USPS failure and possible BUYER SCAM help??
 

Recently mailed a card over $250. Sent First Class with Signature Confirmation. The tracking number shows nothing, and now after 5 days, the buyer is opening a case against me. What type of recourse do I have?



9402109699937780557637
First-Class Package Service
Delivery status not updated

July 1, 2013, 11:25 pm


Expected Delivery By:
July 1, 2013
Signature Confirmation™
Proof of Delivery

Out for Delivery

July 1, 2013, 9:25 am

KANSAS CITY, MO 64152


Sorting Complete
July 1, 2013, 9:15 am
KANSAS CITY, MO 64152

Arrival at Post Office
July 1, 2013, 5:41 am
KANSAS CITY, MO 64152


Depart USPS Sort Facility
June 30, 2013, 2:34 am
KANSAS CITY, KS 66106

Processed through USPS Sort Facility
June 29, 2013, 11:29 pm
KANSAS CITY, KS 66106

Depart USPS Sort Facility
June 28, 2013
RALEIGH, NC 27676

Processed through USPS Sort Facility
June 28, 2013, 4:48 pm
RALEIGH, NC 27676

Dispatched to Sort Facility
June 28, 2013, 1:26 pm
RALEIGH, NC 27661

Acceptance
June 28, 2013, 12:32 pm
RALEIGH, NC 27661

Electronic Shipping Info Received
June 28, 2013

Your printout says Out for Delivery July 1?????????

Right....it was out for delivery.......but never got delivered?? Either the buyer never signed for it, and the Postman left a "sorry we missed you" slip in his box.....but wouldn't that show "notice left"???

Or buyer got the package without signing for it?? Not sure what is going on.....

I've got one going on right now...states "out for delivery" @ 8:21 AM on June 30 and "delivery status not updated" @ 10:21 PM June 30. Wants a refund, can't blame him, and as a seller you are responsible for delivery.
Maybe he's a mail carrier and doesn't scan his own mail as "delivered":eek:.
Wow, am I paranoid:D!!
But then again...ya never know!!
Sweated an SGC submission return a couple months ago, took about 3 weeks to arrive.

Anything that I ship by USPS that is over a $100, I buy the insurance. Hope it turns up for you.

Jeff

"out for delivery" is an automatic scan update. Once the parcel is scanned "arrival at unit" by the sorting clerk, and the clerk hangs up the scanner for downloading, the "out for delivery" update is added. Has nothing to do with the carrier actually taking the parcel to the street.

"delivery status not updated" is an automatic update also. Just means nothing further has been done.

My guess would be that the carrier scanned it, delivered it, got to the next package delivery, and when he went to scan it he found the previous one still active. When he tried to hit "delivered" the scanner demanded a signature.

If he couldn't remember where the last package went, the only thing he can do is delete the scan.


I would print out the tracking information and go to the post office. Even if you didn't have insurance on it, you have written proof that they lost it. Print out your ebay/paypal case also, it's possible that this buyer has a history at that post office.

good luck, hope it works out (not likely)

I hope you are wrong. I appreciate the honesty though. I have been in contact with the USPS and they can't tell me anything. The only thing that bothers me, is the guy just opened a case. No warning or anything. I got his contact number from Ebay and tried to talk to him over the phone to no avail. I also sent him some messages through Ebay with no responses to those either.

delivered
 

Hi Robert,
Your card was delivered on the 9th at 3:32 pm. It looks like your customer, Thomas Kuhns, was notified and came to the window and picked it up. Apparrently the carrier did not scan the item as "attempted" when he/she first tried to deliver it.

Rick

Yes!! He and I talked by phone to great lengths yesterday. Nice guy. Apparently his mail carrier is new and did not leave the "Sorry we missed you..." notice that they normally do to let them know they have a package they need to sign for. Throughout this whole ordeal, it taught me to insure packages that sell for more than $250. If I can't afford to lose the money, I need to insure it. I will basically have to raise my shipping fees for higher dollar cards, which will bring out the star dingers. Not that it matters anyway, as I don't take returns, so I don't get the 20% discount. Still, a seller can't afford to get too many star dings, lest Ebay boot them off the site.

I have learned my lesson enough! Anything over $50 I option for Insurance! Good Luck and hope all works out for you!