Am I wrong here?

[jenn-b]

Okay. Part of this is venting as I am extremely frustrated at this time. I have not been online for a bit since I have been down with a few bugs, but I have managed to keep in touch with winners of my ebay auctions - thanks blackberry!

I have this one...let's just call him a jewel. He received his parcel of two candles with one broken. I insure every single parcel that leaves me now, thanks to one of Ebay's wonderful newer rules about claiming no responsibility if the parcel is not insured. So, instead of not insuring any parcels, I go to the other extreme and insure EVERY parcel now.

So, one of his candles is broken. He immediately demands that I replace the candles or issue a refund. I explain that the parcel was insured for the full value and that he should file a claim with his local post. He then tries to tell me that I am responsible for filing the claim - which makes absolutely no sense since I cannot hand the damaged item over to the post, as they often require this.

Today I get an email from him stating:

I took the damaged candle to my post office in Montgomery, TX and was told that the box was not insured. The woman I talked to said that there would be a barcode on the label showing insurance taken out just like the delivery confirmation barcode on packages generated online. Please take care of it with a credit to my paypal account or send another candle.

Please let me know.

Thank you.

I can very easily pull up the tracking information online that clearly states that the item was insured and the exact value that it was insured for. I wrote him back stating as much and am still waiting for his response.

I have absolutely NO intention of sending him a new candle OR issuing a refund. What the hell is the point of my paying for insurance if it is not going to be used? And I wrong here??

** As a side-note, my husband brought up the idea that he thinks this guy already filed and is hoping to "double down" so to speak - getting money from both the USPS as well as myself.

I'm fully prepared for him to threaten me with negative feedback - classic case of blackmail which I will promptly file with Ebay.

SOoooooo...my question is...Am I wrong here?

[jenn-b]

Oh, by the way, I have also used the Ebay messaging system for all of my responses, even though he always sends me emails. Every time he does this I respond through Ebay "quoting" his initial emails. Just another little thing to cover my tracks.

[Gonzai]

Well, not sure about damage, but when I insured a parcel
that never showed up, I had to file the claim. Is it different
when a package is damaged??

[jenn-b]

Most often, the Post Office requires the actual item to be on hand for the claim - and they often keep the damaged item. My post has a huge box with all of the claimed items that they keep "just in case".

[Gonzai]

Well then, if that is the case, then you indeed would not be wrong.
Though you knew I would side with you even if you had thrown it
as his head, thus breaking the candle. I would still say he needs
to file the claim.

[jenn-b]

Well. Color me pissed off. Not you Nida dear!

I decided that I did not want to be an asshat here, so I decided to really check in to the possibility that I could assist in filing online. I submitted the insurance/label number and just got this wonderful response:

This claim has already been submitted. If you did not submit it, please contact our Claims Help Desk at helpdeskaccounting-st.louismo@usps.gov.

OMFG. Aaron was right!! Now I'm seriously pissed.

[cutiebunny]

I've had to deal with one of these before too. Wait until they file a Paypal claim. The level of fun escalates exponentially.

What I've had to do now is that, if there is even any possibility that an item might have some damage, I've had to take up-close pics of each and every item. Just selling a lot of 100 items and saying "fair" condition does not suffice; Unless each and every piece is documented for condition, you'll find some buyer who is willing to take you to the cleaners for it. In fact, the same asshat that I had this problem with still, 3 years later, rants about it on his website, despite that fact that Paypal decided in my favor. Talk about anger management issues.

Since there's not a market for partially used candles, your situation is different. But since this guy is such a scummer, I would be willing to bet that the candles are in great shape, but he wants to receive them at a discount.

I would take a screenshot of that message from USPS and send it to your jewel. Tell him that, until USPS decides on that matter, that you will neither refund nor replace his item.

[kamidake]

Wow, what a tool. He's got the gulls to demand a refund, and claim the post office insurance at the same time. Does he really think that he can get away with it, when everything's electronic and readily trackable? You should totally take a screen cap of it and file it away, in case he tries anything else.

[pixie_princess]

That really really bites. If the package was damaged on the outside when he received it, he is supposed to take it to USPS and open it in front of a teller -_-;;;

[ReiTheJelly]

From a scamming perspective, I could see trying to get a refund from you *and* keep the candles if you hadn't insured the package. But you DID. This person must be an absolute moron if they don't realize that you can easily tell that they've already filed with the USPS...


I swear, if I didn't need to sell some really strange stuff every once in a blue moon, I would give up on eBay. The quality of people has really gone down over the years...and eBay won't lift a finger to help anyone out, nowadays.

[graymouser]

Aside from his dishonesty, he is not very bright. All you have to do is forward his emails to the post office, and they can go after him for mail fraud. All you have to do is forward his email and the post office's email to paypal/ebay to clear it up. He is just digging his own hole.

[star-phoenix]

I would do this, forward the e-mail you received from the post office to the buyer, and scan the receipt of the insurance you purchased for the item, or even print out the page that says "insurance bought" and scan it in, and e-mail it to him. Then, contact Ebay and start a dispute resolution. That way, you can be as protected as possible. I think you have the right to feel paranoid about this. But, if you show the receipt to the buyer, they cannot argue with you.

[birdie]

Aside from his dishonesty, he is not very bright. All you have to do is forward his emails to the post office, and they can go after him for mail fraud. All you have to do is forward his email and the post office's email to paypal/ebay to clear it up. He is just digging his own hole.

I vote for getting him for mail fraud, that's a federal offense. Let him explain himself to some Marshalls.

[jenn-b]

Well I've had a busy morning. Filed a report with Ebay and filed a case with my local Post Master. I'm hoping that she'll find out some specifics for me today regarding when exactly he filed the claim. What great fun when I'm feeling so yucky. At least it's sunny out!

[dark-water-dragon]

There are a couple of tricks you can use to keep your hands clean. First take a picture of the item that you are sending with a newspaper that was printed on the day that you are sending the item. After that take a picture of the receipt from USPS with the same newspaper. Keep these things on file until Feedback and any issues are resolved, because you know the next guy is going to say you sent them broken items or that the receipt was for something else. Some people try to scam everyone. Sorry about your bad luck.