turned up on 11th June with no reason for the delay. Some post is taking silly amounts of time to turn up at the moment. 19 days was a record for me though.

I’d refund and then ask him to send it back at his expense once you’ve checked that it has turned up.

neal, The item has failed to arrive, and the tracking info confirms that it hasn’t been delivered.

think you’ve got the story wrong…

Playing devils advocate a bit, but I am imagine the conversation went along the lines of:

Buyer – I’d like to buy your post.

Seller – Yeah no problem I will send it out recorded delivery.

I bet the buyer didnt say, can you gurantee it will get it to me by x day?

Recorded delivery is just that, its not guranteed delivery.

I’m not responsible for lost post if you don’t buy recorded etc”. Yes you are – the onus is on you to get me the item

Unless you are the DVLA and the item is a wedding certificate.
****s. No wonder they’re moving it away from Swansea. The sooner the better.

Sorry. Went a bit OT there.

neal, The item has failed to arrive, and the tracking info confirms that it hasn’t been delivered.

think you’ve got the story wrong…

Apologies, read first on my phone and misread it completely.

Thought it said the tracking info confirmed it Had arrived.

Oopsie.

This is recoreded, and presumably they have a signature to prove its been delivered haven’t they ?

And anyway, Recorded just means it gets tossed in with normal post, but gets a signature at the end. Only useful for proving something has turned up and they’re not shafting you.

If you actually want an item properly tracked then it’s Special Delivery.

I’ve confirmed to the buyer that I’ll refund him the money asap, I really don’t want someone unhappy with something they’ve bought from me.

I’ll just have to be out of pocket for a couple of weeks, not the end of the world.

sorry to dissapoint wrecker the DVLA is not moving away from swansea its closing all its other offices and only swansea is remaining 🙂

i find DVLA to be a right bunch of toss pots!

If the op chooses to refund the money early fair enough and good on him 😀 But I wouldn’t think he’s obliged to untill the 15 days is up. I’ve had stuff not turn up from ebay sellers. Always happy to wait the 15 days myself. The buyer going on holyday isn’t anything to do with the op, can’t believe the buyer has to get a refund before he can afford buy a different post.

As the seller, I’d refund it- even though there’d be a risk. I’m happier being the sort of person that’ll trust a stranger, and very occasionally get burned, than being the sort of person that trusts nobody.

I ordered some stuff from a shop a few weeks ago, on 2 day delivery, took 14 days to arrive and tracking showed it stuck in Australia for most of that time.