It took ages to finalise the design but finally after lots of going & fro-ing it was complete!
It was posted on 12/12. The customer opted not to pay for tracking but I did it anyway at my expense. (call it gut instinct!) I then forgot about it totally until she contacted me on 22/1 to ask where her books was.
I found the tracking number and saw they had tried to deliver it twice and left notes to advise it pick up. However at tat point it was still sat her local depot being prepared for return to sender. I advised if she got there quick smart she might be able to get it!
UAE tracking then has it getting to the International departure preparation at Dubai on 25/1. Then nothing.
Royal Mail say - oops - sorry it seems to be lost now so you will have to claim for it via the International claim form.
My question really is - would you get the customer to claim so that she is reimbursed hopefully in full or would you claim yourself (for what seems to be the component parts only) Would you replace and resend (and risk a repeat performance? Would you refund and write it off as one of those things?
The customer hasn’t actually communicated with me since 22/1 when I told her to go and try and get it!
HI Dottie, did you send her the tracking info, if so it would be better for her to claim as she is more than likey to get the full amount refunded, worth a try
I may be wrong but I’m sure it’s the seller that has to claim from Royal Mail, and not the buyer.
I also think you are obliged to refund the buyer for the full cost of the item as a matter of course, regardless of how much - or how long - Roya Mail take to refund, even though the buyer was at fault for not arranging a redelivery.
If it was me I would be feeling quite miffed, but would refund the full amount and keep my fingers crossed that Royal Mail refunded in full.
I personally would do nothing until you hear from your customer. You never know, they may have picked it up, but the tracking is incorrect.
If they do get in touch to say that they still haven’t received it, I personally would just refund them (as you cannot guarantee that the 2nd one will arrive) then claim from RM yourself.
P.s. I always send items to UAE tracked and signed and I write the customers telephone number on the parcel too.
It seems that either can claim, the buyer is more likely to get the full amount and the seller the component parts. However as English is not her first language I think the form will not be possible for her to do. I think I will have to refund and be done x
Thanks - I am not going to do anything and as it took 5 weeks to chase the book up from when it was posted it might just be that she is a bit “manyana”. I did put her telephone number on the parcel as someone had suggested that before but this didn’t seem to help this time sadly!
Sorry to hear about your dilemma. I’ve just sent something off there and sent it tracked. Really hope it arrives safely You seem to have lots of good advice there from other shops. Hope you manage to sort it out.
Pity I didn’t know you had an order for Dubai, I could have taken it for you on the 2nd Jan.
I had an order on etsy, destine for USA just before the last day for posting abroad. I warned the customer that I couldn’t guarantee it arrived before Christmas, all I got from was Thanks to that comment. I asked her to let me know when it arrived, well she hasn’t done so. Now I’m thinking we’ll if she couldn’t inform me of its arrival then I presume she received it. So I would say to you if they don’t reply to your emails etc then I wouldn’t do anything until she gets back in touch with you.
You seem to have lots of good advice there from other shops. Hope you manage to sort it out.