Alisande,

A few years ago I ordered some roses and perennials off of Ebay. I received the rest of the items but not the roses. I did not notify the seller right away, figuring that the package was rerouted or something.
When I finally emailed the seller, apparently the roses had been delivered right around the time the rest of the stuff was delivered.
Either they got stolen from my doorstep (I live in a busy neighborhood) or they were shown as delivered but were not delivered to me.
Twice this past year I've mistakenly received packaged for a similar address several blocks away. I did some investigating and they both had been show as delivered to the correct address but weren't. (Each time I brought them back to the post office).

I buy and sell on ebay and can testify that sh1t happens. I once ordered a piece of software and when a reasonable amount of time had passed and I had not received it, I contacted the seller, who had confirmation that it was indeed delivered. DH talked with our postman, who said he even remembered delivering it. Well, yes, he delivered it, but after visits to several of our neighbors, it was found to have been delivered to the wrong house. The residents hadn't bothered to return it to the postman when he came around again, nor had the courtesy to walk it across the street to us.

Just because the information states that a package has been delivered to the correct address doesn't make it so. Just sayin'.

I wonder if that's what happened (wrong house). Still seems odd that it took him so long to report it.

His feedback isn't awful (99.2%), but it isn't perfect either. No negatives as buyer, but I don't think eBay allows sellers to post bad feedback.

The few occasions I've bought from eBay have involved sellers who were known businesses (and manufacturers) using it as a back channel for small lots. Like for new but discontinued models of electronic devices, etc.

The variability of eBay experiences in dealing with individuals is a show stopper for me. Everyone has a story to tell about a bad experience on both the buying and selling sides. No thanks, it's not for me.

Good luck to you in resolving your problem.

I see this happen now and then on 1 hockey goalie forum I am on...Seller sends it via USPS (or whatever) just with tracking...and the buyer says...never got it!! Moral of the story, pay the extra buck or 2 and get "signature required" that way ur covered! As people do see stuff left out on the porch and steal it...and then there are buyers who just lie!!!

Airforceguy, maybe the "signature required" might have been even more useful than insurance. I'll have to keep that in mind.

I've been pretty lucky with eBay (and Amazon) so far. This will be my 8th year selling. I'm not anything like a Power Seller, but my old house and barn have provided a steady stream of items. I enjoy knowing people are happy to own these things, while I'm happy to get rid of them and get a little money.

I just received a generic marketing email from eBay with the subject: "Looking for a nice watch?" LOL

Your mention of California made me pay attention.

I ordered a pair of shoes for my granddaughter a couple weeks before Christmas. I had thought they'd be delivered before my daughter and family left town for Christmas, but I kept watching the tracking info, and it said they were delivered Dec. 26th (the day after family left to go out of town). I thought nothing of it, thinking the shoes would be there when they came home.

They got back and there was no sign of the shoes. I told daughter to call the local post office to ask is maybe they were holding them there or something, the person at the post office told her they'd been having a huge amount of reports of mail being stolen. They sent a sheriff out to get info from daughter that day. Their mail comes through the Pismo Beach post office.

I guess the shoes will never turn up, but I know it has nothing to do with Ebay or the seller.

The buyer just sent me a message, thanking me, and closed the matter. I guess he found the watch.

That's a shame about the shoes, Debby!

I don't put much stock in the "Signature required" forms -- anybody can just tell the eBay "deciderers" that he/she never signed anything -- that it's not his/her signature. (And the way many people render their signatures today, scribblish and indecipherable, it's pretty hard to prove otherwise. And does the Postal Service actually scan those to keep for any purposes?)

I'm grateful that I never had an "item not received" complaint when I was selling some books and doodads on eBay, but I did have one through Amazon or maybe Yahoo (didn't Yahoo once have a similar sales program for individuals?) -- a season of a TV series on DVD. The sellers had a high hurdle to overcome for any help whatsoever.

I was mailing a package the other day to someone who bought something from me on eBay. I was telling the postmistress about how I had double boxed my item and was so careful in everything and that I really didn't enjoy eBaying much because I don't like risking my feedback. I explained to her how the seller can no longer leave a negative feedback for a buyer, no matter how crappy they are, and she said well, I guess you could just say "I am positive that you are a terrible buyer!" Or, "I'm positive that I hate your eBay guts!" LOL. We were falling on the floor laughing.

Glad it's resolved, Susan. I'm sorry he didn't have the guts to admit to you, his mistake.

I ordered an expensive bread machine from Kohls. The Fed Ex tracking # said it was delivered but it wasn't delivered to me. I was home when it was supposed to be delivered. I called FedEx, they spoke to the driver and he insisted he had left it at my house. I called Kohls and they said they would do an investigation.
A week later a friend was checking on the house of someone who is away and he found it sitting outside her front door.

I believe the driver is suppose to check for ID when signature is required........so if there is a signature there..it is no longer ur problem...it is the delivery service that is going to eat the loss!

