Item delivered, but customer says it wasn't received - wants full refund
Customer ordered a single bulky item. Cost $10 to ship via PirateShip. It was delivered according to USPS on 6/16. Today I get an email from Amazon that customer says she never received it, wants full refund. Am I obligated to do that for an item that was definitely delivered (according to the carrier)? Porch piracy is my guess...
Seller_kIukTwdhvntAp
I'm old school just because I'm OLD so I use a simple template that was used years ago by one of the very experienced sellers on here.
Over the years I have modified theirs to fit my style which can be a BIT more 'confrontational' but not overtly threatening.
Feel free to try something like this. It's AMAZING how so many people actually "found it" when the Postal Inspector is mentioned.
Hello!
I am sorry to hear you can not locate your package. As you note, this is marked as delivered by the PO. It was sent in a new padded envelope. The PO now uses GPS Tracking which will show exactly where the item was left (within about six inches of the location!)
Here are the details for the delivery way back on March 10th………….
Delivered
Delivered, In/At Mailbox
ORyyy
March 10, 2023, 3:12 pm
Out for Delivery
ORyyy
March 10, 2023, 6:10 am
Arrived at Post Office
ORyyy
March 10, 2023, 5:03 am
Arrived at USPS Facility
ORLyy
March 10, 2023, 3:02 am
If we can not track your package down I will refund your money for this order. Please check some things on your end first:
Please verify this is your current mailing address:
JA .......
14 ............
B...................
Please check with other members of your household to see if anyone may have put your package aside.
I will contact your local PO to get more information and find out where their GPS system shows that the item was delivered.
If you have not contacted the LOCAL PO please do so. Do NOT call the “800” number or you will be stuck on hold for an hour or longer. They respond to the LOCAL customer better than someone many miles away. Ask them “What are the GPS Coordinates where it was delivered, and is it at my mail box?”
I have had the PO drop it at the wrong address, put things in the wrong drop box, even deliver to an entirely wrong street! Once I hear that they delivered it to the correct address I will file a loss/theft report with the US Postal Inspector.
They can be very helpful in finding missing packages within their system due to theft. If they are unable to help us, I will refund your money in about 3-5 days depending on how quickly the Postal Inspector responds with their findings.
Once the Postal Inspector gets involved please cooperate with them as they take package theft very seriously. It is a Federal crime and can lead to serious time in prison. If they find that there have been additional cases of stolen items in your area they may have to resort to having all mail held for a signature at the PO.
We will find out what happened but it may take several days before this can be resolved.
Thank you for your patience!
INSERT NAME!
39 replies
Seller_OvL8C4BJWiuS9
If you did not use Amazon buy shipping, any tracking you have isn't relevant. Either you refund or Amazon will when they file an A-Z claim.
Seller_JEZM0XKCFBgyp
If you think this is porch piracy, then who do you think should take the loss?
Danika_Amazon
Hi @Seller_Riuc7FnuYOdFzand thanks for bringing your question to the Seller Forums. You've gotten some good advice from other sellers below. I wanted to weigh in with some additional resources that you may find helpful.
First, I found two Seller University videos:
- Ship orders with Buy Shipping. Explore the features and benefits of Amazon’s Buy Shipping service. Get step-by-step instructions for shipping a customer order using Buy Shipping.
- How does Buy Shipping work? This help page leads with a video and then contains a long list of helpful links for navigating Buy Shipping.
The Use Buy Shipping services help page also contains a wealth of information. Here's a particularly relevant part for why you may want to consider Buy Shipping:
"Help safeguard your performance metrics
- Negative Customer Feedback: If you ship on time with tracking via Buy Shipping, and the buyer leaves seller feedback solely related to delayed or undelivered packages, you can request to have the feedback reviewed. If approved, the impact of the feedback is removed from your Order Defect Rate, and the buyer’s comment will display with a strike-through and the statement: The fulfillment issues associated with this order were not due to the seller. To learn more, see Can Amazon remove buyer feedback? The customer feedback policy ensures sellers are only responsible for shipping their products on time and are not penalized for delays out of their control.
- A-to-z Guarantee claims: If you purchase Amazon's Buy Shipping and ship on time, you are protected against claims where a customer reports problems with delivery. Amazon will cover the cost of these claims and they will not affect your Order Defect Rate.
- Valid Tracking Rate: For all U.S. orders, sellers must maintain a Valid Tracking Rate of 95% or higher for orders above certain thresholds to sell on Amazon. Go to Valid Tracking Rate to learn more about thresholds, exceptions, and more. Orders shipped through Buy Shipping do not require a separate shipping confirmation. If you use Buy Shipping for your orders, Amazon automatically uploads tracking information. You can track delivery status on the Orders Details page. To view the Orders Details page for a specific Order ID, go to Orders > Manage Orders and select the Order ID under Order Details column."
I hope this is helpful. Please let me know if you have further questions or concerns.
Kind regards,
- Danika
Seller_kIukTwdhvntAp
I'm old school just because I'm OLD so I use a simple template that was used years ago by one of the very experienced sellers on here.
Over the years I have modified theirs to fit my style which can be a BIT more 'confrontational' but not overtly threatening.
Feel free to try something like this. It's AMAZING how so many people actually "found it" when the Postal Inspector is mentioned.
