Classified deal goes wrong. What do you do if you were me?

[HuntHarder]

I would give the guy the benefit of the doubt and file a usps claim. You can't prove he is trying to con you. Sucks to eat $200, but it us almost the cost of doing business online. Sooner or later something will happen in transit and it turns into a finger pointing situation. Better packaging would have likely prevented any problem.

 

[dtrkyman]

I have video of my packing and all items I put inside when I something ship lately, was never really a concern in the past. You have to prepare for the worst and expect it unfortunately.

Not buying or selling much online anymore, not worth the hassle, would rather sell it cheap in person!

 

[tntrker]

With USPS you're screwed anyhow. Refund the guy and leave it between him and God if he's scaming you.

 

[Sled]

Lost boxes you can usually get compensated for with most shippers. Damaged boxes/content is where shippers have you over a barrel. If your box isn't "certified" they will deny you claim. I've seen strong boxes without the certified stamp get denied. The shipping insurance is a scam. You just have to do your due diligence and hope that things work out.

 

[rclouse79]

I had something similar happen on eBay. I sold something for $100 and thought I was good. I get an email a month later saying the item was never received. It turns out I must have entered a number incorrectly on the tracking and the buyer realized this. They waited long enough that I threw out the receipt with the tracking number. There wasn’t really anything I could do and had to refund the money. Then Ebay tried to still charge me the sellers fees. It wasn’t a lot of money, but I was so pissed off about the whole thing I called and threw a fit until they took the fees off. Now I save a picture of the tracking number on my phone. I hate thieves. Good luck.

 

[Coffindaffer]

Thanks for everyones input

Regardless of if this guy is trying to pull a fast one on me or not, I just text him and told him I'd either give him a full refund once he's sent me back what he did receive, or I'll give him a partial refund if he wants to keep what he did.

As tntrker said, if he is trying to scam me, he and God can work it out. All I can do is do the "right thing".





Sad we have to be like this these days, but I'll either dial back the online dealings or add some extra steps and precautions going forward.

 

[KyleR1985]

Thanks for everyones input

Regardless of if this guy is trying to pull a fast one on me or not, I just text him and told him I'd either give him a full refund once he's sent me back what he did receive, or I'll give him a partial refund if he wants to keep what he did.

As tntrker said, if he is trying to scam me, he and God can work it out. All I can do is do the "right thing".





Sad we have to be like this these days, but I'll either dial back the online dealings or add some extra steps and precautions going forward.

Nothing about this deal is surprising or an outlier. The last half of your assessment is the only important part for you, my man.

You mismanaged your expectations of online stranger dealing, the usps, and PayPal.

Once you get those expectations in line with reality, it’s smooth sailing.

It’s not sad. It’s not different. It just IS. Control your part.

 

[Sterlingsilva]

Definitely a tough situation. Without some solid proof however, you can't just assume he is trying to scam you. Just gonna have to let karma handle it if so.
Take it as a lesson learned. Always insure your shipment for at least it's value and if you want to take it one step further pay the extra for the delivery confirmation signature. That way if it was accepted damaged or missing contents due to damage during shipment, the recipient would have no claim later on.
Sure would be nice if USPS photographed their delivered packages like Amazon usually does.

 

[Coffindaffer]

Definitely a tough situation. Without some solid proof however, you can't just assume he is trying to scam you. Just gonna have to let karma handle it if so.
Take it as a lesson learned. Always insure your shipment for at least it's value and if you want to take it one step further pay the extra for the delivery confirmation signature. That way if it was accepted damaged or missing contents due to damage during shipment, the recipient would have no claim later on.
Sure would be nice if USPS photographed their delivered packages like Amazon usually does.

It is tough, and I hated to come across accusation-ally. The way the situation was reported back to me was very odd. Strange details, story changes, etc. I didn't really go in depth in that part of the story, because I didnt come here to slander anyone.

I'm taking the high road and giving this guy his money back. Benefit of the doubt. Hopefully he's being honest and he's upset he didnt get what he paid for.




will definitely never ship anything uninsured again. Usps won't even take the case because I didnt insure it. I thought any priority shipment covered to $100, but I guess I was wrong. Live and learn


I was going to try to call the facilities it went through to check their "lost and found" but it went through a whole lot of them going from Georgia to California.

