Yet Another Ebay/Paypal Rant

For high value items I now use the $23 US Expresspost. So far so good.

I have had three items recently "go astray" after months with no problems. It's kind of funny that all are moderately expensive items shipped discreetly....no evidence outside that they were valuable......when all my cheap items, some heavy items that are obviously coins or metal, all make it through! I am highly suspicious of the buyers and all are blocked going forward.

I think I am going to lower my tracking threshold going forward to $75 if I don't know the buyer.

Of the three, one was a "tracked" US registered letter. I am now in the middle of a case with Canada Post. I will see if I get my $100 insurance pay out.

As both an ebay buyer and seller, I now only ship or pay for shipping by regular postage. About 3 years back there was one American seller I bought a package from and used tracked shipping, but 3 or 4 weeks went by and no package arrived, so I contacted the seller. He gave me the tracking number and I went on line to find it. Lo and behold, I was able to track my purchase all the way to the border, where it then disappeared. I contacted the US post office and was told that the package had indeed crossed the border and had come into Canada. So they of course refused any resposibility for the loss. I then contacted our Canadian post office and found that no, it in fact did not come into Canada, so they, too, refused to compensate for my loss. I was told that the onus was on me the recipient to prove just where the package disappeared before anyone would step in to help. Say what? Short of hiring a PI how on earth would I be able to do that? So my package disappeared and that was that. Doors shut in my face all around. The value of my purchase wasn't enough to get a lawyer involved, but I wouldn't have known who to hit up first anyway. My question is this: Is there any sort of ombudsman available to those poor folks in our position? Like everyone else on this thread I believe that the post office should be held accountable for their errors, and we need someone we can turn to when our requests for assistance are repeatedly shut down.

But at least in my case the story had a happy ending. A little over a year later I come home from work and see the mail truck outside my house. Yep, he's got my package, 13 months after it was shipped. No reason for the delay, no explaination, no stray shipping labels marked "Hold in Timbuktu", nothing. I checked the date on the post mark, and found that the original seller had sent it out promptly after the sale, so it had been in the hands of the post office all along. Just no-one saying whose post office that would be. I contacted the Canadian post office and they couldn't tell me where it had been, didn't really seem to care -- she just wanted me off the phone fast as possible. A great mystery of the universe, I guess. I learned my lesson; I've shipped or paid for regular post ever since and now never have a problem.

My experience has been similar to Pennysaver's. I once returned a coin to the mint - the product number was off by only one digit, and instead of a silver $20 NCLT - I ended up with a $2000 gold coin... too rich for my blood. With return authorization in hand, I elected to get insurance for the full amount - and I'm glad I did. The last scan of that package was as I handed it over to the teller at 7-eleven's Post office desk. I was fully reimbursed about 2 months later.

As for USPS, I had a package (motorcycle part) delivered across the river to a friends house. I spoke with the delivery guy, he described the house, and the screen door he put it behind - nobody was home. The post master then told me that often there is 'organized crime' that follows the postal trucks around. If they see a parcel delivered - without signature, they will just go up to the house, and pick up the parcel. Needless to say, I was stunned.

As for the original post in this thread, I considered all the options, and realized before ever using 'paypal/Canada post' shipping - it was the wrong way to go. I don't know why, I just didn't see an up side to actually going to the post office, and doing it old school.

@ pennysaver, I hear ya.. I sent via registered mail a bunch of extremely high grade Victorian halfs to be graded.. The last tracking was at JFK. after that ? 3 months later the grading firm contacts me and says The package arrived finally but something was wrong.It was opened , re taped and then post marked the day before it was delivered. I took all the steps and of course USPS denied ever having it in their possession even with the post mark. Because of the value ( 50,000 + ) I contacted the FBI and was blatantly told Oh your Canadian then have your RCMP look for it...? long story short I lost it all.. and they were from my personal collection... I check everyday on ebay to see if any surface , so far nothing

I seem to be missing something here...

It's always been my understanding that while the the responsibility for shipping lies with the seller... it doesn't matter whether or not the shipment actually arrives... if you can prove that you shipped the item using a PayPal / ebay approved method which offers tracking and "signature required on delivery", you are then covered by PayPal by their insurance program in the event shipment goes missing in transit...

Also... to avoid the possibility that has been mentioned of Xpresspost packages being left on the doorstep... I send by "registered mail" which requires that the recipient physically pick up the delivery at Post Office... cost for registered mail in Canada is under $10 bucks... and provides tracking and signature required, which fulfills the PayPal / ebay requirement to be covered by insurance...

Take care, and Have a Great Monday!

cameron93

Paypal only requires signature confirmation for shipments of $325+. And the issue here is that Canada Post is not providing tracking information for tracking numbers sold by Paypal. I highly doubt they would provide a copy of a signature! :-)

To update on the original post, still no sign of the promised refund. Called a few days back and it was 'awaiting supervisor approval'. On hold with them again right now. Still 'awaiting supervisor approval'. Apparently the original refund timed out before it was approved. So I've had to reopen it as a new case.

Just got a message from another US buyer saying they haven't received their package yet. Went to the tracking number and again, nothing from Canada Post. This one was sent Expedited Shipping for those of you that have said they haven't had any problems with Expedited. I've gone through all my archived sales and all tracking numbers within Canada work and all tracking numbers outside of Canada don't work.

Given the high level of disappearances from the mail from Canada to the US on tracked shipments, I am beginning to wonder if unscrupulous US buyers have figured this little game out and are now preying on Canadian sellers........

I just found this tracking # I used a while ago, purchased from PayPal
CX410361971CA
Works for me