Hello!
I am sorry to hear you can not locate your package. As you note, this is marked as delivered by the PO. It was sent in a new padded envelope. The PO now uses GPS Tracking which will show exactly where the item was left (within about six inches of the location!)
Here are the details for the delivery way back on March 10th………….
Delivered
Delivered, In/At Mailbox
ORyyy
March 10, 2023, 3:12 pm
Out for Delivery
ORyyy
March 10, 2023, 6:10 am
Arrived at Post Office
ORyyy
March 10, 2023, 5:03 am
Arrived at USPS Facility
ORLyy
March 10, 2023, 3:02 am
If we can not track your package down I will refund your money for this order. Please check some things on your end first:
Please verify this is your current mailing address:
JA .......
14 ............
B...................
Please check with other members of your household to see if anyone may have put your package aside.
I will contact your local PO to get more information and find out where their GPS system shows that the item was delivered.
If you have not contacted the LOCAL PO please do so. Do NOT call the “800” number or you will be stuck on hold for an hour or longer. They respond to the LOCAL customer better than someone many miles away. Ask them “What are the GPS Coordinates where it was delivered, and is it at my mail box?”
I have had the PO drop it at the wrong address, put things in the wrong drop box, even deliver to an entirely wrong street! Once I hear that they delivered it to the correct address I will file a loss/theft report with the US Postal Inspector.
They can be very helpful in finding missing packages within their system due to theft. If they are unable to help us, I will refund your money in about 3-5 days depending on how quickly the Postal Inspector responds with their findings.
Once the Postal Inspector gets involved please cooperate with them as they take package theft very seriously. It is a Federal crime and can lead to serious time in prison. If they find that there have been additional cases of stolen items in your area they may have to resort to having all mail held for a signature at the PO.
We will find out what happened but it may take several days before this can be resolved.
Thank you for your patience!
INSERT NAME!
Seller_DdmPiA1p1S2Wu
I can understand wanting to buy some of your shipping labels on Pirate Ship, Shippo, etc. since they are often less expensive, but the fact that you lose the Buy Shipping protection should be part of the equation. If the item is inexpensive and there is a fair amount of savings I will often buy my shipping label off site to save the difference in shipping cost, sometimes as much as $2.50 on the label, but I know that if there is a delivery issue even if the item shows it was delivered I will need to refund the buyer. It just comes down to the math. I save about $300-$400 per month by buying a lot of my labels from Shippo instead of Amazon, and so if I have to refund an order here or there (which I very rarely have to do) I still come out way ahead since my items are pretty inexpensive. I would certainly pay an extra couple of dollars for the Buy Shipping protection on an item that is more expensive, though.
Seller_vl5tX2yN12YmO
For a $10 shipping label, I might call the USPS 800# (800) 275-8777 and ask them to open a ticket and have the local carrier go back out and double-check the delivery, first. Let the customer know you are working to resolve the issue within 1-2 days.
I asked a customer to briefly describe her mailbox setup so I could initiate a search for her - she kindly provided some key details - it turned out her item was delivered to her house box number...but on another street. They found it.
It happens. If you sent Priority (insured), and it doesn't turn up, you can make a claim with USPS. You will want to refund the customer in this case, obviously. It's the cost of doing business as you don't want to negatively impact your reviews.
Fulfill orders while you are on hold, good luck!
Seller_vwTQr93nzb7gQ
I have sent the customer a note like this in the past. They dropped the request.
" I see you are claiming a case of mail theft. The USPS takes this very serious. Before I file a Federal Mail Theft claim for you with your local Post Office, could you check with neighbors to see if your package was delivered accidentally to them? Let me know in a few days if you still wish to proceed with the Federal crime case."
I've never heard back on these "lost" packages. And no A to Z claim filed.
Seller_kIukTwdhvntAp
Others say to use 'buy shipping' from Amazon and that's fine but I want ALL my postage costs for ALL my sites on one account so I use Endicia Dazzle.
The OTHER advantage of that is their UPS rates are always several dollars LESS than what Amazon charges.
Since I get maybe two or three 'where's my stuff' questions a year I don't/won't use 'buy shipping' as it complicates my life more than it helps.
Seller_hW26u6H9PpMYy
Recommendation based on our real-world handling of these requests:
1) Sorry to hear that your order was not received despite the Tracking indicating it has been Delivered
2) Attach the Tracking Detail graphic
3) in order to file a Claim w the Carrier - can you please reply to this email w your Mailing Address? Amazon removes this info once a Pkg is marked as Delivered
4) Please Note - by replying w your Mailing Address - you are asserting that you are not in receipt of the following order AAA-BBBBBB-CCCCC. We will use this info to file appropriate claims with Amazon, Carrier & if necessary Local Police Precinct.
**We have done this no less than 10 times & 8 out of 10 - the Buyer miraculously found the pkg. The other 2 times - We mailed a Replacement & marked it "Hold @ Post Office"
5) We inform the Buyer that the item will be held @ the Post Office in the event addl information is needed re: the Mail Theft Claim.
We carry a Return Policy that offers a Refund OR Replacement. If the Buyer really doesn't have the item - Replacement should be more than adequate. Only thieves want their money back and they will have to work to get it from us.
We are 85% Stamps.com / 15% BuyShipping via Amazon