 

[CoStick]

It is tough, and I hated to come across accusation-ally. The way the situation was reported back to me was very odd. Strange details, story changes, etc. I didn't really go in depth in that part of the story, because I didnt come here to slander anyone.

I'm taking the high road and giving this guy his money back. Benefit of the doubt. Hopefully he's being honest and he's upset he didnt get what he paid for.




will definitely never ship anything uninsured again. Usps won't even take the case because I didnt insure it. I thought any priority shipment covered to $100, but I guess I was wrong. Live and learn


I was going to try to call the facilities it went through to check their "lost and found" but it went through a whole lot of them going from Georgia to California.

Covered to $50 included

 

[Sterlingsilva]

It is tough, and I hated to come across accusation-ally. The way the situation was reported back to me was very odd. Strange details, story changes, etc. I didn't really go in depth in that part of the story, because I didnt come here to slander anyone.

I'm taking the high road and giving this guy his money back. Benefit of the doubt. Hopefully he's being honest and he's upset he didnt get what he paid for.




will definitely never ship anything uninsured again. Usps won't even take the case because I didnt insure it. I thought any priority shipment covered to $100, but I guess I was wrong. Live and learn


I was going to try to call the facilities it went through to check their "lost and found" but it went through a whole lot of them going from Georgia to California.

For what it's worth I commend you on being open to input from others here and ultimately choosing that high road. Again, Karma has its way.
Best of luck to you in the future

 

[*zap*]

sometime even things that are not probable may be possible. usps tracking info may not be true....unless he signed for it your liable. Anymore I only sell with a F&F payment...

 

[Cornhusker]

Definitely file a usps claim now. They lose half the contents of a package routinely. Going forward, always insure for as much or more than the agreed upon price.

You've had better luck than I have with the USPS. On 2 different occasions I priority shipped a mule deer and an elk cape in a box with a styrofoam cooler with the frozen cape. I watched the one with the shipping number sit in a distribution center in Indiana for 32 days. It was delivered on the 54 day rotten I filed an insurance claim as I had purchased insurance. It was denied insufficient evidence. I put all the evidence together again including pictures from the purchaser with the rotten cape still denied insufficient evidence. I put it all the evidence together and sent it 3 times always denied. I did the same with an elk cape later last year it was delivered in 21 days but the same result. The USPS IMO is one of the poorest operations public or private in the country. I refunded the money in both cases.

 

[Yukon Cornelius]

With USPS you're screwed anyhow. Refund the guy and leave it between him and God if he's scaming you.

Plot twist: he’s atheist.

 

[BRTreedogs]

I always send a picture of the shipping label.
It has the tracking, weight, and there address.
There should be no need for them to be waiting 2 weeks plus to let me know if there address was wrong.

 

[Yukon Cornelius]

Lots to consider. Did you offer insurance and he declined?

The weight of the package matters.
I bought a optic off this sight and when it arrived the box was in rough shape. I contacted the seller before I opened it to let him know there may be an issue. It was in a box, but no padding and where the mount wasn’t is where the holes were. It was ok though.

The timeline is off. And were there any attempts to be made about delivery or delay?

I’m willing to eat a transaction, but I make sure that I package well. I insure.

I’ve only been burned twice. Once was brass and thankfully I paid my 1/2 with goods and services. Second time was a bootleg item.

If packaging was suspect that would be on you, the shipper.

 

[Yukon Cornelius]

But with the timeframe issues…I’m not sure.

 

[KyleR1985]

sometime even things that are not probable may be possible. usps tracking info may not be true....unless he signed for it your liable. Anymore I only sell with a F&F payment...

Friends and family separates the wheat from chaff in “used gear transactions under 1000.00 with strangers on the internet”.

 

[Antares]

Did you offer insurance and he declined?

I don't really understand this perspective. I always get a little spooked when sellers ask me if I want insurance. Insurance is not for the buyer, it's for the seller. The buyer is expecting the items to show up as agreed upon. If they don't show up, the seller refunds the buyer, and then makes a claim with the shipper (if they've insured the item). That's how it works in my book. What's the buyer supposed to do? Make a claim with the shipper on a shipment they didn't initiate or pay for?

 

[CoHiCntry]

Plot twist: he’s atheist.

God doesn't care if he's atheist or not...