Unusual ebay practices?

Steve Kelly

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Short story long...

I sold a pair of trainers on ebay, the buyer paid for them pretty much straight away.
Sent them 'RM 2nd class signed for', 2-3 days delivery time.

Bought the postage label through ebay/paypal, so just printed it off. Didn't pay too much attention to the address at the time.
Sent off the goods a couple of weeks ago from my local PO.
With RM 2nd Signed for you can't track it as such, it just tells you 2 things...1. when it was originally posted (with some deets), and 2. when it gets signed for, at the other end of its journey.

I checked it after 3 days and still not signed for. So I sent the buyer a message apologising, and that I was regularly checking, etc. gave the tracking number.
heard nothing back.

Then last week, still not signed for so I checked the RM claims process (thinking it was probably lost), and you have to wait 10 days after the due delivery date.
So I message the buyer again (thru ebay), told him the deal, apologised again, etc, and said i would keep on it.

Few days later, checked again, not signed for yet still. Not heard back at all from the buyer.
So I checked the address that went on the postage label, and it was the guy's name, and then the address of an actual Post Office!

Anyone know if this is a common practice?

unless the guy works there (or has some connection to someone who works there), I can't imagine how the PO would allow/accept this? ... to get something delivered to a post office with just your name on it (and their address)? it seems pretty random to me. How would you prove it's yours for one? since you'd only have your name on it, not your address. I mean I suppose it wasn't a particularly common name, but still!

Oh well, I won't take the proceedings out of my paypal account (and spend it!) until I know what the deal is.
 
It's not a PO box then?
 
No, not a PO Box.
It's just the guy's name, followed by:

THE POST OFFICE
<number-street>
<town>
<county>
<postcode>


I google mapped the address and went into streetview, and there is indeed a post office there.
 
I did send the buyer this message at the weekend too:

"I see your delivery address is an actual Post Office.
Looks like a confusing affair (unless you work there). How does that work then?"

...nil response.
 
If it's a franchised PO it may be a residence as well, there's accommodation above/behind our village PO for example.
 
I did send the buyer this message at the weekend too:

"I see your delivery address is an actual Post Office.
Looks like a confusing affair (unless you work there). How does that work then?"

...nil response.
Have they responded at all throughout your messages?
 
Perhaps it's a bit like click and collect, but you collect from the PO, instead of Argos?

I think that earlier, when I ordered something from Amazon, it gave me the local PO as a delivery option, but I chose home, as it's a small item that will go through the letterbox.
 
Perhaps it's a bit like click and collect, but you collect from the PO, instead of Argos?

I think that earlier, when I ordered something from Amazon, it gave me the local PO as a delivery option, but I chose home, as it's a small item that will go through the letterbox.
Wouldn't that need some kind of reference number? Otherwise go in as John Smith and try your luck :)
 
If it's a franchised PO it may be a residence as well, there's accommodation above/behind our village PO for example.

Sounds like a possible explanation.
I might find out one day, if only the guy would reply!

Perhaps it's a bit like click and collect, but you collect from the PO, instead of Argos?

I think that earlier, when I ordered something from Amazon, it gave me the local PO as a delivery option, but I chose home, as it's a small item that will go through the letterbox.

Maybe, I just didn't think the PO would offer something like that!
 
Wouldn't that need some kind of reference number? Otherwise go in as John Smith and try your luck :)

I agree. But...If you went into your local post office, and gave your name and address with postcode, they'd probably hand over any parcels tbh.

Sounds like a possible explanation.
I might find out one day, if only the guy would reply!
Maybe, I just didn't think the PO would offer something like that!

In addition to my post above - I re-ordered the same thing as earlier, to see if it did offer my local PO as a delivery option:

Capture.PNG
 
In addition to my post above - I re-ordered the same thing as earlier, to see if it did offer my local PO as a delivery option:

Ah yes, thanks for checking that out, Doug. Appreciated.
And now seeing that, I recall seeing a similar option last time I ordered something on Amazon.

I wonder whether, if you choose this option on Amazon, they also include your address, or some other kind of reference on the postage label to the PO.
...Don't suppose you'd actually order that thing again and try it out, Doug?!... (joke! ;):p)
 
Ah yes, thanks for checking that out, Doug. Appreciated.
And now seeing that, I recall seeing a similar option last time I ordered something on Amazon.

I wonder whether, if you choose this option on Amazon, they also include your address, or some other kind of reference on the postage label to the PO.
...Don't suppose you'd actually order that thing again and try it out, Doug?!... (joke! ;):p)

Funnily enough, I did sit there thinking to myself 'Do NOT click 'Confirm and Pay''! It's just the sort of clumsy shit I'd do tbh! :laugh:
 
Another thing to consider and possibly why the buyer doesn't seem bothered ....

A few years ago I experienced a spate of signed for parcels that I knew had been delivered but still had a status of 'progressing through our system' - some still do to this day.

Royal Mail weren't interested when I tried to explain that I had paid extra for a signature for my piece of mind - they simply had a "what is the problem, you said that it got there". They didn't comprehend that I shouldn't have to contact the recipient to check that it had arrived - I had paid them to do that for me.

It niggled me so much that I decided to claim for a lost item. They gave me the usual "you have to wait 30 days before claiming", then "you have to give us 30 days to respond" and then "we need another 30 days" but in the end they paid up. It was only something like a tenner and it was a bit naughty of me so I paid it into a charity.

Cheers,

Nigel
 
Yeah that's good to know, and another possibility... perhaps he's got them and simply don't care!
I'll leave it now, probably never hear from him, and withdraw the cash from my paypal after the 45 days ebay returns policy thingy has passed.

it's just so annoying! to not receive any replies! ...what sort of human man is this?!
 
Possible hes in a house move and hes took the option to have his post sent to the Post Office???
 
Possible hes in a house move and hes took the option to have his post sent to the Post Office???

yeah could be house move, or holiday.
still, it's rude not to reply to the (multitude of) messages regardless!
...that's my view and I'm sticking to it! :)
 

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