In these situations the onus is on you to prove the buyer didnt get it...you provide the tracking # and the signature to EBAY or paypal who ever ur fighting it.....good chance they are going to believe you

The same thing happened to me. I ordered a blender from a seller on ebay. I never saw it. Contacted seller and USPS whose tracking indicated that it had been left on my porch on a certain date. I assume someone stole it off my porch. It was my loss.

I think at one time we had a building or store that you can have your items from ebay shipped to, then you go pick it up. I don't think they are around any more but what a great idea. We ordered a toy on line a few years ago from a department store for our grandson and it was delivered but not to our house. It went to another street wiith the same name as ours. We called the Department store to let them know what happened and they did replace it.
When we ordered Christmas stuff from Walmart this year we had it delivered to the store. That was very convenient and no worries.

Linda

I agree the 'deliver to store' option sounds good. Next year at Christmas, no more packages to my home, it is just too much aggravation when something goes wrong.

Amazon has that system where you can have things delivered to one of their local drop boxes. I've never used it, but that could be a good option if your carriers are not reliable.

I've had items ordered from stores that never showed up and certainly several that were misdelivered, usually by USPS. Just last week, a package for my neighbor showed up on my porch. I put it on her doorstep. I hope she found it.

UPS is usually pretty good, but around Christmas it can be a little sketchier because they use so many seasonal employees. I think FedEx hires people who can't read. USPS is hit or miss depending on which carrier is handling the route that day.

For a while, when I was having lots of problems at a place I used to live, I rented a box at one of the mail box places. It was nice to know that my packages were safe inside until I could pick them up.

Rose, that happened to me a few years ago with Fed Ex, in some areas they use contract delivery people, not their own staff....

The man who was contracted at that time in my area swore he had left my package on my porch. He stood in my living room and said he clearly remembered the geranium planters on the porch, he knew he'd been there to my house. Only, he had really left it several blocks away at a house vacant and for sale, sign in the yard. The realtor with the listing noticed it, picked it up off the porch and took it to her office. She left town on a trip, and someone put it in a closet. Long after the store had replaced my items their cost, I got a call from the realtor that she had come across a box in their office closet addressed to me. Did I want it.....

Restoration Hardware said so much time had passed to just keep it, the things I'd bought were on sale when I made my purchase anyway and no longer in their stock, they didn't want them back.

Signature required doesn't necessarily work for me, it can mean a lot of 'cat and mouse' trying to connect with the driver and an unnecessary imposition on their time. I've been lucky here, and with tracking numbers if I see something is out for delivery and I will be gone, I have people I can call to come over and check outside for a package, put it inside.

We had an issue with a box where delivery attempts kept being made at my SILs house last month though, the notes left said 'required it be signed in front of the UPS driver'. I've put boxes inside there for years, I know her signature is on file with UPS, and kept leaving notes back for the driver with my signature, my name printed, phone, my address 2 blocks away....I was not willing to spend the day at her house watching for a delivery while she sat on a beach in Hawaii.

Finally, one afternoon I saw the UPS truck go down the hill past my house and DH jumped in his truck and went after him. Driver apologized, said he'd been so busy he hadn't read my notes carefully. The 'box' was a Christmas gift of wine from old friends, professionally packed and since an alcoholic beverage, a real in-person signature required. I called her in Hawaii and told her I had the mystery box, was keeping the wine for my trouble and anxiety ;) but she could write the Thank you note to her friends.

It's called Amazon Locker. It's an excellent idea for those whose work and or living circumstances make safe and reliable deliveries a challenge.

The ghosts decided to post twice

This post was edited by snidely on Wed, Jan 14, 15 at 17:22

I cancelled my eBay account after their site was hacked and CC #'s were taken. I hadn't bought nor sold anything on eBay in a few years so I didn't see the point in keeping my account. I don't miss it. I mostly only shop through Amazon.

Flamingo, your story is funny! :)

Alisande, glad to hear the item was found and the deal is done.

I've been selling a lot on Ebay, and never had any problems until recently. I sold a pair of boots I never wore, which were expensive but I can't remember how much. Anyway, I sold them for 60.00, brand new in the box. So 3 months later I get an email from the buyer stating that the boots were counterfeit and fell apart when she wore them in the rain! Because she said they were defective, I would have to pay for shipping back to me, plus a refund. I offered her a refund of 40.00 and she could keep the boots which she accepted. I know she scammed me because the boots were purchased at a legitimate store, but what could I do? She was obviously someone who knew how the work the ebay system. I blocked her from buying from me.

Oh, that is so frustrating, Sleeperblues! Did you ask for a photo of the fallen-apart boots? Buyers should be required to provide proof of their claims whenever possible.

Reading the above posts about misdelivered packages, I feel lucky to have such a good relationship with my Post Office and carrier. Both know me well. This Christmas season, packages arrived often, always to the right house. They don't even confuse me with my son and daughter-in-law across the road. ;-)

Looks like another situation where the rural or village/small town "know-everybody-in-town" situation may have some advantages.

Not having dealt either way on eBay ... I have no buyer or seller info to offer.

ole joyful